NEO Rising. Celebrating Today. Building Tomorrow.
This morning, Team NEO hosted its annual NEO Rising. Celebrating Today. Building Tomorrow. event celebrating the accomplishments of Northeast Ohio’s coordinated economic development network, while spotlighting the region’s opportunity to compete for foreign direct investment and attract companies looking to expand.
The event underscored Team NEO’s focus on strengthening Northeast Ohio’s position in the global marketplace by building international relationships, elevating the region’s competitive assets, and supporting opportunities for investment and job creation.
Through a keynote presentation by Reid Moody, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus, attendees gained insight into how Aer Lingus serves as a gateway to Europe by strengthening global connectivity for companies and creating opportunities that could contribute to future growth across Northeast Ohio.
“Today’s event spotlights Team NEO’s commitment to strengthening our international business attraction efforts,” said Matt Dolan, Team NEO CEO. “By broadening our attraction efforts abroad, we’ve already engaged with 12 countries such as Singapore, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, and the UK this year. These efforts have developed 28 promising leads for future investment opportunities.”
The event also featured a fireside chat examining how global market access, supply chain integration, and innovation are shaping the future of economic growth—and why Northeast Ohio is uniquely positioned to compete. Featured in this segment were:
- Brian Dalton, Head of Economic and Trade Affairs: Embassy of Ireland, Washington DC
- Marki Huston, Chief Executive Officer: Viega North America
- Moderator: Mindy McLaughlin, Managing Director, Global Business Attraction: Team NEO
Reflecting the event’s focus on leveraging the full strength of Northeast Ohio’s economic development network, Team NEO also honored two leaders whose work has helped advance the region. The 2026 Regional Economic Development Champions were:
- Business Leader: Marki Huston, Chief Executive Officer: Viega North America
- Economic Development Leader: Patrick Mohorcic, Executive Director: Lake Development Authority
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that retains, expands, and attracts jobs, businesses, and opportunities across Northeast Ohio’s 14-county region. As JobsOhio’s exclusive partner in Northeast Ohio, Team NEO connects businesses to the data, resources, sites, and incentives to win new business investment for Northeast Ohio. The organization also provides insights to build talent pipelines, prepares development-ready sites, and markets the region as a premier business destination. To learn how Team NEO helps make Northeast Ohio more competitive, visit northeastohioregion.com.