Senior Director of Research and Economic Development

San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation

Mr. Velasquez is an analytical professional with experience in both the private and public sectors. He is currently a director at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC), a non-profit mobilizing business, government, and civic leaders to maximize the region’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness. Eduardo leads a team responsible for analyzing the scale and depth of impact that industry and development have on the region’s economy as well as supporting companies looking to grow within the region. Prior to joining EDC, he worked as an Economist and Risk Management Consultant at Wells Fargo Bank. Eduardo earned an MA in Business Economics in 2008 from UC Santa Barbara, as well as a Double BA in Business Economics and Law & Society in 2006.

His research in the region has led him to advocate for public and private investment in and supportive of the segments of our community that have been historically and systemically excluded from growth and prosperity—not simply because it’s the right thing to do,  but because it’s an economic imperative. While small businesses employ 60 percent of San Diego’s workforce, the region continues to struggle to compete for new customers and talent. On top of that, supply chain disruptions have impacted nearly every industry in our region. Eduardo sees the connection between local small businesses to big, institutional industries builds resiliency for both sides. And if San Diego’s Black and Hispanic youth were prepared for post-secondary education at the same rate as White youth, our region’s talent shortage would become a talent surplus. San Diego is now the most expensive major metro in the country, and economic data shows that the rapidly rising cost of living is impacting employers’ ability to attract and retain talent. Eduardo will explain how investing in the infrastructure needed to support working families ensures that the region remains an attractive place for people to work and businesses to operate in.

In this presentation we will discuss:

Economic and demographic overview of the Borrego Springs community in comparison to the overall San Diego region, as well as the fundamental building blocks of any successful regional economy.

Recording:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z6D6XO5789zH-aNkN-xlxO10Fnaz6I2f/view?usp=sharing