The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) announced that Chief Executive Officer, Joe Wallace, has been named one of the of top 50 Economic Developers in North America in 2023 – the only one in California and one of three in the western states. Recipients will be presented with their award at Consultant Connect’s ECONOMIX event in Atlanta, GA on Thursday, November 30th.
“I’m honored to have been nominated and named one of the top 50 economic developers in North America. Receiving this award in 2023 validates the hard work and creativity that the CVEP team invests every day to establish innovative regional programs to foster entrepreneurship and diversify industry,” said Joe Wallace, CEO of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) and award recipient.
Consultant Connect, a consulting agency designed to bridge the gap between economic developers and site consultants, recently announced its 2023 list of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers. The economic development professionals selected for this list were nominated by their colleagues in both the economic development and site location consulting industries for excellent practices, innovation and success in building the communities they serve.
Startups are his specialty
With Joe Wallace at the helm, CVEP has assisted numerous individuals and startup businesses to take their ideas to the next level. With over 10 start-up businesses of his own, and experience mentoring over 100 others, Wallace is well-regarded for his depth of technical knowledge, paired with common sense solutions that work in business and life. Below are just a few recent examples:
“CVEP believed in two moms wanting to change lives through STEM enrichment. They propelled us forward, providing a home base and mentors instrumental in our success; they believed in our mission to create the next generation of technology heroes, and enabled us to form lasting partnerships. To date, we have served thousands of students through exciting partnerships with school districts, ASES sites, youth organizations, museums, and community science centers.” – Liberty Naud, Co-Founder (SMaRT Education is dedicated to improving access to STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art, and math – offerings for the children of the Coachella Valley.)
“CVEP is key to drawing business, revenue and workforce to the Coachella Valley, and they are a voice for many business owners and startup companies.” – Guy Assif, CEO, Moducan Corporation (Moducan Corporation is an international company that specializes in the design and engineering of emergency building technology aimed to support FEMA and our military.)
“CVEP has created an environment where a diverse ecosystem of businesses can be created and thrive. Support of CVEP benefits the community to a far greater extent than the investment you will make.” – Bill Schlanger, EV Enterprises (EV Enterprises is a producer of lithium-ion battery components, microelectronics and other related products for electric vehicle applications and more.)
“CVEP’s mentorship and guidance is an imperative next step for our company to grow and scale our business.” – Rossana Jeran, Co-Founder/CEO Hello Computer, Inc. (Hello Computer, Inc. is a social purpose, technology company that creates Edtech mobile apps to promote literacy and imagination in the Coachella Valley and worldwide, and was featured as a worldwide digital tool to promote literacy at the 2023 World Literacy Summit in the UK.)
A future-forward approach to economic development
Beyond his work with the Coachella Valley startup ecosystem, Wallace has passionately drawn attention to some of the Coachella Valley’s most critical economic development issues. Laura James, CVEP’s Vice President of Innovation noted, “Joe Wallace has demonstrated incredible leadership and perseverance in a difficult economic environment. He is the rare economic developer who is able to keep his eyes beyond the horizon, with a realistic understanding of how changing technologies and patterns within the broader economy will affect our region.”
Each Top 50 Economic Developer will have the opportunity to share industry knowledge, leadership insights and career wisdom with fellow industry professionals.
“The Consultant Connect team looks forward to releasing the Top 50 list every year because we believe that the work of economic developers is not only transformative to communities, but it is deeper than that. Each year jobs are created that impact individuals and their families. We are truly honored to provide a platform for North America’s top economic developers to be recognized for the passionate commitment they have made to the communities they serve,” said Carla Sones, Managing Director, Consultant Connect.
