A teaser and demo of sorts. Definitely not episode #1.

In this episode, Bo Kemp, CEO of the Southland Development Authority discusses his unique approach to economic development through a not-for-profit organization that operates with the agility and risk-taking mindset of a for-profit business. Kemp emphasizes the importance of failing fast and pivoting quickly to optimize programs and services. He explains how his organization is structured to evaluate and stop initiatives that aren’t delivering the expected impact, which contrasts with traditional non-profits that often have difficulty abandoning projects due to the lengthy fundraising and validation process. His goal is to take on the risks that for-profit businesses avoid, using innovative techniques like measuring social impact and partnering with businesses to drive wealth-building at the municipal level.

Kemp also shares how his team is working to monetize their services by offering their proven models to other municipalities. For example, their business growth services could be replicated in cities like Tucson, Arizona, allowing other communities to benefit from their expertise and infrastructure without having to start from scratch. Kemp’s team uses tools like Salesforce and data science to manage relationships and measure success, which they are willing to share with other cities to support broader economic growth. The conversation highlights Kemp’s vision of blending for-profit efficiency with non-profit values to foster sustainable, community-centered development.

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Special Guest: Bo Kemp.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson interviews Amber Tarrac, CEO of Founder Fuego.

The discussion centered on the mission and activities of Founder Fuego, a company dedicated to empowering Spanish-speaking and diverse entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to succeed. Amber shared insights into her transition from nearly 20 years in the public sector in economic development and workforce development to launching Founder Fuego.

The conversation highlighted Founder Fuego's innovative approach to inclusion and empowerment, focusing on their Founder Fuel newsletter, which offers weekly content with a unique Spanglish twist. This newsletter provides valuable information on funding opportunities, diverse founder stories, and essential business updates.

Amber also discussed the importance of providing bilingual resources and workshops to better serve Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs, who often feel left out of traditional economic development ecosystems. By meeting these entrepreneurs where they are, both culturally and linguistically, Founder Fuego builds trust and credibility, fostering greater engagement and participation.

Additionally, Amber emphasized the value of community and network building, leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn to enhance visibility and connections. She shared her vision for expanding Founder Fuego's impact, starting with key regions like Miami and Southern California, and the significance of cultural inclusion in economic development.

Amber's journey and the mission of Founder Fuego underscore the critical role of inclusive support in helping diverse entrepreneurs thrive, ultimately contributing to stronger and more resilient communities.

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Special Guest: Amber Tarrac.

Dane talks to Jay Garner, president and founder of Garner Economics, and the former chair of both the IEDC and Site Selectors Guild, about his new book "Economic Development is Still Not for Amateurs".

Special Guest: Jay Garner.

In this episode, Matthew Tate explains to host Dane Carlson how to craft your community's elevator pitch. Matthew Tate has spent the past 10 years at Retail Strategies working directly with cities in order to help them perfect their elevator speeches. Through data and analytics, he helps cities understand their unique story in order to make a more impactful pitch to potential businesses that may locate in their market.

Special Guest: Matthew Tate.

Dane talks with Emily Blaylock, Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer for Northwest Bank about Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Northwest Bank & Trust Company is an entrepreneurial bank that has built an Economic Development Division to help developers and municipalities get projects done around the US. They utilize Tax Increment Financing (TIF) incentives designated from the municipalities to give developers funds upfront. These funds can be used to provide gap equity, expansion of existing sites, investment in other projects, working capital needs, or tenant improvements. Currently, they have completed projects in 8 states and over $400 million in funding. Their team has over 100 years of combined education in economic development and banking to help structure these loans.

Special Guest: Emily Blaylock.

Chris Johnson is the Director of Johnston County Economic Development in North Carolina. Imagine how difficult it must be to give out his email address.

Dane and Chris talk about Chris's background in retail and what new perspectives he's brought to economic development including thinking of a spec building as a loss leader.

Special Guest: Chris Johnson.

Rob Sitterley is a real pro. He's worked in a local community, statewide and now works in regional economic development. In this episode, the President & CEO of AR-TX Regional Economic Development Inc. shares his tactics to make you better economic developer. He also gives us some insight into Texarkana, and doing economic development for two different states.

Special Guest: Rob Sitterley.

Dane and Cole Przybyla talk about Cole's unique business retention and attraction tactics in rural California.

Special Guest: Cole Przybyla.

