As stated on their website, ballstonbid.com, “The Ballston Business Improvement (BID) will imagine and implement innovative programs, partnerships and collaborations that bring people together, create a sense of community and strengthen the economic vitality of our businesses and commercial partners in Ballston.”

Their vision “is to create a leading business district that attracts, supports and connects the most creative, compelling and ambitious minds in the region.”

The strategies the BID uses to achieve their goals are:

1. “Focus on creating innovative and dynamic opportunities for learning, networking and collaboration.”
2. “To leverage the unique combination of research, education, non-profit and corporate organizations in the Ballston area.”
3. “To continue with our focused and impactful placemaking efforts that over time will transform Ballston into a unique, amenity-rich destination with a strong sense of community.”

One of the many tools they use is their monthly podcast. Launched in February 2018, CEO Tina Leone hosts the “BallstonConnect Podcast” monthly, which focuses on the hyper-local with each episode featuring interviews with “Arlington’s brightest personalities.”

The episodes cover a wide array of topics and so far have interviewed local leaders including:

• Will Voegele, Senior Vice President of Forest City Realty
• Victoria Lai, Founder of Ice Cream Jubilee
• Kaveh Safa, Owner of Courthaus Social
• Kelly Shooshan, CEO of the Shooshan Company
• Brett Snyder, CEO and Founder of Knucklepuck
• Michael Pope, local historian and journalist
• ABC 7’s resident Caps expert, Scott Abraham

New episodes appear on the 1st of every month, so be sure to visit ballstonconnectpodcast.libsyn.com for the latest episodes.

References:

BallstonConnect Podcast. (2018). Ballston BID. Source: http://ballstonconnectpodcast.libsyn.com/

Ballston BID Hopping on the Podcast Bandwagon with New Show Launch. (2018). AmericanINNO. Source: https://www.americaninno.com/dc/first-look/ballston-bid-hopping-on-the-podcast-bandwagon-with-new-show-launch/