Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast

2023: The Year Ahead and Beyond
This month I experienced a glimpse of the future of Artificial Intelligence when using ChatGPT’s OpenAI platform. The following article was written by a chatbot algorithm when I typed in the following instruction: “Write an article about social, technological,...
Recent Podcasts

Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 19 - An Interview with Andy Bass, CEO NetNerd Ventures
Jan 14, 2023 • 00:40:07
Andy Bass is a long-time tech entrepreneur in West Michigan, having founded a variety of companies in the e-commerce and supply chain space over the past 30 years. He is the CEO of NetNerd Ventures, providing startup and technology strategy and software development services throughout Michigan. With a background in…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 18 - An Interview with Matt McQuade, Managing Director, Business Development One Columbus
Oct 30, 2022 • 00:25:51
Matt McQuade, Managing Director, Business Development One Columbus shares with us his view of the future of economic development. As a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996) Matt brings a perspective on the future of economic development from a younger generation than several of our previous guests. With 12 years…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 17 - An Interview with Julie Curtin, President Economic Development Practice, Development Counsellors International
Jul 8, 2022 • 00:21:32
Julie Curtin, President of the Economic Development Practice of Development Counsellors International (DCI) shares with us her insight into the future of economic development. In her role as a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), she worked directly with IEDC to support the launch of the Diversity…
Whittaker Associates Podcast Episode 16 An Interview with Ed Sitar, Senior Manager of Economic Development at ComEd
May 11, 2022 • 00:32:47
Ed Sitar, Senior Manager of Economic Development at ComEd. Ed oversees the company’s large business customer retention and expansion strategy to grow key industries in northern Illinois. Ed is a 28-year company veteran who has worked closely with Illinois municipalities, and regional and state economic development organizations. Ed holds…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 15 - An Interview with Jim Alexander, Senior Vice President of Attraction AllianceSTL of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Feb 22, 2022 • 00:22:30
Jim Alexander, Senior Vice President of Business Attraction for AllianceSTL of Greater St. Louis. Inc. shares with us the exciting story of the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) $2 billion campus in St. Louis that is under construction. The 99-acre site will house over 3,600 workers interpreting geospatial information…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 14 An Interview with Kate McEnroe Founder of Kate McEnroe Consulting
Jan 24, 2022 • 00:31:19
Kate is the founder of Kate McEnroe Consulting, a sole proprietorship founded in 1993 as a location selection and economic development consulting firm. Her MBA is from The Wharton School. Her background in corporate management positions gives her a solid foundation and the skills to sustain an evolving consulting practice…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 12 An Interview with Maureen Donohue Krause, President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership
Nov 23, 2021 • 00:24:20
In the episode, Maureen shares with us her perspective on the economic development profession having served in leadership roles at local, regional, and state positions. She assumed her current position as President and CEO of the Detriot Regional Partnership in July of 2020. She describes leading her team that is…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 11 An Interview with Jon Roberts, Managing Director TIP Strategies, Inc.
Sep 9, 2021 • 00:56:26
Jon Roberts, Principal and Managing Partner at TIP Strategies, Inc. share with us his thoughts regarding remote work and its long-term impact on the residential, commercial, and industrial real estate market. In the interview, Jon also discusses the importance to economic development of resilience in view of climate change.
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 10 - An Interview with Greg Wathen, CO-CEO Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
Aug 27, 2021 • 00:29:50
Greg Wathen, CO-CEO, Evansville Economic Regional Partnership shares with us his experience as their region transitions from multiple organizations engaged in different aspects of economic development to one organization focused on a common mission, vision, and purpose. In the interview, Greg explains the value of their regional approach to economic…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 9 - An Interview with Judie Scalise: Strategic Economic and Real Estate Development
Jul 5, 2021 • 00:31:08
Judie Scalise, Founder, and Principal of ESI Corporation share with us trends taking place in economic and real estate development in the pre-planning phase and the economic impact and feasibility analysis. Judie shares with us the lessons learned in her 30 years of working with a broad base of clients…
Recent Posts
Takeaways from the IAMC Forum
This month, I attended the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) 2022 Fall Forum. The welcome reception and dinner were held at the Henry Ford Museum, hosted by the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) and several other sponsors. Maureen Krauss, President/CEO of...
October Learning
October was a fascinating month with several new initiatives underway. We began working with our first agile business development client using a process called Kanban. The intention is to accelerate the business development process significantly by using a Kanban...
Digital Nomad
Last month, I was on my way back from my trip out West when I made a detour to Jackson, Wyoming. The weather and scenery were too beautiful to leave, especially when faced with the thought of returning to cooling temperatures in Michigan, so what was supposed to be a...
With Change Comes Opportunity!
Why is it that I resist change so much? If opportunity is found in change, you would think I would embrace it. When I asked people if they enjoy change, I found that about 25% do. What if there were no changes? Wouldn’t life become dull after a period of time? It...
Dashain: A Celebration of Victory
Dashain is a fifteen day-long festival observed in Nepal and India, along with some other parts of the world, that is a celebration of the triumph of good or truth over evil or deception. The Dashain celebration has been observed ever since Lord Ram and Goddess Durga...
My Travel Photography
Every year, I spend the month of September out West. The ability to work remotely has been a huge blessing (when the wi-fi is good!) that allows me to keep up with my tasks while adventuring to both new and well-loved places. I spend my time kayaking, hiking, and...
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Latest
2023: The Year Ahead and Beyond
This month I experienced a glimpse of the future of Artificial Intelligence when using ChatGPT’s OpenAI platform. The following article was written by a chatbot algorithm when I typed in the following instruction: “Write an article about social, technological,...
Fast Fashion and Its Impact
A business strategy for the fashion industry known as "fast fashion" involves the quick and low-cost production of new collections of apparel and accessories in order to keep up with the newest trends. This model stands out for its emphasis on speed, low costs, and...
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