Economic Development and Library teaming up to promote entrepreneurial literacy

The City’s Office of Economic Development is partnering with the Dallas Public Library system on a new program: the Dallas Business Resource and Information Network (B.R.A.I.N.). Dallas B.R.A.I.N. will promote entrepreneurial literacy and local business development using the city’s 28 branch libraries.

To learn more and attend the official launch celebration on Oct. 1 visit www.thedallasbrain.org.

Dallas B.R.A.I.N. maintains a network of non-profit service providers, government resources and educational institutions accessible through an interactive website. The program will deliver business education, resources and programming to the masses via the Library system.

“We went through a facilitated conversation with the small business and startup communities,” said Office of Economic Development Director Karl Zavitkovsky. “That process clarified where the City is well positioned to play a role. We can provide information, foster collaboration and market the entire ecosystem to the business communities here in Dallas and nationally.”

Dallas is home to more than 160,000 small businesses, many of which do not have access to quality resources and information. Some of the challenges to connecting these small business owners is Dallas’ size and many diverse industries and communities. .

“We are thrilled about the new partnership,” said Dallas Library Director Jo Giudice. “More and more business owners around the country are looking to their public libraries for business resources and information. We are looking forward to better meeting that demand here in Dallas, as entrepreneurship is also a form of literacy.”

Dallas B.R.A.I.N. team members Daniel Oney and Richard Carrizales from Economic Development will join Mark Gilman and Jordan Bock in the Central Library’s Business & Technology Division to develop, launch and operate the program.