At the heart of innovation and community growth lies a mindset: “Yes, And.” Rather than seeing constraints as limitations, “Yes, And” invites possibility, collaboration, and co-creation across sectors and perspectives. Under Bridgett Massengill’s direction, Thrive’s recent Tri-State Summit adopted “Yes, And” as its theme to unite business, civic, and community leaders toward shared progress. Thrive Regional Partnership

In this episode of ⁠⁠Leaders in the Arena⁠⁠, we explore how “Yes, And” thinking becomes more than a conference motif—it becomes a leadership posture, a tool for resilient communities, and a driver for inclusive growth. Bridgett shares stories and lessons from Thrive’s work in the Chattanooga / Tri-State region, and insights about how other leaders and communities can apply this mindset in their own contexts.

Key Topics:

• • “Yes, And” as a Leadership Mindset: The philosophy behind the phrase—how it shifts conversations from opposition to possibility, from either/or to both/and.
  • Bridging Differences to Build Community: Ways the “Yes, And” approach helps reconcile varied interests—economic development, environmental concerns, equity, infrastructure—into joint solutions.
• • Growth Through Generative Collaboration: How community and regional progress can emerge when stakeholders adopt “Yes, And” thinking—co-creating rather than competing.

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