DATE: May 4, 2026
TO: Council Economic Development Committee
FROM: Chief Economic Development Officer
SUBJECT: Hayward Pulse: Business Engagement and Concierge Services Program Overview (Oral Report Only)
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Economic Development Committee receive an overview of the Hayward Pulse business engagement and concierge services program.
SUMMARY
Hayward Pulse is a proposed enhanced business engagement initiative designed to strengthen the City’s approach to business retention, expansion, and strategic relationship management through proactive outreach, refined concierge service criteria, and greater coordination between businesses and City leadership.
Building on the City’s existing Economic Development concierge approach, Hayward Pulse is intended to formalize a more structured Business Engagement 2.0 framework that includes direct staff outreach to key businesses, updated criteria for identifying projects and businesses that may warrant concierge-level support, and a coordinated approach to facilitating engagement between catalytic businesses and City leadership, including elected officials and the executive team. The program is intended to support several Economic Development objectives, including:
• Strengthening relationships with existing businesses through proactive outreach and engagement
• Enhancing the City’s concierge services framework for high-impact projects and strategic employers
• Identifying business expansion opportunities, challenges, and early warning indicators through direct engagement
• Creating structured opportunities for City leadership to engage directly with catalytic and strategically significant businesses
• Supporting business retention, investment, and long-term economic competitiveness
• Supporting city revenue generation and job creation in the private sector
Hayward Pulse is envisioned as both a business retention strategy and a relationship management framework intended to improve responsiveness, support strategic employers, and strengthen the City’s ability to identify opportunities and challenges earlier.
Staff will provide a high-level overview of the program concept at the meeting and seek Committee feedback as staff continues refining implementation details.