IEDC Annual Conference 2024 - Denver, CO | International Economic Development Council | 15 September 2024 | Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th St, Denver, CO 80202, USA

Calling all changemakers, visionaries, influencers, disruptors, and developers, the conference awaits! Your community, region, country, and world need you to join forces with thousands of economic development practitioners and thought leaders from around the globe as we celebrate and champion the unsung heroes of economic development.

This year's conference is more than just one of our standard gatherings; it's the premier platform to flip the script and transform our profession into one of the world's most recognized, understood, and attractive industries. By spotlighting the innovative work of economic development superheroes, we aim to inspire and equip you with the tools and knowledge to drive positive change and innovation in your community. This is your team's opportunity to unleash your inner economic development superheroes and elevate the economic development profession to new heights.

The conference will explore the following tracks:
• Marketing and Telling Our Stories
• Talent and Workforce Strategies
• Solving the Housing Crisis
• Climate Change and Sustainability
• Rural Prosperity
• Entrepreneurship and Ecosystem Building
• AI Strategies and Implementation

2024 Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Melissa Bradley
Founder & CEO, 1863 Ventures

Chrystel Cornelius
President & CEO, Oweesta Corporation

Donna Gambrell
CEO, Appalachian Community Capital

Mami Hara
Chief Executive Officer, US Water Alliance

Victor Hwang
Founder and CEO, Right to Start

Harold Pettigrew
President & CEO, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)

Vanessa Roanhorse
Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Roanhorse Consulting

Akeem Shannon
CEO, Flipstik

Jim VandeHei
CEO, Axios

SPEAKERS:

Douglass Adams
Director, County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development

Rachel Selsky AICP
Vice President & COO, Camoin

Anatalio Ubalde, MCP FM
CEO and Founder, SizeUp

Michael Aparicio
Founder + CEO, Revby

Tim Arbeiter
Director - Consulting Services, Finley Engineering Company, Inc.

Cassie Arias-Ward
Economic & Tourism Development, City of Deming

Lisa Armao
Founder/CEO

Alexander Austin
President and CEO, Prince George Chamber of Commerce

Sam Bailey
Economic Development Manager, Amazon

Diane Ballantyne
County Councillor, County of Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada

Zach Barker
Executive Director, Startup Support Center

Grace Belangia
Co-Founder, MakeStartups

James Bell
Vice President, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce

Teresa Bernie
Project Specialist, Denver Indian Center

Evan Berrett
Economic Development Director / RDA Executive Director, Eagle Mountain City

Andres Bisono
Co-Founder and CEO, SOS Carbon

Kieran Blanks, MBA
Founder & CEO, The Blankslate Group

John Bozek, CEcD
Research and Strategy Analyst, Invest Puerto Rico, Inc.

Melissa Bradley
Founder & CEO, 1863 Ventures

Susan Brake
Partner, Development Counsellors International

Justin Bresler
Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, VISIT DENVER

Brett Doney, CEcD FM EDP HLM
President & CEO, Great Falls Montana Development Alliance

Jeanne Broad
Director of Economic Development, Oakland County Michigan

Barry Broome
President & CEO, Greater Sacramento Economic Council

Bethia Burke
President, Fund for Our Economic Future

Sydney Byer
Manager of Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Next50

Alexandra Calloway-Nation
Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, Wind River Development Fund

Sean Carlson
Deputy County Executive II, Oakland County Executive Office

Griselle Chazu
Director of Economic Development, City of Boynton Beach Division of Economic Development

Tedra Cheatham, CEcD
Executive Director of State Economic Competitiveness, Louisiana Economic Development

Nondo Rugira Christian
Founder and Executive Director, Action Pour le Developpement des Jeunes au Congo (ADJC)

Ana Maria Cintron-Marazzi
Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, Economic Recovery Corps

Kristin Clifford-Basil
Executive Director, Morgan County Economic Development Corporation - CO

