Josh Weidenaar

Josh Weidenaar is the Illinois Economic Development Corporation’s director of research. Since starting as an intern at Illinois EDC in 2018, Josh has helped grow the organization’s research department and its capabilities.

A graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies & Sustainability & minor in Economics, Josh found an interest in the intersection of urban economics, the built environment, and planning. This led him to pursue a career in economic development, where an opportunity at an EDA University Research Center fueled an interest in public data, analytics and research.

Josh’s work includes management, economic development workforce and cluster analyses, prospecting, and much more.