_Planning Commission meeting agenda packet 6-25-25

Enhance Regional Partnerships One of Pleasanton’s greatest strengths is its location within a region with a critical mass of entrepreneurship and innovation activity. Entrepreneurship and innovation programming is a synergistic activity that must build upon the City’s existing ecosystem (i.e., I-Gate, Innovation Tri-Valley). Extending and strengthening these regional partnerships will require sustained focus on networking and program development. Assess and Strengthen “Economic Gardening” Programs to Amplify Entrepreneurship and Business Support3 Economic Gardening® programs provide cities with database research, search engine optimization, geographic information systems, and listening posts to find new markets, provide competitive intelligence to support local “Stage 2” growth companies, and grow jobs locally. Assess and Strengthen Entrepreneurial Networking and Mentoring Programs Entrepreneurial networking and mentoring programs are a vital component for workforce attraction Several existing resources are available to the City of Pleasanton to scale the City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Business incubator/ accelerator events and training could include expanding low cost and high impact programs like the Kauffman Foundation’s 1,000,000 Cups4. The City should also evaluate existing local and regional programs to identify possibilities for new programs, ensuring opportunities across demographic lines (e.g., women, youth, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups) and a special lens for underserved populations (e.g., financially distressed). KEY INITIATIVES The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Outreach Program may require additional staff resources and scheduled for Year 2 or 3 implementation after the Organizational Capacity Building Initiative and BRE Programs are operational. 4.1 4.2 4.3 CITY OF PLEASANTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN FY2024-2028 21