What are companies looking for when deciding to expand or relocate? Could Conscious Capitalism be a tool for recruiting companies, retaining talent and growing the regional economy? Ana Liss is one of Rochester's most passionate cheerleaders, but it's not just hype. She can quote endless studies and statistics about our current assets and future potential. At any given time in her role as Managing Director of Business Development at Greater Rochester Enterprise, Ana is working on multiple top-secret code-named projects to recruit companies to Rochester. She learns about their top priorities and advocates for Rochester's assets. Who better to have on the podcast to talk about how to make Conscious Capitalism an economic development strategy for Rochester? Ana is passionate about promoting economic growth and shared prosperity in Rochester. She previously served the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as an Empire State Fellow and Policy Advisor, has also worked for Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, the Center for Governmental Research, and spent time as a television news anchor, reporter, and producer in Elmira-Corning, NY and in Rochester. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Innovation Management and Technology Transfer from SUNY Empire State College. In 2017, Ana was named among Destination Counsellors International’s 40 Under 40 in Economic Development in the U.S.
[1:20] Career path from journalism to economic development
[5:00] Leaving for Albany for the "Empire State Fellows" program
[7:30] Moving back toward Rochester by way of Cornell University and now GRE
[9:20] What is Greater Rochester Enterprise?
[11:30] Changing the reality and changing the perception of Rochester
[15:00] The competition for talent
[16:30] Rochester graduates more STEM graduates per capita than anywhere else in the country
[17:30] The recruiting process: A few recent companies Ana helped bring to Rochester
[23:00] A recent research project from MIT economist Jonathan Gruber: Rochester ranks as the top opportunity for a next generation tech hub
[27:50] The top challenges limiting Rochester's growth: "We're still struggling ensuring that great opportunities here are available to everybody"
[30:55] How can business be a leader toward more inclusive prosperity?
[34:00] Could Conscious Capitalism be an economic development strategy for Rochester?
[36:00] Using social media meta-data to gauge community pride
[39:00] New York State programs that incentivize Conscious Capitalism
[41:30] Conflicting data: Is Rochester gaining or losing population?