Promoting Kentucky’s Role in Global Trade

Chapters

• 00:31  Welcome and Guest Introduction
• 02:28  Kentucky’s Rise in Global Trade
• 05:53  What Is the World Trade Center Kentucky?
• 10:32  WTCKY’s Dubai Trade Mission
• 15:31  The World Trade Center’s Global Network
• 21:43  Weathering A Shift in Domestic Focus
• 23:31  The Importance of Workforce Development
• 30:15  Conclusion

Welcome and Guest Introduction

Todd Schmiedeler: Welcome again to another episode of the Blueprint Strategy Podcasts. We talk to leaders in healthcare and nonprofit work. I am excited today because we have an international guest, Omar Ayyash. Omar is the President and CEO of the World Trade Center Kentucky. He is a close friend; we have known each other for 20 years. Actually, I know his wife better. We used to work together at the Center for Women and Families. Omar, thanks for visiting. I really appreciate it. Has there ever been a time when international trade was a hotter topic than it is right now?

Omar Ayyash: Hey Todd, thanks for having me on the show. I am very excited. I appreciate the friendship we have had and our work relationship over the years. You are right. Trade, and especially the word "tariffs," is a huge topic.  Oh my gosh.

People likely did not know that word before the start of this year. Now, maybe even a 5-year-old is going around saying "tariffs, tariffs, tariffs". "I cannot get my toy because it costs more due to tariffs".

Todd Schmiedeler: Well, they might be adding some tariffs at school. Kids are becoming very business-minded now. I wonder if they are using that word to get some more money.  

I must tell you, your work with the World Trade Center of Kentucky is vital for our state. We always talk about finding new businesses to move into the state, and how that creates an economic engine and provides jobs for our people. But the work you do helps small businesses connect with international markets, or it helps bring those international markets to Kentucky. This is absolutely necessary for our state's economy.

Omar Ayyash: 100%.

Kentucky’s Rise in Global Trade

Todd Schmiedeler: Tell us how that works for you. What do you do for businesses that want to export? Let us start there. We have so many businesses that want to grow, but they do not know how, especially now when the world is a bit different.

Omar Ayyash: Todd, if I may, I want to review some history first. This is my second time working with the World Trade Center.  I was with the World Trade Center from 1995 to 2001, and now I have been back for the last three and a half years.  It is truly amazing to see how much the state has become a global market.  In 1995, I traveled the state and talked to business leaders about doing international business. I would ask the usual question: "Are you exporting?" And the answer was a clear "Yes".

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: Then they would say, "Where to? Alabama. Tennessee".

Todd Schmiedeler: Well, those are almost foreign countries, at least Alabama is.  

Omar Ayyash:  So, look at today. $48 billion left Kentucky last year as exports. $32 billion came in as imports. Jefferson County is number one. Boone County is number two. Fayette County is number three. Our view of how important international trade is has greatly changed. Yesterday, I saw a video that showed Kentucky is number two in the nation for how much GDP, or economic output, is affected by international trade. This includes jobs and businesses making products and services. That is the huge change that has happened.  

Todd Schmiedeler: I am so used to hearing that we are ranked number 49th.

Omar Ayyash: Hey, not anymore. Not in international trade.

Todd Schmiedeler: Sometimes I think, "Thank goodness for Mississippi". But in international trade, we are actually near the top of how it affects our economy.

Omar Ayyash: We definitely are. The fact that we are a logistics center plays a major role in this. World Port is right here.  Almost every package on this side of the country has to come to Louisville at night. Then it flies somewhere around the world. I think UPS has a direct flight every night from here to Dubai with packages.

We are thankful for UPS, but also Northern Kentucky with DHL and FedEx. All these things play a major part. Also, we are only a seven-hour drive from 2/3 of the U.S. population.  

Todd Schmiedeler:  We do not think enough about the value of that. I travel on flights to places, but packages still travel inside the United States by road.

Omar Ayyash: That is right, and by rail.

Todd Schmiedeler:  It is great to have World Port here, where packages come in from around the world and go out to the world. But we still need to be connected by rail and road so we can get those packages where we want them in the United States. Being connected to 2/3 of the United States from Kentucky is a huge marketing advantage for us.

Omar Ayyash: Also, Riverport is the largest.

Todd Schmiedeler: Oh, I did not even think about Riverport.

