Episodios

  • Interview with David Brulotte, Québec's Delegate General in New York

    Interview with David Brulotte, Québec's Delegate General in New York
    May 12 2025
    Episode 24: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews David Brulotte, Québec’s Delegate General in New York. David and his team are touring various Kentucky companies and meeting with officials. Kentucky and Québec have significant, commercial relationships. Meet David Brulotte David explains his role is to promote and defend Québec’s interests in the US. The team in New York City consists of 30 people. This is their most senior team in the United States. In total, there are 9 offices in the United States. The province of Québec has 34 offices across 20 countries. The Ministry of International Relations of Québec leads the group. It consists of roughly 600 employees. Approximately 100 of them are in the US, with the remainder spread across Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. The New York office has responsibility for a region which includes Kentucky. At its core mission, David’s office focuses on expanding Québec businesses and exports throughout the region. The help to establish JVs, as well as, brownfield and greenfield investments. David’s team also helps US companies to grow and invest in Québec, with an emphasis on foreign direct investment opportunities. They foster government relationships at the city, state and federal levels. The promote Québec culture including artists, enterprises and universities. Québec’s Focus on Kentucky Both Québec and Kentucky are states. The Delegate General’s office has made previous trips to Kentucky. There are always new opportunities to be found and being on the ground is a great way to discover them. It also provides a the chance to establish personal relationships in the area. David will keynote this evening’s Global Executive Forum at the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics. The Role of Cultural Diplomacy Omar asks David to comment on the role of cultural diversity in his office. David notes that this is the core of his efforts on the international scene. It’s one of the reasons Québec has numerous offices across the world. Canada itself is a very decentralize country. The individual provinces have a great deal of jurisdictions and powers. For instance, healthcare and education are province-based jurisdictions. Québec has always had a proud cultural identity. They regularly promote their native artists, such as Cirque du Soleil. Additionally, they actively promote their businesses, the French language, etc. Three members of his 30-person team specifically focus on cultural promotion opportunities. David points out that cultural experiences help to create memories, which can be helpful when working through challenges in other areas of a common relationship. Those cultural experiences help to foster interests, which fortify the friendships and help to build bridges between two people, organizations or governments. Omar and the World Trade Center Kentucky was able to assist in setting up meetings for David’s delegation in Louisville, Bowling Green and Lexington. They’ve met with company leaders, elected officials, various chambers of commerce and more. It was a terrific opportunity to listen to the needs of companies regarding new suppliers in their supply chains or even new clients. Several companies in Kentucky already have Québec inputs. Several Québec companies have subsidiaries in various parts of Kentucky. It's also a good time to discuss how the tariff situation might affect companies sourcing from or exporting to Québec, and Canada at large. David and his team can convey messages to elected officials and to other businesses, on behalf of the various Kentucky companies. Omar notes how the World Trade Center Kentucky is unique in that it’s the only organization focused on both imports and exports. Many of the government entities you might think of are primarily export-focused. As often noted, Kentucky exported $42 billion in 2024. The WTCKY recognizes the importance of imports and works to help companies to build resiliency into their operations, including supply chain. On this same day, Omar will participate in a webinar focused on duty drawback, which is another tool Kentucky businesses can use to improve financial results. Québec Is a Logistics Hub While Kentucky boast the presence of UPS and DHL, Québec also is known as a logistics hub for North America and Europe. Québec encourages European companies to consider shipping product to Québec. This can help them to take advantage of the USMCA agreement. This may be more advantageous than attempting to ship directly to the US. Aerospace is an extremely competitive sector for Québec. There’s also a strong presence for AI, tech and battery manufacturing. The also have a significant SK battery investment near Montreal, which will enable them to work closely with the new Ford-SK battery plant, in Kentucky. Montreal and ...
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    24 m
  • Local to Global an Interview with Entrepreneur Ricky Mason

    Local to Global an Interview with Entrepreneur Ricky Mason
    Apr 14 2025

    Episode 23: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Ricky Mason, an entrepreneur who is earning a lot of visibility these days. From a stint with the CIA, to working on actual rockets to launching a new company, Ricky is making an impact on many in his orbit.

    Meet Ricky Mason

    Omar and Ricky met at an International Trade Certification course, sponsored by the WTCKY. Ricky later participated in the 2024 Trade Mission to Dubai.

