Nevada Means Business

Nevada economic development is shifting beyond hospitality and gaming into critical minerals processing, advanced manufacturing, and data centers. Tom Burns, Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, breaks down the state's strategic plan for economic diversification in a conversation with Kristopher Sanchez, Director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, on t...

Nevada farming faces a generational crisis as the state's beef herd nears all-time lows, sheep numbers have dropped from millions to roughly 90,000, and fewer young producers are entering the industry. JJ Goicoechea, Director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture and a fourth-generation Eureka County rancher, breaks down the forces reshaping livestock farming on 87% federally owned land — an...

Nevada's Superintendent of Public Instruction Victor Wakefield sits down with Kristopher Sanchez to address a question that haunts every parent and employer in the state: why does Nevada rank near the bottom in education, and what is the Department of Education actually doing about it? The conversation covers everything from a 99% graduation rate among CTE completers to a sobering reality wher...

Nevada's Transportation Authority and Taxicab Authority are closer to merging than at any point in their combined history, and administrator Todd Park — the first person to run both agencies simultaneously — explains exactly what that merger would change for Las Vegas transportation regulation, enforcement against illegal operators, and autonomous vehicle oversight. This episode of the Nevada...

Nevada Department of Transportation Director Tracy Larkin-Thomason explains why the state's 5,400 miles of highway face a growing maintenance challenge — and what it will take to keep pace with explosive population growth, a surging mining industry, and stalled infrastructure funding. With a fuel tax unchanged since 1993 and construction inflation exceeding 60%, the gap between what Nevada roads n...

Harry Reid International Airport faces a massive modernization challenge as Terminal 1 facilities designed in the 1960s strain under modern aircraft carrying nearly double the passengers they were built to handle. James Chrisley, Director of Aviation for Clark County and a former U.S. Air Force civil engineer, details the multi-billion-dollar plan to rebuild the Las Vegas airport while keeping it...

Las Vegas A's president Marc Badain explains how the city transformed from a nascent sports market into one of the most dominant sports and entertainment destinations in the country — and what the new Las Vegas A's stadium means for the local economy, small business owners, and aspiring sports management professionals. Badain, a 36-year sports executive who started as a Raiders intern and...

Nevada's transportation regulatory framework faces a collision between a 1919 utility structure and the rapid rise of autonomous vehicles and rideshare platforms — and the Chairman of the Nevada Transportation Authority is working to fix it before the 2027 legislative session. Vaughn Hartung, former Washoe County Commissioner and current NTA Chairman, breaks down the policy gaps holding Nevada...

Small business owners in Nevada looking for SBA loans, federal contracting opportunities, and veteran business programs will find direct answers from SBA Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs in this interview with Nevada Department of Business and Industry Director Kristopher Sanchez. Briggs details how the Small Business Administration supports Nevada's 353,000 small businesses — which employ rou...

Marcel Schaerer, Deputy Director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, breaks down the free resources, licensing steps, and support networks available to Nevada's 353,000 small business owners — and explains why most entrepreneurs never access the tools their own state government built for them. Director Kristopher Sanchez leads a conversation that maps the exact path a new or growing...

Phyllis Gurgevich, president and CEO of the Nevada Bankers Association, breaks down how Nevada banks evaluate small business loan applications using the five C's of credit — character, capacity, collateral, capital, and conditions — and explains the specific steps entrepreneurs should take before approaching a lender. Host Kristopher Sanchez, Director of the Nevada Department of Business and I...

Danielle Casey, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, breaks down the specific economic diversification strategy Southern Nevada is pursuing to move beyond tourism dependence — including the 30,000 new jobs needed across target industries to shift the region's diversification index from 74 to 77 out of 100, and why the Site Selectors Guild chose Las Vegas for its nationa...

Peter Guzman, president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, breaks down how the chamber transformed from a financially struggling organization into a 2,500-member advocacy powerhouse by treating its membership like shareholders in a publicly traded company — and why that same mindset of rapid adaptability separates thriving small businesses from those that fail. Host Kristopher Sanchez,...

