This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Brook Fitzgerald of The Restoration Project to the podcast! Brook shares her incredible journey—from corporate banking to opening a downtown Cedar Rapids coffee shop (even though she didn’t drink coffee!) to...

Listen in to Ray Brown, CEO of ESCO Group, as he discusses his journey from accountant to CEO of a 100% employee-owned company. Ray dives into pivotal leadership moments, the mentors who shaped his approach, and the early challenges that drove ...

Listen in as Tom Pientok shares about leadership and what it means to him. You may be surprised as to what his super power would be!

In this episode of Leadership Unplugged, we sit down with Marion’s City Manager, Ryan Waller, and Deputy City Manager, Kim Downs, to discuss their journey in public service and their roles in driving positive change in Marion. Ryan, who became ...

Today, we have a very special guest: Mayor Nick AbouAssaly. His dedication to public service is unparalleled, as evidenced by his long list of accomplishments. From his early days on the City Council to his numerous community involvements and a...

Tune in for an engaging conversation with two distinguished educators, Superintendent Amy Kortemeyer of Linn-Mar and Superintendent Janelle Brouwer of Marion Independent, as they delve into their profound perspectives on leadership. Join us as ...

Join us as we chat with the team at Marion Chamber of Commerce and Uptown Marion Mainstreet as they share how they're leading and making a difference in our community. You might even get to know what they wish their super powers were if given a...

Rapids Wholesale Foodservice Equipment & Supplies is your "one stop shop" for all things food related. If you serve food - they've got you! From their full lineup of commercial cooking equipment and refrigeration products to the plates and ...

MEDCO’s Startup Spotlight hosted a conversation with Lesley Vossenkemper of Scale-Up Strategies. Lesley is the first woman in the Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Iowa City area to earn the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation. An indivi...

The Marion Independent School Board candidates are uncontested. This portion of the recording was an open house where candidates shared their thoughts and plans for the coming term. Candidates include Denise Allison (Incumbent), Jon Fitch (Incu...

This forum featured Linn-Mar School Board candidates. Candidates include Barry Buchholz (Incumbent), Justin Foss, Katie Lowe Lancaster, Tom Law, Brittania Morey (Incumbent), Kevin Slaman, Laura Steffeck, and Jodi Treharne. This forum followed a...

Listen to the live recording of the 2023 City Council and Mayoral Forum. The Marion City Council and Mayoral races are uncontested. This portion of the event featured an open house where candidates shared their thoughts and plans f...

Listen in on our conversation with Lee Ulrich, the owner and operator of Iowa Coffee Roasters located on the east side of Marion. Lee has been roasting coffee for almost 20 years now and has grown a foll...

Listen to the live recording of The Story of Farmers State Bank featuring  FSB’s President and CEO Gene Neighbor, current FSB Chairman Kent Neighbor, current FSB Vice Chairman Doug Neighbor, and current Executive Vice President Steve Neigh...

Listen in to a live recording of our quarterly Startup Spotlight featuring Ben Davis. Together with his wife Katy, Ben owns the Marion Chocolate Shop in Marion, IA. He purchased the business two years ago after a twenty-year career in the Natio...

In 1985, David Martin, started a small architecture firm in Uptown Marion known as Martin Design Consultants. Dave and his team provided design services for a significant number of retail, religious, residential, and commercial structures throu...

Startup Spotlight is part of Marion Economic Development's commitment to supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to scale and gain awareness in the Marion community and the ICR region.Recently we welcomed Taylor Matteson, fo...

The City of Marion continues to be a statewide leader in new housing construction and overall community growth. But how do we best understand the current and long term housing needs of our community? How many new single family homes, multi-fami...

In 1964, Wayne and Shirley Engle, started a small electrical contracting business in their Marion home. By the 1970s, ESCO had grown into one of the most successful electrical companies in the Midwest, working on both residential and commercial...

Hey Marion! Get ready to meet Cowork 1107, the newest coworking space opening November 1 in Uptown Marion.Check us out at www.cowork1107.org

Marion Economic Development Corporation recently launched a new series titled "The Story of."  It's a platform to share the success stories of entrepreneurs in our community with those who aspire to do the same.This month we feature...

Would you consider your organization healthy? Maybe not in the physical sense, but do your team members understand their unique gifts, know how to apply them as part of your team, and then work cohesively to achieve true organizational health?<...

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation and the Marion Chamber of Commerce. 

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation and Marion Chamber of Commerce.

Hosted 10/20/21 by Marion Economic Development Corporation & the Marion Chamber of Commerce.