Mike Grella

Founder
Grella Partnership Strategies
Scarsdale, NY

MIKE GRELLA, FOUNDER, GRELLA PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES. 24 YEARS OF DOMAIN EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, STATE AND LOCAL TAX LAW, BUSINESS SITE SELECTION AND PUBLIC POLICY AS AN ATTORNEY AND ADVISOR. MIKE SPENT THE FIRST 17 YEARS OF HIS CAREER ADVISING HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS INCLUDING SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST RECOGNIZABLE BRANDS AT THREE OF THE TOP FOUR GLOBAL ACCOUNTING FIRMS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND EXPANSION TRANSACTIONS.

IN MARCH 2012, AMAZON.COM RECRUITED MIKE TO BUILD AND LEAD ITS GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM FROM THE GROUND UP IN SEATTLE. OVER SEVEN YEARS THE TEAM CREATED PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS REPRESENTING OVER TEN BILLION DOLLARS OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND OVER 100,000 NEW JOBS SPANNING OVER TWO DOZEN U.S. STATES AND 15 COUNTRIES.

MIKE LED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DURING A PERIOD OF UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH OF AMAZON’S E-COMMERCE FULFILLMENT BUSINESS AND THE BIRTH OF ITS LAST MILE DELIVERY NETWORK IN THE UNITED STATES COLLABORATING WITH HUNDREDS OF STATE, REGIONAL AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO CONSTRUCT OVER FIFTY MILLION SQUARE FEET OF NEW DEVELOPMENT.

IN 2016 SPEARHEADED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION FOR AMAZON WEB SERVICES, AMAZON’S CLOUD COMPUTING / HYPERSCALE GLOBAL DATA CENTER BUSINESS AND MOST PROFITABLE BUSINESS SEGMENT. MIKE PIONEERED AND CRAFTED THE COMPANY’S USE OF ECONOMIC, FISCAL, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT STUDIES TO COMMUNICATE THE BENEFITS OF INVESTMENTS TO POLICYMAKERS, REGULATORS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.

IN MARCH 2019 MIKE FORMED GRELLA PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES (GPS), A START-UP ADVISORY FIRM DELIVERING VALUE TO ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH CREATION OF BOLD VISION STATEMENTS, FUTURE FORWARD POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND FACILITATING TRANSACTIONS THAT SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE PROSPERITY WHICH HE HAS DUBBED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 4.0. THE PILLARS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 4.0:
• SYNERGISTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC & PRIVATE SECTOR;
• A COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES, CREATING & MAINTAINING GREEN SPACES AND CARBON OFFSETTING;
• REDUCING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, IMPROVING BROADBAND & 5G ACCESS TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES;
• CURATED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RETRAINING PROGRAMS, AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TARGETED & AT-RISK POPULATIONS;
• CRAFTING AGGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES, EARMARKING FUNDING FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC, HEALTH & SOCIAL OUTCOMES IN AREAS WITH PERVASIVE RURAL & URBAN POVERTY;
• PUBLIC & PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING & SUPPORT OF INNOVATION HUBS, START-UP INCUBATORS, & CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE THAT CATALYZE PRODUCT & IP DEVELOPMENT AND INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES WITH EXTRAORDINARY POTENTIAL TO GROW AND SCALE LOCALLY
• CREATING MATERIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR M/WBE IN SECURING PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS, ACCESS TO SEED & GROWTH CAPITAL, NETWORKING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
• FORMALIZING COMMITMENTS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESSES & INSTITUTIONS TO ENGAGE IN IMPACTFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PHILANTHROPY;
• IMPROVED ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNANCE AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES;
• LIMITING GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES FOR PROJECTS THAT FACILITATE INVESTMENT & QUALITY JOB CREATION WITH A STRONG PUBLIC BENEFIT COMPONENT EMPHASIZING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, MASS TRANSIT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP;
• GOVERNMENT ADOPTION OF SMART CITY TECHNOLOGIES, LEVERAGING DATA ANALYTICS, AI, SMART & CONNECTED DEVICES TO ENHANCE CONSTITUENT SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, OPTIMIZE ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES, AND REDUCE GOVERNMENT COSTS;
• PRIVATE SECTOR ADOPTION OF DISTRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE, PROVIDES JOB CREATION OPPORTUNITIES AND ADDRESSES TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS & EXTERNALITIES.