Seattle City Makers
Downtown Seattle Association
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A diverse range of people are shaping Seattle's business, arts, cultural and public sectors and driving the city’s renewal and reemergence from the global pandemic. Join Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO Jon Scholes for conversations with leaders across multiple sectors who are influencing the Seattle of today and tomorrow.
Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes, one of Seattle Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2021, will feature the people behind transformative projects, organizations and initiatives in Seattle, and sometimes in other cities as well. Jon and his guests discuss lessons learned from successes and challenges, approaches to leadership and views on issues affecting urban areas here and elsewhere.
Available episodes
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5 days ago
Episode 30: Ed Glaeser
One of the foremost authorities on cities sat down with us for an engaging look at the future of urban areas in this episode of Seattle City Makers. Award-winning Harvard professor, author and economist Ed Glaeser was recently in town for DSA’s annual State of Downtown event. He and Jon discussed Ed’s planned keynote remarks, the resiliency of cities, how to bring vibrancy back to our urban cores, making downtowns more equitable and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ed Glaeser.
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Mar 1, 2023
Episode 29: Rachel Marshall
A trip to Europe sparked inspiration for Rachel Marshall, and that led to what’s become THE standard by which all ginger beers are measured in Seattle. Her eponymous Rachel’s Ginger Beer began as a stand at a farmers market and 10 years later has four storefront operations. Jon and Rachel mix together Rachel’s origin story, her perspective on running a small business in Seattle, their favorite cocktails and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Rachel Marshall.
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Feb 14, 2023
Episode 28: Andrew Lewis
There’s no shortage of topics to discuss with this episode’s guest. A fifth-generation Seattleite, City Council member Andrew Lewis represents District 7 at City Hall, which includes downtown Seattle. Jon and Andrew dig into the tensions of the local political landscape, key issues impacting the heart of the city, what he’s hearing from voters and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Andrew Lewis.
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Jan 31, 2023
Episode 27: Eric Tanaka
Southern California’s loss has certainly been Seattle’s gain in Eric Tanaka. Academia had him penciled in to design bike trails in the Golden State, but his real passion directed him to a culinary career that has served downtown Seattle since the early 90s. The managing partner at Tom Douglas restaurants, Eric and Jon discussed the state of the industry post-pandemic, his outlook on the city and recovery, a couple of recipe tips and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Eric Tanaka.
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Jan 17, 2023
Episode 26: John Cook
Our second episode of the year welcomes GeekWire co-founder John Cook to the podcast. A veteran journalist and media outlet co-creator, Cook and his team have grown GeekWire to a go-to national technology news website based in Seattle. Jon and John talk about GeekWire’s evolution, the growth and current status of the tech sector in Seattle, the importance of the office and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest John Cook.
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Jan 3, 2023
Episode 25: Adrian Diaz
Our first episode of 2023 focuses on public safety in downtown Seattle with a true authority on the subject – Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. From a patrol officer in the late 90s to the top brass, Adrian Diaz has 26 years of experience in the department. Jon and Adrian talk about his rise to leadership, current challenges facing the department and the city, what he sees at areas like Third and Pine and 12th and Jackson and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Chief Adrian Diaz.
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Dec 12, 2022
Episode 24: Amy King
Our final episode of the year digs into one of the most complex issues facing Seattle and other cities across the nation – homelessness – with Pallet Founder and CEO Amy King. From its headquarters in Everett, Washington, Pallet has grown into a national leader in rapid-response housing with villages in more than 100 cities. Jon and Amy discuss how Seattle and King County are faring in the fight against homelessness, what she has learned from other cities, why she believes housing is not the cure-all for this crisis and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Amy King.
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Nov 30, 2022
Episode 23: Greg Spotts
As SDOT’s new director, Greg Spotts believes he needs to understand every neighborhood in Seattle. If you follow him on social media, you’ll see he’s certainly making the rounds. Jon and Greg talk about his boots-on-the-ground management style, Greg’s background in the music industry, his vision for connecting the Seattle Streetcar line, mobility in a post-pandemic Seattle and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Greg Spotts.