    Ricky grew up in Louisville. He attended the University of Kentucky. He earned his Master’s degree at Johns Hopkins. Ricky spend time working for the Department of Defense as a weapons test engineer. He transitioned to a role at Cape Canaveral and helped to launch rockets. After a period of time, he took a role as a computer engineer for the CIA.

    Ricky eventually returned to the University of Kentucky and after speaking with the dean, he was able to leverage his experiences in a role that involved developing agriculture-related tech, including drone technology, applications involving the Internet-of-Things (IOT) and more. One of his projects benefits soybean producers.

    Recently, he returned to Louisville to develop and launch a new company, BrainSTEM University. This concept is meant to create a pipeline for students interested in pursuing STEM-careers.

    Ricky shares that while growing up, he didn’t have a mentor to encourage him to focus his abilities on STEM. BrainSTEM University provides schools and non-profits with a high-quality curriculum to help get students on a track toward a STEM-related career.

    To Learn More:

    Website: http://www.brainstemu.com/

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 05/06/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape: US-Canada Commercial Relations in a Changing World

    · 09/15-24/25 – Discover Ireland Trade Mission

    · 10/13-19/25 – Trade Mission to Dubai 2025

    · 11/11-13/25 – International Trade Certification Program

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 05/12/25. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    34 m
  • The City of Ali Movie - Muhammad Ali’s Global Impact

    The City of Ali Movie - Muhammad Ali’s Global Impact
    Mar 10 2025

    Episode 22: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Graham Shelby, who directed a documentary film about Muhammad Ali, “The City of Ali”. They’ll discuss how the idea got started, how it grew and the global impact the film is having.

    Meet Graham Shelby

    Graham is a writer and storyteller who’s lived in Louisville for the past 20 years. His role as director and the path of the film, itself, is fairly unconventional.

    Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016. The coverage of his funeral and its effect on the entire city of Louisville was watched worldwide. People came to Louisville from all over the world to pay their respects. Muhammad was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery, in Louisville. This is the city in which he grew up and began his boxing career. The celebration of his life and his mission in life was a special moment in Louisville’s history.

    At the time, Graham was serving as the speech writer for Mayor Greg Fischer. After the week-long celebration ended, Mayor Fischer told his team that they needed to capture what had just happened, so the experience could be preserved, and retold from a Louisville perspective.

    The City of Ali can be viewed on the Delta Airlines entertainment menu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Tubi and other streaming services. A teacher’s guide has also been developed for educators who wish to use the documentary in classrooms, at the middle school, high school and college levels.

    To Learn More:

    Website: http://www.CityOfAli.com

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 02/25/25 – 02/27/25 – International Trade Certification

    · 10/13-19/25 – Trade Mission to Dubai 2025

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 04/14/25. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    30 m
  • Theresa Reno-Weber- Her Journey from Startup to Global

    Theresa Reno-Weber- Her Journey from Startup to Global
    Feb 10 2025

    Episode 21: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Theresa Reno-Weber, CEO of GoodMaps, in Louisville, KY. They provide an innovative, indoor mapping and navigation platform. Omar and Theresa discuss a variety of topics including how GoodMaps was spun off from a non-profit and continues to experience rapid growth on global scale.

    Meet Theresa Reno-Weber

    Theresa was initially hired into GoodMaps as the COO, a later assumed the role of CEO. She began her career as an officer in the US Coast Guard. After serving our country, she transitioned into a consulting role with McKinsey & Company. She became Louisville’s Deputy Mayor during the Fisher administration, in Louisville. After the second term, she became the CEO of Metro United Way, serving a number of counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Theresa earner her Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard.

    To Contact Theresa Reno-Weber:

    Website: https://goodmaps.com/

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 02/18/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape and US-China Commercial Relations

    · 02/25/25 – 02/27/25 – International Trade Certification

    · 10/13-19/25 – Trade Mission to Dubai 2025

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 03/10/25. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    38 m
  • Growing Bourbon Sales Internationally

    Growing Bourbon Sales Internationally
    Jan 13 2025

    Episode 20: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Eddie Smith, CEO & Founder, Kentucky Exports, LLC and Bourbon Kings UAB. Eddie and his brother started in Elizabethtown and now Eddie lives in Lithuania, where he’s focused on growing sales and distribution of bourbon throughout the region.

    Meet Eddie Smith

    Eddie’s brother, Steve Smith, attended an International Trade Certification Program with the World Trade Center Kentucky, a few years ago. This is how Omar became aware of what he and Eddie were doing with Kentucky Exports, LLC.