In this episode, Dane talks to Kristen Gamboa. She is the Senior Economic Developer for the Village of Los Lunas. She has been instrumental in helping existing businesses expand and grow, as well actively market and bring in new economic-base businesses to the second fastest growing community in New Mexico. Prior to this, she was the Director of Business Development for the New Mexico Partnership where she actively engaged with companies, C-suite executives, and site consultants looking for expansion, relocation, or new project opportunities across the Land of Enchantment.

According to Kristen, "New Mexico is a hidden gem that is still a little rough around the edges but with more regionalized economic development strategies you're going to hear and see more companies expanding to our 'Land of Enchantment'."

Special Guest: Kristen Gamboa.

Tom Wengler and Dane talk Hubspot, and economic development marketing.

Special Guest: Tom Wengler.

During the pandemic, cities were able to use elements of gamification and behavioral economics to boost consumption at their local businesses and create a sense of civic pride. Colu VP Michael Mazur explains the process to host Dane Carlson.

Special Guest: Michael Mazur.

Economic development district director Alyce Brown thinks that economic development was already changing before COVID, but that change has now become a necessity because of the pandemic. She talks to Dane about how to get back to basic, grassroots initiatives. She explains that "hometown pride" needs to be a part of our planning and long-term vision.

Special Guest: Alyce Brown.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show host Dane Carlson interviewed Julianna Dodson, the Deputy Executive Director at the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship in Keene, New Hampshire, and the director of Radically Rural.

The discussion revolved around the origins and work of the Hannah Grime Center for Entrepreneurship, the national programming called Radically Rural, and their innovative approach to community development, including hosting conferences and events in unique locations to foster collaboration and innovation.

The conversation also delved into the concept of reweaving social fabric and the importance of genuine connection and communication in communities. Julianna shared her background and how she got involved in this field, highlighting the impact and opportunities for learning and engagement through the programs offered by Radically Rural.

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Special Guest: Julianna Dodson.

The American Dream for millions of Americans has always been to work hard for thirty years, and to then to retire to Florida. But what if you could break that mold and work where you want to live?

Lisa Krouse and Erin Silk talk with Dane about workforce and business attraction, and what's driving the growth of Sarasota County, Florida.

Special Guests: Erin Silk and Lisa Krouse.

In this episode, host Dane Carlson talks with Caleb McMahon. Caleb is a former site selector in China, who is now the Director of Economic Development for Port Angeles, Washington. Dane and Caleb discuss what he's seeing on the ground, and in the water.

Special Guest: Caleb McMahon.

Earlier this summer, Dane was a guest on the EcDev Network, where he talked about his background, moving from California to Texas, and the Econ Dev Show.

The EcDev Network a weekly Clubhouse call focused on economic development, hosted by Dan Taylor, Bob Minhas and Lara Fritts . It's the only Clubhouse club, by economic professionals for economic professionals and local economies across the globe. The call is for those interested in community and economic development issues. This includes elected officials, economic & tourism development professionals, businesses and community members. Each week Bob, Dan and Lara feature a different theme with special guest speakers.

In this episode, Dane talks marketing with Dave Parsell. Dave is co-founder of Localintel, a technology company providing location marketing tools that hundreds of economic developers have added to their website to promote their community's advantages.

Special Guest: Dave Parsell.

Ruth Buchanan is the Economic Development Manager, and Che Barnett is a Redevelopment Coordinator. Both work for Manatee County, Florida. There, they work together to build the local economy from the top and the bottom.

Special Guests: Che Barnett and Ruth Buchanan.

Ben Nelson is the founder and CEO of Radix Leadership. He specializes in helping leaders and organizations build high performing teams that achieve their goals by aligning their purpose and their people to deliver on performance. He's also the executive director of the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation in Wisconsin.

Special Guest: Ben Nelson.

Dane and Bill Woodrum have a wide reaching conversation on entrepreneurship. Bill is the Coordinator of the WV Entrepreneurship Network and project director for WV BusinessLink at the WV Department of Economic Development.

Special Guest: Bill Woodrum.

Meet Lea Ann Seiler of Hodgeman County, Kansas. Her job is to daily figure out what obstacles she can remove so that her community members can move forward with their businesses.

Special Guest: Lea Ann Seiler.

Andrew Sloss was a site selector for ten years before making the transition during Covid to economic development. Listen in for his advice from both sides of the table.