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Nov 14, 2022
Episode 22: Bob Donegan
Bob Donegan has been called the unofficial mayor of Seattle’s central waterfront. This conversation with Ivar's president proves that to be an appropriate moniker. Jon and Bob talk about the economic health of the neighborhood, the impact of the waterfront redevelopment, his advice for our city’s elected leaders, favorite Ivar’s menu items and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Bob Donegan..
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Oct 31, 2022
Episode 21: Dana Kimble
It may seem like a cliche, but it’s true: picking up golf can be beneficial for one’s career. But for far too long this powerful networking tool has been wielded predominantly by men in the business world. As Dana Kimble started to love the game, she saw an opportunity to level out the gender imbalance and the Skanska Senior Director of Business Development founded The Pro Shop. Jon and Dana discuss her competitive roots and the motivation behind starting The Pro Shop, golf as a networking tool, her views on the future of work/office space and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Dana Kimble..
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Oct 17, 2022
Episode 20: Sandeep Kaushik
It’s election season! As you prepare to dig into your ballot, we thought the time was right talk politics with local political and public affairs consultant Sandeep Kaushik. A former journalist, Sandeep has worked on numerous campaigns and ballot measures in the Northwest. Jon and Sandeep dig into local and national races, Seattle’s political landscape, the pivotal 2023 City Council races and more. If a lively conversation and political analysis are for you, you’ve come to the right place. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Sandeep Kaushik.
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Oct 3, 2022
Episode 19: Harold Danley
If you’ve spent any appreciable time in downtown Seattle over the past 17 years then you’ve likely seen Harold Danley. A longtime member of the DSA/Metropolitan Improvement District’s Clean Team, the last few years have seen Harold behind the wheel of the ATLV, the All-Terrain Litter Vacuum. For nearly two decades Harold has made quick work of keeping the heart of downtown clean. He’s retiring at the end of the year and all of downtown will miss his consistent presence, attention to detail and his laugh. Harold and Jon sit down and reminisce over his many years of keeping downtown clean, the work of the Clean Team and you’ll learn a little more about Harold. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Harold Danley.
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Sep 14, 2022
Episode 18: Producer takeover! James Sido and Jon Scholes
Jon Scholes takes a seat in the guest spot for episode 18 of the Seattle City Makers podcast. Producer James Sido and Jon discuss a business trip to D.C. focused on urban recovery, common issues facing cities across the country, DSA’s vision for Third Avenue and positioning downtown Seattle as a Central Connection District and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest host James Sido.
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Aug 30, 2022
Episode 17: Colleen Echohawk
We’re 17 episodes in and we have our first former candidate for Mayor of Seattle. As you’ll hear from this conversation, Colleen Echohawk has a much deeper and diverse background than her candidacy. The CEO of Eighth Generation, Echohawk has long been an influential voice in the community and previously led the Chief Seattle Club, a Native-led housing and human services agency. Jon and Colleen talk about her perspective on housing and homelessness, the work of Eighth Generation, what she learned from running for mayor and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Colleen Echohawk.
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Aug 15, 2022
Episode 16: Ryan Cudney
Who and what do you trust? It seems like a straightforward question, but as we’ve seen time and again, events and circumstances can shift confidence and beliefs. Each year, Edelman produces the Trust Barometer, a detailed trust and credibility survey about confidence in a few different groups: business, government, media and nonprofits. Jon and Edelman Pacific Northwest General Manager Ryan Cudney discuss the 2022 Trust Barometer’s findings, its implications for Seattle and Ryan’s perspective on the Emerald City. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ryan Cudney.
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Aug 1, 2022
Episode 15: Marshall Foster
The word “transformational” is perhaps overused when it comes to public and private development projects. But there are few undertakings in Seattle’s history as transformative as the Waterfront Park redevelopment. As construction kicks into gear on the Overlook Walk and other signature elements of this major makeover, we sit down with the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects Director Marshall Foster. The City’s former Planning Director, Foster has led the Office of the Waterfront since 2014. He’s had a front row seat to Seattle’s biggest project for more than a decade and takes us behind the scenes on a project that is redefining how downtown, and the city, connect with the waterfront to produce what should be an unrivaled urban experience. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Marshall Foster.
