Welcome to the Future-Ready EDO Movement

Katie

Katie

— 2 min read

Hi, I’m Katie Milton Jordan — Founder & CEO of SimpleEDO.ai and creator of the AI Performance School for Economic Developers.

I built this space for one reason: the future of economic development won’t be shaped by theory, panels, or buzzwords. It will be shaped by leaders bold enough to use AI to save time, cut costs, and deliver measurable impact.

I know this because I’ve been in the trenches: answering RFIs at midnight, negotiating industry recruitment deals, fighting for staff bandwidth, and trying to stretch limited budgets in Kerrville, Texas. I’ve also sat in the big chair — serving as Deputy Director and Interim Executive Director at Kerr Economic Development Corporation.

And here’s the truth I’ve seen again and again:
Ignoring AI isn’t safe. It’s negligent.

The Future-Ready EDO Manifesto

Ten Beliefs of Bold Economic Leadership in the Age of AI

  1. Humans Stay in the Loop – Human discernment and ethics remain non-negotiable.
  2. Value Over Hype – ROI and real impact, not buzzwords.
  3. Agency at Every Level – AI empowers autonomy and human flourishing.
  4. Ignoring AI is Negligent – The stakes are too high for hesitation.
  5. We Lead with Operational Intelligence – Efficiency builds trust and frees capacity for meaningful work.
  6. Belonging is Economic Strategy – Human-centered tools drive inclusion, dignity, and performance.
  7. Adaptive Systems Win – What works evolves; we stay flexible, resilient, and forward-looking.
  8. The Best Solutions Win – We follow outcomes, not orthodoxy or tradition for its own sake.
  9. AI Is a Workforce Multiplier – Small teams achieve big impact while protecting human energy.
  10. This Is Leadership 3.0 – We activate the future with courage, creativity, and care.

If this resonates, you’re not just managing programs — you’re building the next economy.

Why Me? Why This Space?

I’ve built my expertise not just through client work and leadership roles, but through formal training and advanced certifications across finance, strategy, sales, compliance, and operations. Along the way, I’ve also built custom GPTs for everything from permitting assistance to economic impact storytelling to running hyperlocal media.

I don’t just talk about AI. I build, test, and apply it in the messy, real-world work of economic development. That includes running TheTownie.ai, a micro EDO I launched to experiment with AI-enabled strategies in real time. What I learn there feeds directly back into the tools and training I share with larger organizations.

This space is for leaders who want practical, human-centered AI enablement—leaders who don’t have time for hype, but need tools and proof they can take to their boards, councils, and stakeholders.

Where to Start

To help you take the first step, I’ve put together two powerful offers:

  • The AI Workflow Certification Scholarship — $4,000 in tools and education, free when you subscribe. Includes a 30-day trial of the AI MBA toolkit (3,276 workflows spanning strategy, marketing, sales, HR, finance, and operations).
  • The AI ROI Experiment — Includes a $999 software license deposit, a 30-minute team workshop, and a guaranteed 23% ROI in 30 days or less.

Book a call with me here to get the details — or simply subscribe and I’ll send everything directly to your inbox.

The Invitation

The AI Performance School isn’t just a site. It’s a training ground. A place where leaders come to practice, apply, and lead with AI. If you’re ready to turn curiosity into competence and theory into execution, welcome to class.

— Katie

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