I would highly recommend Jay Garner and Ross Patten's book Economic Development is Not for Amateurs especially if you are new to ED but it is also a good refresher for those experienced professionals.

I love to read so this is a difficult question to answer. For now, I would say The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus.

We just started our subscription recently so I am still learning the platform but Gazelle.ai has been amazing and will help us a great deal in recruiting companies to Brookings. We currently don't use Slack at BEDC but in past jobs, I have really enjoyed using that for internal communications and team building.

I also cannot say enough about all the resources the Next Move Group has for EDO professionals. Chad may talk funny but he has a lot of information for EDO's to better themselves professionally and personally.

The most important thing I have learned, especially over the last 5 years is that you have to do what is right for you and your family. No one is going to look out for you other than yourself. If you have an opportunity to better yourself, gain experience, and/or make more money to provide a better life, take it. Don't worry about what others might think and certainly don't worry about what your boss/board/co-workers will think. No one, other than yourself, will ever have your best interests in mind.

Special Guest: Andrew Sloss.

On this, the 20th episode of Econ Dev Show, we're doing something different: This week we're replaying an interview with Dane from the We Are Jobs Podcast.

Special Guest: Chad Chancellor.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson interviews Rob Williams, director of SourceLink, a not-for-profit organization that collaborates with economic development agencies to promote entrepreneurial-led economic growth. Rob details SourceLink's origins in 2003 in Kansas City, Missouri, where it began as an initiative to better connect local entrepreneurs to resources, evolving into a significant player in fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems across the U.S. He discusses the early challenges of advocating for entrepreneurship in economic development, the importance of tailored community strategies, and practical steps communities can take to engage and support local entrepreneurs. Rob emphasizes the evolving understanding and importance of entrepreneurship in economic development, sharing insights from his extensive experience and the impact of SourceLink's work in various communities.

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Special Guest: Rob Williams.

Jim Eldridge grew up wanting to be an anthropologist or a city planner. Instead, he puts both of those skillsets to use as an economic developer in Ada, Oklahoma.

Jim thinks that economic developers need to change the ways in which we work. So much of the work we do, day-to-day, in our field is pragmatic, but we spend too little time thinking about more innovative or better ways of improving our ability to support our local communities and economies. We have to spend more time thinking about new and different ways of making our work more effective.

Special Guest: Jim Eldridge.

Retired econ dev Don Erwin has written an engrossing thriller and an economic development textbook. (And yes, they're the same book: Buffalo Hunting in Alabama: A Novel.)

You can reach Don by email at Donaldlouiserwin@gmail.com.

Special Guest: Don Erwin.

In this episode, we hear from Zachary Barker about entrepreneurship-led economic development.

Zach's an expert in ecosystem design and delivery of entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation (ETI) led programming.

He said:

Entrepreneur-led economic development is the one of the best investment EDOs can make in their communities.

It supports BRE efforts for small businesses, retains young talent, diversifies the local business makeup, and... even if the people who enter your program are not successful in growing a business, they become experts in business execution and thus EXCEPTIONAL employees.

The Four-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris

• this was my first glimpse into building systems to scale entrepreneurial ventures. I was a banker at the time when this came out and it shifted how I did banking, then launched me into entrepreneurship

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish

• as a dealmaker (not the technical partner in a startup), I found that I was driving activity but didn't understand why I was not getting results. I had a business plan but that was a lot of assumptions where the "Rock Habits" is a "what to do today to be successful" model to follow
• I have adapted this style of training along with driving the entrepreneurs self-understanding of their emotional intelligence, natural strengths, and mental health to create the Entrepreneur Blueprint
  

• Audible - I have some wicked ADD and it can be difficult to find quiet time to read and dig in, but listening in the car, at the gym, walking the dogs, makes it to where I can learn the whole concepts, then go back and use the book as a manual of which I have a great understanding upfront

• Therapy - while maybe not a tool or resource, understanding entrepreneurship is a guaranteed path towards failures, rejection, and missteps (as you have to learn what not to do before you succeed), means that you entrepreneurs (more than others) will have high potential for mental health struggles. From despair to frustration, loneliness to anxiety, knowing these will come and having a plan to preemptively address them gives me a toolkit that helps me move to the next "win"

Special Guest: Zachary Barker.

I this episode, Dane talks with Jimi Copland.

