Building Stronger Communities for Economic Success with Roderick Wheeler

In this episode of Live with Living Cities, host Justin Charles sits down with Roderick Wheeler, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Wheeler Social Impact, for a timely conversation about why communities are not peripheral to economic growth, but foundational to it. We unpack how neighborhoods, businesses, philanthropy, and civic institutions are deeply interconnected, and what happens when that ecosystem is either strengthened or neglected. Roderick shares a clear-eyed perspective on why long-term economic success depends on intentional investment in the places where people live and work, and why collaboration across sectors isn’t optional if we’re serious about sustainable growth. We talk about how to think beyond traditional financial metrics to better understand real economic health, and what current systems often overlook about the lived realities of historically marginalized communities. The conversation also explores the role philanthropy can play in rebuilding trust, shifting power, and supporting community-led decision-making. At its core, this episode is about rethinking how we define success and recognizing that durable economic outcomes are inseparable from community well-being.