Jenny and Chelsea share their paths from entrepreneurship to economic development and explain how their experiences navigating disconnected small-business resources led them to create HUUB, a digital platform launched during the pandemic to connect entrepreneurs with the right support. They discuss early challenges like relying on scattered online information and the importance of “one right person” in changing a business trajectory, shaping HUUB’s focus on vetted experts and tactical help. HUUB partners primarily with municipalities, often alongside chambers, nonprofits, and other ecosystem organizations, and offers one-on-one advising, an on-demand learning library, community board, aggregated funding and events, and ecosystem mapping—automating tasks that economic developers often do manually and providing continuity when staff turnover occurs. They emphasize equitable outreach through translation, UX design, demographic tracking, and representation among advisors, and note lessons from product development and from resisting traditional startup pressures, while urging greater technology investment and more thoughtful AI use.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Jenny and Chelsea’s entrepreneurial journeys and frustration with fragmented small-business resources inspired them to create HUUB, a platform that connects entrepreneurs with trusted support, funding, and expertise.
• How HUUB partners with municipalities and ecosystem organizations to centralize advising, learning, funding opportunities, events, and resource mapping—reducing manual work, improving continuity, and making it easier for small businesses to find the help they need.
• How intentional design, multilingual access, diverse advisors, and thoughtful use of technology and AI can expand access to resources and create stronger, more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Quotable: “ And that's the key thing that I kept seeing over and over as an entrepreneur. It just takes one person, one right person, to completely change your trajectory as a business owner.”

Resources and Links

Connect with Jenny Poon on LinkedIn

Connect with Chelsea Smith on LinkedIn

HUUB - Economic Development Tools for Small Business Support

Tools | HUUB - Economic Development Tools for Small Business Support

Special Guests: Chelsea Smith and Jenny Poon.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why successful projects depend on collaboration among attorneys, government leaders, economic developers, utility providers, consultants, and community stakeholders working toward a shared vision.
• Bringing legal counsel into projects early can help identify risks, structure incentives, navigate approvals, and save both time and money throughout the development process.
• Anne-Tyler emphasizes the importance of listening before speaking, respecting institutional knowledge, and trusting intuition when leading teams and making decisions.
• Housing availability, workforce development, tax policy, and regional cooperation are increasingly important factors in creating thriving communities and sustaining long-term growth.

Quotable: “ I hope that a few generations from now, someone can point to a company and say, ‘My granddaddy worked there,’ and know that I had a small part in making that possible.”

Resources and Links
Connect with Anne-Tyler Morgan on LinkedIn
Lexington Lawyers, Louisville Kentucky Attorneys | McBrayer PLLC
Anne-Tyler Morgan | Lexington, KY Healthcare and Campaign Finance Lawyer: McBrayer PLLC

Special Guest: Anne-Tyler Morgan.

From advancing workplace policies and leadership development programs to reimagining public spaces through the lens of safety and inclusion, Gretchen shares how Louisville is taking a practical approach to creating a more equitable city. She also discusses the hidden impact of caregiving responsibilities, the importance of supporting women's economic participation, and why meaningful change starts with addressing systems—not just individuals.

Along the way, Gretchen offers powerful insights on leadership, wellbeing, and finding balance in a world that often asks women to carry more than their share.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why women are frequently the first to feel the effects of challenges related to housing affordability, childcare access, healthcare, and workforce participation.
• Childcare, eldercare, and support for people with disabilities are essential systems that enable individuals to participate fully in the workforce and community life.
• Policies that promote safety, flexibility, parental leave, and leadership opportunities don't just benefit women—they create healthier workplaces and stronger communities for everyone.
• The concept of an "opposite world"—activities that allow us to disconnect from work and reconnect with ourselves. She shares why making time for personal restoration isn't a luxury but a necessity for long-term effectiveness and wellbeing.

Quotable: “Women really are the barometer of whether an economy is working or whether a city is working. If women are struggling with housing, childcare, safety, and economic opportunity, those are community issues. They're just being felt most acutely by women."

Resources and Links
Connect with Gretchen Hunt on LinkedIn
Office for Women | LouisvilleKY.gov
City Hub and Network for Gender Equity
WD2026 – Women Deliver
Bogotá Care Blocks - Observatory of Public Sector Innovation
Care Blocks: recognized by the OECD as a global example of social innovation | Bogota.gov.co
Parks Alliance of Louisville
LOUMED & Office for Women Night Walk
Home | Equimundo
What happens when a city takes women’s unpaid work seriously? | Vox
Designing Safety, Building Belonging

Special Guest: Gretchen Hunt.