Jimi is rural economic developer, educator, needle mover, encourager, change agent, and owner of The Rural Spark, an online educational platform for small communities.

Special Guest: Jimi Copland.

Not content to just interview economic developers, in this episode host Dane Carlson tries talking to himself.

He spends time talking to himself about all of the great content from the Econ Dev Show that's not the podcast, including the five weekday emails:

• (Monday) Podcast Episode 14 - Is Stewart McGregor the Friendliest Economic Developer in Texas? - What happens when you pair one of the friendliest economic developers you'll ever meet, with one of the most interesting cities that you've never heard of?
• (Tuesday) Amazon Has Changed Online Shopping and Economic Development - This isn't about Amazon HQ2, I promise.
• (Wednesday) Economic Development and Developers in the News - Econ dev news from 112 economic development executives and organizations in 38 states, the Virgin Islands and Canada.
• (Thursday) 45 Things Economic Developers Need To Know This Week - The stories that you need to see from this week.
• (Friday) Economic Development Jobs This Week

What happens when you pair one of the friendliest economic developers you'll ever meet, with one of the most interesting cities that you've never heard of? In this episode, Dane meets Stewart McGregor of Grand Prairie, Texas.

Special Guest: Stewart McGregor.

In this episode we talk about making "rural cool" in Southeast Ohio with Taylor Stepp, and democratizing growth by recruiting white collar remote-workers to a traditionally blue collar region.

Dane and Taylor discuss the benefits of rural communities, BR&E and remote work opportunities. Taylor also dispels some preconceived notions about Appalachia.

Special Guest: Taylor Stepp.

Former President Harry Truman said, "It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit."

For Robert Harrington this quote is the key to success in economic development in rural America. Born and raised in rural Missouri. Robert has remained part of rural America for his entire life.

When he was a boy, his grandmother instilled in him the importance of a hard day's work and giving back to your community. As an economic developer, he's remained committed to following his grandmother's advice while working as a full-time economic developer across Missouri, Iowa, and Texas.

Robert is currently the Director of Economic Development at the Bourbon County Economic Development Council in Fort Scott, Kansas.

Join Dane, as he and Robert, explore the challenges and opportunities in rural economic development success.

Special Guest: Robert Harrington.

Super Dave Quinn is one of those economic developers that seems to know and be known by everybody. He's also a sought-after public speaker, influencer, and all around nice guy. He's also super.

He served as Vice President of the Frisco EDC in Frisco, TX from 2014-2018 where he helped lead an economic development team for one of the nation's fastest-growing cities

Since then he's cofounded and is the managing partner for Day One Experts, an on-demand economic development and small business consulting firm.

He's also the founder of the Texas Economic Development Connection, a statewide marketing partnership that connects out-of-state businesses with relocation opportunities in Texas.

Super Dave's favorite book is QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life, by John Miller. Super Dave says it "It opened my eyes to who was responsible for my success and failure and set me on a lifetime journey of self-discovery and accountability. "

Special Guest: "Super" Dave-Quinn.

Foreign direct investment doesn't just mean international investment in the US. For economic developers in other countries, the US is often the source of the "international" funds. For JP Saucier, who recruits businesses from Los Angeles, California to Quebec, the FDI flows from the United States to Canada.

Special Guest: JP Saucier.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson engages with Ben Lamb, Vice President of Economic Development at 1Berkshire in Massachusetts, to unravel the synergistic blend of economic growth and tourism in the Berkshires. Ben illuminates the unique approach of integrating cultural and economic vibrancy within a rural context, underlining the strategic application of 'wraparound economic development.' This concept not only aims at job creation and business enhancement but also keenly addresses broader community needs, including housing and transit, thus fostering a holistic regional development.

The discussion ventures into the evolving demographics and economic shifts in the Berkshires, emphasizing post-pandemic transformations and the region's increasing diversity. Ben underscores the significance of fostering connectivity and collaborative efforts across geographic and sectoral boundaries, positioning the Berkshires as a pivotal hub for innovation and cultural richness in the Northeast. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for economic developers and community strategists alike, offering profound lessons on leveraging adaptability, collaboration, and community-centric approaches to catalyze sustainable regional prosperity.

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Special Guest: Ben Lamb.

It turns out that I've been doing LinkedIn wrong, and probably so have you. In this episode, LinkedIn's EDO expert Andrew Phillips sets us on the right path.

