In this powerful episode of Project Management Masterclass, host Brittany Wilkins unpacks the rise and fall of the Chill-Can Project in Youngstown, Ohio—a $20 million initiative that promised over 200 jobs, economic revival, and innovation but delivered none of it.
This isn’t just a case study—it’s personal. Born and raised in Youngstown, Brittany shares her firsthand experience of watching hope turn into heartbreak as communities were uprooted, homes were bulldozed, and nothing materialized.
Through the lens of project management, she breaks down what went wrong: missing milestones, ignored red flags, poor risk planning, and blind optimism without validation. The episode also examines the chillingly similar case of Zoetic Global—another failed promise in the same city.
🎧 Whether you’re a project leader, policymaker, or community advocate, this episode will challenge you to rethink what responsible project management really looks like—and why the lessons we learn must be applied.
🔑 Key Topics:
- The emotional and economic cost of failed projects
- Lessons in risk, governance, and stakeholder accountability
- Why "lessons learned" aren't enough without action
- A call to project managers to lead with integrity, not just ambition
Subscribe to exclusive bonus episodes and elevate your project management career with insider insights, advanced strategies, and expert guidance!
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.