ShovelTalk: An Economic Development Podcast

Rachel Kreikemeier Executive Director of Gage Area Growth Enterprise ( NGage ) joins GSA Executive VP, Bethany Quinn, to discuss the innovative ways NGage is building childcare capacity in Gage County, Nebraska. From Babysitting Clinics to forming a nonprofit, NGage is leading in the childcare space. Listen to learn from Rachel and their organization. 

Justin Sommer, Executive Director of Preble County Development Partnership, joined Bethany Quinn, Executive Vice President of Golden Shovel Agency, on Shovel Talk to discuss 2024 priorities and how economic developers can make an impact in their communities.  Justin began his career in economic development on the workforce side and worked for the City of Piqua and the private sector before becomin...

Looking for new ways to tell your community’s story? Amanda Ellis, Editor and Chief of Livability has ideas and the data to back them up. Hear Amanda’s insights and learn about her journey into economic development through the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. Oh, and did you know that she is a ballet dancer?

2023 was an exciting year for the Golden Shovel team. Our last episode of 2023 features Aaron Brossoit (CEO), Bethany Quinn (Vice President of Strategy & Content Development), Darren Varley (Vice President of Client Retention & Creative Services), Warren Westcott (Vice President of Sales),Greg Kolbjornsen (PlaceVR Executive Producer) and John Marshall (President) talking about what was 202...

Listen as the Grapevine Economic Development team shares about landing the 4th location for MeowWolf, how the TEXRail Commuter Rail has transformed Grapevine and their journey in starting a podcast.

Catherine George, the Economic Development Specialist for the North River Commission, joined GSA's CEO, Aaron Brossoit on ShovelTalk, to discuss hyper-local economic development strategies. Located on the Northwest Side of Chicago, their approach encourages entrepreneurship, supports small businesses, and reaches out to the non-English speaking community. Their success demonstrates the power...

Bob Ahlfeld from St. Lawrence County IDA shares his insights on how upstate New York is the ideal location for renewable energy expansion and companies looking to do business across the U.S./Canadian border. Oh, and Bob's been a Broadcaster for NCAA Division I Hockey for the past 25 years with fun stories to tell!

Does your community have empty downtown buildings? Are you struggling to attract investment? Take a page out of NeTia Bauman’s book and focus on the entrepreneurs in your own backyard. Since becoming CEO of Greater Fergus Falls, NeTia and her team have helped over 200 entrepreneurs start or grow their business. Their downtown went from over 20 vacant storefronts to four in three years. The best pa...

2022 was an exciting year for the Golden Shovel team. Our last episode of 2022 features Aaron Brossoit (CEO), Bethany Quinn (Vice President of Strategy & Content Development), Darren Varley (Vice President of Client Retention & Creative Services), Warren Westcott (Vice President of Sales) and Greg Kolbjornsen (PlaceVR Executive Producer) talking about what was 2022 and what will be 2023. E...

Shannon Landauer, CEcD, is the President & CEO of the Iowa Lakes Corridor and the immediate past President of the Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI). Shannon champions mentorship and is a fierce advocate for young economic developers looking to grow within the industry. On this podcast she explores ways to engage economic developers in mentorship programs. Having started her career working...

In episode three of the remote worker mini-series you'll meet Tayler Gill (aka "Traveling Tayler"), a remote worker, travel coach and trip facilitator for Hacker Paradise. Amanda met Tayler through Hacker Paradise, a company that curates experiences for remote workers in communities across the world. Listen as Amanda chats with Tayler about what Hacker Paradise looks for when scouti...

In the second episode of the remote worker podcast mini-series, Amanda introduces you to Adim Ofunne who is an entrepreneur and business owner from Nigeria. Adim shares his journey to owning two very different businesses, one being a product based business he started mid-COVID using Kickstarter. Listen in to hear about the successful crowdfunding campaign and his experiences working remotely. Link...