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Jul 18, 2022
Episode 14: Jaebadiah Gardner
GardnerGlobal, Inc. founder and CEO Jaebadiah Gardner is in the business of building wealth, with a focus on those who have been traditionally excluded. A developer, fund manager, author and speaker, Gardner’s start in building began with coordinating the installation of a sculpture at the University of Washington. Blocked Out, the first monument to diversity on the campus, was completed in 2005 and a career of creating with a purpose was born. Earlier this year, Gardner received a grant from Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund that will help produce a seven-story mixed use apartment building in the Central District. Gardner takes us on a journey of perseverance and passion. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jaebadiah Gardner.
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Jul 5, 2022
Episode 13: Maya Mendoza-Exstrom
The beautiful game runs deep in Maya Mendoza-Exstrom’s family. The Seattle Sounders FC’s Chief Operating Officer was an All-American player in college, coached at the college level and her father helped pitch Seattle’s bid for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. It was a natural fit for Maya to help lead our city’s 2026 FIFA World Cup bid. She takes us through that process, details soccer’s growth in Seattle and paints the picture for what we’ll experience when the world’s game comes to downtown Seattle in 2026. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Maya Mendoza-Exstrom.
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Jun 21, 2022
Episode 12: Matt Griffin
There are few people who have had a more direct impact on the built environment in downtown Seattle than Matt Griffin. The managing partner of Pine Street Group LLC, Matt has led the development of some of downtown’s biggest office, retail, residential and convention spaces, and he’s done so during difficult economic times over the last 40 years. Jon and Matt take a chronological journey through some of Matt’s notable downtown projects, talk about the deals behind the deals, downtown’s recovery, the future of Pacific Place and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Matt Griffin.
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Jun 6, 2022
Episode 11: Jasmine Donovan
Our latest podcast episode should fill every Seattleite with at least a little nostalgia. Whether it’s a quick lunch or a late night craving, Dick’s Drive-In has been a Seattle staple for nearly 70 years. A family-run business, Dick’s is now led by Jasmine Donovan, the president and CFO. Granddaughter of founder Dick Spady, Jasmine is leading Dick’s during a time of evolution and expansion. Jon and Jasmine discussed the history of this iconic Seattle restaurant, balancing tradition with innovation, the business principles handed down from her grandfather that guide Jasmine to this day and Jon enjoys what can easily be called one of the best chocolate milkshakes in the city. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jasmine Donovan.
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May 23, 2022
Episode 10: Marc Dones
Seattle and King County are now seven years into a declared state of emergency on homelessnes. The King County Regional Homelessness Authority was formed in December of 2019 through an interlocal agreement between King County and the city of Seattle. Marc Dones helped create the framework that will lead this approach in our community and has led the KCRHA as CEO since April 2021. Jon and Marc discussed the KCRHA’s focus on chronic homelessness in downtown, the ways in which the pandemic has impacted homeless outreach, the efforts to bring people off the streets in Seattle and King County. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Marc Dones.
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May 9, 2022
Episode 9: Beth Knox
Name a huge celebratory event in Seattle over the past decade and there’s a decent chance Beth Knox has had something to do with it. From multiple stints with Seafair and work with One Reel (former producers of Bumbershoot) to organizing multiple parades and leading the 2018 Special Olympics, Beth has been a community leader. Beth now directs the Seattle Sports Commission, positioning our city to host major sporting events on the national and global stage. Jon and Beth embark on a timely talk about the local sports landscape, its impact on the city and the potential for big moves on the horizon (NBA, anyone?). Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Beth Knox.
