Episodes

Friday Mar 29, 2024
Key Factors in FDI Decisions: A Conversation With Jasjit Singh
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Jasjit Singh is executive director of SelectUSA, a U.S. government program housed within the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration that works to attract foreign direct investment to the United States. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Singh about trends in foreign direct investment and SelectUSA’s work to drive FDI activity.

Friday Mar 29, 2024
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Ambassador Mark Brzezinski has served as the U.S. Ambassador to Poland since 2021 and previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Ambassador Brzezinski about foreign direct investment, European perceptions of the business climate in the United States and Virginia and what states can do to attract European investment.

Thursday Jan 04, 2024
Nuclear’s Role in the Future of Clean Energy: A Conversation With April Wade
Thursday Jan 04, 2024
Thursday Jan 04, 2024
April Wade is executive director of the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium (VNEC), which represents stakeholders invested in research and development, workforce, innovation, and advocacy for the nuclear energy industry. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Wade about VNEC’s mission and activities and the role nuclear energy can play in a robust power generation industry working toward ambitious clean energy goals.

Thursday Jan 04, 2024
Charting a Cleaner Energy Future for Virginia: A Conversation With Bob Blue
Thursday Jan 04, 2024
Thursday Jan 04, 2024
Bob Blue is chair, president, and CEO of Dominion Energy, Inc., an integrated energy utility headquartered in Richmond that operates in 15 states and provides energy to 7 million customers. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Blue about the company’s history serving commercial and residential customers and its efforts to shift the balance of its portfolio toward clean energy sources.

Friday Oct 13, 2023
A New Way to Model the Universe: A Conversation With Yaakov Weinstein
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Dr. Yaakov Weinstein is chief scientist of quantum technologies at The MITRE Corporation, a major research organization that conducts and supports research from government and industry on topics important to national security and stability. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Weinstein about the fundamentals of quantum computing, the history of the field, and potential implications across a disparate group of industries.

Friday Oct 13, 2023
The Big-Picture View of Quantum’s Potential: A Conversation With Jay Lowell
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Jay Lowell is a principal senior technical fellow at The Boeing Company, where he helps guide technical strategy and research implementation regarding disruptive emerging technologies. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Lowell about Boeing’s quantum priorities and how the company fits quantum technology into its existing mission.

Friday Oct 13, 2023
The Era of Quantum Utility: A Conversation With Joseph Broz
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Dr. Joseph S. Broz is vice president for quantum growth and market development at IBM, where he’s responsible for driving commercial quantum applications and business adoption of advanced quantum computing capabilities. David Ihrie, chief technology officer of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, spoke with Broz about IBM’s extensive history and leadership position in the quantum computing field and why recent quantum successes are so important.

Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Jonathan Zur is president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC), a nonprofit organization that works with schools, businesses, and communities to promote inclusion. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Zur about VCIC’s mission, its activities, and the importance of pairing diversity with inclusion.

Monday Jan 09, 2023
An Inside Look at Drone Innovation: A Conversation With Tom Walker
Monday Jan 09, 2023
Monday Jan 09, 2023
Tom Walker is the founder and CEO of DroneUp, a provider of drone delivery and flight services that has operated out of Virginia Beach since its founding in 2016. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Walker about DroneUp’s delivery partnership with Walmart, its history and growth in Virginia, and the company’s work to grow the drone industry in Virginia through a unique educational partnership.

Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Following The Crooked Road: A Conversation With René Rodgers
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Dr. René Rodgers is head curator at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, where she leads the museum’s collections, permanent and special exhibits, and other educational programming. VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi spoke with Rodgers about Virginia’s role in the popularization of what’s now known as country music, the complexities of promoting tourist attractions across state lines, and how the museum has benefited from the presence of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.