How Cleveland Turned Brain Drain Into a Blueprint

Most talent attraction strategies start with marketing. In Cleveland, they start one step earlier—by building the infrastructure to support what comes next. 

On this episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother sits down with Sara Greicius, director of the Cleveland Talent Alliance, to explore how a regional, 14-partner collaborative is working together to grow Greater Cleveland’s population. 

At the core of the Alliance’s approach are two priorities: improving perceptions of Cleveland as a place to live and work and retaining more of the college students already in the region. By aligning organizations across economic development, tourism and workforce, the Alliance is building a more coordinated and effective system for talent attraction and retention. 

From what Sara calls the “faucet and the sink” to the role of tourism marketing in driving relocation interest, this episode breaks down how Cleveland is creating a full pipeline. 

Listen in to learn: 

• Why improving perception is a critical first step in talent attraction  

• How the “faucet and sink” framework helps move talent from interest to action 

• The role of employer engagement in closing the deal with talent  

• How Cleveland is connecting college students to careers to increase retention 

• How to manage and inspire collaboration across regional partners  

This episode offers a practical look at how regions can align stakeholders, build the right infrastructure and turn interest into impact.

Listen and subscribe to Talent Wars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. To submit guest or episode topic ideas, email patience.fairbrother@old.aboutdci.com.