This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition

It’s a story that began in Jacksonville more than a century ago. The Debs Store has been a community fixture for so long on the Eastside. The store closed down in 2011 after the death of the owner. Now that man’s son, Joe Debs, has gathered partners and reopened. But it’s not the same old store. It’s a catalyst for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a deep connection to the region’s economy among local artists, philanthropists, nonprofits and businesses. The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (CCGJ) honors members of the community and explains why honoring people making a difference in the community is so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for the Pearl Street District, as one of our first guests on this podcast is back with an exciting update. The huge commercial real estate project on the north side of downtown Jacksonville is almost ready for shovels and cranes. Gateway Jax received unanimous approval from City Council. Bryan Moll, CEO of Gateway Jax, discusses the redevelopment and incentive package, and how the city d...

All things that play into the tourism industry in Northeast Florida include fall weather, football and the Stadium of the Future. Some communities are using an anti-tourism strategy. What’s at play in the River City? In this episode, Michael Corrigan from Visit Jacksonville joins This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. We’re talking through the newly approved Community Benefits Agreement, and...

A shortage in an industry also means opportunity somewhere. We’re exploring the US semiconductor industry in this episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. There are specific skill sets required in the chip industry, but there’s incredible demand as well. There are 160-thousand new job openings projected by 2032. The United States is taking steps to address the shortage and train up...

August is recognized as Black Business Month. In this episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition, we dive into the state of African American businesses in Northeast Florida. What are the specific challenges, opportunities and resources available to Black business owners in Jacksonville? Coley Jones from Bank of America joins the conversation to provide some helpful tools for business o...

This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition is following up on the Comcast RISE program that helps 100 small businesses in the Jacksonville area. Believe it or not, 904 applications came in, matching the local area code for Northeast Florida. This episode details what RISE provides for recipients and the impact it makes for two local small business owners. We’ll introduce you to Carisa Brown, owne...

The goal is to move up the leaderboard. That’s why Day 3 of a tournament is known as “moving day,” because golfers ratchet up their attack, take more risks, and hope for the reward of better standing. When is “moving day” for a job seeker? That’s the topic on This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition, we’re focused on growth and development in Arlington and examining Arlington’s business revival. A panel of experts talks specifically about what is considered “old” Arlington rather than East Arlington. City Councilman Ken Amaro is with us. His district for Council includes Arlington, and I’m sure we can talk about East Arlington as well. Karen Nasr...

Jacksonville’s transformation looks to advance with the investment of $40 million toward four key projects. William Studebaker joins us to talk about the first fund closed from First Coast Real Estate Partners, and the impact on development. The private equity firm launched the fund with Jacksonville’s Corner Lot to underwrite four projects: The Avion, Corner on Main, Artea at Southbank, and Flagl...

Bottom line: downtown Jacksonville is “under construction.” That’s the word from Lori Boyer, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority. She says that’s also vital to the health and vibrancy of the city as a whole. “We have a really excellent suburban lifestyle that we can sell to a new college graduate or to someone relocating from some other state,” Boyer says. “We have a great beach environment a...

Downtown Jacksonville is a key element of growth in the city. Jake Gordon is one of the leaders in the effort to improve and promote downtown for living, working, and playing, and he is our guest on This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. Broadly speaking, Downtown Vision, Inc. is the non-profit that works with property owners in a three-mile area to “make downtown better.” Learn more about y...

Florida isn’t just a leader in the United States of America. Florida‘s economy is on par with Spain, 15th largest in the world. The goal is to grow GDP from $1.6 trillion (last year) to about $2.24 trillion. That would make it 10th in the world. Florida Chamber of Commerce president Mark Wilson is our guest in this episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. Learn more about your ad ch...

Jacksonville continues advancing as a region full of innovative technology companies. One of those is duos technology group, led by CEO Chuck Ferry. Ferry joins us on our episode this week, along with Doug Recker. Recker has just been appointed president of duos edge. Ferry says duos tech has about 75 employees, and is headquartered in Jacksonville. Ferry says the product sits on a set of railroad...

It took almost a year to come together, but the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars have an agreement to renovate the football stadium downtown. What happened behind the scenes, and who comes out on the better end of a $1.4 billion deal? Experts with decades of experience answer those questions in this week’s episode. It’s all about the so-called Stadium of the Future, and the financing of the la...

Incredible talents and skills, and a tricky spot in life. Women veterans are a key to local businesses, and this week we’re focusing on how they make the transition to civilian life. Dee Quaranta is the founder, CEO, president of Northeast Florida Women's Veterans. She also retired after 20 years in the United States Air Force. Her organization honors her colleagues and compatriots during the 10th...

Artificial intelligence is the hot topic of the year. The rapid evolution of AI clashes with some assumptions, including the thought that real humans may not be needed for problem-solving. This episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition attacked that notion through a conversation with a recognized thought leader in product development and strategy. “I think the big headline for me is t...

Where do people turn for the next step in employee satisfaction? It may be working for themselves and controlling your assignments. On this edition of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition, we’re discussing the economy of freelance with Shannon Denton of Wripple. “A lot of people, they talk about the gig economy,” Denton said. “Which was about Uber drivers, maybe DoorDashers, consumers that...

Solar energy is cost-effective and less cluttered, according to Florida Power and Light (FPL). On this week’s episode, Marshall Hastings from FPL joins This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition to talk about the latest technical advances in the industry. We’re also exploring a new trend, where utility companies offer customers the chance to participate in solar energy programs without installing...

The Phoenix. Greek mythology created it, “a mythical bird known for its ability to be reborn from its ashes, symbolizing immortality and renewal.” Renewal and regeneration are huge when it comes to the efforts Tony Cho is making in the Springfield area community known as the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District. The also project weaves into the vision for the Emerald Trail. Cho explains more of t...

Habitat for Humanity has chapters all over the world. This week, the Beaches Habitat hosts the 5th annual Beaches Habitat CEO Build to bring business leaders together in service. CEO and President Steve Gilbert said the event will look a little different than in years past, but the home rebuild they have scheduled will still accomplish the main purpose of the organization: building a better future...

A transportation hub on the path to growth and greater significance. That’s Jacksonville in the view of industry experts. The Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) is central to the story. Years of planning, dredging, selling and service are paying off. “I think Jacksonville is definitely a transportation hub, but I think Jacksonville has been smart and it’s been trying to be more of that hub for a long...

The headline of the news release: “Major Small Business Announcement." The details include $500,000 in grants becoming available to Northeast Florida entrepreneurs. On This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition, we’re focused on Comcast RISE. “Rise is our Small business grant program,” Michelle Oyola McGovern says. McGovern is Vice President of Government Affairs, Comcast Florida. “We focus on sm...

Autonomous vehicles are on the way – with Jacksonville in the spotlight. FSCJ launched a driverless vehicle to shuttle students on campus. The makers of the technology have a local connection – that Kent Justice uncovers during the newest episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition. Joy Moye is from a Navy family that served at Mayport and then stayed in town. Now, Moye runs “beep” – th...

There seems to finally be momentum with development in downtown Jacksonville. It doesn’t happen overnight, obviously. This week, we’re looking at some of the collaboration between Corner Lot and JWB Real Estate Capital in a conversation with the companies’ CEOs.  Alex Sifakis runs JWB, and Andy Allen oversees Corner Lot. They both say they are leading the cheers, and leading the charge for a vibra...