Brian McGowan, CEO of Greater Seattle Partners and Soon Mee Kim of Porter Novelli sat down for a fireside chat diving into the mind of an Economic Developer. They discuss how place-making, growth, and diversity make or break a company. The Economic Development industry is full of smooth-talking, impulsive, and emphatic people who understand that a job can change people’s lives. Originally working in Atlanta at Beltline Atlanta and Invest Atlanta, McGowan has been through it all. He talks about how he helped establish Invest Atlanta to make housing affordable and bring in innovation and entrepreneurship. He explains how you have to create a place where people want to be. A great place brings great talent but you can not ask companies to locate your area based on incentives. Incentives are good to a certain degree but if checks are being thrown around, how is that company benefiting the community or its workers?
