Claim OwnershipThe Midwest Flourish
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From workforce wins to economic development breakthroughs. its real talk with real answers from the leaders shaping our region’s future. Let’s keep the Midwest momentum going, and shape the future of our region—together.
25 Episodes
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How do you help young people move from dreaming to doing?
In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Megan McClellan, Executive Director of Believe in a Dream in Fort Wayne. Since 2010, Believe in a Dream has provided more than 5,000 immersive, hands-on experiences to middle and high school students across Northeast Indiana completely free of charge. From music and leadership to tech and entrepreneurship, students aren’t just encouraged to dream — they’re equipped to act.
Highlighted Topics:
- How the organization operates with just one full-time employee
- Why students keep coming back (and bring their friends)
- How community partnerships fuel growth
- What’s next, including possible national expansion If you care about youth development, entrepreneurship, education, or the future of the Midwest, this episode will inspire you.
Learn more or get involved at marketingthemidwest.com
Career & Technical Education (CTE) has been opening doors for students for decades and it’s evolving fast. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Jim Walmsley, Director of the IMPACT Institute (a career center serving northeast Indiana) and past president of the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts, to talk about what CTE looks like today and where it’s headed.
Highlighted Topics:
- What CTE really is (and why it’s not just “shop class”)
- Indiana’s shifting diploma requirements and the push for work-based learning
- What “high-quality” work-based learning should mean in practice
- Certifications: when they matter, when they don’t, and what they prove
- Funding challenges and how course offerings get supported
- How CTE is adapting to AI, automation, and Industry 4.0
- Why CTE leaders say they need to tell their story better and what’s at stake
Want to dig deeper or get involved? Visit MarketingTheMidwest.com.
Ann Arbor is providing access to millions of dollars for business startups, in this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant talks with Mike Flanagan, Vice President of Capital Programs at Ann Arbor SPARK, who breaks down how it all works. Mike explains how SPARK began as a public-private partnership, what “the Valley of Death” really means for early-stage founders, and how pre-seed/seed investing (plus angel networks) can keep high-growth companies in Michigan. He also shares why Ann Arbor’s talent pipeline and quality of life matter, how “boomerang” grads return home, and standout success stories like Duo Security, Llamasoft, and Histo Sonics.
For more information, visit: marketingthemidwest.com
Latino students in the Midwest often face extra hurdles on the road to academic and economic success, from uncertainty around immigration policy to language barriers and limited access to guidance. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant talks with Steve Corona, Executive Director of Latinos Count, about how the organization helps students build a clear “exit strategy” after high school, pursue college and career pathways, and connect with mentors and scholarships that open doors. They also discuss what today’s students respond to, why parent and community involvement matters, and how recognizing Latino contributions strengthens the region’s future workforce.
Get involved: Latinos Count is actively looking for mentors, Spanish-speaking welcome, but not required.
For more informations visit; marketingthemidwest.com
Warsaw, Indiana may look like a small Midwestern community, but it’s home to one of the most powerful medical device ecosystems in the world.
In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Dr. Allyn Decker, Vice President of Operations & Engagement at OrthoWorx, to explore how Warsaw became known as the Orthopedic Capital of the World and how leaders are working to ensure it stays that way. With one-third of global orthopedic device revenue tied to the region, OrthoWorx plays a critical role in:
- Building a long-term talent pipeline (K–12, higher ed, and workforce)
- Driving innovation in orthopedics and medtech
- Investing in quality-of-life initiatives to attract and retain top talent
- Strengthening community infrastructure, housing, and amenities
Other highlighted topics:
- Virtual reality career exploration for students
- Manufacturing and CNC career pathways
- Smart implants, robotics, AI, and bio-compatible materials
- A potential $165M NSF grant that could transform Indiana’s musculoskeletal research ecosystem
- Why community development is essential to economic sustainability
This conversation is a must-watch for anyone interested in economic development, workforce strategy, advanced manufacturing, healthcare innovation, and the future of the Midwest.
To learn more about The Midwest Flourish Podcast visit: marketingthemidwest.com
How do communities help young people thrive beyond high school? On this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Park Ginder, Ph.D, former school superintendent and now Executive Director of Grow Allen in Allen County, Indiana. Grow Allen connects education, business, and industry to open real-world opportunities for students, from workforce tours to internships to career-aligned training. But beyond credentials and job skills, today’s young people face deeper challenges: motivation, structure, academic readiness, and finding what they actually love to do.
