234. Leading Utah's Economic Future — A Conversation With GOEO and WTC Utah

In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), talks with Jefferson Moss, the organization's new executive director.

Moss discusses his background and priorities, emphasizing how he will lead GOEO as a coordinator, convener, and collaborator among various organizations and initiatives in the state. He believes that uniting these groups will help Utah tackle key challenges — workforce development, housing, and rural economic growth — more quickly and effectively. Moss highlights the importance of partnerships and proactive communication to ensure a stable and business-friendly environment. 

He highlights the importance of economic diversity, noting Utah’s strategic focus on both established and emerging industries. Moss explains how GOEO is reassessing its targeted industry clusters to include new sectors like energy and artificial intelligence, and how it's leveraging resources like the Utah Innovation Fund to help commercialize cutting-edge research from universities. He points to his experiences as an entrepreneur and former legislator to illustrate how government can support the business community by providing resources, fostering connections, and creating a stable, pro-business regulatory framework. Moss expresses confidence in Utah's future and praises the GOEO team's dedication to keeping the state a great place to live and work.

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This episode features a partner conversation with Jonathan Freedman, president and CEO, and Rich Israelsen, chief revenue officer at World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah).  

WTC Utah is actively working to help local businesses thrive in the global market despite constantly changing international trade policies. The organization offers key resources like a tariff dashboard, weekly webinars, and the Foreign Trade Zone, which helps companies defer or reduce duties and tariffs. They also organize governor-led trade missions to countries like Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Japan, which open doors and create valuable business connections. Additionally, WTC Utah administers the Small Business Administration's STEP Grant, providing financial assistance for travel and marketing to help Utah companies increase their exports.