Diversify Nevada

Today's guest is Joan Rueben, the director of the Nevada APEX Accelerator at GOED. In our conversation, Joan discusses her passion for public service and how the APEX program can help small businesses grow and expand.  To become a Nevada APEX client, fill out the client questionnaire on the GOED website:  https://goed.nv.gov/programs/nevada-apex-accelerator/

Carli and Evan are joined today by Jessica Sanders, Nevada's program administrator for the Community Development Block Grant. In today's episode, Jessica discusses how CDBG builds prosperity and enhances the quality of life in rural Nevada.

Elaine Silverstone, GOED's director of workforce development, joins Diversify Nevada to discuss how the agency is helping empower the future of the state's workforce.

In today's episode, we're joined by Melanie Sheldon, the senior director of business development at the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. Through her work at GOED, Melanie has witnessed a lot of change in Nevada's business climate over the years as more innovative companies move to the state. Clarification: Nevada has a fully statutory incentive program, not a discretionary one.

GOED Research Manager Steve Scheetz joins the show to discuss some of the big economic moves Nevada saw last year and what they might mean for the state in 2026.  

Diversify Nevada is joined today by Dr. Dorian Stonebarger, GOED's deputy director. Before joining GOED in 2023, Dorian was Chief Policy Advisor to Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudsen and worked to create the city's first affordable housing ordinance. In addition to economic development, Dorian is passionate about health and nutrition, and has done a lot of great work in that space. Most recentl...

Film Nevada Director Kim Spurgeon joined the show today to discuss how her agency, and the film industry, promotes economic development in the state

Learn more about Nevada Main Street and rural economic development:  https://goed.nv.gov/programs/nevada-main-street/  https://goed.nv.gov/programs/rural-economic-community-development/  

It's FREE to attend the many events during Reno Startup Week, which runs from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. View the full schedule and register here:  https://www.renostartupweek.com/  If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur, you can also find actionable resources for funding, business plans and much more at:  https://nvsmallbiz.org/ You can learn more about the Office of Entrepreneurship at:  https:/...

Today's guest is Vance Farrow, the healthcare industry specialist at the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. With his extensive experience in the industry, Vance brings a lot to the table when it comes to healthcare and its role in economic development.

You can dive deeper into the numbers here with GOED's quarterly performance report:  https://goed.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/10.-GOED-Performance-Report-August-2025.pdf 

Tammy Westergard, GOED's senior workforce development librarian-in-residence, has been an advocate for education and workforce training for many years. She joins "Diversify Nevada" to talk about her cutting-edge program, Individual Career Mapping, which is using virtual reality training to transform workforce development -- and getting results.

Today's guest is Steve Scheetz, research manager for the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. He joins "Diversify Nevada" to offer expert analysis into the current economic trends and headwinds that the Silver State is facing in 2025.

Tom Burns, executive director of the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), joins us for the inaugural episode of "Diversify Nevada" to discuss how his agency fosters business, workforce, and community development in the state.