Hightlighted Topics:
• How business-school partnerships expand career awareness
• Why talent development requires a long-term view
• The myth of “high-wage, high-demand” as the only path
• How family structure and time shape success
• Ways to reignite curiosity and imagination in students
Whether you're an educator, employer, parent, or simply someone who cares about the future of our region — this episode will challenge and inspire you. Want to dig deeper or get involved? Visit MarketingTheMidwest.com
What does it really take to be an entrepreneur?
In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Dr. Andrew Roberts, a practicing physician, entrepreneur, and chair of the SCORE Northeast Indiana leadership team.
Dr. Roberts shares:
- his unconventional path from medicine to entrepreneurship
- why he launched and exited a successful addiction recovery business
- the core traits entrepreneurs MUST have - the hurdles new founders face (and how to overcome them)
- how SCORE provides free business mentoring
- why uncertainty may STILL be the best time to start a business
Whether you’re dreaming of a startup, actively building one, or looking to give back to the entrepreneurial community, this episode delivers insights, perspective, and practical value.
How can a community build a sustainable workforce while keeping its economy growing?
In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant talks with Adam Welch, Vice President of Economic Development at Greater Fort Wayne Inc., about the Made By Me initiative — a powerful collaboration between educators, employers, and students aimed at closing the skilled trades gap in Allen County, Indiana.
Adam shares how Fort Wayne’s business community is addressing workforce shortages, engaging schools, and preparing young people for careers in manufacturing, construction, and beyond. From teacher externships to hands-on student outreach, Made By Me is connecting the dots between education and opportunity.
Highlighted Topics:
- Why employer involvement is key to solving the talent crisis
- How automation and AI are reshaping local industries
- What it takes to attract and retain businesses in a growing Midwest metro Whether you’re an educator, employer, or civic leader, this episode offers practical insights into regional growth, workforce innovation, and community collaboration.
Learn more about Made By Me and Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. at greaterfortwayneinc.com
How does a region truly grow its workforce, economy, and sense of community? For Bob Quick, President and CEO of Commerce Lexington, it comes down to two things: connection and trust. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant explores how Lexington, Kentucky, a region known for its horses, bourbon, and bluegrass pride, is also a model for collaboration, talent attraction, and entrepreneurship. Quick explains how a nine-county competitiveness plan brought together public and private leaders, why telling your story matters as much as workforce strategy, and how Lexington’s partnerships are tackling housing, education, and innovation head-on.
Highlighted Topics:
- Building trust across a nine-county region
-Talent attraction and retention strategies
- Entrepreneurship and workforce readiness
- Housing affordability and collaborative solutions
- The role of storytelling in regional development
Getting a government contract can feel impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Jeff Andelin, Northeast Indiana’s APEX Accelerator Counselor, to uncover how businesses can navigate the complex world of federal, state, and local contracting. Jeff explains what APEX Accelerators are, how they’re funded by the Department of Defense, and how they help small businesses from manufacturers to innovators compete for lucrative contracts. You’ll learn how trust, persistence, and performance play into success, and why even small wins can transform your company’s future.
Highlight Topics:
- What APEX Accelerators are and how they help businesses enter the government marketplace
- Why the Department of Defense oversees APEX
- The size and scope of the opportunity: federal, state, and local contracting landscapes
- How APEX partners with SBDCs, WBCs, SBA, and ecosystem navigators
- Biggest entry barriers: “past performance,” finding the right buyer, and strict compliance
- Fair competition in practice: DLA e-bids and automated awards; protest avenues
- Proposal reviews APEX can provide (requirements alignment) and what they don’t
- Contract structures: base period + option years; funding risks and terminations for convenience
- Measurement & accountability: supplier risk/performance systems and why metrics matter
- Set-asides & certifications
- Market realities: slow timelines, cyclical programs, and why patience + persistence win
- Success stories
- How to connect with a counselor: IN-specific portal (inapex.org) and national locator (apexaccelerators.us)
What does it take for a rural Midwest community to thrive in today’s workforce landscape? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Lauren Buchanan, Workforce Development Manager for Van Wert Works, to explore how Van Wert County, Ohio is tackling some of the biggest challenges facing rural America. Lauren shares candid insights about changing perceptions of vocational training, building stronger employer–school partnerships, and creating a sense of community that keeps talent rooted in the region.