Omar Ayyash: So, we are strategically located for any business that wants to trade globally. Louisville, Kentucky, or the state of Kentucky, is the ideal spot.

What Is the World Trade Center Kentucky?

Todd Schmiedeler: So, how do you connect a business? Say I have a small business, and I am starting to look at international trade. Let us look at two examples. I want to go to Canada. It is close by. Also, I know you have a trip coming up to Dubai. Let us look at a scenario where I want to do business in Canada and the UAE. How would the World Trade Center help me?

Omar Ayyash: Well, I look at it as having many connection points. We go through these points. First, the World Trade Center offers premier training programs. Our International Trade Certification Program is three days long. We will be doing another one soon. It teaches any business—small, medium, or large—about market access, payments, logistics, and legal issues. We give them three days of a comprehensive curriculum. We do this through the World Trade Center, but we also bring in about 13 different speakers to that class. This builds an ecosystem.  So, you meet your banker, your lawyer, and your freight forwarder. That is the first connection point.

The second point is looking at how we can get you into the market. We typically do matchmaking.

Todd Schmiedeler: I love that.

Omar Ayyash: It is simple. In my mind, it is like dating: "Let us find someone you are compatible with".

Todd Schmiedeler: Well, knowing your wife, I can say you must be good at it.

Omar Ayyash: I am.

Todd Schmiedeler: I will just tell you, Omar is a very lucky man. His wife is amazing, smart, and successful. I think she holds a position internationally.

Omar Ayyash: She does. She is with the State Department at the American Mission in the United Arab Emirates.

Todd Schmiedeler: Oh, wow.

Omar Ayyash: I am lucky to have a successful wife.  Lena, hi!

Todd Schmiedeler: So, you provide education. You help businesses connect to ecosystems. You bring in many great connections. You even help connect people with businesses in the market.

Omar Ayyash: That is right. We do this in two ways. One is what we call inbound trade missions. We often host people who come to Kentucky. We just had one.

Todd Schmiedeler: I think you just had one, did you?

Omar Ayyash: Yes. We just hosted the U.S. Consul General of Canada in Detroit and his whole team. That is one way to say, "I am bringing government officials from other countries to meet our Kentucky businesses and help them". The second way is the trade missions we talked about.  We take outbound trade missions. For the last three years, we have gone to Dubai every year. Todd, you are getting ready to go with us.

Todd Schmiedeler: I am. I finally committed, and I am excited to go.

Omar Ayyash: Yes, I know you visited the UAE maybe 15 years ago.

Todd Schmiedeler: Actually, I think it was 20 years ago. Twice, 20 years ago. One time was for business. I had the good fortune to speak at Zayed University's Conference on Women. That was when I worked at the Center for Women and Families. I talked about how to empower women around the world. The goal was to help them understand how freedom can help them become successful as individuals. Some of that is harder in other parts of the world. It is not as established or developed as it is in the United States. Cathe Dykstra, who is still a close friend, and I were lucky enough to go over and speak at Zayed.

Omar Ayyash: I did not know you went with Cathe. That is interesting.

Todd Schmiedeler: I try not to do anything alone anymore. That has been my mantra for a long time. I like being at the front of things, but I do not like being there by myself. I find I am more successful when I am with a friend. We promise to help each other. We can plan together how to overcome problems. What would have been a solid wall for me alone becomes a small bump for us together.

Omar Ayyash: Wow. That is wonderful.

WTCKY’s Dubai Trade Mission

Todd Schmiedeler: Tell me about going to Dubai on a trade mission. I am really interested because I have never done this before.

Omar Ayyash: I have to tell you one thing: 20 years ago, you were there.  Now, 20 years later, you are going to be amazed.

Todd Schmiedeler: Oh.

Omar Ayyash: The growth that place has seen is huge. I lived there full-time for 12 and a half years, full-time. I used to tell the people who were there 10 years before me, "How lucky you were to see a complete transformation". And then I lived through that change myself.

Todd Schmiedeler: Oh.

Omar Ayyash: The main point is that in certain parts of the city, you will be driving and think, "In five years, this will still be desert". Then it becomes a metropolis.

Todd Schmiedeler: Wow.

