The Midwest Flourish

Can rural communities thrive again? Entrepreneur and economic development leader Eric Doden believes the answer is yes—and he’s proving it. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Eric unpacks his innovative financial model that’s breathing new life into small towns across Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. From Butler to Van Wert, his approach blends private equity, federal and state tax credits, and...

Are we treating childcare as essential infrastructure? When Allie Sutherland moved to Indiana, she had a great job and two young children—but no access to childcare. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Allie shares her personal struggle to find affordable, high-quality care and how that experience led her to become the Executive Director of the Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition. Dis...

What does it really take to drive long-term growth in a community? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish Podcast, Ron Turpin—Chairman of the Northeast Indiana Strategic Development Commission and Allen County Commissioner—joins host Rick Farrant to discuss the three key drivers of regional prosperity: population growth, wage growth, and credential attainment. Ron shares how Indiana’s only legisl...

Can we really bring manufacturing back to America and make it exciting for the next generation? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish Podcast, host Rick Farrant sits down with Terry M. Iverson, longtime machine tool executive, author, and founder of ChampionNow.org. Terry shares his vision for reshaping how Americans view careers in manufacturing. Highlighted Topics: - How ChampionNow and its “C...

What does it take to help a rural community grow in the face of population decline, aging demographics, and deep-rooted resistance to change? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Isaac Lee, Executive Director of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation, to talk candidly about what it means to lead economic strategy in a small Indiana county—and why h...

What does it take to succeed in a world where the job you’ll have tomorrow hasn’t even been invented yet? On this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Edmond O’Neal, President & CEO of Northeast Indiana Works, to unpack the fast-changing world of work—and how individuals, educators, and employers can better prepare for what’s ahead. In this wide-ranging conversatio...

What does it take to build a marketing agency that actually makes a difference? In this insightful episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with John Paff, founder and CEO of Petra Strategic Communication, Fort Wayne Marketing, and Marketing the Midwest. From workforce development to regional branding, John shares how his team has helped economic development organizations, nonp...

On this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Rachel Blakeman, Director of the Community Research Institute at Purdue University Fort Wayne, for a thought-provoking conversation about inflation, economic trends, and the real story behind Northeast Indiana’s workforce. From why data delays matter to whether Indiana is too reliant on manufacturing, Rachel explains how eco...