the Local Economy Labs

If you are the Local hashtag#Government leader who wants to build their brand on social via video but are unsure how to do it .... this episode is for YOU 🫵 I had the pleasure to speak with Loreta Tarozaite , who shares her two decades of experience about story telling and brand building via video . ____ 👉 In this podcast session, you will learn about: - Building your personal brand through Link...

I had the pleasure to speak with Connie Stopher, CEcD, FDIP , CEO at Southern California Wine Country EDC and absolutely loved the conversation. In this episode, ya'll will earn from Connie Stopher, CEcD, FDIP about: - The Economic Development Secret Most Cities Can't Do Alone - Are U.S. Policies Pushing Global Companies Away? - What It Really Takes to Land an International Company - The Data Cent...

Lisa Hausz, MBA, PMP® is the Economic Development Program Manager at City of Tempe Economic Development dept. and Parrish Spisz is the Assistant of Vice Mayor and 2nd VP of NLC at City of Tempe One of the key focus of the City of Tempe's ED departments is to create a supporting and nurturing environment for #Entrepreneurship in the valley via partnerships. In this #podcast , they talk about: 👉 Th...

Wayne Emerson, EDFP Director of Economic Development is the creative genius behind idea to start Amenity Grant for Addison, Texas . We had the pleasure to speak and learn from Wayne and Marc Grossfeld, CFA Managing Partner at Sunwest Real Estate Group about their collaboration to improve commercial real estate buildings and sustain/bring more businesses to the town to increase/retain their propert...

Steven Jenkins is the Economic and Community Development Advisor at Idaho Power. Previously, he served as Economic Development Director at City of Caldwell ID. In this episode, we dive into: Power & data centers: what pre-engineering assessments are and how utilities evaluate projects Idaho’s power boom — Meta, Micron, and the wave of large-scale developments How Idaho Power evaluates and prio...

In this episode, Dr. Dustin Stambaugh, City Manager at City of Weed, CA shares his perspective on: Why we need to get serious about managing our water supply Data centers and their cooling demands What City Managers should consider before approving data centers in their communities What hydrology is — and why it matters more than ever Golf courses and water usage (including a surprising insight) T...

Aayush Gupta is the Economic Development Reporter at Dallas Business Journal. In this interview we talk about: Are incentives still driving relocation decisions, or are workforce, infrastructure, and quality of life taking the lead? What is Y'all Street? Finance Boom in DFW How big is the funding gap between SMBs and large corporations when it comes to incentives and access to capital? In business...

Marian Marquez: Sr. VP of Economic Development, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership In this episode, Marian shares how Alexandria, VA is strategically driving growth and supporting its business ecosystem. We dive into: • Key industries shaping Alexandria’s future — Cybersecurity, AI, and more • How to define and track KPIs — from selection to stakeholder buy-in • The process behind choosin...

Christina Winn leads lead the Prince William County Department of Economic Development, catalyzing investment, retention, and redevelopment opportunities in the second largest county in Virginia. By positioning the county as a leader in the fast-paced, evolving economy of the Washington, D.C. region, we are shaping stages for expansion and collaboration in key target industries. In this interview...

Deborah Mohlenhoff is a public-sector executive, leadership educator, and community strategist with more than 20 years of experience spanning city government, higher education, and nonprofit leadership. She most recently served as the founding City Manager for the City of Ithaca, New York, where she established the city’s first professional administrative structure and led major efforts to moderni...

Mahfam, is the Owner and Operator of two businesses in Chandler AZ. In this conversation, she talks about: Why she choose to set up her business in Chandler vs other neighboring cities What was the hardest part of getting off the ground and where did she feel most unsupported? What city or local government processes were surprisingly helpful and which ones slowed you down more than expected? How d...

Tara Palacios: Dir. BizLaunch Arlington Economic Development shares her point of view on the following: Starting and sustaining a business. Programs for SMBs: Local Rewards Program, SOAR Initiative, ReLocate Program, etc. What’s a recent SMB success win in your city that you’re genuinely proud of? What part of your economic development work do you think is most misunderstood but actually matters a...