Seattle City Makers

Seafair is synonymous with summer in Seattle. This year’s festivities were filled with time-honored traditions and new elements under the direction of first-year President & CEO Emily Cantrell. Emily and Jon sat down a few days after wrapping up the 76th iteration of Seafair, and there was plenty to unpack about this enormous summer celebration. The two discuss her career path which started in broadcast news and led to organizations focused on this place; taking the Torchlight Parade to the new waterfront; her favorite Seafair moments and those that caused a little bit of stress; getting Nascar racer Jimmie Johnson into a hydroplane cockpit;  the itinerary for her perfect Saturday in Seattle and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Emily Cantrell.

Many cities across the country have built their convention centers outside of their city center – Seattle avoided that mistake and the community is reaping the rewards of that decision. Conventions, business events and “bleisure travel” (more on that in a moment) are playing big roles in Seattle’s economic symphony and Seattle Convention Center President & CEO Jennifer LeMaster is the conductor of those contributors. Jon and Jennifer discuss her path to leadership through college athletics; the importance of the Convention Center to Seattle’s economy; the concept of blending business and leisure travel (bleisure); Seattle’s competitive positioning in the convention space and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jennifer LeMaster.

Fair to say there are not many people with resumes that include work at the Department of Commerce, Microsoft and founding two art spaces in Seattle. A unique career path seems appropriate when you witness the one-of-a-kind experiences Nick Ferderer curates at Base Camp Studios and Base Camp Studios 2. Jon and Nick discuss the origins of his dynamic art galleries; discoveries he’s made at vacant buildings; what’s to come at Base Camp 2; the beautification work along the Spark Block on Third Avenue and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Nick Ferderer.

Summers in Seattle are sublime. For the Port of Seattle, the summer months are slammed with activity. One of the 10 busiest ports in the nation, the Port of Seattle has been led by Executive Director Steve Metruck since 2018. Jon and Steve discuss Seattle’s growing cruise industry; trends in domestic and business travel; the enormous scope of business for the Port of Seattle; his career path from the Coast Guard to the Port and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Steve Metruck.

As we put a cap on the NBA Finals, and look ahead to an NBA Board of Governors meeting with expansion on the agenda, we have a timely conversation Brian Robinson. For nearly 20 years now, Brian has led a number of groups dedicated to Sonics fandom and bringing the NBA back to Seattle. His latest effort is Seattle NBA Fans, which he founded with a mission of uniting the region and preparing for the return of the NBA. And that’s not even his day job. Jon and Brian talk about the origins of his love for the Sonics; Seattle’s positioning for expansion; the rough timeline for a return; the goal of Seattle NBA fans and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Brian Robinson.

You don’t make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list without serious talent and execution – both strong suits of Yifan Zhang. The Harvard grad and entrepreneur founded two companies, one in San Francisco and another in Seattle. She’s now the managing director of AI2 Incubator and the founder of AI House, a place for community, collaboration and creating the next era of AI in Seattle. Jon and Yifan talk about her earlier ventures and path to AI House; the importance of collaborating in-person; her advice for founders; the AI sector in Seattle; the growing ranks of female founders in the city and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Yifan Zhang.

Who doesn’t love a freshly baked cookie? Warm cookies are a mood changer, and in the case of Tiffany Lewis, a career changer. Lewis left a corporate job in banking and went headfirst into baking. But she did not follow a standard recipe. Graduation from Le Cordon Bleu, working with celebrity chefs like Curtis Stone and Giada De Laurentiis and eventually landing at Sur La Table. The pandemic led to a pivot, pop-ups and the founding of Cookies with Tiffany – and downtown Seattle is certainly sweeter for it.  Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Tiffany Lewis.

Seattle’s Chief of Police Shon Barnes has an encyclopedic knowledge of public safety data – but he also knows data doesn’t tell the whole story. Chief Barnes arrived in Seattle after spending four years at the helm of the Madison, Wisconsin police department. Shon and Jon talk about his first few months on the job in Seattle; the power of perception in public safety; his perspective on crime in downtown; the latest on police staffing levels; the work of the CARE department and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Shon Barnes.

Pacific Northwest Ballet is a powerhouse – and the same could be said for its Executive Director, Seattle native Ellen Walker. The fifth-largest ballet company in the nation, PNB has been thrilling audiences for more than 50 years. Ellen and Jon talk about her path to leadership at PNB; the health of Seattle’s arts & culture sector; the importance of diversity in talent and audience; how PNB tries to build the patron base and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ellen Walker.

Seattle’s music scene is well known and overflowing with talent across a wide range of genres. But there’s one local record label with a worldwide reputation that produced the sound of the city – Sub Pop Records. CEO Megan Jasper sat down with Jon to talk about the evolution of Seattle’s music industry; how she came to lead this legendary label; Sub Pop’s “no a-holes” policy; her favorite venues; new albums on the horizon and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Megan Jasper.