Omar Ayyash: For example, when they held the World Expo site in 2021.  I would drive there and think there was no way that structure would be built, but it was. Anyway, the great thing about us going on a Dubai trade mission is that there is a strong link to logistics, which I already mentioned.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: The UAE is a logistics hub. 70% of the products that enter their largest port, Jebel Ali, are sent again to the Middle East and North Africa region.  We want to take Kentucky companies there to understand this. We do this through three anchor events. We go to Expand North Star, one of the biggest startup events ever. Our growing startups here in Louisville and Lexington join us for that.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: Then we go to GITEX, which is now the world's largest B2B technology trade show. 180 countries attend.  For the first time this October, we are going to an EV mobility show. The Sharjah Expo Center invited us. These are the main events. But on the side, we have dinners, morning meetings, and breakfasts. In fact, I am very excited that the American Chamber of Commerce in North Dubai invited you to speak at their GITEX kickoff breakfast as a panelist.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes, that was unexpected. I appreciate the introduction. I know they come to you for ideas on who is visiting and if anyone on the trade mission would be appropriate. I am flattered to be on that panel. It is funny because at the briefing the other day, one of the people on the panel was from Stryker, the world's largest medical device maker, and a client of ours at Thumbprint.

Omar Ayyash: That is amazing.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes. Care.AI, an AI technology company, has been a client for a couple of years. I am fascinated by how AI and ambient technology can improve our healthcare system. More importantly, it can allow our workers to focus more on care. They can spend time with people instead of just in the time between incidents at a healthcare facility.

I believe technology can help what people do because, in the end, especially in healthcare, people take care of people. I do not see how technology can replace people in truly caring for and about others. How do you replace human feeling when half the business is not just taking care of someone, but caring about them? Technology has no feelings. If it has no feelings, how can it replace that?

Omar Ayyash: It is interesting that you highlight this, because I am thinking that this is exactly like international trade.

Todd Schmiedeler: Okay.

Omar Ayyash: We can discuss policies and all the political problems that might exist. But if you do not spend time in the majlis, if you do not meet face-to-face and drink coffee or share a meal with someone, business will not get done.

This is what excites me about world trade.  It is people making things happen together. The World Trade Center tries to connect with the U.S. mission and the American Chamber of Commerce. But our network of 330 World Trade Centers worldwide really helps us spread this chance. The Dubai World Trade Center is hosting us. The Sharjah World Trade Center is hosting us. This is how we make things happen for Kentucky companies around the world.

The World Trade Center’s Global Network

Todd Schmiedeler: Talk more about that network. There are 331 World Trade Centers across the world in 91 countries.  Basically, you said this network helps the people you serve connect with the people that a sister World Trade Center serves. They help create those connections.

Omar Ayyash: Exactly. The dream when the World Trade Center Association started was to create this facilitation between World Trade Centers, globally. I would humbly say that World Trade Centers have helped build cities.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: Think about some of the tall buildings erected. They can be real estate projects where international trade companies, lawyers, embassies, and exhibition spaces move in. Look at what the Dubai World Trade Center has done. I think in 1978, it was the only tall building in Dubai. Look at it now. It has helped the economy in many ways.

From my view as the leader of the World Trade Center in Kentucky, if I call a World Trade Center in Taipei and say, "I am coming in," or "I have a company that wants to enter that market," they welcome them because we already have a connection.

Todd Schmiedeler: I find this amazing because I have been involved in business development for 30 years. The fact that is an organization helps with my lead generation is fantastic.

Omar Ayyash: 100%. And we are a nonprofit. We not only help you find leads, but we want to make sure you succeed.

Todd Schmiedeler: Tell me more about that. The World Trade Center of Kentucky is a nonprofit. How do you survive? Are there large fees for this lead generation? I know you mentioned training, education, and mission trips. How does your organization exist financially?

Omar Ayyash: The easiest way to explain it is that most World Trade Centers in America are tied to being a nonprofit in some way. I think of ourselves as the Chamber of Commerce for Kentucky, but with a very specific goal. Chambers of Commerce can be generalized. We have a very specific focused.  Our main money source right now is companies in Kentucky that are members of the World Trade Center. Before we discuss any service, we ask you to join the network, so you can build a relationship and network.  We charge for some services here and there to sustain ourself.

