Thank you for your continuing contributions to answer I-Open's request: What would you put on I-Open's tombsone?

Open Source is an method of engagement or participation and approach to project development. It can apply to industries such as software development, economic development, workforce development, education, creative industries, etc. It is not an exclusive term unto itself. Open Source infers community based activity that is user defined. 'Open Source Economic Development' references a method of economic development, recommended heuristic models, guides, tools, and an assumed set of rules of engagement and participation largely influenced by global best practices of what works.

I-Open's recent request of its community "What would you put on I-Open's tombstone?" [1]is an exercise to illuminate from a users experience how I-Open does or does not touch them. This is essentially a branding exercise to help I-Open determine a clear simple meta vision statement.

I-Open is a not for profit educational economic development organization specializing in the development and re-deployment of the new practices and tools for Open Source Economic Development, a method for building prosperity in communities and their regions that relies on Collaborative Leadership, Network building and "Strategic Doing" - moving ideas to action quickly. I-Open has remained (for all practical purposes) unfunded in the last five years since its termination as the entity "REI" housed at Case from 2003-2005. I-Open core member (Susan Altshuler, Dennis Coughlin, Betsey Merkel, Ed Morrison) activities have existed for all practical purposes, unfunded, and without outside incomes (with the exception of Ed), supported by family and friends.

In the past 5 years, the work of I-Open founders and the I-Open community (strongly lead by Gloria Ferris, and otherwise too many to name here) have persevered relentlessly to grow and guide community and create an extensive and diverse portfolio of Open Source Economic Development examples for the purpose of creating value for the organization and its community. I-Open must now establish core funding to sustain its leadership, operations activity, education and service begun with the Northeast Ohio community by the Center for Economic Development (REI) team from the early 1980's thru 2005, and for its continuing service to a larger national community. The same holds true for the efforts of similar organizations such as REALNEO. It is time for economic development organizations like REALNEO and I-Open to be funded as the regional economic development organizations they are.

I-Open's inquiry into what the experiences and perceptions of the I-Open community - those who interact with I-Open activities - with the question "What would you write on I-Open's tombstone?" followed by a sensitively and clearly written set of instructions in it's invitation - acts as an oxymoron and refers to the very essence of where the value (which in the Civic Space is measured by a person's time) is placed in I-Open by its community of stakeholders.

The branding of I-Open initiatives is clear: consider Midtown Brews, The Women's Enterprise Network or I-Open Education. However, the branding of I-Open itself is not and this is what, "What would you write on I-Open's tombstone?" addresses. If I-Open's market does not understand what I-Open does on a meta level having read I-Open materials and web sites, how can I-Open be perceived clearly, valued and funded? I-Open needs to secure core funding for operations to support on-demand readiness and service to its community; something we have not been able to fully commit to since our funded tenure at Case.

We turn now to you. This is about you, the community leading with their stories of where they see the value of I-Open activities. This is the same process of our first REI Civic Forums: asking for the community served to help us align our mission, activities and communications with service to the community. From that came our connection to Norm Roulet and ultimately the then initiative REALNEO, and the thousands of others who so generously donated their Brainpower, time and efforts.

Thanks for your time and help in formulating I-Open 2.0. Keep the responses coming. We'll be publishing results and continuation here on REALNEO soon.