On this episode of the podcast, Nathan Ciulla sits down with Michael Edwards, President and CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA), an organization that aims to revitalize Chicago’s Loop to perpetuate the growth and development of its businesses and investments. As a native of Buffalo, New York, he attended Canisius College in his hometown where he received a BA in political science and history. After graduation, he went to the University of Pittsburgh where he earned a MA in Public Administration. He was also the former CEO and President of Downtown Spokane Partnership, and former president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Being constantly on the move, he found himself working in multiple cities in the US, aiming to improve their downtown areas through fun and creative communal activities, and by developing structural plans in order to create an organized, interconnected, and secure community. Working with CLA, he hopes to have people “think of the Loop beyond 9 to 5.”