Whittaker Report
Blog & Podcast
InnovateAI
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping the economic landscape, creating new opportunities for communities ready to embrace innovation. For our community to thrive economically, integrating AI into local businesses, government operations, educational...
Recent Podcasts
The Whittaker Report Episode 31 An Interview with Vern Schultz
Dec 31, 2025 • 00:28:44
Vern Schultz, SIOR, has been active in Chicago-area commercial real estate for more than 35 years. He joined Colliers in 1977 and currently serves as an Executive Vice President in the Industrial Advisory Group, representing tenants and owners throughout the Chicago market. Since joining Colliers, Vern has completed more than…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 30 - An Interview with Ashley & Eric Canada of Blane Canada AI
Sep 11, 2025 • 00:35:30
Eric has been a pioneer in applying technology to economic development for over 30 years, and together with Ashley—who brings deep expertise in sales and marketing—they’ve transformed Blane Canada into a leader in AI and automation for business development. We’re going to talk about where economic development is headed, how…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 29 An Interview with Dennis Pruitt, Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
Apr 29, 2025 • 00:33:16
Dennis Pruitt, SVP, is the Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. He leads the Chamber’s business recruitment and expansion efforts, economic research, industry sector development, and destination retail initiatives. He also oversees the Greater Oklahoma City Partnership, a 10-county regional economic development alliance. With…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 28 - An Interview with Jen Wakefield, APR, President and CEO at Greater Richmond Partnership
Mar 12, 2025 • 00:27:24
Jennifer Wakefield. Jen is the President and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, where she’s been driving strategic growth and investment in the region since 2021. With over two decades of experience in economic development, marketing, and strategic planning, she’s led transformative projects in both Richmond and Orlando, boosting business…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 27 - An Interview with Barry Matherly, CEcD
Jan 29, 2025 • 00:20:52
In this episode, we hear from Barry Matherly, CEcD, President and CEO of Hickey Global, a full service economic development consulting firm. With over 28 years in economic development, Barry has been helping communities to prosper by creating opportunities for new investment and job growth. As a certified economic development…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 26 an Interview with Kate Engel, Executive Director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus
Apr 26, 2024 • 00:17:26
In this episode we hear from Kate Engel, Managing Director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus. Kate Engel. Kate is the interim executive director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation owned by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Kate’s primary responsibility is to supervise NICDC staff, direct business operations…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 25 - An Interview with Dr. Donald T. Iannone.
Jan 14, 2024 • 00:35:49
In this episode we hear from Dr. Donald T. Iannone, a poet, author, philosopher, and professor of theology. Don shares with us his view of the future of Economic Development and trends impacting the profession. He discusses the longterm impace of COVID on our mind, body and spirit. Do has…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 24 An Interview with Mark James, CEcD, Utility Practice Lead, Hickey Global
Dec 14, 2023 • 00:37:11
In this episode, Mark James discusses the electric utility industry role in site selection, current trends within the industry, electrical capacity, supply chain issues and the need to dramatically invest in the expansion of the grid. Mark also shares with us the future of economic development as seen from his…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 23 - An Interview with Karl Dye, President/CEO of TRIDEC
Nov 24, 2023 • 00:28:59
In this episode, we have a conversation with Karl Dye, President/CEO of TRIDEC (Tri Cities Development Council) serving Benton and Franklin Counties in Washington State. Karl discusses the opportunities for economic development organizations in decarbonization, climate change, and the electric power shortage. He also describers where he sees the economic…
The Whittaker Report Podcast Episode 22 - An Interview with Lee Crume, President & CEO of BE NKY
Jul 20, 2023 • 00:19:11
Learn about BE NKY, a regional economic development organization and hear from Lee Crume, President & CEO of the organization as he describes the success they are having and his view of the changing nature of economic development.
Recent Posts
Concern, Gratitude, and Joy
Spring's sprung here in Holland MI. It is a delight to see the tulips blooming, the green leaves emerging on the trees, and the brown grass turn green again as I experience the last vestiges of winter followed by a cool spring. The Tulip Festival here is spectacular...
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, Now More Than Ever!
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” It is such a simple statement, yet it evokes ambition, hope and positivity. It is such a wonderful feeling to work in an environment that promotes teamwork. From the outside, it is easy to spot a workplace where employees are happy and...
This Planet Deserves Better
There is no doubt that pollution is a key triggering factor for climate change. We, in the past decade, have seen a change in climate and the destruction we have created in the environment. Global warming, a major cause behind the climate crisis faced by the world...
Developing Your Skills with MasterClass
A couple years ago, I invested in a subscription to the streaming platform MasterClass. The service offers online classes from world-renowned professionals that are considered some of the best in their field of work. An annual subscription grants you access to over...
Democracy or Oligarchy
The trends that I monitor to predict the future are driven by: 1. competition for resources, 2. technology, 3. demographics, and 4. governance. This article will focus on governance because that's what's been on my mind this...
A Year for the History Books
It's hard to believe it was just over a year ago (March 10, 2020) that Michigan announced its first two confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Fast forward a year and it is hard to remember the world as we knew it before we had ever heard of Coronavirus. I do remember...
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Latest
AI in Economic Development – Issue 8.0
AI and Your Digital Twin...Continued Recent news highlights the growing impact of AI-powered digital twins. A notable example involves social media influencer Caryn Marjorie, whose content garners over a billion views monthly on Snapchat. Last year, her AI clone,...
The Future of Technology
Entrepreneur and investor, Vinod Khosla, is known as a techno-optimist, pioneering open systems and helping shape the tech industry over several decades. As the founder of Khosla Ventures, his company has invested in numerous early-stage companies, most notably...
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