Highlighted Topics:
- Affordable housing as a workforce issue
- Learn & Return initiatives to bring young talent back home
- Relocation incentives that help employers recruit top talent from out of state
- The growing importance of soft skills and upskilling for adults
- How career tech education and healthcare expansion are reshaping opportunities for students
-The role of agriculture, automation, and STEM in attracting the next generation
Learn more about empowering communities to flourish at marketingthemidwest.com
Women often face unique hurdles when starting or growing a business—access to capital, caregiving demands, cultural barriers, and the inner work of valuing your own expertise. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Rosalina Perez, Director of the Women’s Business Center at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC), shares a practical playbook: 1:1 coaching, skill-building workshops, and warm handoffs to credible regional and national resources. She also talks about serving Spanish-speaking founders and how to test an idea with real customers.
Highlighted Topics:
- What NIIC’s Women’s Business Center actually does (coaching, workshops, connections)
- The territory it serves (Northeast Indiana) and who it serves (women—and men, too)
- Real success stories
- Why mindset and risk tolerance matter as much as money
- How to navigate permits, funding options, and a changing economy
- Update since recording: the Women’s Business Center has been invited to apply for new SBA funding and, together with other funding sources, expects to continue operating at full capacity.
How do you rebuild trust, spark civic engagement, and make neighborhood planning actually work? Dan Baisden, Director of Fort Wayne’s Department of Neighborhoods, shares the city’s “embedded planning” approach—meeting residents on front porches, at coffee shops, and in grocery aisles to co-create small wins that add up. We talk civic vs. HOA associations, recruiting local champions, funding projects, public art’s real economic impact, and why social capital is the engine of workforce and community development.
Guest: Dan Baisden, Director, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Fort Wayne
Host: Rick Farrant, The Midwest Flourish
Highlighted Topics
- “Embedded planning” (front-porch conversations over top-down plans)
- Re-launching and sustaining neighborhood associations
- Trust-building: show up, listen first, deliver small wins - Funding beyond city grants (grants, donors, self-sufficiency)
- Public art & placemaking: measuring foot traffic and linger time
- Social capital as a bridge to jobs, safety, and quality of life
Listen, share, and get involved: MarketingTheMidwest.com
#EconomicDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment #Neighborhoods #FortWayne #Placemaking #ABCD #CivicEngagement #MidwestFlourish #podcast #midwest
In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant sits down with Marie Mackintosh, President & CEO of EmployIndy, the largest nonprofit regional workforce development organization in Indiana. Marie shares how EmployIndy is redefining talent development vs. workforce development, bridging gaps in K–12 and postsecondary education, and creating experiential learning opportunities through its Talent Bound initiative—engaging thousands of students with internships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing.
Highlighted Topics
- Why employers must view talent-building as a long-term strategy
- The Good Wages Initiative and how fair pay drives community growth
- Challenges in adult upskilling and building confidence for career changers
- Navigating diversity, equity, and inclusion in today’s environment
- How funding diversity makes EmployIndy a national model Whether you’re an employer, educator, or community leader, this conversation offers practical insights into building stronger talent pipelines and creating opportunities for all.
Learn more at MarketingTheMidwest.com
#MidwestFlourish #WorkforceDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #EmployIndy #EconomicDevelopment #GoodJobs #careerpathways #midwest #podcast #economicdevelopment #careerdevelopment #midwestflourish #workforcedevelopment #professionaldevelopment #indiana #midwest
Noble County, Indiana, ranks among the top counties in the nation for manufacturing concentration, but what happens when an economy depends too heavily on one sector? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, host Rick Farrant talks with Melanie Kellogg, Executive Director of the Noble County Economic Development Corporation (Be Noble), about how the county is:
- Growing entrepreneurial ecosystems through coworking spaces and mentorship
- Attracting medtech and other new industries to diversify the economy
- Expanding broadband access to support remote work and business growth
- Tackling housing shortages and childcare needs to strengthen workforce participation
- Investing in leadership development and small business support Melanie also shares the county’s vision for long-term growth and the challenges they face—like land access, community resistance, and infrastructure upgrades such as potable water and sewer expansion.
