OZ MAGAZINE 2022 Top 25 Influencers issue 2.2 | Page 46

46 OPPORTUNITY ZONE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 2

BURGESS OWENS

U . S . REPRESENTATIVE ( R-UT )

Burgess Owens is the Representative from Utah ’ s Fourth Congressional District . Born in the segregated South into a family of teachers , he developed a passion for dreaming big and serving others through the gift of education . After his career on the football field , Owens worked in the corporate sales world and later founded a non-profit dedicated to helping troubled and incarcerated youth in Utah . In Congress , Rep . Owens serves as a member of the Education and Labor Committee and Judiciary Committee , championing policies that benefit students , workers , small businesses , and families in Utah and across the country .

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE CHANGED WITH THE OZ LEGISLATION TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE INDUSTRY ?
Since their creation in 2017 , Opportunity Zones have been a proven tool to incentivize investment and job creation in underserved neighborhoods across America . Vulnerable communities have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to struggle with stagnant real wages , high unemployment , limited educational opportunities , and other roadblocks to growth . Congress must lay the groundwork to ensure that new Opportunity Zones can be established as communities continue to change and evolve . This will allow local leaders , stakeholders , and businesses to make critical investments where they are most needed .

JARED POLIS

GOVERNOR , COLORADO

Governor Jared Polis is a Colorado native , entrepreneur , former small business owner , education leader , and public servant . After launching his first business from his college dorm room , Polis founded multiple innovative online businesses . As Colorado and the nation face pandemic-induced economic challenges , Governor Polis is committed to using every tool available to help small businesses and local communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible , and move Colorado forward as a “ State of Opportunity .” That ’ s why the Governor launched the Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator Program last year to provide free consulting services for businesses in the spirit of entrepreneurship . This nationally recognized program has helped secure investments in critical areas like early childhood education and tourism that are important parts of Colorado ’ s economy .

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE CHANGED WITH THE OZ LEGISLATION TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE INDUSTRY ?
Our innovative approach makes Colorado a leader in designating Opportunity Zones . Colorado earned national recognition for our data-driven policies to identify and maximize what areas qualify for OZ designation . We designed our OZs through a public process that brought community leaders to the table , ensuring a statewide impact with champions to attract and direct investment every step of the way . We are proud to continue our efforts to realize the full potential of Opportunity Zones with the recently launched gBETA Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator program . Moving forward , it ’ s critical that we continue to leverage Opportunity Zones as a powerful tool to help communities attract investment to help businesses expand , connect workers to good-paying jobs , and create opportunities to ensure we can all thrive .
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