Moving the Needle

What does authentic leadership look like in today’s divided world? In this intimate conversation, Moving the Needle co-host Christopher Gergen sits down with his father, legendary advisor and commentator David Gergen, to explore the values that shape courageous, service-driven leadership. From growing up in Durham to navigating the halls of power, the two reflect on trust, collaboration, intergene...

As the first alumnus to serve as President of Tuskegee University, Dr. Mark Brown brings a powerful blend of personal experience, military leadership, and policy innovation to the future of higher education. In this episode, he reflects on his journey—from growing up with limited means to overseeing a $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio. Dr. Brown offers bold ideas to tackle student debt, includi...

With roots in West Virginia and Detroit, Robert Jones rose through the ranks of corporate America—then turned his attention to closing the racial wealth gap. In this episode, he shares how a growth mindset, powerful mentors, and unwavering family support helped him transition from earning income to owning capital. Now an angel investor with Realm Capital Partners, Robert is focused on assisting ot...

As founder of the Black Star Fund, Kwame Anku is investing in the future of Black innovation—one transformative founder at a time. In this episode, he shares how his upbringing as a first-generation Ghanaian American gave him a dual lens on American opportunity and systemic barriers. From answering Prince’s provocative question— “Where are the Black Mark Zuckerbergs?” —to backing visionary founder...

Bruce Katz has spent decades shaping policy at the intersection of cities, innovation, and inclusive growth. In this episode, he unpacks why now is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for communities to reclaim their place in a reindustrializing America. From reshoring and decarbonization to supply chains and federal investments, Katz shares why intentional, radical collaboration is essential to en...

Felecia Hatcher’s journey—from a self-described “C student” to CEO of Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition—is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. In this episode, she shares how her early experiences, entrepreneurial hustle, and commitment to building Black startup ecosystems shaped her mission. From launching Code Fever and Black Tech Week to transforming capital access through cultural hea...

Tracye McDaniel brings three decades of expertise to this conversation on the future of economic development. As President of TIP Strategies, she explores the power of foresight, data, and place-based investment in creating inclusive growth. From AI and workforce shifts to underutilized community assets and the untapped role of faith-based institutions, Tracye shares what it takes to move from int...

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 stabilizing local businesses, Johnson discusses De...

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 how local leadership expands opportunity, even in t...

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 businesses benefit from the BeltLine’s growth. This is mo...

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 equipping leaders at every stage of their career, Na...

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 that first project inspired him to support founders...

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, considering their impact on local economies, the environmen...

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 dollar amounts as an alternative to banks, high-interes...

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 that means and the impact it will have in addressi...

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 prosperity. While not the only way, but certainly...

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 program - now invests over $4 BILLION a year to over 4...

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 Needle is Aaron Walker, CEO of Camelback Venture...

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 promote action to strengthen our nation’s economic incl...

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 focus on aligning underestimated talent with the econo...

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.  One of the greatest opportunities to imp...

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 New York City and then the Dominican Republic, and a...

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 International Economic Development Council - a nonprofi...

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 investors, and engaged citizens who care about equity a...

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, considering their impact on local economies, the environmen...