Hyper Local: Economic Development

Howard Tam is an Urban Planner, a proud foodie, and the founder of Eat More Scarborough food tours . Through immersive culinary experiences, Howard is championing culinary tourism while shining a light on the incredible diversity and stories within one of Toronto’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. In this tasty episode of Hyper Local, we chomp into: The power of culinary tourism , how it supports loca...

Paul Kalbfleisch is disrupting traditional city-building strategies with JOY! From his time as the VP of Brand Marketing and Creativity for Research in Motion (RIM) to creating his own consulting firm (PAUL Consulting Inc.) and co-authoring The JOY Experiments . In this energized episode of Hyper Local, we dive into: The JOY Experiments : “moving beyond traditional quality of life measures to prio...

Join former winners of the EDCO Bright Ideas Competition —Laura Thompson, Sushmitha Thirumalaivasan, and our host, Mason Ainsworth for an inspiring deep dive into one of Ontario's premier programs for economic development innovators. As former participants who turned bold ideas into recognized successes, we break down everything you need to know about the Bright Ideas Competition , hosted by the E...

SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT: 15 Micro Interviews from the 69th EDCO! I just returned from the 69th Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) Conference in Toronto, where I decided to do something different. For the first time ever on Hyper Local: Economic Development in Ontario - Podcast. We went fully on-the-spot with 60-second (or less) micro-interviews! From Toronto to Kenora, Sarnia to Collingwo...

Jessica Linthorne is powering the future of Ontario’s energy economy. As President & CEO at the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) , she’s at the forefront of connecting nuclear innovation with economic development, job creation, and community impact across the province. In this energized episode of Hyper Local, we dive into: • What the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) is and its powerful li...

Nathan Ohle is leading global economic development conversations. As President & CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) , the world’s largest association of economic developers , he is steering the organization into its historic 100th year with vision, collaboration, and bold ideas. From his early days as a Community Relations Intern with the Detroit Pistons to Senior Adv...

Kate Burns Gallagher is a political and economic development powerhouse! From her start as an Executive Assistant to MP Joe Preston at the Parliament of Canada, to shaping economic development and tourism in the County of Elgin, Kate now leads as Executive Director of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) where she is uniting 15 upper and single tier municipalities in Southwestern Ontario, ad...

Downtown matters , and Rachel Braithwaite is leading the charge with Canada’s largest provincial business improvement area association . As Executive Director of the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) , she leads with enthusiasm, has the fantastic ability to take small ideas and turn them into significant events, dares to dream big, and supports dynamic downtowns across the prov...

Stephanie Crilly is a relationship master steering Canada’s Largest Provincial Economic Development Association forward. As Executive Director of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) , she leads with passion, understands the importance of relationships, and continually inspires us to make a difference in our communities. In this Hyper Local episode, we unpack: EDCO’s mission, programs...

Jens-Michael Schaal is championing global expansion for Ottawa's thriving tech ecosystem. As Vice President - Global Expansion at Invest Ottawa, he provides strategic leadership to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), drive business retention and expansion (BRE), boost international trade, and draw top talent to Canada's G7 capital—the highest concentration of tech talent in North Amer...

Tyson McMann is championing innovative policies to support economic development. As the Business Development Consultant – Food and Beverage at the City of Hamilton, he supports real-world problem-solving for his community through innovative policy approaches. As Co-Chair of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario's Bright Ideas committee, he encourages economic developers to think different...

Clare Barnett is a champion of international economic development. As the Director of Business Growth Services in Toronto, the largest City in Canada and as a Board member on the International Economic Development Council and the Organization of Women in International Trade, she is having the conversations that matter. Clare brings a depth of experience from her roles at Invest Brampton, the Ontar...

Emily Baillie is a dynamic AI & Marketing Trainer who’s empowered over 4,000 professionals to work smarter, not harder. As a Marketing & AI Strategist at Compass Content Marketing and an excellent professor at Humber College and McMaster University (Where she taught me!), Emily helps businesses, Economic Developers, and nonprofits across Canada harness AI and digital marketing tools to sav...

Belinda Wick-Graham is a trailblazer in economic and community development. As the Director of Economic and Community Development for the Town of Minto and a past president of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO), Belinda’s passion for investment attraction, business development, and downtown revitalization has earned the Town of Minto the prestigious Economic Developers Council of On...

Brock Dickinson is a true visionary in the fields of economic development and entrepreneurship. As Vice Chair of Invest Ontario, Partner at Stonebridge Solutions LP, Director of the Economic Development Program at the University of Waterloo, and Executive in Residence at Innovate Niagara, Brock’s expertise is unmatched. With a career spanning financing for large-scale projects, cleantech, internat...

Stephanie Pagnucco is a powerhouse in economic development and destination marketing. As President of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) and Director of Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations at Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology, she is at the table making a difference. Stephanie brings a wealth of experience from her roles at Destination Northern Ontario, the...