Richard Florida, renowned scholar on the creative economy and author of the 2002 best-seller The Rise of the Creative Class is still one of the world's best-known authorities on 'creative capital' - the value of creativity and innovation in fostering economic and urban development. That book received The Washington Monthly's Political Book Award for that year and was later named by Harvard Business Review as one of the top breakthrough ideas of 2004.
Richard Florida launched Creative Capital’s Expert Speaker series by presenting his ideas from The Rise of the Creative Class and canvassing related issues including concepts around global competition for creative talent. The event prompted questions that are still pertinent to WA today, such as How does the movement of talented people across borders affect regional growth? What do tighter immigration, faltering education systems, and strong international competition mean for economic growth? Who are the up-and-comers in the global creative economy?