Capital Conversations

I spent last week in Washington DC with fellow economic developers from across the globe at the annual SelectUSA Summit. We laughed. We cried. We gushed over Gretchen Whitmer’s presence. But mostly, we talked about the challenge facing communities large and small: how do we tackle the same issues – including talent attraction – with new, demanding pressures.

The world looks different than it did six months ago. Budgets are tighter, and communities are nervous. Tariffs are a part of every conversation, and each state is being affected. Artificial intelligence is ever present, and communities are wary. The pace of change has picked up, and the rulebook is being rewritten. Now more than ever, economic development requires agility, creativity, and empathy.

You Can’t Automate Belonging

In the flurry of conversation, one simple truth keeps me rooted: if we take care of people, our communities and economies will thrive. At RoleCall, that’s our deepest belief. You can’t automate the human-ness out of moving to a new city. Helping people find community isn’t something that an emotionless AI bot can do alone. Now is the time to double down on human connection, and personally invite people to belong in your community.

I’m all for using AI to work smarter. It's a great accelerator for ideas and a powerful co-pilot. I’m also fiercely committed to fiscal responsibility—every dollar in economic development should be stretched with care. But if there's one thing always worth investing in, it’s people. When we center our strategies on real human needs, we unlock long-term, resilient growth.