Podcasts about spartanburg area chamber

If you're a longtime City Podcast listener, you've heard us talk for years about the growing momentum in Downtown Spartanburg. Those of us who spend our working days and leisure-filled evenings walking Main Street have been noticing the increased company for a long time now, and even a cursory glance at the storefronts in our central business district would show you that this isn't the Downtown Spartanburg many of us remember from 20, 10, or even 5 years ago.  The thing is, all that personal experience is just that, personal. Anecdotes from those of us who frequent downtown don't amount to much when trying to land the next developer to tackle a high profile project or when trying to convince current downtown business owners that some of their assumptions are outdated when it comes to who frequents down and when they are here. Luckily, now we've got a couple of useful tools to put some hard numbers to those perceptions. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Jansen Tidmore, Executive Vice President of Corporate and Urban Development with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, about the data and tools that are changing the way a lot of people think about Downtown Spartanburg.

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Development Partnership has announced a new way for downtown business owners, employees, and residents to come together to learn, share information, and stay in the loop about the rapidly changing face of Downtown Spartanburg. The newly created Downtown Business Council is meant to offer a space for businesses and downtown stakeholders to share their perspectives and to hear information on the wide range of issues that impact those who work and live in Downtown Spartanburg. The group's first meeting is scheduled for October 15, 8:30 am–10 am at the SMC Studio space at the Aug Smith on Main building (). Today on the podcast, we're talking with Jansen Tidmore, Executive Vice President of the Downtown Development Partnership about the new business council and an overview on data coming in from downtown pedestrian counters. What do we know about foot traffic along Main Street, and how can we use the data and the patterns they reveal to grow Downtown Spartanburg in a smarter way? Listen below to find out!        

If you were wondering whether all that Downtown Spartanburg growth we keep talking about had stalled out in 2018...no. No, it hasn't. Not at all. With announcements coming with almost metronomic regularity these days, the problem lately is just keeping up with it all. Already this year has seen big openings like Level 10, The Silo at RJ Rockers, Blue Moon Specialty Foods, Bar 1884, and The Farmer's Table on top of announcements like Le Spice, The Peddler, Monster Subs, and an  that includes a boutique bowling alley, a new restaurant concept, and an event space. Is your head spinning yet? Good. Today on the podcast, we're sitting down with Assistant City Manager, Chris Story and Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Development Partnership Executive Vice President, Jansen Tidmore to get the lowdown on where Downtown Spartanburg is in Spring 2018, and where we could possibly be heading from here. Listen below for more!

The city of Spartanburg, the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wofford Campus Union have all taken public stances supporting DACA, the Obama-era program that allows children who were brought here illegally to work and attend school. A Pickens Republican has introduced a bill that would allow DACA recipients to pay in-state tuition and ontain professional licesnes.

It's been just a little more than a month since Betsy Neely Sikma assumed her role at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, serving as Director of Entrepreneurial Development for the Economic Futures Group, but in that short time, but she's already managed to make a splash in Spartanburg, penning one of the most inspirational stories of a native daughter's return home in recent memory.     Today on the podcast, we're sitting down with Sikma to hear more of her story and more about her important work with the Spartanburg Chamber.  

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit organization supported through membership investment and strategic partnerships. http://www.spartanburgchamber.com/ Betsy Neely Sikma joined the EFG after 5 years at Accion in Chicago, a member of the Accion US Network and Accion International, the largest nonprofit microlender and business development organization in the nation. Sikma most recently was Accion in Chicago's Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Development. In her role as Director of Entrepreneurial Development, Sikma will be responsible for administering and implementing small business and entrepreneurial programming for the Economic Futures Group and for administering the day-to-day operations of the Spartanburg Angel Network. http://www.economicfuturesgroup.com/staff-directory/our-team/betsy-neely-sikma/?query=%28category.eq.Our%20Team%29.and.%28category.eq.Our%20Team%29&back=staff In this episode: How to have a Huge Vision but focus on immediate tangible goals What is the definition of a small business and an entrepreneur The Spartanburg “Movement” and how this South Carolina city is the next big thing Developing a workforce in a new way

It was November of 2012 when the City of Spartanburg first launched its podcast, giving local government violent shove into 2005's favorite new communications tool. That podcast, as so many that came after, featured City Communications Manager Will Rothschild and not-yet-City employee Christopher George rambling for 40 too-noisy, unfocused minutes about...city stuff. Listening to that early effort now is a reminder of how far things have come for both the podcast and the city we've talked about for nearly a half-decade. Our time in Spartanburg is one of deep, transformative change, a kind of change Spartanburg has not seen in the modern era. During that time, this humble podcast has been a constant, celebrating Spartanburg while chronicling and contextualizing those changes.  While the podcast and its mission will continue for hopefully many more episodes to come, one half of that original podcasting pair is moving on. After five-and-a-half years with the City, Will Rothschild has left his position as Communications Manager to accept a strategic communications position with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce's OneSpartanburg initiative. So today on the podcast, we're taking a trip down memory lane with Rothschild, looking back on his time here at the City and talking about what's to come.

Last Tuesday at the Chapman Cultural Center, after more than a year of work and data gathering, including input for thousands of local residents, the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce unveiled its new strategic action plan. The ambitious plan seeks to move Spartanburg forward in eight key areas, affecting areas as wide-ranging as downtown economic development, improving educational attainment, poverty alleviation, and building a more cohesive sense of community. Announced at the event was the addition of Meagan Rethmeier as the new executive vice president of One Spartanburg and news that the Chamber has already raised $3.3 million of the $5.1 million goal set to pay for seven positions to implement the plan over the next five years. Today on the podcast, we're diving deep to get the details on One Spartanburg and what it means for you with Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allen Smith.