Episodios

  • 11. Inside Orlando’s Creative Renaissance: Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome Shares His Vision

    11. Inside Orlando’s Creative Renaissance: Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome Shares His Vision
    Dec 17 2025
    In this episode of The City Playbook Podcast, host Tim Giuliani sits down with Shawn Welcome, Poet Laureate of the City of Orlando, to explore the deeper story of Orlando beyond theme parks and tourism. With over 30 years in Central Florida, Shawn shares how the city has shaped his life as an artist, educator, and community builder, and how poetry gives voice to neighborhoods that are often overlooked.

    You will hear about the evolution of Orlando’s literary arts scene, from open mics and spoken word residencies at Dr. Phillips Center to the creation of the Literary Arts Council of Central Florida. Sean and Tim dig into Orlando’s identity as a collaborative, innovative city, where creatives, business leaders, and residents have a unique opportunity to co create what comes next.

    They also talk about big visions like bringing the Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival to Orlando, launching Lit Lando as a literary festival on the level of the Miami Book Fair, honoring the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston and Eatonville, and connecting arts, education, and economic development across the region. If you care about the future of Orlando, storytelling, and how cities build culture, this conversation will leave you inspired to play your part in the mosaic of Central Florida.

    In this episode you will learn:
    • How Orlando’s identity is evolving far beyond tourism
    • Why literary arts and spoken word matter for youth, neighborhoods, and civic life
    • How local leaders are working to position Orlando as the literary arts capital of the South
    • The story behind Sean’s upcoming documentary, Welcome, and his journey from open mic host to Poet Laureate
    If you are a policymaker, business leader, student, or resident who loves this city and wants to see it thrive, hit like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who cares about Orlando’s future as much as you do.


    Connect with Shawn and get information on his documentary at:
    Instagram: @shawn.welcome | @welcome.shortfilm
    Website: shawnwelcome.com

    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.
    ------------------------------------------------------
    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    41 m
  • 10. Building a Worldwide Fintech From Orlando: Piero’s Bold Vision

    10. Building a Worldwide Fintech From Orlando: Piero’s Bold Vision
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode of The City Playbook Podcast, host Tim Giuliani, President & CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership, sits down with Piero Del Risco the founder of Pana, a global neobank built for immigrants and diasporas around the world.

    After growing up around cameras and TV in the Dominican Republic, working in banking, insurance, and investment funds, and leading digital banking at Scotiabank in Toronto, Piero took a big leap: he left a secure career to solve a problem he personally lived through as an immigrant. Today, Pana has more than 200,000 signups and is on a mission to make opening a U.S. dollar account and moving money across borders as easy as sending a WhatsApp message.

    Piero shares how a frustrating attempt to open a bank account during a visit to Orlando sparked the idea for Pana, how he got into Y Combinator, secured an O-1 “extraordinary ability” visa, and ultimately chose Orlando over Miami, New York, and California as the home base for his fast-growing fintech company. He also talks candidly about the toughest parts of fundraising, the realities of startup life, and why he believes Orlando checks all the boxes for high-skilled immigrants building global companies.

    If you care about immigration, fintech, global banking, and Orlando’s rise as an international tech hub, this conversation will give you a front-row seat to what’s possible here.


    Listen to learn about:
    • Piero’s journey from Dominican Republic TV studios to leading digital banking at a global bank
    • Why he left a “dream job” to build Pana and solve a 2,000-year-old problem: migration and remittances
    • How Pana lets people open a global U.S. dollar account with just a passport or international ID
    • Why Pana is like a Venmo/Zelle/WhatsApp for global money movement
    • The challenges of fundraising in today’s environment and what kept him going
    • Why Piero chose Orlando over bigger “startup cities” – and how the city’s infrastructure, airport, quality of life, and international community shape his decision
    • How density, mixed-use districts, and serendipitous encounters fuel a stronger startup ecosystem
    • A powerful book recommendation: “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield and what it means for builders and entrepreneurs
    Connect with Pana and Piero:
    Website: joinpana.com
    Instagram: @panaapp

    Download Pana in the app store to open your global U.S. dollar account.

    ------------------------------------------------------


    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.

    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • 9. Orlando Helps Entrepreneurs Win: Lessons from Brand Strategist Latria Graham

    9. Orlando Helps Entrepreneurs Win: Lessons from Brand Strategist Latria Graham
    Nov 26 2025
    In this episode of The City Playbook Podcast, host Tim Giuliani, President and CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership, sits down with Latria Graham, founder of GLB, brand strategist, and trusted advisor to both athletes and corporations. From choosing between ESPN in Bristol and the Orlando Magic to spending 11 seasons inside the NBA organization, Latria shares how her early sports career shaped the way she now builds strategic brands and community impact platforms from her home base in Orlando.


    Latria opens up about spotting a major gap in athlete philanthropy, why writing a check is not the same as creating real change, and how she built a niche helping players and their families design intentional foundations and community programs. She breaks down her philosophy of R on R, return on relationships, and how consistency, showing up, and doing the work turned “small business” perception into big corporate opportunities with brands like Florida Blue.

