What I Had Wanted to Say to the Citizens of Dorset, VT
Are We Here Yet Podcast
'My firm recently won the nod through a Request for Proposal (RFP) to build a 123+ unit mixed income development for the upscale town of Dorset, VT. In the midst of negotiating a development agreement, detractors for the project made themselves known. For several months and with our help, town leadership prepared to advocate for their efforts which had to that point totaled more than eight years and cost around $600,000.00.' 'A month prior to a second public hearing which would have featured yours truly and the SMG team to re-present the project and the principles behind our rural density...
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A Small Town in Vermont Says, 'No' to Workforce Housing
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Our parent company, SMGraves Associates recently won the nod to build 123+ units of workforce and moderate income market rate housing in the town of Dorset, VT. This was slated to be a $90MM project and one of the first in Vermont to take advantage of new programming including the Communities Housing Infrastructure Program or CHIP. NIMBYs cratered the project before it even got off the ground and after the SMG team won the Request for Proposal process SMG founder and podcast host Scott Graves offers us what consequences there are to our institutions when a small group of wealthy...
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‘I’m Not Dead Yet!’ Living Poets from the Culture Desk
Are We Here Yet Podcast
We’re joined by Culture Desk co-host and writer Joshua Michael Stewart to explore the work of some of America’s great living poets. This is a great chance for our listeners to explore poetry and what’s going on in the minds of some of our most capable and artistic writers for all ages. We explore among others: Joy Harjo, Charles Simic, Billy Collins.
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What Should Cities Do with Abandoned Properties?
Are We Here Yet Podcast
What Should Cities Do with Abandoned Properties? Today's Episode is taken from host Scott Graves 'Are We Here Yet? substack of January 2, 2026. The following is a transcript. Our city completed a round of dispossessing themselves of properties they own this past November. These properties were acquired sometime in the past because their last owners failed to pay their property taxes, were abandoned after the death of an owner or other reasons. . The city then acquired the properties through a tax lien foreclosure in the case of tax troubles. Some parcels have an abandoned home on them....
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What Makes a Good Corporate Neighbor?
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Report from the New England Beacon We’re talking with correspondent Chris Brady of the New England Beacon for this AWHY? Episode. explores the relationship of a $373B corporate entity and its de-industrialized, under capitalized home city. While Woonsocket lets dozens of teachers go CVS found ways to eliminate its obligation to pay property taxes. Its unique relationship to the state of Rhode Island’s Economic Development Corporation allows them to reduce its overall tax burden on income. While it’s true this corporate entity employs thousands, many from Woonsocket and...
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What’s in a Civic Brand?
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Author Ryan Short’s 2025 caught our attention for a singular reason. One of the books many underlying themes is to choose substance over shallow ‘solutions’. Why do we hang new banners downtown every 5 years when we make no substantive investments in small business to fill those empty storefronts? Why do we collect data points to defend projects rather than define them? Ryan talks about taking action to discover the real issues at play, then solving the problems. Without this, do you have a civic brand? Here, at the ‘Are We Here Yet?’ Podcast and...
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My Response to the Magical Teenage Idol
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Transcript taken from This week, a break from our work solving all the problems of small scale developers in rural America. Besides, our work relies on the success of tech entrepreneurs just as much as it does with municipalities, small business owners, manufacturers and advocates. So it’s big tech and entertainment that’s got my mind captured this time around. ’s recent Substack on left me in my own stream of consciousness, reliving then to now and our slip into idiocracy with MAMLMs (modern advanced machine learning models). What’s specifically got me frustrated is...
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Empowering Gig Workers
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Empowering Gig Workers Tamara Laine is the founder of MPWR, a fintech services platform launching in 2026 to serve the some 80 million global gig economy workers. This isn't the first founding experience for Tamara, here she is MPWR will focus on providing lending and support tools to gig economy workers who up until now face significant challenges accessing the financial services that W2 workers typically take for granted. Their reach could be vast, Tamara is focused on the domestic market but also has her eye on markets in Africa and Asia where gig economy workers...
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The Later Days of Big Bands: From the Culture Desk
Are We Here Yet Podcast
The Later Days of Big Bands: From the Culture Desk Join co-hosts Joshua Michael Stewart & Scott Graves on a musical look at just what all those Big Band musicians were doing decades after the end of the Big Band Era. The popular culture phenomenon of swing music did not end when the record deals started drying up. The spectrum and synthesis of styles, the premium musicianship and the comradery between bands and fans continued to the present date. We bring you more than a dozen recordings in their whole from the seventies to now including mostly musicians and bands still...
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What’s to Come in 2026
Are We Here Yet Podcast
Cohosts Ryan Munn and Scott Graves delve into what’s on the horizon in Vermont tech in 2026. Talk of BETA Technologies recent IPO and its consequences on employment opportunities was high among the list of other companies mentioned that we’re watching in the upcoming year. The list includes OnLogic, former podcast guest , Lightshift Energy and more. If you didn’t make the conversation this time around, have no fear. We’re watching YOU, too! A look at the upcoming year cannot be had without some meaningful conversation on artificial intelligence, advanced...
info_outlineEmpowering Gig Workers
Tamara Laine is the founder of MPWR, a fintech services platform launching in 2026 to serve the some 80 million global gig economy workers. This isn't the first founding experience for Tamara, here she is speaking with Nasdaq in 2023 regarding an earlier experience with Card Shop Live.
MPWR will focus on providing lending and support tools to gig economy workers who up until now face significant challenges accessing the financial services that W2 workers typically take for granted. Their reach could be vast, Tamara is focused on the domestic market but also has her eye on markets in Africa and Asia where gig economy workers proliferate.
This sector is one we’ve been following at the podcast for some time. Our parent company SMGraves Associates has been advocating for support opportunities by new services providers through their accelerators and economic development programming.
Tamara also gave us her perspective on artificial intelligence beyond just its beneficial use through her work, a discussion you don’t want to miss.
In her own words
‘I started my career in documentaries and journalism, which taught me so much about human behavior and intent. Every day was fast-paced, but, more importantly, it was filled with talking to people about their problems, conflicts, or solutions. I learned that unique personalities brought unique solutions to every situation. Now as a team leader, I see the value of every teammate's perspective, insights, or roadblocks and how that could be something to utilize for growth.’