- Video shows Terry Mierzwa (Anchor Initiative) and Ken Seneff (Lean Rocket Lab) explaining the impact the Anchor Initiative has had on downtown Jackson in the last decade.
- Wednesday, the Jackson Anchor Initiative shared the organization's decision to dissolve.
- The Anchor Initiative feels that they've achieved their goal to create a vibrant downtown for neighbors to live, work, and play.
- Lean Rocket Lab will be using the Anchor Initiative's final dollars to help local entrepreneurs.
Ken Seneff, co-founder of Lean Rocket Lab, reminisced on when he and his partner Brandon pitched the idea for Lean Rocket Lab to the Anchor Initiative. He shared that they believed in their vision in the early days. "Truly, Lean Rocket Lab wouldn't be here without the Anchor Initiative."
Lean Rocket Lab is one of several Jackson staples that benefited when 13 major employers came together to try to make downtown a better place to live, work, and play.
Terry Mierzwa, Anchor Initiative chair, explained the reasoning behind the board's latest vote to dissolve the organization. "There's always more to do, but we're in a fantastic place now to keep moving forward." Wednesday, the Anchor Initiative announced its decision to dissolve, putting an end to their efforts that were only supposed to last three years, but turned into a Jackson cornerstone.
"It really feels like mission accomplished. It feels happy," said Mierzwa. "The members of the board feel good about this. Many of us grew up in Jackson, worked in Jackson. We feel proud of our hometown and the success that it's experiencing."
With the Anchor Initiative coming to an end, it still has to pass the baton. The organization's final dollars are going to Lean Rocket Lab to help them develop local entrepreneurs. "The mission is going to continue, and we're going to continue to celebrate entrepreneurship, encourage entrepreneurship, invite entrepreneurship, and support it in our city. Hopefully, the impact the Anchor started with Lean Rocket Lab can continue for many years," shared Seneff.
Mierzwa and the rest of the Anchor Initiative look forward to what the future has in store for downtown, just out of the driver's seat.
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