Carrie Cole
Vice President of Sales, Community Division, Lightcast

Mo Collins
Director, Entrepreneurship, IEDC

Chrystel Cornelius
President & CEO, Oweesta Corporation

Zac Craig

Sarah Crane
Director of Research, University of Michigan

William Cronin
President & CEO, Pasco Economic Development Council

Julie Curtin
Partner & President, Economic Development, DCI

Tintin Czach
TCED Program Director, University of Tennessee - Center for Industrial Services

Danielle Casey, CEcD EDFP
President & CEO, Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance

Bryan Daniels, CEcD, CCE, IOM
President & CEO, Blount Partnership

Robert Davis
President of the Board of Directors, the Denver Voice

Dani Delaini
Assistant Director, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

Deborah Diamond
Director, Anchor Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Kevin Dick, CEcD
President and Chief Executive Officer, Carolina Small Business Development Fund

Robyn Domber
Senior Vice President, Research, Development Counsellors International

Andrew Donahue
State Director, Minnesota Small Business Development Center

Shaun Donovan
Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, Economic Recovery Corps

Karl Dorshimer
President and CEO, Lansing Economic Development Corporation

Jason Duff
Founder & CEO, Small Nation

Victoria Duley, CEcD
Executive Director, Adirondack Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)

Steve Duncan
Managing Director, C Studios

Justin Edwards
Data Director, Research and Data Analysis, National League of Cities

Wafa Elkhalifa
Destination Medical Center

Tyler Engle
Economic Development Project Manager, GrantWorks, Inc.

Greg Evans
Chief Revenue Officer, Simpleview

Chris Fair
Vice President, Communications, Resonance

Patience Fairbrother
Vice President, Talent Attraction, DCI

Kristen Fish
Managing Partner, Redevelopment Resources, LLC

Radhika Fox
President, North Star Strategy

Christa Ouderkirk Franzi, CEcD
Vice President, Camoin Associates

Donna Gambrell
CEO, Appalachian Community Capital

Srijita Ghosh
Venture Advisor, i2E, Inc.

Swati Ghosh
Vice President, Insights and Innovations, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN)

Dell Gines
Chief Innovation Officer, IEDC

Jason Giulietti
Central South Carolina Alliance

Mandy Glettler
Program Manager, Learning Center of Excellence, Intermountain Health

Loren Gold
Executive Vice President, Simpleview

Ray Gonzales
President & Vice President, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation & Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

Orlando Grant
Director, EDA Recompete Project - Cleveland, Fund for Our Economic Future; Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund

Todd Greene, CEcD, HLM
Executive Director of WorkRise, Urban Institute

Kevin Gremse
Senior Director

Adam Grinold
Executive Director, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

Bob Hagedorn
Executive Director, ‘Fax Aurora

Mami Hara
Chief Executive Officer, US Water Alliance

Donna Harris
CEO, Founder, Builders + Backers

Latasha Harris
Director of Workforce Strategy, Memphis Medical District Collaborative

Cecilia Harry
VP of Economic Development, SizeUp

Erika Haskins
Economic Recovery Corps Fellow, Economic Recovery Corps

Heather McDaniel, CEcD EDFP AICP
President, Ithaca Area Economic Development, NY

Eric Heimbecker
Senior Program Manager, Arizona State University

Shannon Hein
Economic Health Manager, City of Fort Collins

Dale Hendon
VP of Business Development, What's Next Strategies

Tiffany Henry
Vice President, Arkansas Capital Corporation

A.J. Herrmann
Director of Policy and Program Innovation, Accelerator for America

Horton Hobbs
Vice-President, Economic Development, Greater Springfield Chamber

Zachary Hobbs
Deputy Director, Adirondack North Country Association

Pam Hoelzle
Founder and CEO, Entrepreneur Ready

Shaina Horowitz
VP of Applied Innovation, Newlab

Paul Huberty
Executive Director, Wind River Development Fund

Julie Huls
CEO/Founder, Waymaker Group

Rob Hunden, ISHC
President, Hunden Partners

Victor Hwang
Founder and CEO, Right to Start

Jared Smith, CEcD MBA
Director of Economic Development & Tourism, City of Henderson

