Immokalee 20/20

Introducing Immokalee 2020.

The mission of Immokalee 2020 is to completely end poverty in Immokalee by the year 2020, creating a model for the elimination of poverty throughout the United States and the world.

We've got twelve and a half years. People have built billion-dollar companies in less time. Here's my question to doubting Thomases out there: "Why the hell not?"

We will begin exporting our model and effort immediately. I see no need to wait even a week before we bring Golden Gate and East Naples into the fold. But Jane and I have settled on the name Immokalee to focus attention on the single greatest need in our area - perhaps in the entire country. We've traveled extensively within the US, and we've never seen a place like Immokalee.

Fortunately, the organizations and the will are both already in place to fix whatever needs fixing there. All we lack is a clear vision, seamless coordination, and the money to fund it.

A number of groups are already coming to the table to create solutions for this community. I joined one such junta-in-the-making three weeks ago; it was inspiring! I'm happy to say that the Coine Foundation is coming late to this party. We're glad to be invited.

We're going to join the group of players to help create a clear vision for Immokalee by 2020 (get the play on words? Too bad the TV news journal already coined it decades ago. We'd love to take credit.) And we're going to fight tooth & nail to make that vision a reality.

I hope you join us. It's going to be fun.