In this episode we visit a place with a fascinating story to tell about reimagining the economy of a place. Northeast Ohio in the USA, or the Greater Cleveland region, comprises 30% of the state of Ohio's economy, which is ranked 5th in the US for its business climate, 3rd when it comes to affordability, and second in the country for quality of life.

Team NEO (the NEO stand for Northeast Ohio) is the economic development accelerator for the region and the business gateway for trade and investment. Team NEO have been supporters of our Connected Places Summit and they have a fascinating story to tell when it comes to creating new opportunities for innovation and business growth across the region, and how important it is to understand the power of place.

So in this episode we spoke to Team NEO's Vice President for Industry Advancement & Engagement, Steve Fritsch, as well as Christine Nelson, Vice President for Project Management & Site Strategies.

But we also spoke to their partners across the Greater Cleveland region, including Mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb, Baiju Shah, CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership, Bethia Burke, President of Fund for Our Economic Future, and Ethan Karp, CEO of the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET). And Lord Rees of Easton, former Mayor of Bristol also shared some reflections from a UK perspective on the role of civic leadership in unlocking economic growth that benefits everyone.

Theme music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com)

SHOW NOTES:

To find out more about Team NEO and how you can get in touch, click here. You can also learn more here about their Were Matters site selection tool that is discussed in the episode.

Sessions from the 2024 and 2025 Summits are available to view online, and you can also subscribe to our newsletter now to find out all about our plans for our next Summit in 2026!

If you'd like to get in touch with your feedback, comments and suggestions on what you'd like to hear more of on the Connected Places Podcast, please email: [email protected]. We're looking forward to hearing from you.

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