Joy Wilkins, CEcD HLM
Principal, Serving Communities LLC

Maura Kay
Data Analyst, Fourth Economy

SeonAh Kendall
Economic Health Director, Fort Collins

Steve King
Economic Development Programs Administrator, City of Richmond

Steve Kirby
LocalIntel

Eloisa Klementich, CEcD
President & CEO, Invest Atlanta

Heidi Knoblauch, PhD
Ackner-Newman Professor of Practice, University at Albany, University at Albany

James Kohnstamm
Director of Economic Development, Miami-Dade County

Renata Kowalczyk
CEO, Wilmington Alliance

Maureen Krauss, FM
President & CEO, Detroit Regional Partnership

Scott Laband
President, Colorado Succeeds

Analise Lajeunesse
Research Specialist, Downtown Denver Partnership

Todd Lang
Director, IEDC

Jennifer Lasser
Economic Development Director, Southwest Pennsylvania Commission

Tom Leatherbee
Senior Director, Conservation Funding and Partnerships, National Audubon Society

Jennifer Lench
Deputy Director and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) State Program Manager, PA Dept of Comm & Economic Dev

Dustin Lester
Vice President of Professional Services, Economic Development, Lightcast

Penny Lewandowski
Principal, Change At the Edges

Ashley Llewellyn
Vice President, St. Tammany Corporation

Gerald Lopez
Singh Center for Nanotechnology Director of Operations and Business Development & Associate Director, University of Pennsylvania

Pavan M.

Nicole Manapol
Economic Recovery Corps Senior Program Director, IEDC

Krista Markley
Director of Business Development, SourceLink

Seth Martindale
Senior Managing Director, CBRE, Inc.

Ashley Mays
VP, Leasing, SL Green Realty Corp.

Mary Mbugua
Coordinator (YSI), Lecturer (CUK), Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), The Cooperative University of Kenya (CUK)

Becky McCray
Co-founder, SaveYour.Town

Tracye McDaniel, HLM
President, TIP Strategies Inc.

Kirstie McPherson
Community and Economic Development Manager, CO Office of Just Transition

Josh Mejia
President & CEO, Mejia & Company

Melissa Meschke
Executive Director, St. Croix Economic Development Corporation

Christopher Miller
Board Chair, National Coalition for Community Capital

Daniel Mitchell
SMARTstart Program Director, Pasco Economic Development Council

Destiny Mitchell
Senior Program Officer, Economic Development

Kim Moore
Executive Managing Director, CEcD, EDFP, MEDP, Newmark

Lexi Muller
Southwest

Julie Norman, EdD, CEcD
Associate Vice President for Economic Development, GrantWorks

Deborah Novick
Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Westchester County Office of Economic Development

John A. O'Toole, CEcD
Executive Director, Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation

Nathan Ohle
CEO, IEDC

Mary Olushoga
Manager, Business Development & Programming

Jonathan Ortmans
CEO, Global Entrepreneurship Network

Adam Palmer
NAR

Mark Perna
Chief Executive Officer, TFS Results

Harold Pettigrew
President & CEO, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)

Courtney Pogue, CEcD, EDP
Senior Director, Grow America

Ines Polonius
CEO, Communities Unlimited, Inc.

David Ponraj
CEO, Economic Impact Catalyst

Nyree Ramsey
Executive Director, Ujamaa CDC

Robin Phelps-Raymond

Rebecca Naragon, MPA CEcD
Economic Development Director, United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.

