Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015

Executive Summary

Established five years ago as an initiative of the MetroHartford Alliance, HYPE’s mission is to help young professionals become better engaged in community life, expand professional and social opportunities, and become ambassadors for the Hartford region. HYPE’s strategic plan for 2012-2015 will reinforce the central and critical role it plays as the Alliance’s – and indeed the Hartford region’s – primary vehicle for “talent attraction and retention.”

Implementation of this strategic plan will clearly establish HYPE as a resource for and about young professionals in the Greater Hartford region, while solidifying its reputation and value as the region’s best resource for the best young talent, today and in the future.  By fostering leadership, citizenship, entrepreneurship, and friendship, HYPE will continue to position the Hartford region as a highly desirable place for diverse, talented, young professionals and entrepreneurs to live, work and play.

The strategic plan is a roadmap that will help HYPE: improve without changing too much; continue to grow without growing too big;  become more engaged in public policy advocacy on behalf of those we represent without becoming politicized or political;  mature as an organization and achieve sustainability without losing the youthful energy that defines us or the flexibility that differentiates us; and continue to leverage our relationship with the MetroHarford Alliance without being limited or constrained by it.


Our Overarching Goals and Key Strategies

In support of this vision for HYPE’s future, our strategic plan is built on the foundation of five goals that address the following key areas of operation or opportunity:  membership recruitment and diversity; programming and member engagement; public policy advocacy; marketing and communications; infrastructure and organizational effectiveness.  More specifically, our overarching goals are to:

1.   Continue to grow and diversify membership in HYPE in ways that continue to be responsive to the corporate sector’s objectives while also being inclusive and more broadly representative of all young professionals and entrepreneurs in the region.

• Creatively re-market HYPE to current investors in order to penetrate more deeply into these companies, with particular focus on new hires
• Tweak HYPE’s brand and associated messaging by adopting a broader definition of “professional” that will help HYPE attract currently underrepresented groups
• Engage in targeted, niche marketing to reach professional segments that will diversify HYPE’s membership
• Redefine HYPE’s value proposition for young entrepreneurs in order to attract them in greater numbers and address their unique needs more directly
• Leverage and equip HYPE’s current members to be effective HYPE ambassadors within their workplaces and personal spheres of influence
• Create a committee charged specifically with developing, implementing and overseeing strategies for new member recruitment

2.   Offer innovative programs and initiatives that actively engage more members in HYPE’s three core focus areas: social events, personal and professional development, and community service.

• Be more intentional about welcoming, orienting, and integrating new members
• Utilize HYPE’s web site as a source of content and resources of interest to members and as an online gathering place providing opportunities for members to interact and stay connected
• Create and support member-driven and -hosted affinity groups around a wide range of topics of interest to sub-groups of HYPE’s membership
• Develop and offer more personal as well as professional development events and opportunities
• Introduce additional community service events to the civic engagement opportunities HYPE already offers, and incorporate charitable giving into current events where feasible and appropriate
• Devote additional resources and attention to programming geared specifically toward entrepreneurs, elevating their role and visibility within HYPE
• Develop and track event evaluation data to guide program development, priority setting, and resource allocation decisions

3.   Provide a public voice for young professionals and entrepreneurs by advocating for changes and policies that will make the Hartford region more attractive to young professionals and establish it as a hotbed for entrepreneurs.

• Regularly solicit and track HYPE members’ opinions, concerns and hopes regarding matters of general concern to the public and, more specifically, to policymakers and leaders in the Hartford region
• Develop programming, events, and a legislative agenda to reflect the civic and public policy issues of greatest priority for HYPE’s membership
• Communicate and raise awareness of HYPE’s positions and goals on key issues, wherever possible leveraging MetroHartford Alliance resources and relationships as a way to expose and engage HYPE in the public policy realm
• Regularly convene individuals and groups for dialogue on current issues affecting people who live or work in Hartford or other policy matters of mutual interest or concern
• Establish a public policy committee and special issue-specific advocacy groups to engage members and sharpen HYPE’s focus on helping to shape future directions of Hartford and the region

4.   Enhance public awareness of HYPE’s positive impact on the personal and professional lives of young people living and working in the Hartford region, and work in partnership with others to improve Hartford’s image and reputation.

• Improve communication with and among HYPE’s members to create an informed, enthusiastic, and engaged membership
• Strengthen relationships with the media, and implement a strategic media relations plan to generate sustained interest in and coverage of HYPE’s activities and impact
• Segment the market into key audiences and constituent groups of importance to HYPE (e.g., colleges and universities, HR departments, local nonprofits), and tailor HYPE’s marketing messages and outreach to each group in order to build awareness and relationships
• Develop a tag line for HYPE that clarifies the brand and creates a buzz
• Continue and expand HYPE’s use of social media as a cost-effective channel for raising awareness and generating interest
• Equip and engage HYPE members in support of HYPE’s marketing efforts

5.   Strengthen organizational capacity by implementing systems, structures, funding streams, and policies that promote innovation, continuity, scalability, accountability, and sustainability.

• Redesign organizational structure and processes to better align with HYPE’s vision and strategic goals while also creating new opportunities for members to engage in governance and promoting continuity and stability in leadership
• Expand HYPE’s staff in ways deemed necessary to support growth and attainment of strategic goals, while continuing to harness the talents of volunteers and leveraging resources and efficiencies resulting from HYPE’s relationship with the MetroHartford Alliance 
• Secure incremental revenue required to implement strategic plan priorities and to ensure HYPE continues to generate a significant return on both the Alliance’s investment and the financial support provided by lead investors
• Regularly engage HYPE leadership in reviewing progress toward strategic priorities and identifying opportunities to enhance HYPE’s value for members and in the community