E01 – Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development with Andy Donahue

EDO Breakthrough

Andy Donahue, State Director of the Minnesota SBDC, shares how entrepreneurship is central to the nuanced, blended relationship between SBDCs, higher education institutions, and economic development organizations. We also discuss regionalism, talent retention efforts, and involvement with IEDC.

For anyone aiming for a significant promotion, he also shares insights into working at the center level vs. the state level for SBDC, including seeing the bigger picture, working with legislators, and managing larger budgets.

Key Takeaways:

• How regional clusters and remote workers affect economic development
• Talent retention and workforce development techniques that keep students in communities post-graduation
• Benefits of being involved with IEDC, state associations, and other professional development groups

About the Guest:

Andy Donahue is the State Director of the Minnesota SBDC at the Department of Employment and Economic Development. Prior to the Minnesota SBDC, he was the Center Director for the SBDC at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/andydonahue1).

Resources Mentioned:

• Minnesota SBDC Website

The EDO Breakthrough podcast is brought to you by PPR Strategies. PPR Strategies is a strategic consulting firm working specifically with EDOs and other place-based organizations. We share the unique stories of communities through communications, strategic planning, marketing, media relations, and more.

Visit us at pprstrategies.com/edobreakthrough to learn more and to submit a question for a future episode.

Produced and edited by SpeakEasy Productions.