What a difference four years makes. In Fall 2010, Brookings Mountain West began program planning for a statewide gathering to discuss the broken Nevada economy. In January 2011, UNLV hosted an event—Nevada 2.0—in coordination with Brookings Mountain West, the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Secretary of State, and newly elected Governor Sandoval’s economic development advisors. Nevada was the state most damaged by the Great Recession. The state’s GDP stood well below its 2007 high and there appeared no immediate path to restore prosperity. But the Great Recession also provided Nevada a chance to rethink its entire approach to economic development.

The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance has officially rolled out a new networking program to connect business owners with economic development officials to improve and expand the economy with new jobs.