Image from, All About, the Sirollo Institute here
TWENTY years ago he was run out of the state for his radical ideas of bottom-up economic development, but Ernesto Sirolli has been welcomed with open arms and a big government contract.
The State Government has recruited Dr Sirolli to run a $950,000 program to help turn around the fortunes of three towns in the state’s north and northwest.
Yesterday he said he would recruit passionate people and train them in his method of enabling small business people to make the best of their passion.
He said the three people he initially trained would become “paratroopers of economic development”.
“I am a midwife — I am not going to impregnate anybody. I’m a midwife. If you’re pregnant I’m going to deliver the baby but it has to be your baby, your idea, your passion, your love not mine,” he said.
Dr Sirolli said he expected the budding entrepreneurs of Georgetown, Scottsdale and Smithton would be keen for help developing their ideas for value-added timber or agricultural products, but his experience had shown him it was impossible trying to predict what good ideas were likely to emerge.
“There is this idea the economy is about money. The economy is about people,” he said.
“How can you start big businesses? I’ve never met anybody who started a big business. I’ve only met people who start small businesses.”
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/03/08/307441_tasmania-news.html
