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.

Author and Brown University fellow Marc Dunkelman believes America is stuck – unable to move the needle on big things that need fixing. In his latest book, “Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress – And How to Bring it Back,” Dunkelman examines what progressives must do to correct this and restore confidence in democratically elected government. Marc was in Seattle recently as DSA’s State of Downtown keynote speaker and joined Jon to talk about how the work of Robert Moses and a trip to Penn Station sparked the idea of this book; the tension in the progressive movement over the role of government; the cultural aversion to power and more. He’s been featured in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New York Times, on MSNBC, CNN and other outlets. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Marc Dunkelman.

Loneliness and disconnection reached epidemic levels the last few years, according to former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. What if a potential cure was growing in our community? Enter the US Chamber of Connections, headquartered right here in Seattle. Jon and Chamber of Connection founder and CEO Aaron Hurst talk about what led to the launch of this organization; the Seattle Freeze; the foundational elements of a strong social life; the Chamber’s Seattle Welcome Days; six types of connection and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Aaron Hurst.

A low-rider show on the stately grounds of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa and a cat video festival in Minneapolis that went viral – two examples of the creative mind of Scott Stulen. And as the Seattle Art Museum’s new director and CEO, what innovative exhibits are up his sleeve for the Emerald City? Jon and Scott talk about his journey to leadership in the arts; the creative ways he’s stretching the definitions of art and what’s expected in a museum; the expansive Ai Weiwei exhibit coming to Seattle and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Scott Stulen.

The world’s largest shared electric vehicle company is high on Seattle. Lime Director of Government Relations Hayden Harvey joins us on the podcast to discuss mobility and cities. Hayden and Jon talk about how Seattle is a growth market for Lime; the new vehicles and technology hitting our streets; the strangest place Hayden’s seen a scooter parked; his passion for micromobility and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Hayden Harvey.

Some of Seattle’s most interesting commercial spaces – Melrose Market, Deep Dive and Chophouse Row to name a few – all have one thing in common: the design and aesthetic of Graham Baba Architects. Graham Baba Founder & Principal Jim Graham joins Jon to talk about his favorite projects; his path to architecture and design; the complicated nature of some signature developments; the importance of cities and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jim Graham.