Seattle City Makers

The often-asked question of “What’s for dinner?” sparked inspiration for Seattle native Stephanie King. The founder and CEO of Kitchen & Market takes us through the origin story of the flagship store in Pike Place Market; the interconnected nature of the small business community in downtown; the challenges of opening a store during the pandemic; the compulsion she and Jon share for orderly kitchen cabinets and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Stephanie King.

The third season of our Seattle City Makers Podcast begins with a conversation about one of Seattle’s many shining assets – its parks and public spaces. Who better to talk about Seattle parks with than the superintendent of Seattle Parks & Recreation, AP Diaz? Jon and AP talk about what drew him to this city; how his upbringing shaped his views on parks; the new Waterfront Park’s impending impact; his favorite parks to visit and more.

This episode delves into a topic at the forefront of public safety conversations in cities across the nation – standing up a third public safety department. Seattle’s approach is CARE, which stands for Community Assisted Response and Engagement and it was just launched in October. The acting chief of this department, Amy Smith, sits down with Jon to talk about how CARE works; its focus on the downtown area; how Amy will measure success,lessons learned from other cities and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Amy Smith.

In Seattle, the name Molly Moon is synonymous with ice cream – really good ice cream. The founder, owner and operator of the eponymous frozen treat destination joins us on the podcast to talk about the upcoming scoop shop on Seattle’s central waterfront; the Molly Moon’s origin story; her earlier career in local politics; thoughts on the Seattle City Council election; and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Molly Moon Neitzel.

The RailSpur project in Pioneer Square is a remarkable transformation of nearly an entire block. Urban Villages President Jon Buerge joins the podcast to explain how RailSpur is elevating the concept of mixed-use properties; how his approach to development is guided by the firm’s name; his views on the future of the office; the new tenants at RailSpur and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jon Buerge.

Stepping into Le Caviste on Seventh Avenue in downtown feels as if you’ve been transported to a wine bar in Paris. And that’s exactly the vision David Butler had when he opened the doors in 2013. Jon and David talk about the origin story of this delightful downtown destination; the unique way he was able to reopen in May 2021; how this wine bar is secondarily about wine; where David likes to dine in the rare instance he’s away from Le Caviste and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest David Butler.

Fans of Seattle’s music scene are in for a treat on this episode of the podcast. Bumbershoot co-president (and co-owner of Neumo’s, Barboza and Life on Mars), Steven Severin joins us with a ton of industry stories and perspectives. Producer/fill-in host James Sido and Steven talk about Bumbershoot’s triumphant return; a Grammy-winning artist with a nervous Seattle stop; Steven’s work in helping secure the largest arts bill in U.S. Congressional history; the health of local music venues and much more.Join us for Seattle City Makers with James Sido and guest Steven Severin.

We hit the road this week on Seattle City Makers, taking our show to the Windy City. At the International Downtown Association’s 69th annual conference in Chicago, Jon sat down with IDA President & CEO David Downey. Jon and David discuss the commonality of issues facing downtowns throughout the world, the return to office and housing conversion in different markets and how IDA is advocating for urban recovery at the federal level. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest David Downey.

This episode of Seattle City Makers takes us on location to Seattle’s central waterfront to speak with Friends of Waterfront Seattle President & CEO Joy Shigaki. A fourth-generation Seattleite, Joy is overseeing the fundraising and programming for what will be a 20-acre jewel on Elliott Bay – downtown’s new Waterfront Park. Jon and Joy discuss the status of this transformative project, the Elliott Bay Connections public-private partnership, her previous jobs in New York and San Francisco and a lot more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Joy Shigaki.

The Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Seattle, and it’s been sizzling season in downtown. This episode of Seattle City Makers brings you highlights of our summer guests. Jon and KOMO 4 Senior Reporter Chris Daniels discuss the nexus of sports, business and politics in Seattle. Plymouth Housing CEO Karen Lee and Jon talk about the fentanyl crisis and Plymouth’s newest building. Dr. Jeff Sperring details the growth of Seattle Children’s Research Institute and some of the exciting advancements being made at Building Cure, Retailer Dani Cone dishes on the Taylor Swift effect we experienced in downtown. And Visit Seattle President & CEO Tammy Canavan puts our summer tourism jolt into perspective. Join us for a special summer highlights edition of the Seattle City Makers Podcast.