The Innovation Lab held a summit to discuss new ideas with residents for the underrepresented communities west of Interstate 15.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Laura Schnurr, left, Jon Ball, and Michael Parker share thoughts and ideas with group members at a Solutions Summit hosted by the Innovation Lab in West Valley City on Monday, September 13, 2021.
This story is part of The Salt Lake Tribune’s ongoing commitment to solving Utah’s greatest challenges through the work of the Innovation Lab.
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Solutions to problems and challenges of the community must come from the community.
This was one of many lessons learned from the Solutions Summit hosted by the Salt Lake Tribune’s Innovation Lab in West Valley City on Monday.
The summit focused on issues affecting the west side of the Salt Lake Valley and brought together local residents, government officials, leaders from nonprofits, corporations, and the education sector to discuss the west side’s success stories and where communities are putting their efforts in Want to focus on the future.
“I got very emotional hearing the opening presentations,” said Almaida Yanagui, manager at University Neighborhood Partners and longtime resident of Rose Park, Salt Lake City.
Paul Huntsman, Chairman of the Tribune Board, emphasized the importance of building trust between communities as he spoke outside the room. While the Tribune has established itself as a trusted news source in its 150-year history, he said that trust is sustained through constant effort.
“That trust is fleeting,” said Huntsman. “We have to rebuild this trust every day.”
As CEO of Ivory Homes, Clark acknowledged that Ivory and his businesses have benefited from the population growth in Utah, although the growth has brought its own challenges, particularly in the housing and transportation sectors. Ivory wants to help the state grow in ways that will benefit the Utahners, he said.
“I think we all need to take a closer look at these challenges we are facing,” said Ivory, Chairman of the Innovation Lab Advisory Board.
“We have to be careful that we grow properly and grow as well as possible.”
For Tyler Randall, President of the University of Utah, innovation comes from a mix of perspectives, so stakeholders from all backgrounds should come together to discuss possible solutions to the problems facing residents of the Westside, including wealth disparities and poorer health outcomes.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dr. Taylor Randall, President of the University of Utah, speaks at a Solutions Summit hosted by the Innovation Lab in West Valley City on Monday, September 13, 2021.
“I think we’re taking an opportunity here in West Valley City where these forces come together,” said Randall. “It will be exciting when you speak today to see how you can combine them in unique ways.”
But outsiders who assume they know what the community needs and the best solutions do not lead to progress, according to many speakers and participants. Thoughtful, ongoing discussions with community members lead to systematic change.
The crowd of attendees who seemed genuinely interested in making changes on the west side gave Yanagui hope for the future, she said. Participants were not only interested in making positive change for these communities, but “did their homework” by carefully researching the communities beforehand.
Several members of the University Neighborhood Partners program attended the event, including Erick Garcia, who spoke to attendees about the importance of investing in existing resources and talent on the West Side.
“Communities and people thrive when we build on their strengths,” said Garcia.
Participants from different backgrounds discussed the west side in small groups and enabled the participants to gain insights from different perspectives.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Shireen Ghorbani, left, Eva Means and Laura Schnurr exchange thoughts and ideas at a Solutions Summit hosted by the Innovation Lab in West Valley City on Monday, September 13, 2021.
Rep. Elizabeth Weight, D-West Valley City, said she will use the findings to guide her decisions in the legislature, especially any decisions that will affect her younger constituents in the years to come.
“To see how innovative, creative, and thoughtful” the younger participants – like Roots Charter High School students – were, Weight said, “I’m interested in seeing them lead.”
A Roots High School junior Megan Reid spoke at the summit about attending a nontraditional high school on the West Side that helped her gain the confidence she was looking for.
“I’ve experienced a lot of trauma without the necessary resources to heal,” Reid said, “but Roots and his message were ultimately a positive influence that gave me the tools to begin healing.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Roots Charter High School student Megan Reid speaks at a Solutions Summit hosted by the Innovation Lab in West Valley City on Monday, September 13, 2021.
In Yanagui’s group, part of the discussion focused on the need for institutions to be more inclusive and how they can become more inclusive.
Some institutions, like Salt Lake Community College and the United States, have learned well from historically marginalized or overlooked communities, while others have been too clingy to history and tradition to fully embrace the necessary outside perspectives, Yanagui said.
“Together we found that … some systems cannot be repaired, they have to be reinvented,” said Yanagui.
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