The challenge that has existed since about 2022—it has been five years now—is that a lot of government funding has eroded at the local level.  We used to get good funding from the city of Lexington. We do not get that anymore. We used to be funded by the city of Louisville, or Louisville Metro government. We do not get that anymore. We have recently lost some of our federal funding. Grants help cover this. Also, programs like Give For Good Louisville mean anyone who wants to support the World Trade Center can help us.

Todd Schmiedeler: That is right. Can people go to your website not only to join but also to donate? Someone might say, "I want to help continue world growth in Kentucky. We are number two. I want to see us get to number one. I think an investment into the World Trade Center of Kentucky would help focus that". Can they donate to you?

Omar Ayyash: They definitely can. We have set up a foundation for those activities that support the work the membership organization does.

Todd Schmiedeler: Why do you think the cities stopped funding you? I know that is a hard subject, and I do not want to make things difficult for you. But I think it is important to understand the dynamics of shifts in markets changes. The World Trade Center of Kentucky seems to have been one of the catalysts to help businesses expand.

We have great businesses that are major international players. Think about the bourbon industry and its growth, and how much of that came from international growth? We have companies like Lexmark and many others that built huge international businesses here. Why would a city stop helping this? Is it just because budgets are crazy?

Omar Ayyash: There are needs locally, but let us put that aside. I want to highlight this from a few points of view. I talked about where Kentucky was in international trade and where it is now. I also want to talk about my own experience when I moved here in 1990.  I was a 17-year-old kid moving from Vienna, Austria. The other world was there, and America was here. I was amazed.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: I was mesmerized by the big malls, the big cars, and the level of innovation that was  happening. When I moved back here in 2022, that had shifted. Things had become more equalized.

Todd Schmiedeler: The gap between how far ahead we were and the rest of the world.  

Omar Ayyash:  Exactly. The only reason I mention this is that we need to compete. We must keep working on that.

Todd Schmiedeler: 100%.

Omar Ayyash: And we must make sure that our economy remains the main driving force.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Weathering A Domestic Shift in Focus

Omar Ayyash: But this change toward global trade has caused a change in politics toward protectionism. There has been a shift in politics toward thinking nationalism.

Todd Schmiedeler: Nationally.

Omar Ayyash: There has been a shift toward thinking locally. I urge people that thinking locally is important. We want jobs here. The news about Texas Roadhouse growing in Louisville is great. The news about GE Appliances and Ford is wonderful. Yes. But to remain competitive, you have to continue to invest in diversifying your economy. That is where world trade comes in. It is very important to keep that momentum going.

Todd Schmiedeler: Our local economy benefits when businesses are successful in generating revenue. If they have a limited market and only focus on the smaller U.S. market, and I am not saying the U.S. market is not the biggest in the world…

Omar Ayyash: It is a missed opportunity.

Todd Schmiedeler: …It is a complete missed opportunity for us not to grow outside the U.S. We want employees to have better wages and better benefits. You do that by continually growing your market as a business. That allows you have that flexibility. If all you do is internalizing your market and shifting your money inside, and asking your own people to fund themselves, then that loop becomes very difficult cycle to continue.

The Importance of Workforce Development

Omar Ayyash: 100%. I want to emphasize something extremely important: workforce development.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: Workforce development starts in schools, community colleges, and universities. The World Trade Center is very active in trade-education and cross-cultural understanding at those levels.

Going back to why a trade mission is important, you need to go out and see what technology is available in that market. You need to find out what kind of training is there. What opportunities are there? Then bring it back home. That is why has been a level playing field. In the end, you must constantly find a way to provide value.

Todd Schmiedeler: I am interested in something you just highlighted about education. Tell me your vision of how the World Trade Center can train-up the next generation of leaders in Kentucky. What about elementary, middle, or high school, even before college? Can the World Trade Center do anything to help foster that kind of education and understanding at an earlier age?

Omar Ayyash: Well, there are two things we are ready to do.  And there is one thing I urge the community to take on. The first thing is we can make our International Trade Certification part of a certification program in the school system.

Todd Schmiedeler: That would be so cool. I think about my kids graduating, having a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certification, and also understanding international trade.

Omar Ayyash: When I was a little kid growing up in Vienna, when I was on my way to catch a tram, I would always stop by a bank. I would look at the exchange rate of the currency (at that time, it was shillings, now it is the euro) to the dollar. That became part of my mindset.

In the United States, we do not have that because it is a huge market and you do not need it. So, think about the language of import, export, and tariffs becomes standard language.

