DANIEL CASTANEDA
Daniel Castaneda came to Grow Ada, formerly known as the Ada Jobs Foundation, four years ago. He holds a master’s degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his degree, Castaneda earned certification as a planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners and recently completed the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, putting him on track to receive the Certified Economic Developer designation through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
Castaneda does many things at Grow Ada, though his primary responsibility is to engage with major industries in the area to understand their needs and work to retain and support them. This often involves identifying and coordinating incentives—whether local or state-level. He also responds to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to attract new businesses. This includes promoting our community, quality of life, industrial sites, and infrastructure at trade shows and through site consultant networks. Castaneda says, “A big part of this is collaboration with state agencies such as the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission. For example, we advocate for increased investment in sites like the Ada Airport to strengthen local infrastructure and economic potential.” He also manages all marketing and communications for Grow Ada and helps to oversee our grant administration, including the Business Improvement Grant and Build to Scale.
His academic background gives him the tools he needs to help Ada flourish. He has a deep understanding of how cities function and how we can align economic growth with livability and community needs. In addition to this, though, he strives to build authentic relationships with other individuals, which only strengthens Grow Ada’s partnerships. He values follow-through and accountability and has built a reputation as someone people can rely on to get the job done. This quality also serves him well as a board member and Education Chair for Select Oklahoma, the state’s leading economic development organization, as well as many other state and regional economic development organizations, such as the Heartland Economic Development Course and the Southeastern Regional Transportation Planning Organization. Being involved in these organizations helps raise Ada’s profile and strengthens our position when advocating for resources and investment.
SUNNIE DAWN BAKER
Sunnie Dawn Baker joined Grow Ada, formerly known as the Ada Jobs Foundation, three years ago. Though Grow Ada originally hired her to write content about entrepreneurship and innovation, she has smoothly transitioned into Entrepreneurship Support, hosting workshops and meeting with entrepreneurs one-on-one. Her background was primarily in writing and teaching, though she jumped headfirst into the world of economic development. Since working at Grow Ada, she has learned much, both on-the-job as well as through professional development. She has attended the National Conference for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and three conferences that the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) hosted. Each one of these opportunities broadens her view of economic development and provides her with tools to help her community. She also regularly participates in Virtual Entrepreneurship Working Groups that CORI facilitates, allowing her to talk to other professionals in the field about what works—or doesn’t work—in their communities.
In addition to the many lessons she has gained from attending conferences, Baker is working toward her Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) certification through the IEDC. This process required Baker to take four courses to help her help entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurship Led Economic Development, Economic Development Credit Analysis, Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Strategies, and Technology-Led Economic Development. The staff at IEDC were so impressed with the work she has done that they invited her to teach a section for the Technology-Led Economic Development course this past March.
One of the things that fascinates Baker is the similarity between helping someone write an essay and helping someone start a business. She taught Freshman Composition I and II at ECU for six years and is now able to bring that experience to a new field. This skill set helps with public workshops and also supports one-on-one coaching. Writing is all about making choices, and the same goes for starting a business. Baker is excellent at helping people narrow down their options to discern the best starting point and then building out a plan to achieve their goals, much like an outline for an essay. Her background in both research and character development perfectly positions her to help clients with customer discovery and market research. This is crucial for a successful business because, while demographics are important, it is necessary for an entrepreneur to see their customers as real people; Baker helps her clients think carefully about who their ideal customer is, which helps with marketing but also strengthens individual business plans. Baker has a passion for helping entrepreneurs and her experience uniquely situates her to do just that.
Written by
Daniel Castaneda
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