Learn more about empowering Midwest communities at MarketingTheMidwest.com
What if high school wasn't about tests and grades, but was about solving real problems, building businesses, and discovering your passion? In today's episode of The Midwest Flourish Podcast, Riley Johnson, director of the AMP Lab at Electric Works in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins host Rick Farrant to share how this innovative, entrepreneurial learning program is changing how students experience education and life in the workforce. Learn how the AMP Lab empowers students to explore careers, connect with local businesses, and gain real-world experience.
Highlighted Topics:
- AMP Lab Overview
- Entrepreneurial thinking for students
- Hands on, project based learning
- Community Partnerships
- Academic Success
- Life skills development
Can rural communities thrive again? Entrepreneur and economic development leader Eric Doden believes the answer is yes—and he’s proving it. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Eric unpacks his innovative financial model that’s breathing new life into small towns across Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. From Butler to Van Wert, his approach blends private equity, federal and state tax credits, and hyperlocal ownership structures to restore historic downtowns—one building (or 20) at a time.
Check out Paygo: https://www.youtube.com/@UCneqwptov8kwd1T71lw5usA
Highlighted Topics:
- Why restoring 100% of a town’s core assets is key
- How trust companies empower local control
- Why community pride is an essential metric
- How revitalized towns are attracting talent and reversing population decline
- What motivates Eric more than money—and whether he might return to politics If you care about rural revival, economic impact, or bold leadership in community development, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Are we treating childcare as essential infrastructure? When Allie Sutherland moved to Indiana, she had a great job and two young children—but no access to childcare. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Allie shares her personal struggle to find affordable, high-quality care and how that experience led her to become the Executive Director of the Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition. Discover how one family’s challenge sparked a regional solution that's helping thousands. 6,600 parents in Northeast Indiana want to work—but can’t, due to lack of affordable childcare. Learn how initiatives like the Tri-Share Plus program and Hoosier Milestones Alliance are working to change that.
Highlighted Topics:
- The Childcare Access Crisis
- Childcare as Economic Infrastructure
- The Cost of Childcare - Defining Quality in Early Childhood Care
- Licensed vs. Unlicensed Childcare
- The Work Willing Parent Study
- The Tri-Share Plus Program
- The Hoosier Milestones Alliance
- Employer Involvement and Retention Challenges
- State-Level Funding and Policy Setbacks
#affordablechildcare #workforcedevelopment #podcast #economicdevelopment #childcare #earlychildhoodeducation #marketingthemidwest #midwest #childcarecosts #childcareservices #childcareprovider #affordable #themidwestflourish #northeastindiana #indiana #indianaeconomy #workforce #parents #parenting #parentworkforce #education #childhoodeducation
What does it really take to drive long-term growth in a community? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish Podcast, Ron Turpin—Chairman of the Northeast Indiana Strategic Development Commission and Allen County Commissioner—joins host Rick Farrant to discuss the three key drivers of regional prosperity: population growth, wage growth, and credential attainment. Ron shares how Indiana’s only legislatively-backed regional strategic plan came together, and why collaboration will shape the region’s future.
Highlighted Topics:
- Where $30 million in state investment is going—and why
- How housing, infrastructure, and education fuel growth - Why degree and credential attainment is the “missing link” in workforce development
- How community-wide engagement (not just the usual voices) can turn vision into action If you're involved in regional development, economic strategy, or just care about where Northeast Indiana is headed, this conversation offers both context and a call to coordinated action.
Learn more or connect with us at: https://marketingthemidwest.com
Can we really bring manufacturing back to America and make it exciting for the next generation? In this episode of The Midwest Flourish Podcast, host Rick Farrant sits down with Terry M. Iverson, longtime machine tool executive, author, and founder of ChampionNow.org. Terry shares his vision for reshaping how Americans view careers in manufacturing.
Highlighted Topics:
- How ChampionNow and its “Camp CHAMP” model are inspiring students nationwide
- Why CNC machining is the next frontier for digital natives and gamers
- The case for debt-free education and lifelong learning in advanced manufacturing
- What it will take to truly revive Made in America and why it matters If you're an educator, parent, employer, or community leader who wants to see the Midwest thrive, this conversation is packed with insights, challenges, and actionable ideas.
Learn more or connect with us at: https://www.marketingthemidwest.com
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