    You will also hear a powerful conversation about Orlando’s openness as a city, the advantage of building a business in a place where leaders actually listen, and why diversity of voices is not just a moral imperative but a business opportunity. Latria shares how she navigates spaces from the locker room to the board room, why she pushes young athletes and young professionals to give before they take, and how board service and community involvement can shape your leadership journey.


    Listen to learn about:
    • Latria’s career path from UF to the Orlando Magic to founding GLB
    • Why Orlando became her launchpad for business and community impact
    • The difference between “giving” and actually measuring impact
    • Working with athletes on authentic philanthropy and personal brand building
    • Return on relationships as a growth strategy for small businesses
    • How Orlando’s diversity and openness create unique business opportunities
    • Advice for young professionals who want to lead and give back

    Connect with GLB and Latria:

    GLB Media Group: g-lbmediagroup.com
    GLB Promos: g-lbpromos.com
    Follow GLB on social media at @glbmediagroup and @glbpromos

    ------------------------------------------------------
    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • 8. The Business of Building Orlando: Scott Cathcart on How Truist Powers Community Progress

    8. The Business of Building Orlando: Scott Cathcart on How Truist Powers Community Progress
    Nov 20 2025
    Curious about what is next for Orlando and how civic leadership and corporate partnership shape a thriving city? In this episode, Tim Giuliani sits down with Scott Cathcart, President of Truist in Florida, to unpack career lessons, community investment, and the power of innovation to serve real people and real businesses.

    Scott shares his journey from early banking roles to leading a statewide team of 6,000, why careers work more like a jungle gym than a ladder, and how “showing up” creates opportunities.
    Tim and Scott dive into Truist’s Innovation and Technology Center in Charlotte, what Orlando can learn from high collaboration hubs, why transit and walkable districts matter for housing and talent, and how Lift Orlando shows the impact of holistic community development. The throughline is simple. Build your community and you build your company.

    What you will learn
    • How to navigate a modern career in finance and leadership with curiosity and resilience
    • Why relationship banking and trust still win in an AI enabled world
    • Inside Truist’s Innovation and Technology Center and how collaboration speeds problem solving
    • Lessons from Charlotte that Orlando can adapt for mobility, housing, and downtown vitality
    • Practical ways professionals can get involved in civic leadership and make a measurable difference

    Connect with Scott Cathcart at:
    Website: https://www.truist.com/
    iN: @scott-cathcart

    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.

    ------------------------------------------------------
    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    36 m
  • 7. Designing a City People Love: Orlando’s Playbook with Dan Kirby

    7. Designing a City People Love: Orlando’s Playbook with Dan Kirby
    Nov 12 2025
    Welcome to The City Playbook, where President and CEO Tim Giuliani takes you behind the ideas, innovation, and initiatives shaping the future of Orlando.

    In this episode, Tim sits down with architect and urban planner Dan Kirby of Jacobs to talk about what it takes to build a people-first city that attracts talent, investment, and opportunity.
    From converting one-way streets to designing great “third places,” Tim and Dan dig into how policy, placemaking, and smart growth can elevate downtown Orlando and surrounding main streets across Central Florida.

    Tune in to learn:
    • Post-COVID downtowns and what’s next for Orlando
    • People-first design vs. car-first design
    • One-way to two-way street conversions and street life
    • Safety through activity and “eyes on the street”
    • The 15-minute city concept and walkability
    • Mixed-use, density, and housing affordability
    • Transit options, transit-oriented development, and better connections
    • Policy frameworks that work (Portland), and modeling with digital twins
    • Charlotte’s light rail as a case study
    • Civic leadership, shared agendas, and why cities are the key economic unit

    Connect with Dan Kirby at:

    Website: Jacob.comIG: @dankirbyflX: @dankirbyfl

    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.

    ------------------------------------------------------
    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    48 m
  • 6. Inside Travel + Leisure Co.’s Bold Move to Downtown Orlando with Michael Brown

    6. Inside Travel + Leisure Co.’s Bold Move to Downtown Orlando with Michael Brown
    Nov 12 2025
    In this episode of The City Playbook, Orlando Economic Partnership President & CEO Tim Giuliani sits down with Michael Brown, President & CEO of Travel + Leisure Co. (Fortune 1000), to talk about the company’s evolving strategy, why they’re moving their headquarters into Downtown Orlando, and how civic leadership can shape neighborhoods and futures.

