))
Highlighting innovators doing needle moving sh!t to create generational wealth and inclusive competitiveness. Communities worldwide are at an inflection point. In the devastating wake of COVID, there are unparalleled opportunities to move the needle on realizing truly inclusive prosperity, fueled by dynamic economic growth. In this moment, communities can make bold, strategic, and equitable investments. Needle moving investments not only generate catalytic and sustained community impact, but ...
…
continue reading
1
Reviving the Motor City: Detroit’s Comeback and the Power of Inclusive Growth with Kevin Johnson
40:08
40:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:08
Detroit’s comeback is one of the most remarkable economic stories in America—and Kevin Johnson has been at the heart of it. As President and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, he shares how the city has gone from bankruptcy to boom, with $5 billion in active investment and a renewed focus on equity. From attracting global companies to …
…
continue reading
1
From Education to Economic Opportunity: Leading with Purpose in Pinellas County With Dr. Cynthia Johnson
29:49
29:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:49
Dr. Cynthia Johnson brings a unique perspective to economic development, rooted in education and driven by equity. She shares how Pinellas County, Florida, responds to disruption through collaboration, innovation, and people-centered strategy. From launching an $11.2M business incubator to building a unified workforce system, Dr. Johnson outlines h…
…
continue reading
1
The People's Project: Equity, Growth, and the Atlanta BeltLine With Clyde Higgs
30:40
30:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:40
In this episode, Clyde Higgs dives into the $4.5 billion Atlanta BeltLine—a transformative infrastructure project reconnecting 45 neighborhoods while driving job creation, transit access, and affordable housing. Higgs shares how public-private partnerships, inclusive zoning, and land banking are helping ensure long-time residents and legacy busines…
…
continue reading
1
Meeting the Moment: Redefining Leadership in Economic Development with Nathan Ohle
24:57
24:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:57
Recorded live at the IEDC Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., this special kickoff episode features Nathan Ohle, President & CEO of IEDC. Nathan joins co-host Johnathan Holifield to reflect on the Summit’s theme—“Meeting the Moment”—and what it means for the future of economic development. From building inclusive, resilient economies to equippin…
…
continue reading
1
BONUS: Social Entrepreneurship and Moving the Needle, with Forward Impact Solutions' Christopher Gergen
53:14
53:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
53:14
Today we're sharing an episode of a podcast that shares our mission to move the needle - Inside Impact with Alisa Herr. Christopher Gergen's first entrepreneurial venture—a coffee shop bar in Santiago, Chile—was impactful, but more impactful was the man who walked in and introduced himself as a "cultural entrepreneur." In this episode, hear how tha…
…
continue reading
1
Revolutionizing Food Systems: Transforming Communities for Generational Wealth Creation, with Tom McDougall
59:24
59:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:24
Today we explore how a transformed food system can pave the way for generational wealth creation, equity, and a sustainable future for communities. 4P Foods is working to revolutionize the food industry by connecting smallholder farmers with local consumers, and CEO Tom McDougall joins us to talk about the need to improve food ecosystems, consideri…
…
continue reading
1
Rodney Williams, Changing Access to Capital with SoLo Funds
52:36
52:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:36
SoLo Funds is the outgrowth of co-founder and chairman Rodney Williams’ lived experience of a mother who regularly needed access to short-term cash to stay current with bills and to maintain household cohesion. Such loans were very limited and costly in his neighborhood. Rodney wanted to develop a community-based lending marketplace for small dolla…
…
continue reading
1
$100M in Capital Funding, with Minority Business Accelerator CEO Darrin Redus
1:02:21
1:02:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:21
Today's guest is Darrin Redus, CEO of the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator within the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Accelerator has recently launched a $100 million transformational equity capital fund to fuel the creation of larger scale minority owned businesses, and Darrin is here to give us all of the details of what …
…
continue reading
As we talk about the racial wealth gap it’s critical to highlight the importance of owning appreciating assets. At the end of 2020, 44% of Black Americans owned their homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared with almost 75% of White Americans. That difference materially undermines both family wealth creation and prospects for inclusive …
…
continue reading
1
Jennifer Shieh, US Small Business Administration Director of Ecosystem Development
52:16
52:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:16
When you’re running a small business, you’ll take all the resources you can get, especially access to capital. But many founders have no idea where to begin to look for funding and wouldn’t even think to look at the federal government. To promote inclusive opportunity and prosperity, America’s Seed Fund - the small business innovation research prog…
…
continue reading
Median Black wealth is 12 times less than median White wealth, and it is estimated that median Black wealth by 2053 will be zero. While there are myriad historic and current reasons for such outcomes, what we know for sure is that entrepreneurship is a potent enabler of wealth creation and driver of inclusive prosperity. Today’s guest on Moving The…
…
continue reading
1
Race, Privilege, and a Mission to Close the Wealth Gap: Johnathan Holifield and Christopher Gergen Share Their Stories
42:53
42:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:53
Christopher Gergen and Johnathan Holifield come from completely different backgrounds. One was born into power and privilege in a political family in DC. One grew up in the industrial, blue-collar Detroit area where hard work was the norm. Through their careers and personal growth, they've ended up with the same goals - to raise awareness and promo…
…
continue reading
Tracy Palandjian is moving the needle. She's the CEO of Social Finance, a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit that has mobilized $350 million in new investments designed to help 45,000 people realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing. Any attempts to close economic inequity gaps must begin with a focu…
…
continue reading
1
North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold Martin
1:13:53
1:13:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:13:53
