The Regional Prosperity Initiative, Inc. (RPI) will bring together business and community leaders, funders and implementation partners Friday, October 16, for Ahead Together: The Roadmap to 2030, an event unveiling the implementation plan designed to turn the Columbus Ahead regional strategy into measurable action.

Columbus Ahead, launched earlier this year, is the region’s five-year strategy for 2026–2030, organized around nine measurable goals across three pillars: Jobs, Talent and Place. Following extensive research, data analysis and stakeholder engagement, the strategy was developed by a regional steering committee in collaboration with Ernst & Young Economic Development Advisory Services. It establishes 2030 goals for private-sector employment, prime-age workforce growth, entrepreneurial access to capital, postsecondary attainment, student readiness, public safety, trail expansion, civic pride and tourism, including attracting 15 million visitors. With the strategy and goals established, the work now moves from planning to implementation.

“Columbus Ahead gave us a shared vision and measurable goals for where we want our region to be by 2030, ” said Tabetha Getz, Executive Director, RPI. “The implementation plan answers the next and most important question: How do we get there? No single organization can accomplish these goals alone. These are the community’s goals and we have the collective responsibility to move Columbus ahead. ”

Since the launch of Columbus Ahead, a group of key implementation partners have worked to translate the regional strategy into specific actions, responsibilities and measures of progress. Nine organizations are providing leadership and coordination to advance the strategy’s Jobs,  Talent and Place goals:

• Choose Columbus
• Columbus GA Chamber of Commerce
• Dragonfly Trails, Inc.
• MidTown, Inc.
• Regional Prosperity Initiative, Inc. (RPI)
• StartUP Columbus
• United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley
• Uptown Columbus
• Visit Columbus

Successful implementation will extend well beyond the nine partners. Each will convene the businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies and community leaders whose expertise and participation are needed to advance the work.

The October 16 event will give stakeholders a first look at how the implementation plan will move from goals to action, including the roles of lead partners, areas of collaboration and coordinated work that will advance Jobs, Talent and Place through 2030.

“The strength of Columbus Ahead is the alignment it creates across our region, ” said Pace Halter, RPI Board Chair. “We have partner organizations with tremendous expertise and resources already doing important work. The strategy is for this model to bring that work together around shared goals, clear responsibilities and measurable successes. Just as importantly, it creates accountability. We are clear on the targets, the partners helping to lead the work and how we will measure our progress. ”

For more information about Columbus Ahead, the strategy and its goals, visit ColumbusAhead.com