Through candid storytelling and practical examples, Kat explains how communities can reclaim vacant and abandoned properties without displacement—and why listening to community “whispers” is the key to sustainable revitalization.

In this episode, we explore:

• Lived experience should shape leadership and solutions. Kat emphasizes that real, lasting change comes from leaders who understand the systems firsthand, not just in theory.
• Communities must be true partners, not afterthoughts. Effective revitalization starts with residents, not after decisions are made. Listening early leads to sustainable outcomes.
• Fixing systems matters more than fixing properties. The Center for Community Progress focuses on policy, education, and tools that address the root causes of vacancy and disinvestment.
• Revitalization can happen without displacement. When done right, community-led strategies can increase stability, homeownership, and quality of life—without fueling gentrification.

Quotable: “You can censor words—but you can’t censor lived experience.”

Link to register for the 2026 reclaiming vacant properties conference: 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference | Center for Community Progress

Resources and Links
Connect with Kat J. Guillaume-Delemar on on LinkedIn
Center for Community Progress
Resources for Community Development Leaders & Professionals | Center for Community Progress
National Land Bank Network | Center for Community Progress
Creating Homeownership Opportunities in Newark through Housing Choice Vouchers | Center for Community Progress
From Harm to Home | Center for Community Progress
Chatham Savannah Land Bank Authority | Savannah, GA
Benzie County, MI
Detriot Land Bank Authority
Detroit Landy Bank Authority Rehabbed & Ready Program
County of Saginaw, MI - Land Bank
Publications | Center for Community Progress

Special Guest: Kathleen (Kat) J. Guillaume-Delemar.

She defines creative placemaking as cross-sector, community-driven work that integrates arts, culture, and design to advance equitable economic, physical, and social change, and challenges the misconception that arts lack impact, citing a $1.6 BILLION regional arts impact and a $42 return per $1 ArtsWave investment.

Rachael highlights some examples including Northern Kentucky placemaking grants, Newport’s historic mural ordinance and Orchard Street Project, and arts integration in Covington’s CCR redevelopment and Florence’s planned sculpture park (check out the resources and links below).

In this episode, we explore:

• Rachel Parker’s journey—from fiber artist and educator to nonprofit leader—highlights how creative careers can evolve into community-shaping roles that bridge art, strategy, and regional development.
• How creative placemaking blends arts, culture, and community collaboration to spark equitable economic and social change, transforming projects like Newport murals, Covington redevelopment, and Florence’s future sculpture park.
• With nearly a century of impact, how ArtsWave has invested over $350M into the region—supporting 150+ organizations and demonstrating how the arts strengthen identity, community, and local development.

*Quotable: * “ It is certainly not fluff. It is of vital importance to the success of our communities that we have a creative economy.”

Resources and Links
Connect with Rachael Parker on LinkedIn

Engineering a creative renaissance in Northern Kentucky

New grant program is fueling the arts and boosting economic development in Northern Kentucky

ArtsWave, meetNKY award $58K for creative placemaking projects

Local arts organization announces artist-in-residence program

City of Covington Launches New Interactive Project Showcasing 100+ Public Art Installations

New Covington mural depicts city’s history and future

Window on the World

Josephine Sculpture Park

ArtsWave Boardway Bound Training Program

Special Guest: Rachael Parker.

In this episode, we explore:

• The transition from public-sector leadership to private consulting. Amalia explains the key differences between working inside local government and advising from the outside, and how her background enables her to bridge gaps among policy, planning, and implementation.
• Practical guidance for developers and local stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of understanding municipal processes, zoning, and regulatory frameworks.
• Organizational structures (restructures) and their impact on effectiveness. Amalia explains when restructuring economic development departments makes sense, what local governments should consider during the process, and how structure can either enable or hinder results.

Quotable: “ No matter what side of the table you're sitting on, if you're an economic developer, if you're the private sector trying to do a project, I always try to approach my work and my practice assuming the best intentions from everyone else involved.”

Resources and Links
Connect with Amalia Cunningham on LinkedIn
Amalia Cunningham Consulting
News and Views American Planning Association, "Where Should Economic Development Live?"

Special Guest: Amalia Cunningham, AICP.