TEDx Comes to Town

TEDx Comes to Town

This month my hometown of Holland, Michigan hosted the TEDx Macatawa 2023 event. The event was attended in-person by many thought leaders from our community who are engaged in making Holland a better place. It was also livestreamed to reach a broader audience. TEDx...

Disaster Capitalism: Not Right, Not Illegal

The recent wildfire that swept through Lahaina, Maui has been front and center on the news as recovery efforts have been ongoing. What is less reported is the fact that, within days after this disaster, real estate agents, developers, and others have been contacting...
The Last Tourist

The Last Tourist

This month, I watched the documentary, The Last Tourist, on Hulu. The film offers a look into the global tourism industry, especially in developing countries, and the positive and negative effects it can have on a host community. One of the statistics presented in the...
Lessons from the World of Politics

Lessons from the World of Politics

What is politics and why should I care? For me, it all started a few weeks ago when I became interested in supporting a tax referendum. On August 2, Holland residents will vote on a millage for Holland City Fiber to install city-wide fiber optic infrastructure for the...
The New World of Recruiting Talent

The New World of Recruiting Talent

We hear repeatedly that attracting and retaining talent is a major issue for economic development organizations today. Often, the HR department is looked to as being the responsible entity for carrying out this task. However, it is more of a marketing assignment to...