The other part is cross-cultural understanding.

Todd Schmiedeler: Okay.

Omar Ayyash: We are in such a global marketplace, both domestically and internationally. Your future workers will not look like you anymore.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes.

Omar Ayyash: So, you need to understand their worldview, so you can better manage them better. We have a class for that. So, the International Trade Certification and the cross-cultural understanding programs are already offered through the World Trade Center. Right now, we only offer them at the university level, but we can bring them down to the high school level.

The third thing is I would tell every high school and university to highlight study abroad programs. My daughter, Selma, is at the University of Cincinnati. She grew up in Dubai her whole life. Where is she this semester? Barcelona, doing a study abroad program.

Todd Schmiedeler: Wow.

Omar Ayyash: That kind of thing builds character.

Todd Schmiedeler: Yes. I did not get the chance to do that in school. But I did something similar: I took a mission trip with my oldest daughter to Africa when she graduated high school. It was her graduation gift. We went to Africa for 10 days and did missionary work. That opened my eyes.  I had been to other countries on vacation. But it is different when you’re immersed and become part of a community.

First, I realized how blessed I really was. Then I saw how blessed those people were, too. We worked at a small school with about 400 kids. This school had no walls. It was basically the foundation of a building. They did not have to pay taxes if they never put walls on.

Omar Ayyash: Wow.

Todd Schmiedeler: So, there were all these buildings with no walls because they did not have money to pay taxes. There were no bathrooms or anything like that—just a concrete structure. 400 kids walked miles to this school. I have never seen such happy kids coming to school.

I thought to myself, if I stood outside of one of our kids' schools, say Stopher Elementary in Louisville, would I see the same joy from all the kids coming in? These kids were literally walking into a building with no walls, no bathrooms. That is how we taught. I had a lesson book and a chalkboard. I wrote from the lesson book onto the chalkboard. Those kids had pencil and paper, and that is all they had. They rewrote what was in the book that I wrote on the chalkboard.  That was the lesson, and yet they were happy. Engaged.

Omar Ayyash: This strongly highlights the point I keep making today: where we are and our position in the world. One thing you see lately is that many entrepreneurs and CEOs in this country are immigrants, which is good.

I remember reading an article about why these CEOs are successful. It said that in America, the bus stops at the bus stop, and it is easy to get on.  In foreign countries, the bus does not stop at the bus stop. It stops before or after because too many people are trying to get in. So, grit is very important. Opening your eyes, like you talked about with that Africa trip, gives our current and next generation and understanding of what the world is really like.

Todd Schmiedeler: I think grit and resilience are key traits for any leader to be successful. It does not matter if you are in healthcare, nonprofit work, or a startup. Leaders need to understand their business and their people.  I appreciate the conversation, man.

Omar Ayyash: We could talk for hours.

Conclusion

Todd Schmiedeler: It is always good. When we think about what we are doing in Kentucky and across the U.S., I do think it is important to understand what is happening globally. That understanding can bring real value. I do not know of another organization that is as connected to bringing value to business leaders than the World Trade Center of Kentucky. Omar, your desire and your willingness to extend your own personal relationships that you have built over the last 30 years to help our state. This has truly made a transformational impact. I am thankful for you, brother.

Omar Ayyash: Thank you.

Todd Schmiedeler:  Remember, Omar’s contact information and details about the World Trade Center will be in the show notes. Thank you to the audience for being here again. We will be back in two weeks with another amazing speaker. Thank you so much.  Thanks, Omar.

To Learn More about the World Trade Center Kentucky:

Website:   www.WTCKY.org

Phone:   (859) 225-0006

Todd Schmiedeler:  So, thank you so much for joining us again this time. I appreciate it so much. I look forward to seeing you again. In two weeks, we'll have a new guest on and we'll be able to chat again about leadership, about making a difference, and how nonprofits and long-term care organizations truly can make a difference in the lives of people every day that’s impactful. So, thanks again. See you in two weeks.

Hey, thanks for joining us on the Blueprint Strategy Podcast. We hope today's conversation sparked new ideas and inspired you to take action in your own organization.

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And remember, you can find more resources and information at www.thumbprint.consulting. Again, that's www.thumbprint.consulting. Until next time, keep finding ways to innovate and to leave your mark.

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