Episode description

What’s an opportunity zone and how do you create one? On this episode of The Future City Podcast we speak with campaigner, lawyer and investment analyst Courtney Cardin about how civic leaders create economic and social opportunities in our neighborhoods. Courtney was Senior Counsel on the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has gone on to advise and analyze companies working to improve our cities. Courtney shares stories about Tulsa, Oklahoma, how public private partnerships can work and that playing to our urban quirks, not bland corporate and government expectations, is our strategic urban advantage. 

Courtney is the Managing Partner of BC Global Partners which works with start-ups, impact investors and venture capital funds to develop targeted impact investing and growth strategies. Prior to this, Courtney was the Director of Entrepreneurship and Independent Business at the American Economic Liberties Project and Director of Partnerships at Power the Polls. Courtney has served as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs where she spearheaded a series of drug pricing and healthcare investigations, promoted bipartisan legislation to address the opioid crisis, and oversaw matters relating to the U.S. Census.