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In this powerful episode of Project Management Masterclass, host Brittany Wilkins unpacks the rise and fall of the Chill-Can Project in Youngstown, Ohio—a $20 million initiative that promised over 200 jobs, economic revival, and innovation but delivered none of it.

This isn’t just a case study—it’s personal. Born and raised in Youngstown, Brittany shares her firsthand experience of watching hope turn into heartbreak as communities were uprooted, homes were bulldozed, and nothing materialized.

Through the lens of project management, she breaks down what went wrong: missing milestones, ignored red flags, poor risk planning, and blind optimism without validation. The episode also examines the chillingly similar case of Zoetic Global—another failed promise in the same city.

🎧 Whether you’re a project leader, policymaker, or community advocate, this episode will challenge you to rethink what responsible project management really looks like—and why the lessons we learn must be applied.

🔑 Key Topics:

• The emotional and economic cost of failed projects
• Lessons in risk, governance, and stakeholder accountability
• Why "lessons learned" aren't enough without action
• A call to project managers to lead with integrity, not just ambition

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Leadership Lessons From The Great Books
Leaders are readers of the Great Books of Western literature.

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