Chelsea Reidy
Executive Director, Taos Center for the Arts

Brian Reilly
Founder, Homegrown Housing

Sarah Reinecke
Vice President, Development Counsellors International

Francesco Renna
Director of Consulting and Senior Labor Economist, Chmura Economics & Analytics

Francisca Reyes, EDP
Blackstone Launchpad & Entrepreneurial Education Lead, University of California, Riverside

Lyneir Richardson
Chief Executive Officer, The Chicago TREND Corporation

Buddy Rizer, CEcD, EDP
Executive Director, Loudoun County Economic Development

Vanessa Roanhorse
Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Roanhorse Consulting

Gregg Robinson
CEO, Florence County EDP

Ian Ross
Head of Civic, Placer.ai

Anthony Russo
President of TradeHub International, LLC - USA, World Trade Centers Association

Soma Sarkar
Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Maria Satira
Director of Marketing and Communications, Greenville ENC Alliance

Joe Scantlebury
President & CEO, Living Cities

Jolene Schalper, CEcD, EEFP, EDP
Senior Vice President, Great Falls Montana Development Alliance

Sean Maguire, AICP CEcD
Executive Director, Albany County Land Bank Corporation

Aaron Sera
City Administrator, City of Deming

Jeff Seymour, CEcD
Executive Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Christopher Shaffner
Senior Vice President, Utilities, Supply Chain & Trade Finance, CoBank

VIshal Shah
Dean, Community College of Philadelphia

Akeem Shannon
CEO, Flipstik

Sheldon Bartel, CEcD EDFP HDFP
Field Director, Grow America

Nicole Simone
Director, Strategic Partnerships, Invest Ontario

Alissa Sklar, Ph.D.
Principal & CEO, Alissa Sklar Consulting

Aly Slater
Chief of Staff, FutureFit AI

Xochitl Torres-Small

Kristi Smith
YourEconomy.org

Kristopher Smith
Community Development Program Officer, LISC Jacksonville

John Snow
Partner, Emergent Method

Katelynn Sorrell

Jessica Stern

Andy Stoll
Founding Executive Director, Ecosystem Building Leadership Network (EBLN)

Meaghan Sullivan
Founding Executive Director, SyncUp Colorado, SyncUp Colorado

Matt Szuhaj
Vice President, Strategic Development Group, Inc.

Chandra Teddleton
Interim SVP, Strategic Neighborhood Development, DPM, New Orleans Business Alliance

Arthur Thomas
Director of Mission Investing & Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Kimberly Tiefenthaler, EDFP
Executive Director, Carroll County Growth Partnership/ERC

Alison Turner
Senior Economic Development Researcher, National Economic Research and Resilience Center (NEERC) at Argonne National Laboratory

Mario Ubalde
Director of Customer Success, SizeUp

Jim VandeHei
CEO, Axios

Jason Vangalis
Economic Development Manager, Amazon

Will Warren

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl
President & CEO, Accelerator for America

Mark Wilken

Joseph Williams
Director of NHE3 Operations, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Rob Williams, EDP
Director, SourceLink

Tra Williams

Kim Woodworth
Executive Director, EDCC

Erika Yarber
Director of Business Development, Wind River Development Fund

Jeremy Zaborowski
Deputy Director, County of Berks Industrial Development Authority

John Zakian, CEcD
Senior Vice President of Program Development, GrantWorks, Inc.

Courtney Zaugg, CEcD, EDP
Founder + President, Plaka + Associates

Vanesa Zuzuarregui

2024 Sponsors

TITLE SPONSOR:
• Southwest Airlines Co

CHAIRMAN'S CLUB SPONSORS:
• Amazon
• DCI
• Placer.ai

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR:
• National Association of Realtors

CHARTER SPONSOR:
• TIP Strategies

SIGNATURE SPONSOR:
• Fort Collins

PLATINUM SPONSORS:
• Accrisoft Corporation
• Airbnb
• Chmura Economics & Analytics
• GSC Manufacturing, Inc
• Greater Sacramento
• PEDCO
• ResearchFDI

GOLD SPONSORS:
• Economic Development Council of Colorado
• BNSF Railway
• EY
• Denver International Airport
• Resource Development Group
• The Town of Frederick
• Next50

SILVER SPONSORS:
• Community Attributes
• Entrepreneur Ready
• Lightcast
• NYSEG

BRONZE SPONSORS:
• CORE Electric Cooperative
• Loveland Economic Development
• Revby
• LISC

CHAIR'S RECEPTION SPONSOR:
• Resonance

SESSION SPONSOR:
• Pinellas County Economic Development