    Tune in to learn:
    • Why Travel + Leisure Co. chose Downtown Orlando (west of I-4) and what that means for daytime vibrancy, talent, and the local economy
    • How the company became a multi-brand platform during COVID by acquiring the Travel + Leisure brand, plus updates on Sports Illustrated Resorts, Eddie Bauer, and Accor Vacation Club
    • Orlando’s true industry footprint: beyond rides and hotels to engineering, finance, IT, construction, corporate operations, and global talent
    • The power of proximity: MCO’s connectivity, coast-to-coast access, trails, food, arts, and year-round amenities that attract and retain talent
    • Philanthropy and inclusive growth: scholarships and community work in Eatonville and Osceola County, and how corporate action can catalyze long-term neighborhood impact
    • The future of American downtowns and how Orlando can win with residential density, culture, and everyday activation
    • Leadership lessons on necessary endings, risk, and reinvention inside a public company


    Connect with Michael Brown at:
    Website: https://www.travelandleisureco.com/
    IG: https://www.instagram.com/travelleisureco/#

    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.
    ------------------------------------------------------

    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at: Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org
    Más Menos
    40 m
  • 5. How Placemaking and Storytelling Are Powering Orlando’s Economic Revolution

    5. How Placemaking and Storytelling Are Powering Orlando’s Economic Revolution
    Oct 29 2025
    In this episode of The City Playbook, Orlando Economic Partnership President & CEO Tim Giuliani sits down with Steven Pedigo, renowned urban strategist and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, to explore what truly makes a city world-class.


    From placemaking and destination branding to economic development, innovation ecosystems, and the bold Vision 2045 plan — discover how Orlando is positioning itself alongside global creative capitals like Barcelona, Tokyo, and Montreal.

    You’ll hear why Orlando’s story is about more than tourism — it’s about the fusion of creativity, research, and opportunity that’s redefining the future of work, life, and community in Central Florida.

    Tune in to learn:
    • How Orlando climbed into America’s Top 11 Best Cities ranking
    • The power of placemaking and why “loveability” drives economic success
    • What the rise of AI, entertainment, and innovation means for Orlando’s future
    • How collaboration between Visit Orlando, UCF, and the private sector is fueling growth
    • Why storytelling is the new strategy for city branding and global recognition
    Connect with Steven Pedigo at:
    Website: https://iamstevenpedigo.com/
    IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamstevenpedigo/

    If you enjoy conversations with the decision makers and difference makers shaping Central Florida’s future, like, comment, and subscribe to The City Playbook.

    ------------------------------------------------------

    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org

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    Podcast produced by Hi Hello Labs:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hihellolabs/
    Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/
    Más Menos
    18 m
  • Ken Pozek on Building Orlando’s Future: Real Estate, Community, and Growth | 4

    Ken Pozek on Building Orlando’s Future: Real Estate, Community, and Growth | 4
    Oct 22 2025
    Orlando is more than theme parks. In this episode of The City Playbook, host Tim Giuliani sits down with real estate creator and community builder Ken Pozek (The Orlando Real) to unpack Orlando’s growth story, what residents and newcomers really want, and how smart development can strengthen community.

    Ken shares his journey from Detroit to Central Florida, how content marketing helped him scale a 55-person real estate company, and why neighborhoods like SoDo, Mills 50, and Winter Garden are setting the pace. We compare takeaways from Orlando’s learning trips to Nashville and Charlotte including light rail, infill, 15-minute districts, and policies that fast-track high-quality development. Plus, we talk food scene surprises, the power of third places, and why “amenities and access” often matter more than bed-bath counts.

    What you’ll learn:
    • How Orlando’s brand and creative economy attract talent and companies
    • Lessons from Nashville and Charlotte that Orlando can apply now
    • Why downtown housing, mobility, and mixed-use are key to a thriving core
    • What today’s buyers value most and where growth is heading
    • Practical ways cities and developers can foster true community and belonging

    TIME STAMPS:
    • 00:00 – Intro: shaping Orlando’s future
    • 00:25 – Meet Ken Pozek, The Orlando Real
    • 01:10 – From Detroit to Orlando
    • 02:45 – Building a content-driven real estate business
    • 04:45 – What people ask before moving to Orlando
    • 06:15 – Hidden gems & Orlando’s food scene
    • 08:00 – Lessons from Nashville’s growth
    • 09:45 – Charlotte insights: light rail & live-work balance
    • 11:30 – Why downtown Orlando needs more residents
    • 13:15 – Growth, policy, and opportunity
    • 15:00 – Orlando housing market outlook
    • 17:00 – What buyers value most today
    • 18:45 – Building community & belonging
    • 20:30 – Winter Garden’s model for success
    • 22:30 – Orlando’s next decade & key catalysts
    • 25:00 – Big projects reshaping downtown
    • 27:15 – Ken’s book & podcast recommendations
    • 29:00 – Where to find Ken Pozek
    • 31:00 – Closing thoughts & CTA
    Connect with our Guest at:
    • Ken Pozek — Real estate leader and creator behind The Orlando Real
    IG: @theorlandoreal
    YouTube: Ken Pozek

    ------------------------------------------------------

    What do you want to see more of in downtown Orlando? Drop a comment with one placemaking idea you think would make the biggest difference.

    Like, subscribe, and share with a friend who cares about building great cities. New episodes explore the people and ideas shaping Central Florida’s future.

    Connect with our host Tim at:
    Social: https://www.instagram.com/timgiuliani/
    Website: https://timgiuliani.com/

    Brought to you by the Orlando Economic Partnership Learn more: https://orlando.org

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    Podcast produced by Hi Hello Labs:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hihellolabs/
    Website: https://www.hihellolabs.com/
    Más Menos
    33 m
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