Alexandra Olsen

Iowa

Managing Editor at Corridor Business Journal

Editor of @cbjournal. Formerly @gazettedotcom, @suntimes, @dispatch_argus. 🇧🇷🇺🇸

Articles

Real Success: Clare Duffy & Eric Hanson, co-hosts of The Morning Scramble

1 week ago | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

Clare Duffy and Eric Hanson are the co-hosts of The Morning Scramble, the morning radio show on KZIA (known by its broadcast frequency, “Z102.9”) the independent Top 40 radio station based in Cedar Rapids. Clare and Eric join me to discuss the golden age of country music, Eric’s experience at Z102.9 in the late nineties, and how differentiating a radio station then was much different than it is today.
GALLERY: See inside phase one of North Liberty's Centennial Park project

3 weeks ago | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

On Wednesday, June 4, a select group of community leaders received an exclusive tour of North Liberty’s Centennial Park, currently under construction at 1565 St. Andrews Dr. The tour offered a preview of the park’s first phase, which includes the Hy-Vee Center and Amphitheater. The Hy-Vee Center is slated to open this fall and is already accepting bookings for community and private events.
The next act: Theatre Cedar Rapids reimagines and honors its historic home

1 month ago | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

Theatre Cedar Rapids (TCR), Iowa’s largest nonprofit producing theatre, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The anniversary marks a milestone that will usher in a major renovation, which aims to preserve the historic Iowa Theatre Building while expanding accessibility and community engagement. Founded in 1925 by artist Grant Wood and housed in its current 1928-built […] Already a subscriber? Log in Want to Read More?
CBJ celebrates 2025's Women of Influence

2 months ago | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

The 2025 Women of Influence are a group of incredibly multi-faceted and talented individuals. They are leaders who are striving for greatness — not only for themselves, but for their organizations and communities. The Women of Influence awards recognize women who have made a difference in the Corridor as role models and leaders in their fields and communities.
GALLERY: From COVID-19 lockdown to launch, Prairie Kitchen Store in Iowa City finds its footing

Mar 28, 2025 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

Married for more than 30 years, Kevin Felker stands back as his wife Susan explains the olive oil tastings that take place every weekend at the Prairie Kitchen Store in Iowa City, the business that they built together – along with their son, Alex – and opened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “That’s […] Already a subscriber? Log in Want to Read More? Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more. Learn more in our subscriber FAQ.
IOWA 500: Meet Okpara Rice, chief executive officer of Tanager

Mar 12, 2025 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

This profile was originally published in the Corridor Media Group’s inaugural IOWA 500 magazine, which features 500 profiles and listings for an exclusive look at the movers and shakers shaping the economic heartbeat of Iowa. The list includes leaders representing 14 categories, which we believe reflect the scope of business sectors in our state. Okpara Rice’s […] Already a subscriber? Log in Want to Read More?
$1.7 million in federal funds stalled, NewBo City Market delays expansion construction

Feb 25, 2025 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

With more than $1.7 million in federal funding paused, NewBo City Market has announced it will delay its planned expansion project, which was slated to complete construction by fall of 2025. Recent pauses in federal funding allocations have stalled the market’s $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Authority (EDA), and $458,767.90 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Jim Leach's 10 ideas to "right the ship of state"

Dec 23, 2024 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

Former Iowa Congressman and University of Iowa (UI) supporter Jim Leach passed away Wednesday, Dec. 11. He was 82. Mr. Leach served in Congress from 1977 to 2007 and championed academic research, supporting science and humanities programs that resulted in more than a half-billion dollars of peer-reviewed competitive grants to the UI. He chaired numerous committees during his career.
2024 Forty Under 40: Brittany Barnhart

Oct 21, 2024 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

Each year, the Corridor Business Journal shines a spotlight on young professionals who have made a meaningful impact on the region early in their careers. We are proud to introduce you to the 20th class of Forty Under 40 honorees, chosen by a committee of past honorees. Brittany Barnhart Executive Director | Freedom Festival Age: […] Already a subscriber? Log in Want to Read More? Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more.
JEFAS: Latinas in Business Magazine showcases Latina entrepreneurs

Sep 25, 2024 | corridorbusiness.com | Alexandra Olsen

In 2002, when I was only 8 years old, my mother and I moved from our home country of Brazil to the United States of America and I began learning my second language. All I had ever known up until this point in my life – from the lessons I learned in school to the interactions I had with friends and family – had been in Portuguese. Learning English was hard, and I often felt like “half of myself” when I spoke it in those early days of learning.