By Dean Whittaker I never set out to be a leader. One summer in 8th grade I was sponsored by my small town American Legion to attend Boys State, a one-week summer camp at the state capital. Boys State teaches young people about citizenship and leadership. (Note: there...
By Dean Whittaker I get up at 5:00 AM and hop on my 16-year-old Segway and head for Mt. Pisgah, a 300-foot sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. I climb the 239 steps up to the overlook where I meditate while waiting for sunrise. Some days, listening...
By Dean Whittaker Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on the Future of Work with John Karras, Senior Consultant at TIP Strategies, which took place at the International Economic Development Council Future Forum held in Buffalo, New...
By Dean Whittaker Traditionally, economic development has been about jobs and investment through the expansion of existing firms and the attraction of new ones. The task is now expanding to include recruiting people to fill those jobs. Most workforce development...
By Dean Whittaker In the book, The Truth Machine: Blockchain and the Future of Everything, Michael Casey and Paul Vigna, point out that our civilization is built on trust. The introduction of the double-entry accounting system allowed for the expansion of trade...