Alicia Wilson is the first Vice President for Economic Development at John Hopkins University and John Hopkins Health System. As the largest employer in the City of Baltimore and state of Maryland, John Hopkins recognized the impact the organization could play on the economic development of the city of Baltimore specifically. Creating this department and hiring Wilson is a historic first for the o...

In the first episode of our new remote worker podcast mini-series, Amanda introduces you to Alexis Ramos, remote worker and TikToker from the US who lives and works abroad. Alexis shares a bit about current conditions and humanitarian efforts in Eastern Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine.  We dive into her professional background, what brought her to remote and travel life, and pros and cons for...

Video can reach your audience in powerful ways. In this podcast, Greg Kolbjornsen walks our audience through developments in video and the metaverse and how economic developers can use these powerful tools. We also take a trip down memory lane, hearing hilarious stories from video shoots throughout the world. Listen to discover what Greg's most adventurous shot was (and how he wasn't wea...

Gerri Lawing knows what it takes to further complicated development goals at a regional level. As the economic developer for GVEC, Gerri promotes growth in a large territory that includes rural and urban areas of Texas. Hear her insights and learn how working with Golden Shovel has made it easier for Gerri to get the job done! 

As a passionate advocate for his community and tribe, Arvin Trujillo builds bridges between a wide group of stakeholders and communities. His approach to economic development is collaborative and inclusive - something that has made it possible for historic agreements to be reached and projects to be completed. Learn from his strategic approach to community building that is both optimistic and forw...

Sara Harris is the next generation of economic developers and she's tackling a legacy challenge - transitioning an energy economy into one that is diverse and attractive to younger residents. Her strategies, and the collaborative efforts of the MDC, are working. A historic oil and gas community, Midland is undergoing a transformation with notable achievements that include being recognized as...

Lisa Hurley is an award-winning economic developer who has made her mark in rural Nebraska. Her forward-thinking ideas have put her at the forefront of economic development innovation. She was an early adopter of new technology like virtual reality videos and integrated social media campaigns. Her strategies have resulted in economic growth and job creation, but in this episode of Shovel Talk, Lis...

Steve Grove, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, joins the Golden Shovel team on this episode of Shovel Talk. Formerly with Google and YouTube, Commissioner Grove has a unique perspective on what it takes to build a system that is equitable and accessible by all. That mindset is at the focus of his department’s efforts to spur economic recovery and grow...

Mark Lautman is a visionary who foretold today's workforce shortages in his 2011 book, When The Boomers Bail . As an economic architect who led the development of master planned communities, Lautman takes a data-driven approach to community building, job creation and talent attraction. Learn about his transformative approach to economic development and how it can be implemented by economic de...

Owning and running a 'public house' has always been a dream for this successful couple. Get to know Tom and Molly as they share their journey to (or back in Molly's case) a historic East St. Paul neighborhood, opening Brunson's Pub in 2017. You will also learn about their community involvement, the origin of some of their famous menu items and even a review of some high school...

From the smallest kid in school to the largest presence in Pflugerville's economic development, Amy Madison's journey is one of grit, constant determination and the refusal to take "no" for an answer. Join us to learn more about Amy's journey, how her refusal to accept "no" has won dollars and projects for her community and to hear funny stories from her childhoo...

The road to economic development is sometimes long and winding, or in this case it may just be a yellow brick road. Chuck Sexton has always loved to perform. From being invited to audition for Julliard, to becoming a radio personality and playing the Cowardly Lion in theater productions of the Wizard of Oz, Chuck knows how to entertain and how to put on a show. Those same skills have been quite us...

Meet Aniki Allen, the inspiring Founder and Creator of Ice Cream Bowties. This teen youngpreneur is blazing the trail for other aspiring entrepreneurs. Listen to hear how an eight-year-old playing with legos turned a hobby into a business, and a business into a movement. Through the Youngpreneur Workshops Aniki hosts with his mother and co-founder, Marsha, they are showing kids that it is possible...