Dr. Katie Jameson, lead project manager of the Deep Synoptic Array, explains how a 1,650-dish radio telescope being built outside Ely, Nevada, will map the entire radio sky multiple times per year at unprecedented sensitivity—and why rural White Pine County became the ideal location for what could become the world's most powerful ground-based radio survey instrument. The conversation with Neva...

NSHE Chancellor Matt McNair explains how Nevada's Credit for Prior Learning initiative could help 320,000 adults with some college credit finish a degree without repeating coursework, and why the state's eight-campus higher education system is restructuring around workforce alignment, AI readiness, and rebuilding public trust. Host Kristopher Sanchez, Director of the Nevada Department of B...

Nevada DMV modernization has reached a milestone that most state agencies only talk about — the average Nevada resident now needs to visit a DMV office in person only once every 16 years. Director Tonya Laney sits down with Kristopher Sanchez, director of Nevada's Department of Business and Industry, to explain how a multi-year technology transformation turned one of the state's most publi...

During each biennial session, Nevada's legislature processes up to 1,500 bills in just 120 days, yet 85 to 97 percent pass with bipartisan support — a statistic that contradicts nearly every national headline about political gridlock. Jill Tolles, former three-term Nevada Assembly member and current Executive Director of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, breaks down how nonpartisan...

Nevada's Real Estate Division oversees roughly 40,000 licensees, regulates 3,800 homeowner associations covering nearly 700,000 residents, and is now pushing to move almost every licensing function online. Sharath Chandra, administrator of the division within the Department of Business and Industry, sits down with Director Kristopher Sanchez to detail what that transformation means for agents,...

Nevada's lithium loop — the closed-cycle supply chain spanning extraction, processing, manufacturing, and recycling — positions the state as the only place in America with companies operating across all seven stages of the battery economy. Caleb Cage, president of the Nevada Battery Coalition, explains why the state's unique geology, regulatory climate, and executive support from Governor...

In this episode, Kristopher sits down with Sheldon Mudd, the CEO and President of the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority, to discuss the unique challenges and massive opportunities within rural economic development. Sheldon shares his fascinating journey from the United States Air Force and the Northern Nevada gold mining industry to leading economic strategy across a 40,000-square...

In this episode, Director Sanchez sits down with MJ Maynard-Carey, the CEO of the Regional Transit Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada, for a deep dive into the complex infrastructure that keeps the Las Vegas Valley moving. MJ explains what makes the RTC entirely unique, noting that it is the only agency in the United States to house public transit, roadway funding, metropolitan planning, and traf...

In this episode, Director Sanchez is joined by Victoria Carreon, the Administrator of the Division of Industrial Relations, to unpack the massive scope of her agency. Victoria explains that the primary objective of the Division of Industrial Relations is to put safety and health first by ensuring every Nevadan has a safe workplace. She breaks down the division's various branches, including the...

In this episode, Kris Sanchez welcomes Dr. Kumud Acharya, the President of the Desert Research Institute (DRI), to discuss the vital role the institute plays in solving environmental challenges across the state and around the globe. Dr. Acharya provides an inside look at how DRI’s team of over six hundred scientists and professionals conduct high-impact research on the intersection of human activi...

In this episode, Kris Sanchez is joined by Amanda Hilton, President of the Nevada Mining Association, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of the mining industry. Amanda kicks things off by sharing her personal journey from starting as a staff accountant to becoming the General Manager of the Robinson Mine, Nevada's largest copper mine located in Ely. They dive into how the mining industr...

In this episode, Kris Sanchez is joined by Steve Aichroth, the Administrator of the Nevada Housing Division, for a comprehensive discussion on the state's urgent efforts to tackle the affordable housing challenges. Steve breaks down the two main avenues the division utilizes to help residents: supporting direct homeownership and funding multifamily housing developments. He explains how the &qu...