Special Guest: Andrew Phillips.

Often the best way to advance in your economic development career is to change organizations. But do you secretly worry that if you pack up and move across the country that you'll get there and be completely clueless?

Today's guest did just that - Patrick Pierce moved from a large organization in Washington state to a small town in North Carolina, and he says that the coopetition is the same everywhere.

Coopetition (sometimes spelled "co-opetition") is the collaboration between competitors, in hopes of mutually beneficial results. Sounds exactly like regional economic development.

Special Guest: Patrick Pierce.

What's your downtown like?

As a county economic developer, I can look out over several different cities, all with a diverse array of downtowns:

Some are vibrant, beautiful tourist destinations.

Others are transitioning and improving with city dollars and commercial reinvestment into new stores, new facades, new lighting, new life.

Some suburban cities, to their shame, don't even really have downtowns. Unfortunately, I live in a town like that.

But still, others are shells of their former selves; Empty storefronts with faded signs and broken sidewalks -- places that you don't go after dark -- not because they're dangerous per se, but because there's no reason to.

Our guest today, hopes to change that. Ilana Preuss and her book Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing offer an excellent primer on how to rebuild your downtown without relying on outsiders to bring their businesses to your community.

Ilana's an expert. She led the technical assistance program at the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Program and was the Vice President & Chief of Staff at Smart Growth America. Her firm Recast City, works with local leaders to help create great places.

Enjoy the show, and the book.

Special Guest: Ilana Preuss.

Can a workforce developer lead the charge for economic development? While many organizations made the the switch from attraction to business retention last year because of COVID and the associated downturns in the economy, Cody Mosely with the Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma is going in the other direction and leading the charge for regional economic growth.

Special Guest: Cody Mosley.

In this episode, Dane talks to Josh Mejia, the executive director of the Brownsville Community Improvement District in Brownsville, Texas about all the great work he's doing in Brownsville.

We also touch on his work with the IEDC and entrepreneurship-led economic development, SpaceX, international trade and supply chains, downtown redevelopment and more.

Special Guest: Josh Mejia.

In today's epsisode, Chad Chancellor, CEO and Co-Founder of the Next Move Group and I have a wide ranging conversation:

• Why your EDO needs two podcasts (one for local stakeholders, and another for outside attraction.)
• Executive Searches. Now's a great time to find a new economic development job. (How to double your salary.)
• Economic developers should take jobs all over the country. (The more people you know, the better.)

Special Guest: Chad Chancellor.

You're no doubt familiar with ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, and delivery services like Doordash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.

These services work via an app on a smartphone, allowing users to request a ride, or a delivery, anytime, and in almost any medium sized city or larger.

But it didn't used to be that way. DoorDash and Uber used to be exclusively focused on the big cities and the coasts. And there used to be places, decently sized communities like Cape Girardeau, Missouri, that they didn't serve.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, population 40,000 has about 130,000 in it's MSA. The city is the economic center of Southeast Missouri and also a college town as the home of Southeast Missouri State University.

Located approximately 100 miles southeast of St. Louis and 150 miles north of Memphis, they had almost everything a small city could need... except delivery and ride services.

Local residents were required to use their phones as phones and to call for deliveries from the few restaurants that offered it, and had to use their own cars to travel to stores to buy things. Oh, the horrors!

In 2017, that all changed.

carGO Technologies launched there to provide delivery and ride services. Made by local coders, marketed by local biz devs, and funded by local money, the service was a huge hit. So much so that they eventually expanded into other neighboring cities.

But then, what had seemed so promising, suddenly hit a wall. As carGO tried to expand into larger markets to support its business model and growth, it came face to face with Uber, DoorDash and other competitors, companies who were internationally funded and losing billions of dollars a year. And then COVID-19 happened.

Ultimately, the costs to continue funding growth and the search for a sustainable business model became insurmountable and the company ceased operations in early 2021.

Why, you might ask, are we talking about a failed startup in south east Missouri on a show about economic development ?

My guest today made the jump from economic development at a chamber of commerce, to startup CarGO, and then back to economic development for the state of Missouri.

Along the way, he learned not only how to be entrepreneurial, but how talk to entrepreneurs in their own language. He understands what keeps them up at nights, what they care about, and most importantly what they don't care about at all.

Enjoy the conversation. I did.