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Apr 25, 2022
Episode 8: Tom Mara
Tom Mara might have the best job in the Seattle metro area. A love affair with music guided Tom to a student volunteer position at KCMU in 1987, and led to him running the coolest radio station (KEXP) on the planet for 30 years. Tom has guided KEXP from a station with a 12-mile radius to a music powerhouse reaching nearly 2 million people around the world every week. The station’s evolution has expanded beyond technical advancement and produced a more culturally diverse platform as well. Jon and Tom discuss that ongoing work, his deep history in building KEXP into what it is today, how the engineering team kept the live music going during the pandemic, Paul Allen’s impact on the region’s music scene and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Tom Mara.
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Apr 11, 2022
Episode 7: Michele Smith
As chief financial officer of Woodland Park Zoo, Michele Smith is responsible for all new and ongoing revenue at this 123-year-old institution that welcomes more than one million guests each year. What does it take to keep 1,000 endangered species safe during a global pandemic? Did the animals miss humans as much as we missed them? How long does it take to plan the wildly popular Wild Lanterns light exhibition, and what are the big names playing at this year’s ZooTunes concert series? Jon and Michele explore these questions and more (including Michele’s “can’t miss” downtown experience) in Episode 7 of Seattle City Makers.
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Mar 28, 2022
Episode 6: Jordan Selig
The Selig name is associated with a number of notable properties in downtown Seattle, including the development of the Columbia Center. In the sixth episode of the Seattle City Makers podcast, Jordan Selig sits down with Jon to discuss her optimism in the economic health of Seattle, expanding her involvement in local politics, developing the most sustainable building of its size in the nation (400 Westlake), the future of the office and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Jordan Selig.
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Mar 14, 2022
Episode 5: Dr. Vin Gupta
You’ll recognize our fifth guest from numerous appearances on NBC News, MSNBC, local news coverage and many other platforms. Since the outset of the covid pandemic, Dr. Vin Gupta has provided medical insights through the media, and also assistance in the field as a trained pulmonologist and a Major with the Air Force Reserve Medical Corps. He’s had a front-row seat to the interplay between politics, trust, media and public health. And he’s well positioned to tell us what the immediate future might look like as we emerge from the pandemic. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Dr. Vin Gupta.
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Feb 28, 2022
Episode 4: Ethan Stowell
The fourth episode of Seattle City Makers features one of the biggest names in Seattle’s food scene, chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell. Restaurants have had to weather a number of restrictions during the pandemic, and Ethan offers ingredients that have been critical to success. He also dishes on how the pandemic will permanently change the industry, why he decided to invest in downtown again and provides Jon (and you, the listener) with terrific tips for the right ragu and the perfect salmon. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ethan Stowell.
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Feb 14, 2022
Episode 3: Liz Dunn
Our third episode features someone who just might be the personification of a “city maker.” Liz Dunn, principal of Dunn & Hobbes, LLC, is one of the standard bearers of Seattle mixed-use neighborhood developers. Jon joined Liz in the Overcast Room of Cloud Studios, which is in the basement of the award-winning Chophouse Row project. They talk about navigating the landlord-tenant relationship during an economic downturn, an exciting new project and partnership in the Central District, the effort to lid I-5 and reinvention of Bumbershoot. As Liz says, “Seattle is the city that likes to remake itself.” Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Liz Dunn.
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Jan 30, 2022
Episode 2: Bernie Griffin
We raise the curtain on our second episode with The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Managing Director Bernie Griffin who joins Jon for a wide-ranging conversation. Performance venues have had a uniquely challenging time during the pandemic. Jon and Bernie talk about how the theatre pivoted, renovated and positioned itself to bounce back, the need to center diverse voices, the economic impact of the sector, the arts as the soul of Seattle and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Bernie Griffin. In addition, be sure to visit DSA member ArtsFund’s website for its latest covid cultural impact study at artsfund.org.
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Jan 18, 2022
Episode 1: Carmen Best
Jon sits down with Seattle's former Chief of Police, Carmen Best. The first Black female to lead the department, Best is now an author and a law enforcement analyst for NBC and MSNBC. Jon and Carmen discuss her new book, the balance of police reform and public safety, the circumstances that drove her to retirement, advice for Seattle’s new leaders on public safety, and more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Carmen Best.
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