    Originally from Elizabethtown, Eddie moved to Louisville for 20+ years, before going to Lithuania. He worked in IT for Humana, served as an Adjunct Professor (CIS) at the University of Louisville, and later did international development for Papa Johns.

    While at Papa Johns, Eddie’s area of focus included identifying potential franchise opportunities in the Baltic region. He traveled there and to Russia. He loved the people and culture of the region. He’s lived in Lithuania for the past 5 years, beginning in 2019. Initially, he lead an IT team for Danske Bank.

    Advice for Those Thinking about Starting a Business and Growing It Internationally

    The biggest piece of advice Eddie offers is about choosing the right partners. For Kentucky Exports, LLC and Bourbon Kings, UAB, they’re fortunate to have a Kentuckian on both sides of the business. They trust each other and a similar level of trust is forged with the producers.

    Vet your partners and confirm they have the same level of passion and zeal you have. Entrepreneurship often involves a 24/7 mindset. Go in with your eyes wide open and give it everything you’ve got to be successful.

    To Contact Eddie Smith:

    Website: https://www.kentuckyexports.com

    Website: https://bourbonkings.eu/

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 01/29/25 – Trade Chat: Investing in Workforce Development for a Brighter Future

    · 02/18/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape and US-China Commercial Relations

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 02/10/25. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    34 m
  • Helping Small Businesses Enter the Global Market

    Helping Small Businesses Enter the Global Market
    Dec 9 2024

    Episode 19: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Devanny King, Executive Director of the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky and Fausto Sarmiento, Center Director of Kentucky’s Small Business Development Center in Lexington. The World Trade Center Kentucky is proud of is partnerships and network of resources to support small businesses, as well as medium to large companies.

    Final Thoughts

    Devanny closes with a reminder that the Women’s Business Center’s services are offered as one-on-one, no-cost business coaching. It’s confidential. They offer a tailored approach based on the needs and objectives of the individual business. Additionally, the WBC is known for its training. Strong Women Strong Coffee is a pillar event hosted in Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville Morehead and others. These free events feature a keynote speaker and networking opportunities.

    Fausto notes that the SBDC also offers free services for its clients. The goal is to provide information to help businesses make informed decisions and generate commercial impact. He serves as a collaborator. He’ll be able to connect you with resources all across Kentucky.

    To Contact Devanny:

    Website: www.WBCKentucky.org

    Phone: (859) 231-0054 ext. 1053

    To Contact Fausto:

    Website: www.KentuckySBDC.com/Lexington

    Phone: (859) 407-8167

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 01/29/25 – Trade Chat: Investing in Workforce Development for a Brighter Future

    · 02/18/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape and US-China Commercial Relations

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 01/13/24. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    31 m
  • Interview with Lisette Bryson, Global Manager for Trade Compliance