Special Guest: Shad Burner.

In this episode Dane Carlson speaks with Rebecca Naragon, Economic Development Director for the United South and East Tribes, Inc.

Many of us work in areas where governmental entities, be they cities, counties and even states and countries work together with through voluntary non profit associations of government.

Where I live and work, in greater Houston, we have the Houston Galveston Area Council. It is the regional organization through which local governments consider issues and cooperate in solving area-wide problems.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to sit down virtually with Rebecca Naragon, the economic development director for the United South and Eastern Tribes.

United South and Eastern Tribes, is exactly this, but for 33 Native American tribes.

I think that there are four takeaways from our conversation:

1. As Rebecca describes it, shopping local doesn't always mean purchasing products and services where you live, but can mean supporting your community, wherever they are.
2. Sometimes, the very act of just making a list of small business can be empowering for a community. Knowing that they're not alone, can be inspiring and uplifting for small entrepreneurs, and knowing that opportunities and resources are available in their community, can make others feel more connected.
3. Together with each other, we're more resilient, even in light of huge and radical changes, like we've experienced in the last year with COVID-19.
4. Finally - there's always light at the end of the tunnel in economic development.

Special Guest: Rebecca Naragon.

In this episode, we get a little bit of background about our host Dane Carlson.

In today's episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane dives into the resurgence of labor productivity growth in the US, marking an end to years of standstill. This isn't just economic jargon; it's about how these changes affect our daily lives, enhancing our overall quality of life. There's a compelling narrative unfolding, reminiscent of the productivity leaps we saw in the 1990s. Let's explore what this means for us today and uncover the parallels and lessons from that transformative era.

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Hey there! I know it's been a while since you've heard from me — I've been deep in the trenches working on something special. Let me introduce you to Sitehunt: it's my latest creation, designed with a pinch of AI magic to revolutionize how economic developers gather property data. It's more than just a tool; it's your new partner in making well-informed decisions and speeding up the whole site selection process, all to help you nail those RFI responses and get ahead in your projects. I made it with you in mind, hoping it'll make a big difference in your work. Excited to see what you think!

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In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson sits down with Adam Berk, co-author of "Startup Program Design," to explore the nuances of creating successful partnerships between startups and corporates. Berk delves into the challenges and opportunities in these collaborations, providing practical advice on how to design effective startup programs. His approach emphasizes the importance of mutual understanding, strategic alignment, and fostering an environment that encourages innovation and growth for both startups and established companies.

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Special Guest: Adam Berk.

In this encore episode from 2022, Dane talks with Emily Blaylock, Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer for Northwest Bank about Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Northwest Bank & Trust Company is an entrepreneurial bank that has built an Economic Development Division to help developers and municipalities get projects done around the US. They utilize Tax Increment Financing incentives designated from the municipalities to give developers funds upfront. These funds can be used to provide gap equity, expansion of existing sites, investment in other projects, working capital needs, or tenant improvements. Currently, they have completed projects in 8 states and over $400 million in funding. Their team has over 100 years of combined education in economic development and banking to help structure these loans.

Update: Since this episode originally aired, Emily is now the CEO of Untamed Equity, a company dedicated to bridging the gap between development projects and the equity needed to complete them.

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Special Guest: Emily Blaylock.

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane talks with Nate Clayberg CEcD.

Nate Clayberg's approach to education is all about getting students ready for a future job market, including careers that might not even exist yet. With his varied experience in fields like broadcasting, sports, and economic development, Clayberg sees the importance of changing the way education is delivered. He suggests moving away from the traditional classroom focus and instead, developing skills that are versatile and crucial for a wide range of future jobs.

Clayberg emphasizes starting career exploration early. He believes in exposing students to a variety of job options, especially those in their local areas, to expand their understanding of possible career paths. This is vital in connecting what they learn in school to real-world scenarios. He advocates for an education that involves hands-on, project-based learning, where students work on actual problems faced by businesses. This method makes learning more relevant and interesting.

A crucial aspect of Clayberg's idea is to bridge the gap between the education system and the evolving job market. He highlights the role of economic developers in bringing together schools and local businesses. This collaboration aims to create educational models that are in tune with both current and future job market requirements. It's about ensuring that the education system works closely with businesses and industry experts to make learning more dynamic and directly applicable to the workforce needs of tomorrow.

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Special Guest: Nate Clayberg.