1 Recommendations for Betsey Merkel Social Business Systems Architect Specialist: Process Design, Strategic Networks, and Social

Media Knowledge Curation August 29, 2011 Recent: Co-Founder & Director, The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) "Betsey is as smart as they come and a big vision holder capable of translating great ideas into actionable plans. What I so appreciate about Betsey is the quality of her being, brilliance of mind, generous nature of heart and commitment to using tools and technology in service of a world awakening." - February 09, 2011 Ken Homer, San Francisco, California - Founder & Principal, Collaborative Conversations and World View Literacy Project Manager, Institute of Noetic Sciences @JohnWLewis #innochat @DavidHolzmer @complexified: #FF @betseymerkel for the best curation and distribution of knowledge resources. On Twitter, July 2011 John W Lewis Innovation specialist. Information technology, Applied physicist. Devon, England; David Holzmer, PhD in Leadership Psychodynamics, Emergent Dialogue & Organic Design within Complex Adaptive Systems (candidate), New Jersey, USA; Bruce Waltuck, M.A., Complexity, Chaos, and Creativity, Associate Plexus Institute plexusinstitute.org/ and Member, New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators njapm.org/, New Jersey & Washington, D.C. USA What you show in your maps are excellent illustrations in how development processes form. In our project Dynamiskt Tillvxtkapital (Dynamic growth Capital) we worked (ing) integrating various actors, very similar to how you illustrate. However, we never made this type of mapping!! I understand much better now how we worked!! June 18, 2011 Bert-Ola Bergstrand, Gteborg, Sweden - Founder and Manager at Social Capital Forum Betsey Merkel is one of those rare individuals who can not only see the big picture, but will also cover all the details. We have collaborated on several projects since we met at the REI forums when she was at Case Western Reserve University, and I have been a friend and a fan of her work ever since. If Betsey asks, "Are you interested?" - I'm there. - May 31, 2009 MaryBeth Matthews, Cleveland, Ohio - Core Team Member, Women's Enterprise Network "Betsey Merkel's outstanding collection of 22 Maps for civic leaders pertaining to the architecture of digital infrastructure and social process for information sharing and knowledge creation in Open Source Economic Development." - November 2010 Global Village Telegraph Copyright 2011 Betsey Merkel. Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-NoncommercialNo Derivative Works. Cleveland, OH 44022 Phone: 216-220-0172 Web: http://betseymerkel.posterous.com/

2 "These maps have power, especially if they are part of a story and a strategy." - April 24, 2011 Daniel F. Bassill, Chicago, Illinois - President/CEO, Cabrini Connections, Tutor Mentor Connections Betsy is creative and energetic and totally committed to building new approaches to building communities through open networks. She devotes herself without hesitation to exploring new connections and applying new tools to the task of creating more vibrant and sustainable communities. - May 30, 2009 Ed Morrison, Principal, I-Open worked directly with Betsey at The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) Betsey is gifted in many ways. One of them is that she sees trends before anybody else and begins very early to figure out and to put into place implementations around them. She is an innovator who sets the open standards and best practices and shares them freely. She understands the benefits of collaboration in a networked world. - May 30, 2009 Tim Ferris, citizen and taxpayer, City of Cleveland worked with Betsey at The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) Betsey's passion for I-Open's work is evident in everything she does. She is an ardent supporter of Cleveland's urban areas and is committed to their revitalization. She is a great asset to our region. -January 27, 2006 Bethany Hilt, was with another company when working with Betsey at I-Open Marketing & Communications Case Western Reserve University Want to learn more about economic development in our region? Well, Betsey is the go to person. She is very passionate about economic development and the need to build collaborative partnerships between the private and public sectors. She is very involved in NEO and surrounding areas and is creating new and innovative programs to bring people and services together. - June 30, 2008 Bonnie Dick, Employment Consultant, CGI worked with Betsey at Center for Regional Economic Issues Betsey Merkel is a one-woman literacy program in digital networking. I am not technology-fluent, but Betsey was willing to take considerable time out of her day to explain to me how online networks can be created, why they are valuable and how she could continue to help me become adept at using them. Her skill and generosity are spectacular, but what especially amazed me was the supportiveness she showed for me as an entrepreneur and the passion she demonstrates for creative economic development and the power of connectedness. Betsey is one of the people who will pull Copyright 2011 Betsey Merkel. Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-NoncommercialNo Derivative Works. Cleveland, OH 44022 Phone: 216-220-0172 Web: http://betseymerkel.posterous.com/

3 Northeast Ohio onto the cutting edge of the technology economy. - January 30, 2009 Carolyn Jack, Owner/Director, The Genius Group LLC I believe that Betsey's previous experience in the complex world of classical music prepared her well for her work at Case Western Reserve University's Center for Regional Economic Issues as their Network Strategist & Development Person. I feel that Betsey learned the value of individual musical voices as part of a self-directed and self-managed musical ensemble performing both nationally and internationally. This listening ability distinctly enabled her to respect the unique and heartfelt ideas and topics that were being communicated in the open-minded forum that was the Center for Regional Economic Issues at Case Western Reserve University. These days, Betsey still retains those abilities, and has even tuned them more finely since the days at REI. I hereby recommend Betsey as an orchestrator, a collaborator, an editor, a (constructive) critic, as a cooperative worker, as a (part-time) muse, and as a friend. - May 29, 2009 Bill MacDermott, Former ES&H Manager, Braden Sutphin Ink Company was with another company when working with Betsey at Case Western Reserve University Network Strategist & Communications Center for Regional Economic Issues

Copyright 2011 Betsey Merkel. Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-NoncommercialNo Derivative Works. Cleveland, OH 44022 Phone: 216-220-0172 Web: http://betseymerkel.posterous.com/