Georgia Tech COVID-19 Economic Research

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic shutdown have wreaked havoc on global economies. What follows are descriptions of the effect of the pandemic on multiple sectors of the Georgia economy including employment, healthcare, sales tax, mobility, air travel, hotels, public companies, municipal bonds, and real estate. Talks are assisted by the Financial Services Innovation Lab at Georgia Tech and sponsored by the Speedwell Foundation.

Episode 9: Impact of COVID-19 on Airline Industries

Joseph DeNardi, Managing Director in the Equity Research Department at Stifel, discusses the competitive dynamics airlines currently face with regard to their existing and future liquidity as well as the loyalty programs which help finance their industry.

Episode 8 : Impact of COVID-19 on Atlanta’s Public Parks (2 parts)

Michael Halicki, Executive Director of Park Pride, discusses the evolutions COVID-19 has had on Atlanta-based non-profits to engage local communities in activating the power of parks on a metropolitan scale.

Howard Wertheimer, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer for the Piedmont Park Conservancy, discusses the present and future impacts public infrastructures have on the local and regional economies of metropolitan cities like Atlanta and New York City.

Episode 7: Reflections of a Recent Airline Trip during COVID-19

Mike Messner interviews Connor Wood, a recent graduate from Georgia Tech, about his personal experiences flying between the East and West Coasts of America during COVID-19. Connor Wood describes not only his airport and in-flight experiences, but he also discusses his knowledge of the airport industry and the lifestyle differences observed between East and West Coast states.

Episode 6: Impact of COVID-19 on Georgia Tech Students Going Back to School

Rachael Panik, Sidney Loftin, and Soniya Bhagat talk about their undergraduate experiences due to COVID-19 since mid-March 2020 and what their future college experiences may look like going into the Fall 2020 Semester.

Episode 5: Impact of COVID-19 on Florida’s Commercial Real Estate Economy

Jim Loftin, Co-CEO and broker of Cantrell & Morgan, Inc., discusses the development and investment changes which may occur in both the commercial and retail markets. Loftin specifically discusses the future of shopping center developments in these markets based on mixed-use, office, and retail financing trends analyzed by Cantrell & Morgan.

Episode 4: Impact of COVID-19 on Georgia’s Commercial Real Estate Economy

David Kahn, Managing Analyst for CoStar Group, discusses what CoStar is evaluating regarding the different commercial real estate markets and associated sub-markets that are recovering from economic impacts of April 2020. Additionally, Kahn discusses what the Metro Atlanta area is doing, investment-wise, to stabilize and strengthen its future markets.

Episode 3: Impact of COVID-19 on Georgia Tech’s Reopening

Dr. Benjamin Holton, Senior Director of Georgia Tech’s STAMPS Student Health Services, discusses the next-step safety measures STAMPS and the Georgia Tech community are taking to reopen campus for the Fall 2020 school semester.

Episode 2: Episode 2: Impact of COVID-19 on Georgia’s Restaurant Economy

Karen Bremer, CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), talks about THRIVE Georgia and discusses the health and well-being of Georgia’s restaurant owners, workers and customers through the reshaping of existing public policies.

Episode 1: Impact of COVID-19 on Georgia’s Transportation Economy

Josh Rowan, Commissioner for the Atlanta Department of Transportation (DOT), discusses the impacts COVID-19 have had on future urban infrastructures and the improvements associated with them.