184: The Colorblind Tulip Farmer: Revolutionizing Rural Economic Development with Andrew Miller

July 28th, 2025  |  22 mins 54 secs

agricultural innovation, agritourism, career transition, community engagement, eco devo, econdev, economic development, rural economic development, rural tourism, skagit valley, small business, tulip farming, u-pick

Andrew Miller discusses his journey from economic developer to entrepreneur, explaining how he transitioned from advocating for business development in Skagit County to actually purchasing and operating a tulip farm himself.

183: Small-Scale Manufacturing as Community Development Strategy with Ilana Preuss

July 21st, 2025  |  31 mins 21 secs

business recruitment, community development, community needs, eco devo, econdev, economic development, investment strategy, local assets, neighborhood revitalization, property owners, small-scale manufacturing, stakeholder engagement

Dane Carlson reconnects with Ilana Preuss, founder of Recast Your City, to discuss how economic developers can transform communities by focusing on small-scale manufacturing and engaging directly with local business owners and residents.

182: Engineering Economic Success: A Systems Approach to Development with Jason El Koubi

July 14th, 2025  |  35 mins 5 secs

360-degree evaluation, eco devo, econdev, economic development, engineering mindset, leadership, passion, professional development, systems thinking, team building, vedp, virginia

VEDP President Jason El Koubi shares insights on bringing an engineering mindset to economic development leadership, the importance of passion in the profession, and building strong teams through diverse perspectives.

181: Beyond the Strip: Clark County's Economic Transformation with Shani Coleman

July 7th, 2025  |  26 mins 54 secs

advanced manufacturing, california business migration, clark county nevada, eco devo, econdev, economic development, federal land challenges, harry reid tech park, innovation district, las vegas economic development, professional sports teams, small business support, sports innovation

180: Red Tape, Real Stories, and Economic Revival with Kevin Crowder

June 30th, 2025  |  45 mins 40 secs

bureaucracy, calvin klein campaign, community transformation, eco devo, econdev, economic development, entrepreneurship, miami beach, red tape, south beach, status quo, strategic exposure

Kevin Crowder discusses his novel "Red Tape Empire" and shares insights from his economic development experience in Miami Beach, focusing on overcoming bureaucratic red tape and the transformative power of strategic exposure.

179: Why PR Beats Advertising in Economic Development Every Time with April Mason

June 23rd, 2025  |  27 mins 23 secs

business development, credibility, earned media, eco devo, econdev, economic development, marketing strategy, media coverage, newsjacking, public relations, thought leadership, trade publications

Dane Carlson interviews April Mason, president and founder of Violet PR, about how economic development organizations can leverage public relations strategies to earn media coverage and build credibility.

178: Reinventing Shop Local Initiatives with Sophia Zheng

June 16th, 2025  |  25 mins 16 secs

ai integration, br&e, business retention, community rewards, data analytics, eco devo, econdev, economic development, govtech, local economies, shop local, technology

Sophia Zheng, CEO of Bludot Technologies, shares how her startup, born inside a city hall, leverages data-driven technology and community rewards to boost local economic development.

177: Expediting the RFI Process, with Dane Carlson

June 9th, 2025  |  33 mins 6 secs

ai technology, board transitions, community asset management, data enrichment, eco devo, econdev, economic development, economic development leadership, podcast creation, professional networking, rfi automation, site hunt, site selection

This episode features Dane Carlson as a guest on Sandy Dubay's EDO Breakthrough Podcast, where he discusses his journey from starting the Econ Dev Show during his son's cancer treatment to creating Site Hunt, an AI-powered platform for economic developers.

176: From Rust Belt to Tech Hub: Buffalo's 25-Year Transformation with Tom Kucharski

June 2nd, 2025  |  32 mins 29 secs

43 north, buffalo, clean energy, eco devo, econdev, economic development, manufacturing, population growth, regionalism, semiconductor tech hub, startup competition, western new york

Tom Kucharski, President and CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara, discusses how Western New York transformed from industrial decline to becoming the nation's only semiconductor tech hub, achieving its first population growth in decades while leveraging abundant clean energy and a $1 million startup competition.

175: Transforming Second-Tier Markets into Economic Powerhouses with Barry Broome

May 26th, 2025  |  36 mins 27 secs

agricultural research, clean tech, community building, data-driven decisions, eco devo, econdev, economic development, economic transformation, sacramento, second-tier markets, semiconductor hub, silicon valley proximity, strategic positioning

Barry Broome, CEO of Greater Sacramento Economic Council, shares his strategies for building trust, assembling top talent, and transforming economic development organizations into knowledge enterprises that operate like technology companies.