Community-First Economic Development
Keynote Speaker
A visionary person with a remarkable ability to put ideas into action.
This was the best seminar I was privileged to attend in the past two months. The speaker was unreal good and the info he gave us has already had a positive impact on our town.
A truly thought provoking perspective and one that I immediately brought back to my colleagues. […] Truly inspirational!
Incredible ability to take complex, creative ideas and articulate them in a very powerful way.
I would highly recommend him again.
A great mix of data, humor, and insights that were informative and entertaining at the same time. […] He was a hit for sure!
Jason offers a vision for moving forward that is understandable and actionable. Extremely well received!
Jason excites the mind when he is speaking. Our 60-plus CEO attendees enjoyed his talk greatly…and are still referring to his ideas!
If a person can accurately look into the future of America’s cities of the twenty-first century, that person is Jason Broadwater.
Jason received great ratings for his content, dynamic presentation style, and sense of humor. Well done!
A very inspiring and well thought out message. I would love to see your ideas begin to root here.
With passion, humor, data, case studies, and a bit of Southern charm, Jason discusses the great challenges facing small cities and rural communities today. Jason provides sweeping historical perspective and a clear view of the shifting macroeconomics of the day while using specific and localized data from your community to make inspiring connections. Your audience will experience a superior presentation — energetic, insightful, and full of practical take-aways. The ideas are fresh, the presentation is engaging, and the message is change.
Workforce Development Keynotes
Small Business Ecosystem Keynotes
Speaker Fee: $3,500 (Community-Level)
Speaker Fee: $6,500 (State-Level)
Mileage Reimbursement (if driving)
Airfare Reimbursement (if flying)
Transportation Reimbursement (if flying)
Hotel Accommodations (if applicable)
“Jason is a visionary person with a remarkable ability to put ideas into action. In supporting economic development, highest recommendations!” — Stephen Turner, Director of Urban and Economic Development, Rock Hill, SC (retired)
“Jason’s keynote presentation made Economic Development crystal clear.” — Patty Schmucker, EDC Team Jefferson, WA
“The one word I would use to describe the actual meat and bones of his talk would be: high-value.” — Leslie Friedman, Executive Director, Elbert County Chamber of Commerce
“Jason speaks from the heart. I would highly recommend him again.” — Anthony Gallo, President, Lorain County Chamber of Commerce
“This was the best seminar I was privileged to attend in the past two months. The speaker was unreal good and the info he gave us has already had a positive impact on our town. Good job. No, great job. Thank you.” — Bill Beall, Mayor, Federalsburg, MD
“Jason is a seasoned speaker with a charismatic style that blends messaging around economic development, community building and marketing. Truly inspirational!” — Lynn Carpenter, VP Marketing, VisitCalifornia
“Jason provided our group with a great mix of data, humor, and insights that were informative and entertaining at the same time. We’ve received very positive feedback from attendees. He was a hit for sure!” — B Gorman, President & CEO, Tahoe Chamber
“Jason… Your share in Salisbury was exceptional on many levels.” — Bob Rich, Owner, Delmarva Farm Management Services / Land Advisor, Sperry Van Ness
“Your presentation was the icing on the cake. You brought a very inspiring and well thought out message. I would love to see your ideas begin to root here in Nevada.” — Sheryl Gonzales, Project Manager, Western Nevada Development District
“Jason’s ability to convey the message of how crowdsourcing can be used as a tool to spur redevelopment efforts is uncanny. He has made the connection between public engagement and community redevelopment.” — Wade Luther II, Economic Development Director, Camden, SC
“Jason is a self-organizing and visionary entrepreneur and a leader in our community.” — Debra Heintz, Executive Director, Arts Council of York County (retired)
“Jason excites the mind when he is speaking. He is creative and brings the ever-changing culture to the discussion of long-time problems. He looks through new eyes. Our 60-plus CEO attendees enjoyed his talk greatly…and are still referring to his ideas!” — T. Jan Wiseman, Executive Director, Greater Salisbury Committee
“Jason has the incredible ability to take complex, creative ideas and articulate those ideas in a very powerful way. Our community WILL move forward thanks to Jason Broadwater.” — David Bradley, President & CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
While Shop Local campaigns may generate a slight bump in local sales for a few weeks, the results are usually mediocre and temporary. This is not a criticism of the people running these campaigns. The problem is, instead, with the nature of the Shop Local campaign itself. Ditch your Shop Local Campaign for a Discover Local initiative, and see a permanent change in local consumer behavior.
A Small Business Debt Fund can save your community’s local small businesses from extractive debt cycles that kill small businesses and send money out of the local economy.
Are the people of your community getting richer or poorer? Well, by isolated metrics, like wages and 401ks, one could argue richer. But by lived experience, in relation to the important expenses of our lives and our ability to build wealth over time, the clear answer is poorer. But why? The answer is woven into our economic system.
There is no better workforce investment than my wife. My wife is a counselor at a small, rural, Title I elementary school in South Carolina. How much money is being spent to address the soft-skills crisis in the US right now? How many billions of dollars? How many employers report that workers struggle with communication, teamwork, adaptability, conflict management, and self-regulation? Working with adults is triage. We must invest in the future of our workforce.
Economic Developers have traditionally focused on business recruitment and real estate development. Now we find ourselves in workforce development, skills training, soft-skills, even transportation and childcare. We need a new perspective on what it means to serve a community in Economic Development.
More people are getting poorer over time. We must evolve our understanding of the economy so that we can see the pending crisis that lurks underneath. Only then can we design the changes that will avoid calamity and create a better future for all.
York County should invest significantly in developing the “Agriconomy” (as I call it) – agri-business, agri-tourism, agri-lifestyle, etc. – in the western part of the county.
Some of you will not like these solutions… I get it. Some of these are pretty radical. But, the fact remains, doing all of (or even some of) these things that I spell out below would help combat the economic crisis in the US, The Great Slide I call it, of the working class into poverty.
Recently, I attended a joint meeting of City Council and the Planning Commission in Rock Hill, SC. I was among the listening public.