From left to right: Ted Egan and Joel Rosenblatt

On April 29 at Chat Room: Money, Gazetteer SF reporter Joel Rosenblatt will interview Ted Egan, San Francisco’s chief economist for 19 years.

How is the AI boom shaping San Francisco’s economy? How can Downtown’s still-fragile recovery be sustained? How can we make the city a livable, viable place for artists, musicians, teachers, and workers feeling squeezed by the city’s high costs?

We’ll tackle these weighty economic issues facing SF.

From his office in City Hall, Egan analyzes a wide range of financial forces, including minimum wage, housing, land use, taxes, and short-term rentals to track San Francisco’s economy. Also a lecturer at UC Berkeley, Egan is skilled at making sense of how those forces shape the city and its future.

Join us at Chat Room for a discussion about San Francisco’s sources of wealth… and scarcity

From left to right: Christin Evans, Katy Tang and Lex Sloan

Small businesses are the beating heart of San Francisco, but keeping them alive today is no small feat. Rents are skyrocketing, consumers are tightening their belts, and the AI boom is emboldening corporate interests and reshaping the city's economic priorities.

How do our mighty little shops manage to survive it all?

On April 29, Gazetteer SF business reporter Cydney Hayes will explore the forces shaping our city's small business market with some of its most prominent players. She will be joined by Katy Tang, director of the San Francisco Office of Small Business; Christin Evans, owner of Booksmith and Alembic; and Lex Sloan, executive director of the Roxie Theater.

How do business owners handle landlords who'd rather develop luxury condos? What new retail trends are helping stores stay afloat? How are small businesses faring under the Lurie adminstration, which claims to be both pro-small business and pro-development? Join us as we discuss all this and more at Chat Room: Money.

From left to right: Lillian Zhang and Berna Anat

Our relationship with money is a product of our values, upbringing, generation, behaviors, and goals. When it comes to money management, self-knowledge is paramount.

No wonder why people get funny about money!

On Wednesday, April 29th, Gazetteer SF food reporter Olivia Peluso will explore how personal finance is ingrained in psychology and emotion just as much as it is accounting. She will be joined by Berna Anat, financial hype woman and author of “Money Out Loud”, and Lillian Zhang, author of “The New Money Rules: The Gen Z Guide to Personal Finance.”

What early influences can shape our relationship with money? How can we feel empowered to discuss finance openly, especially across cultures, generations, and power structures? How can we overcome common feelings such as anxiety and shame when it comes to our money management? We’ll be discussing this and more at Chat Room: Money.