Seattle City Makers

Our latest podcast episode should fill every Seattleite with at least a little nostalgia. Whether it’s a quick lunch or a late night craving, Dick’s Drive-In has been a Seattle staple for nearly 70 years. A family-run business, Dick’s is now led by Jasmine Donovan, the president and CFO. Granddaughter of founder Dick Spady, Jasmine is leading Dick’s during a time of evolution and expansion. Jon and Jasmine discussed the history of this iconic Seattle restaurant, balancing tradition with innovation, the business principles handed down from her grandfather that guide Jasmine to this day and Jon enjoys what can easily be called one of the best chocolate milkshakes in the city. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jasmine Donovan.

Seattle and King County are now seven years into a declared state of emergency on homelessnes. The King County Regional Homelessness Authority was formed in December of 2019 through an interlocal agreement between King County and the city of Seattle. Marc Dones helped create the framework that will lead this approach in our community and has led the KCRHA as CEO since April 2021. Jon and Marc discussed the KCRHA’s focus on chronic homelessness in downtown, the ways in which the pandemic has impacted homeless outreach, the efforts to bring people off the streets in Seattle and King County. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Marc Dones.

Name a huge celebratory event in Seattle over the past decade and there’s a decent chance Beth Knox has had something to do with it. From multiple stints with Seafair and work with One Reel (former producers of Bumbershoot) to organizing multiple parades and leading the 2018 Special Olympics, Beth has been a community leader. Beth now directs the Seattle Sports Commission, positioning our city to host major sporting events on the national and global stage. Jon and Beth embark on a timely talk about the local sports landscape, its impact on the city and the potential for big moves on the horizon (NBA, anyone?). Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Beth Knox.

Tom Mara might have the best job in the Seattle metro area. A love affair with music guided Tom to a student volunteer position at KCMU in 1987, and led to him running the coolest radio station (KEXP) on the planet for 30 years. Tom has guided KEXP from a station with a 12-mile radius to a music powerhouse reaching nearly 2 million people around the world every week. The station’s evolution has expanded beyond technical advancement and produced a more culturally diverse platform as well. Jon and Tom discuss that ongoing work, his deep history in building KEXP into what it is today, how the engineering team kept the live music going during the pandemic, Paul Allen’s impact on the region’s music scene and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Tom Mara.

As chief financial officer of Woodland Park Zoo, Michele Smith is responsible for all new and ongoing revenue at this 123-year-old institution that welcomes more than one million guests each year. What does it take to keep 1,000 endangered species safe during a global pandemic? Did the animals miss humans as much as we missed them? How long does it take to plan the wildly popular Wild Lanterns light exhibition, and what are the big names playing at this year’s ZooTunes concert series? Jon and Michele explore these questions and more (including Michele’s “can’t miss” downtown experience) in Episode 7 of Seattle City Makers.

The Selig name is associated with a number of notable properties in downtown Seattle, including the development of the Columbia Center. In the sixth episode of the Seattle City Makers podcast, Jordan Selig sits down with Jon to discuss her optimism in the economic health of Seattle, expanding her involvement in local politics, developing the most sustainable building of its size in the nation (400 Westlake), the future of the office and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jordan Selig.

You’ll recognize our fifth guest from numerous appearances on NBC News, MSNBC, local news coverage and many other platforms. Since the outset of the covid pandemic, Dr. Vin Gupta has provided medical insights through the media, and also assistance in the field as a trained pulmonologist and a Major with the Air Force Reserve Medical Corps. He’s had a front-row seat to the interplay between politics, trust, media and public health. And he’s well positioned to tell us what the immediate future might look like as we emerge from the pandemic. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Dr. Vin Gupta.

The fourth episode of Seattle City Makers features one of the biggest names in Seattle’s food scene, chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell. Restaurants have had to weather a number of restrictions during the pandemic, and Ethan offers ingredients that have been critical to success. He also dishes on how the pandemic will permanently change the industry, why he decided to invest in downtown again and provides Jon (and you, the listener) with terrific tips for the right ragu and the perfect salmon. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ethan Stowell.

Our third episode features someone who just might be the personification of a “city maker.” Liz Dunn, principal of Dunn & Hobbes, LLC, is one of the standard bearers of Seattle mixed-use neighborhood developers. Jon joined Liz in the Overcast Room of Cloud Studios, which is in the basement of the award-winning Chophouse Row project. They talk about navigating the landlord-tenant relationship during an economic downturn, an exciting new project and partnership in the Central District, the effort to lid I-5 and reinvention of Bumbershoot. As Liz says, “Seattle is the city that likes to remake itself.” Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Liz Dunn.

We raise the curtain on our second episode with The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Managing Director Bernie Griffin who joins Jon for a wide-ranging conversation. Performance venues have had a uniquely challenging time during the pandemic. Jon and Bernie talk about how the theatre pivoted, renovated and positioned itself to bounce back, the need to center diverse voices, the economic impact of the sector, the arts as the soul of Seattle and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Bernie Griffin. In addition, be sure to visit DSA member ArtsFund’s website for its latest covid cultural impact study at artsfund.org.