Create New Mexico Thinks Creative Technology Can Bridge the Opportunity Gap

SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Create New Mexico is thrilled to be named one of 60 finalists in the U.S. Economic Development Administration's (EDA) $1B Build Back Better Challenge. A coalition of higher education institutions, tribal entities, government departments, non-profit accelerators and loan providers, Create New Mexico answers the EDA challenge with the assertion: New Mexico's economic future depends on embracing its unique cultural diversity and becoming a hub for creative technology.

With the first phase selection honor, Create New Mexico received $500,000 to develop and support a proposed project for Phase 2. Phase 2 projects may seek up to $100 million from EDA which plans to announce 20 to 30 Phase 2 recipients in the next six weeks. Create New Mexico has requested $72 million to scale a statewide program primarily serving rural, Indigenous, and BIPOC communities. The only creative-industries focused proposal to be named a finalist by the E.D.A., the Coalition has a wide range of champions in the private sector and is closely aligned with their projections for workforce needs.

"Our vision of the future allows people to stay in their rural communities by bringing high-wage jobs and entrepreneurial development to historically underserved communities. Individuals and companies can participate by taking advantage of remote STEM, film/TV, IT development and other creative technology training to grow or upscale workforce," said Jessica Gentry, Chief Innovation Officer at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce.

In 2022, one in ten New Mexico jobs are held in the creative sector— surpassing manufacturing and construction. Growing industries within the creative economy include film/TV and gaming, data visualization, 3D modeling and manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and wearable and AR/VR/metaverse technologies that power distance learning and digital healthcare. If selected for Phase 2 funding, Create New Mexico would immediately begin to implement programs that could benefit all 33 counties in New Mexico and create 10,000 high-wage jobs by 2030.

Specific phase two projects by coalition members include:

• IT job training within New Mexico State libraries, chapter houses on the Navajo Nation and New Mexico's 19 Pueblos
• Nation's first creative tech startup studio for creative entrepreneurs
• Nation's first bilingual film set training program
• New BFA, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in game design and coding for Indigenous storytelling

Media Inquiries:
Audrey N Rubinstein, METTA Agency
505-490-5029
[email protected]

About
Create New Mexico:

Create New Mexico is a coalition of eighteen organizations working in the creative technology sector to create new jobs and opportunities in New Mexico.

For additional information, please visit: https://createnm.org

SOURCE Create New Mexico

Comments are closed.