Cooperation and collaboration were the name of the game for the group that gathered at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading on Friday.
The Berks County Latino Chamber of Commerce hosted the inaugural 222 Corridor Latino Economic Summit, an event that drew business leaders, elected officials and community partners from Reading, Lancaster and Allentown.
The three communities all sit within the Route 222 corridor, which event organizers say make them prime for joint economic development.
“Our business workforces and economies are increasingly interconnected,” said Isamac Torres-Figueroa, executive director of the Berks County Latino of Commerce,
Torres-Figueroa said the three cities have an opportunity to work and grow together.
Isamac Torres-Figueroa, executive director of the Berks County Latino of Commerce speaking during the inaugural 222 Corridor Latino Economic Summit. (DAVID MEKEEL – READING EAGLE)
“We must start thinking and working as one economic corridor,” she said.
The daylong event featured a series of forum aimed at doing just that. Speakers talked about challenges and opportunities that exist, how public policies shape economic growth, updates on plans to restore passenger rail service to the region, how to attract and support young professionals, and other topics.
Ben Wright of The Hartford’s Global Insights Center served as the event’s keynote speaker.
His presentation was aimed at helping attendees better understand the broader economic and geopolitical forces affecting businesses, employers, markets and communities and how those trends connect to decisions being made by businesses and economic leaders throughout Pennsylvania.
The Berks County Latino Chamber of Commerce hosted an inaugural 222 Corridor Latino Economic Summit, an event which drew together business leaders, elected officials and community partners from Reading, Lancaster and Allentown. (DAVID MEKEEL – READING EAGLE)