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22 | I NSIGH T • D e c e m b e r 2 0 14 ONLINE: Adrienne Palm, director of leadership, Pulse and Cultivate for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce, discusses the importance of attracting and retaining a creative talent base for Northeast Wisconsin. ose three values, ranked as important 98, 97 and 94 percent of the time, respectively. ose values also rank highly in the companion global survey, scoring in the same order of importance. For Johnson, it's an important message that lifestyle issues will play a greater role in attracting and retaining talent. "Quality of life and community are the most important factors for young professionals," Johnson says in a video explaining Current. "We have to give them a reason to stay." DRAWING THEM IN ose results are certainly not lost on Palm. As the director of Pulse Young Professionals Network, one of Palm's primary function is to support young professionals in the region, helping them develop the business skills and social ties that will keep them in Northeast Wisconsin. Having lived in Indiana, Philadelphia, San Diego and Phoenix, Palm says there are a lot of great reasons for creative workers to choose Northeast Wisconsin. When deciding to relocate, people oen cite good schools, low crime rate, affordable housing — but one big draw is the ability to make a difference in their community. at's something easier to do in Appleton or Green Bay than in a large metropolis such as Chicago, New York or Los Angeles. "I stay here because I feel I can make an impact here that I maybe couldn't someplace larger," Palm says. "I can see the results immediately." In November, Palm and Johnson organized a joint session of the young professionals groups from both chambers, expanding opportunities for connections that may keep talent in the region. A similar desire drew Anjali Seefeldt back to her hometown. An Appleton native, Seefeldt could have easily been a poster child for the brain drain many smaller communities cite as a threat to growth and development. Seefeldt's pursuit of a master's degree in psychology took her to Chicago, where she remained for several years before departing for San Diego "People want to be part of positive change. There is potential for young people to really make a positive change here." – Anjali Seefeldt, Strategic Solutions V ibrant vision c o n t i n u e d to pursue her professional ambitions. Last year, though, she decided to return to Northeast Wisconsin. While she was an active member in Roteract, the young professionals group of Rotary, both in Chicago and San Diego, she had a sense she didn't really have a voice. "One of my ideas has always been to develop programs that bridge the gap between Rotary and the young professionals in Roteract and Rotary," Seefeldt says. "But those cities are so big, it was hard to develop the personal relationships." In Appleton, those relationships are a lot easier to cultivate, she says, which helps create a feeling of contribution and accomplishment that members of the creative class are looking for. "People want to be part of positive change," she says. "ere is potential for young people to really make a positive change here." MAKING IT HAPPEN When it comes to making a change in the community, Nathan Litt's philosophy is closely aligned with an old Nike marketing campaign: Just do it. Litt, a project coordinator for Willems Marketing & Events, is also the operations manager for Mile of Music, a celebration of artisan music each August in Appleton that has become a hallmark event, drawing musicians, artists, fans and rave reviews from around the country. While Mile of Music was the brainchild of musician Cory Chisel and Dave Willems, it was Litt who translated the idea into action. As he tells the story, if he had done it the way he was supposed to — followed all the rules and regulations required by the city — he would still be working on the first one, not planning for year three. "We just couldn't afford to wait, so we just committed, then went to the city and the other regulators," Litt says. Some might chalk it up to inexperience, but government regulation is oen cited as a hindrance to nurturing a creative economy. It's time to change the dynamic, says Steven Pedigo, director of research for the Creative Class Group, a