This episode of Moving the Needle features Harold Martin, the esteemed, immediate past Chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University. As America's largest-ever historically Black university and one of North Carolina's top three public research universities, NC A&T contributes in diverse and growing ways to the U.S. and North Carolina economies.…
…
continue reading
1
Investing in the American Dream, with US Economic Development Administration’s Alejandra Castillo
47:40
47:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:40
President Biden appointed today's guest, Alejandra Castillo, to head the Economic Development Administration. In this role, she leads the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. For Assistant Secretary Castillo, having grown up in Ne…
…
continue reading
1
Economic Development and Communities That Get It Right, with IEDC CEO Nathan Ohle
57:13
57:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:13
Historically there are so many communities that have done a poor job of economic development and inclusive competitiveness, but we're talking about the communities that are getting it right. Plus, what specifically is in the International Economic Development Council's Equitable Economic Playbook? Nathan Ohle is the President and CEO of the Interna…
…
continue reading
Welcome to Moving the Needle, a podcast that explores how innovators and problem solvers are doing transformative work in cities and rural communities to create new pathways for generational wealth creation. Our goal is to lift up solutions that are giving us hope and light the way for policymakers, community leaders, philanthropists, private inves…
…
continue reading
1
Revolutionizing Food Systems: Transforming Communities for Generational Wealth Creation, with Tom McDougall
59:45
59:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:45
Today we explore how a transformed food system can pave the way for generational wealth creation, equity, and a sustainable future for communities. 4P Foods is working to revolutionize the food industry by connecting smallholder farmers with local consumers, and CEO Tom McDougall joins us to talk about the need to improve food ecosystems, consideri…
…
continue reading
1
Economic Development and Communities That Get It Right, with IEDC CEO Nathan Ohle
57:32
57:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:32
Historically there are so many communities that have done a poor job or economic development and inclusive competitiveness, but we're talking about the communities that are getting it right. Plus, what specifically is in the International Economic Development Council's Equitable Economic Playbook? Nathan Ohle is the President and CEO of the Interna…
…
continue reading
1
Investing in the American Dream, with US Economic Development Administration’s Alejandra Castillo
48:00
48:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:00
President Biden has appointed today's guest Alejandra Castillo to head the Economic Development Administration, leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. For Assistant Secretary Castillo, having grown up in New York City an…
…
continue reading
1
$100M in Capital Funding, with Minority Business Accelerator CEO Darrin Redus
1:02:43
1:02:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:43
Today's guest is Darrin Redus, CEO of the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator within the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Accelerator has recently launched a $100 million transformational equity capital fund to fuel the creation of larger scale minority owned businesses, and Darrin is here to give us all of the details of what …
…
continue reading
1
Rodney Williams, Changing Access to Capital with SoLo Funds
52:29
52:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:29
Rodney Williams saw it firsthand. His mom would get paid on Monday, and the bill would be due on Thursday. With getting to the bank, having the check clear, and having access in her account, sometimes that meant the check would bounce. And the lights would turn off. And the food in the refrigerator would go bad. And there would be a shut off fee PL…
…
continue reading
1
Race, Privilege, and a Mission to Close the Wealth Gap: Johnathan Holifield and Christopher Gergen Share Their Stories
43:01
43:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
43:01
Christopher Gergen and Johnathan Holifield come from completely different backgrounds. One was born into power and privilege in a political family in DC. One grew up in blue collar Detroit where you had to work hard to survive. Through their careers and personal growth, they've ended up with the same goals - to raise awareness that we're not all on…
…
continue reading
1
BONUS: Social entrepreneurship and moving the needle, with Forward Impact Solutions' Christopher Gergen
51:58
51:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:58
Today we're sharing an episode of a podcast that shares our mission to move the needle - Inside Impact with Alisa Herr. Christopher Gergen's first entrepreneurial venture—a coffee shop bar in Santiago, Chile—was impactful, but more impactful was the man who walked in and introduced himself as a "cultural entrepreneur." In this episode, hear how tha…
…
continue reading
1
Jennifer Shieh, US Small Business Administration Director of Ecosystem Development
52:45
52:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:45
When you’re running a small business, you’ll take all the resources you can get, especially access to capital. But many founders have no idea where to begin to look for funding and wouldn’t even think to look at the federal government. But America’s Seed Fund, the small business innovation research program, now distributes over $4 BILLION a year to…
…
continue reading
As we talk about the racial wealth gap it’s critical to highlight the importance of owning assets. At the end of 2020, 44% of Black Americans owned their homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared with almost 75% of White Americans. That’s an unconscionable difference. One of the ways to build generational wealth is through owning assets …
…
continue reading
Tracy Palandjian is moving the needle. She's the CEO of Social Finance, a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit that has mobilized $350 million in new investments designed to help 45,000 people realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing. Earlier this year, Social Finance partnered with Google on $100M in…
…
continue reading
Median Black wealth is 12 times less than median White wealth, and it is estimated that median Black wealth by 2053 will be zero. Our guest today is Aaron Walker, CEO of Camelback Ventures based in New Orleans. Camelback’s mission is to increase access to opportunity for entrepreneurs of color and women by investing in their ventures and leadership…
…
continue reading
On the first episode of Moving the Needle, we are thrilled to bring you Harold Martin, the esteemed Chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University. One of the greatest opportunities to improve economic mobility and generate wealth is quality education. Today, we talk about why Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in general - and…
…
continue reading
