Rebuilding "Middle America" w/ Walton Family Fellow Ross Devol
Jan 20, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode description
In this episode of the American Dream Factory:
Ross Devol of Heartland Forward: https://heartlandforward.org/
Nick Smoot of Aesop Industries: https://www.aesopindustries.com/
Ross Devol is the president and CEO of Heartland Forward, a “think and do” tank based in Bentonville, Ark. Heartland Forward’s goal is to promote regional innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems that foster job creation, wage gains and economic growth for the American Heartland. Its mission through independent, data-driven research, action-oriented convenings, such as the Heartland Summit, and impactful policy recommendations. It works with universities, colleges, the business community, public policy leaders and philanthropy to analyze resources supporting the startup community and identify workforce and talent gaps.DeVol is former chief research officer for the Milken Institute where he spent nearly 20 years, an economic think tank headquartered in California. He oversaw research on international, national and comparative regional growth performance; access to capital and its role in economic growth and job creation; and health-related topics.He has been ranked among the “Superstars of Think Tank Scholars” by International Economy magazine.
Nick Smoot is a seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience driving community and economic transformation across 15 states and 7 countries. Specializing in solving complex issues in social sciences and economics, Nick has guided the development and adaptive reuse of 8 real estate campuses. Notably, he transformed a challenging campus into the highest-priced per square foot for commercial use.
His passion is turning human flourishing into a core amenity in every city, company, and real estate campus. This passion has fueled the creation of award-winning systems and programs recognized by Bloomberg, the Milken Institute, SXSW, and others. Nick's unique economic model and custom programs prioritize people while delivering exceptional returns.
In one city, Nick's work resulted in 350+ patents, 5 new schools, 740+ jobs, and over $360 million in funding for new companies. His initiatives led to a 160.77% increase in rent prices, a 19.1% reduction in poverty rates, and a significant rise in the city's ranking for best-performing cities.
If you have questions about the American Dream Factory and Aesop Industries, please email us at info@AesopIndustries.com.
We are on a mission to reignite the American Dream and get culture back on track!