    Interview with Lisette Bryson, Global Manager for Trade Compliance
    Nov 11 2024
    Episode 18: Today, Omar Ayyash, President & CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky interviews Lisette Bryson. She’s the Global Manager for Trade Compliance at Alltech. They’re going to discuss her experience and the importance of compliance, as it relates to global trade. It’s an ever-evolving, regulatory landscape. Meet Lisette Lisette joined Alltech in July of 2024. However, she has an extensive background in trade compliance, working both directly for companies and in a consulting capacity. The biggest challenge companies tend to face when engaging in global business is managing the trade compliance and regulatory environment. She explains that Alltech is involved in over 140 countries, so the task is enormous. The past several years have been extremely complex. There was Brexit in 2016. The US exited the TPP agreement in 2017. The USMCA was implemented in 2020. Additionally, the geo-political changes have continued to change in many other regions of the world. Ensuring Your Company is Compliant There is a wide range of regulations involving tariffs, quotas, export controls and many other issues a company must monitor and adjust to, if it’s going to be successful in international trade. Lisette explains Alltech’s strategy to trade compliance as having 3 components. The first is the ability to rely on local teams. These resources are on the ground in specific countries or regions and have a better understanding about the requirements in their operating zones. The second is the reliability of Alltech’s partners. These include suppliers, logistics providers, and others who will be involved in Alltech’s efforts to do commerce in specific markets. The third strategic component is leveraging technology. Lisette is a strong proponent of using the tools that can help them to make the best decisions and to stay connected to the flow of regulations. How Is Technology Assisting in Trade Compliance? In a former role, Lisette was responsible for leading the IT global trade strategy. Her team was able to evaluate various software options in an effort to find the best for the company. However, she explains why she favors using bots to fulfill specific tasks. For instance, entries needed to be reviewed before the summary report needed to be filed. This process helped to identify potential errors prior to submitting the report. The bot reviewed each scenario to ensure the specific data was present and that it was correct, when compared to related documentation. This technology helped to avoid discrepancies, time related to error remediation, as well as the cost of the time involved in correcting errors after they were submitted. She recommends using AI for classification of material and products. AI can also be used for designation of various ECCN numbers. There is a variety of technology-based solutions to assist companies in avoiding trade compliance issues, if they are willing to implement them. Technology Drives Cost-Savings in Compliance Lisette describes how she and her team approach the funding requests from the C-suite. It’s important to shift the paradigm focus on adding another line-item expense on the P&L, to one of value based on the cost-saving results once the technology is properly implemented. The basic framework of the argument is that without trade compliance, selling to specific markets won’t be possible. This leads to a discussion of ROI for the requested investment. Technology can reduce or eliminate time (and the cost of that time) spent on repetitive tasks. Maintaining compliance also avoids fines and penalties. This results in fewer delays in the supply chain, due to regulatory non-compliance issues. This framework makes it easier for the C-suite to understand and evaluate the funding request. It avoids the rabbit hole involved in trying to present highly technical aspects of the software, functions and operations. Omar comments on the importance of companies beginning and continuing to focus on digital transformation to reduce time and cost related to compliance and other areas. In his experience, he notices more of this being incorporated in emerging markets, as compared to in the US. Industry-Specific Trade Compliance Alltech’s industry sector is highly regulated by the FDA, the USDA, the EPA and various state regulations. That’s just for the US. Then, consider the regulatory agencies involved in the other 140 countries with which Alltech does business. As successful trade compliance strategy considers the specific needs of each market your company intends to engage. Alltech uses a mitigated strategy. They look for ways to accurately classify products and determine the binding rulings that could impact those products. The objective is to stay ahead of the issues that might affect their export or sales initiatives. Alltech participates in organizations related to their business and ...
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    41 m
  • Interview with Elaine Gravatte, Founder/CEO The Leader's Dance, LLC

    Interview with Elaine Gravatte, Founder/CEO The Leader's Dance, LLC
    Oct 21 2024

    Episode 17: Today, Stephen Marks, Board Member, interviews Elaine Gravatte on the subject of Leading a Global Small Business from a CEOs Perspective. You may remember Steve Marks from Episode 5. He’s the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Givaudan. He actually used to be one Elaine’s direct reports.

    Meet Elaine

    Elaine is the former CEO of DDW, The Color House and recently retired as Divisional President for Givaudan Sense Colour. Prior to the acquisition by Givaudan, DDW was already a supplier to Coca-Coal, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Kraft Unilever and others from right here in Louisville. The company produces natural colors that are then utilized in the products those brands use as ingredients.

    The company manufactures at multiple sites around the world. Elaine started with DDW 25 years ago, in an HR-leadership capacity. The business was generating less than $40 million in sales. Her career path grew to include sales and operations responsibility. She spent the last 10 years with DDW as its president and CEO. DDW had grown to almost $200 million in sales. After the acquisition by Givaudan, she finished her career as the Division President.

    What’s Next for Elaine?

    Elaine is transitioning into a role. Her new company is an executive coaching and consulting firm called, The Leader’s Dance, LLC. She’s motivated to share what she’s learned with other C-suite leaders. The name of the company is related to the need to balance leading a company and those responsibilities, while keeping your whole life in balance. Elaine’s a mom who raised a family during her career. She credits both her family and the company for having been very supportive of her and her balancing of the various responsibilities. She’s honest in admitting it’s tough to do all of the things well, all of the time.

    To Contact Elaine Gravatte:

    Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-gravatte-9213342/

    Upcoming WTCKY EVENTS:

    · 11/12/24 – International Trade Certification Program (3 days)

    · 02/18/25 – Global Executive Forum: Navigating the Evolving Landscape and US-China Commercial Relations

    The next episode of our podcast will launch on 10/11/24. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow This Global Trade Adventure on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.WTCKY.com/podcast.

    We hope you enjoyed this episode. Our schedule is to publish a new episode on the 2nd Monday of each month.

    Please consider sharing this with your colleagues. Until next time, thank you for listening and welcome to This Global Trade Adventure.
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    28 m
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