Episodes

  • Episode 101: Ian Goepferd

    Episode 101: Ian Goepferd
    Jan 13 2026
    If you live or work downtown, there’s a really good chance you benefit from infrastructure that is more than 100 years old under your feet. We’re talking steam as we kick off the fifth season of the Seattle City Makers podcast. Jon is joined by CenTrio Energy Vice President Ian Goepferd. Jon and Ian wind their way through a steam heating utility that features 20 miles of piping under downtown Seattle, providing heat to around 150 buildings in the heart of Seattle. They discuss the evolution of this utility; Elliott Bay as a heat source; its future and the state of energy in Washington state; Ian’s perfect Saturday in Seattle and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ian Goepferd.
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    42 mins
  • Episode 100: Joel McHale

    Episode 100: Joel McHale
    Dec 23 2025
    It’s a milestone episode for the Seattle City Makers podcast – we've hit the century mark! While all our guests are special to us, for show number 100 we have a guest who is known well beyond our city as we welcome actor, host and comedian Joel McHale to the program. Jon and Joel talk about the actor’s start on the stage at Unexpected Productions; the springboard from the KING 5 show Almost Live!; the waterfront and Joel’s thoughts on the old viaduct; Joel’s incredibly dark character on The Bear; Jon wearing a lot of layers in the office and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Joel McHale.
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    49 mins
  • Episode 99: Sandeep Kaushik

    Episode 99: Sandeep Kaushik
    Dec 9 2025
    Now that the dust has settled on the November election, it’s time to dig into the analysis, the issues facing our newly elected leaders, the what-does-it-all-mean conversation Seattleites are surely having right now. Political and public affairs consultant Sandeep Kaushik helps us unpack everything. Jon and Sandeep discuss the Trump effect on our local elections; the idea of issue paralysis; the affordability agenda and contributing factors to a pricey Seattle; Mayor-elect Katie Wilson as an ‘outsider mayor’; a possible narrowing of the gap between far-left and center-left and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Sandeep Kaushik.
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    52 mins
  • Episode 98: Bill Berry

    Episode 98: Bill Berry
    Nov 25 2025
    We’re raising the curtain at one of Seattle’s greatest venues on this episode of Seattle City Makers. Bill Berry, the executive & artistic director of the venerable 5th Avenue Theatre joins us to dig into arts & culture in downtown Seattle. Jon and Bill discuss the state of the theatre; upcoming performances, including a production Jesus Christ Superstar that will feature a Seattle music icon; how the 5th compares to venues and production houses across the country; the alliance with the Seattle Theater Group and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Bill Berry.
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    36 mins
  • Episode 97: Amy Barden

    Episode 97: Amy Barden
    Nov 12 2025
    Seattle City Maker listeners, you now have the option to watch these conversations on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/downtownseattle. Kicking off this platform enhancement is Chief Amy Barden, leader of Seattle’s CARE public safety department. This alternative response team was piloted in downtown two years ago, now they’ve expanded citywide. Jon and Amy talk about the CARE team expansion; the progress that’s been made and the challenges that remain with public safety in Seattle; the rhetoric around unarmed response; the essential attributes for CARE responders; the latest on the fentanyl pandemic; re-entry from incarceration and the capacity for people to change; the podcast she co-hosts with her husband and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Amy Barden.
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    59 mins
  • Episode 96: Scott Mitchell

    Episode 96: Scott Mitchell
    Oct 29 2025
    If you’re looking for a brick-and-mortar retail success story, head to Marios on Sixth Avenue in downtown Seattle. This men’s and women’s specialty store has been a fixture for high-end fashion in Seattle since 1982. Now operating under the Mitchell Stores umbrella, Marios has sibling retail shops in New England, Portland, the Bay Area and Dallas. Scott Mitchell runs Marios in Seattle and has been at the helm for a little over a year now. With fresh eyes on our market, Jon and Scott talk about the retail sector in Seattle and how Marios is performing; the importance of having great operators near Marios; navigating the twists and turns of family-run operations; his thoughts on retail nationally and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Scott Mitchell.
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    41 mins
  • Episode 95: Alice Shobe

    Episode 95: Alice Shobe
    Oct 14 2025
    Since 2021, Amazon has invested more than $3.5 billion in affordable housing production and preservation. Leading that charge is Alice Shobe. As Amazon’s outgoing Director of Community Impact, Shobe has taken the tech and logistics giant to new heights regarding direct impact in the communities where its presence is large: Seattle, Arlington, Va., and Nashville. In the Seattle area alone, Amazon has produced 10,000 affordable units. Jon and Alice talk about her path from city planning in Kent to leadership at Amazon; the speed and volume of Amazon’s affordable housing production; the five priorities for Amazon’s community impact team; how an email about a headline in The Seattle Times led to a pilot program and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Alice Shobe.
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    40 mins
  • Episode 94: Joe Paganelli

    Episode 94: Joe Paganelli
    Sep 30 2025
    As summer comes to a close in Seattle, we’re joined by one of the lead architects of our city’s signature September festival, Bumbershoot. New Rising Sun CEO Joe Paganelli has had a busy and extremely productive year that has significantly impacted downtown’s arts & cultural scene. In addition to producing their third iteration of the music, art, culture and fashion event that is Bumbershoot, New Rising Sun opened the doors to Cannonball Arts, downtown’s largest creative arts center spanning 66,000 square feet. Jon and Joe talk about the evolution of Bumbershoot; the origin story of and vision for Cannonball Arts; Joe’s days at The Fillmore in San Francisco with a Prince story; and you absolutely do not want to miss Joe’s story about his first job. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Joe Paganelli.
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    58 mins