WESTEDGE FOUNDATION INC

THE WESTEDGE FOUNDATION PROMOTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT TO ADVANCE THE COLLECTIVE VISION AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. WE MEASURE OUR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS IN ACCOMPLISHING THIS PORTION OF OUR MISSION BY:- IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS BY MAKING SUPPORTIVE INVESTMENTS, MANAGED DEVELOPMENT, AND INCREASED OPPORTUNITY.- ADVOCATING INCLUSION AND IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO SUCCESS AND INVESTING IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS LOCAL CHALLENGES.- WESTEDGE HAS ATTRACTED LARGE AND SMALL BUSINESSES, GENERATING NEW JOBS AND PROMOTING LOCAL PROSPERITY.LOCAL ECONOMY:-INCREASING PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUES AND SALES TAX REVENUES TO HELP FUND LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SERVICES AND SCHOOLS.-TIF DISTRICT DEDICATES INCREMENTAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUES INTO PUBLIC INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, DRAINAGE, AND OTHER PUBLIC AMENITIES DIRECTLY IN AND AROUND THE WESTEDGE DISTRICT.EXPANDING ACCESS & CLOSING THE GROCERY GAP:-PRIOR TO WESTEDGE, THE WEST SIDE OF THE PENINSULA WAS A FOOD DESERT. PUBLIX SUPER MARKET INCREASES ACCESS TO HEALTHY AND AFFORDABLE FOOD OPTIONS FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE PENINSULA, ESPECIALLY LOWER INCOME, AND ELDERLY RESIDENTS. ADDING MORE OPTIONS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES HELPS FURTHER ADVANCE THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD.-IMPROVING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS AND OTHER SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AT BURKE HIGH SCHOOL AND CHARLESTON DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY.HOUSING:-DEVELOPING WESTEDGE TO ENSURE THERE IS ZERO DISPLACEMENT OF AREA'S EXISTING RESIDENTS.-INCREASING CHARLESTON'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING: WESTEDGE PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE ALREADY CONTRIBUTED $3.0 MILLION TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING; FULL BUILD-OUT COULD ADD OVER $7.0 MILLION AND/OR CREATE EVEN MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS.-INCREASING THE NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES CLOSE TO EMPLOYMENT CENTERS LIKE THE MEDICAL DISTRICT.

THE WESTEDGE FOUNDATION FACILITATES THE PROMOTION OF INNOVATION AND ADVANCES OUR VISION OF A DYNAMIC KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT AND STRENGTHEN OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS. WE MEASURE OUR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS IN ACCOMPLISHING THIS PORTION OF OUR MISSION BY: - ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DISCOVERY.- EXPANDING EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. - WIDENING PARTICIPATION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND WEALTH-CREATION ACTIVITY. - CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION, ADJACENT PUBLIC K-12 SCHOOLS AND INNOVATION-DRIVEN ENTERPRISES. WE ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR FOUNDERS, COLLABORATION WITH A DIVERSE ARRAY OF INNOVATION PARTNERS, AND BY DIRECT DELIVERY OF INNOVATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROGRAMS. SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WESTEDGE FOUNDATION'S EFFORTS INCLUDE: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:-WESTEDGE HOUSES STUDIO 22, A SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR/CO-WORKING SPACE FOR START-UP COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE TECHNOLOGY AND LIFE SCIENCE SECTORS.-CREATING STATE-OF-THE-ART LAB SPACE HELPS GROW LIFE SCIENCE BUSINESSES.-INCREASES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION IN ALL SECTORS: OVER 500 NEW JOBS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CREATED IN WESTEDGE IN THE LIFE SCIENCES SECTOR.-ACTIVELY SERVING THE BURKE HIGH SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH INTERNSHIP AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR BURKE STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE LIFE SCIENCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.-SUPPORT AND SPONSORSHIP OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENTS AT BURKE HIGH AND IN GADSDEN GREEN, STEMAPALOOZA EVENT, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-DRIVEN EVENTS.