Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Gene Garcia, Outreach Director with Heartland Adult & Teen Challenge, who shares his personal story of how the nonprofit organization saved his life and highlights their mission and efforts as a long-term, faith-based drug and alcohol treatment program for adult males, ages 18 and up. During the interview, Gene discus…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Sallie Hussey, CEO of FiftyForward, and Charmin Bates, Founder and CEO of Creative Girls Rock, who highlight each of their nonprofit organizations and the story behind the Bordeaux Collaborative, a partnership with FiftyForward and Creative Girls Rock to build a new $6 million center designed to connect community memb…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Travis Claybrooks, Founder and CEO of Raphah Institute, who shares some of his personal story and what led him to launch the nonprofit based in Nashville, Tennessee, which "helps people access what they need to heal and thrive." The organization addresses issues surrounding youth and young adult incarceration and vict…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Will Brown, Managing Partner of The Benefits Group, who highlights how his company is able to help small to medium size organizations offer “Fortune 500 benefits.” During the interview, Will discusses transparency in coverage legislation and why it matters, how Tennessee and Texas soon will be opening up opportunities…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Bill Martin, CEO, and Rick Wiseman, COO, who are both Co-Founders of The Shepherd Co., which has created the The Shepherd Cares App to be a bridge from chaos to calm by providing a suite of tools in an app and an online caregiver community that together helps caregivers navigate the caregiver journey to support their …

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Ann Jarvis, USO Executive Director of USO Fort Campbell / Nashville, who highlights the mission and efforts of the nonprofit organization focused on strengthening the well-being of the people serving in America's military and their families. During the interview, Ann shares some of the history for the organization, wh…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Diane Mershon Heyman, President of DMH Consulting, who shares some of her background working for more than 30 years in the Human Resources profession leading teams, building people and process capabilities, while driving strategies that aligned with business goals and growth. During the interview, Diane shares some of…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Patricia Powell, Executive Director with National Autism Peer Support, who shares helpful context and her personal story and perspective to provide a better understanding of Autism and then highlights the nonprofit organization's mission and efforts to provide a safe place for individuals with autism and their support…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Jennifer Vaida, Chief Strategy Officer with Nurture the Next, who highlights the nonprofit organization that supports parents through evidence-based programs, education and advocacy efforts. During the interview, Jennifer shares some of the history for the organization, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and t…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Jennifer Vaida, Chief Strategy Officer with Nurture the Next, who highlights the nonprofit organization that supports parents through evidence-based programs, education and advocacy efforts. During the interview, Jennifer shares some of the history for the organization, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and t…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Joe Huff and Bridget Hilton, Authors of "Experiential Billionaire: Build a Life Rich in Experiences and Die with No Regrets," who share how they both started their lives with zero connections, money, fame, or education, and yet by leaning into the joy of remarkable experiences, they discovered their power to transform…

Host: Jeremy C. Park Guest: Leigh Mansberg, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South Episode Overview: In this enlightening conversation, host Jeremy C. Park sits down with Leigh Mansberg, a notable leader in nonprofit education. As the helm of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, Leigh shares her inspiring j…

Episode Summary: In this inspiring episode of the ChangeMakers Podcast, host Jeremy C. Park sits down with Alma Lee Alexander McLemore, Executive Director of the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County. A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Alma shares her journey from growing up in a community at the cusp of integration to becoming a cor…

ChangeMakers podcast host Jeremy C. Park talks with Tammy Alvarez, CEO and founder of Career Winners Circle, professional keynote speaker, and author of "Escaping the Career Trap: Transform Your Apathy into Ambition and Never Hate Mondays Again," who shares some of her personal story and how she formed her spirited "Break All the Rules" approach. D…

During this episode of our ChangeMakers Podcast, host Jeremy C. Park talks with Zach Montroy, who is a People, Team, and Organizational Strategist and the Founder and CEO of The Intention Collective, which is based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. During the interview, Zach shares some of his personal story and why, after more than 20 years of exp…

In this episode of the ChangeMakers Podcast, hosted by Jeremy C. Park and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services, the spotlight is on Mike Berry, President of Hillwood, the developer of AllianceTexas. With over four decades of experience, Berry discusses his passion for Fort Worth, Texas, how he got his start in the industry, and …

In a reversal of roles, normal ChangeMakers podcast host and producer, Jeremy C. Park, is the guest on this special episode, which is hosted by Dr. Sarah Petschonek, Founder and CEO of Volunteer Odyssey. Jeremy C. Park is the CEO of cityCURRENT, a shareholder in Higginbotham, author of two books, contributor to Forbes and The Business Journals, pro…

Host Jeremy C. Park catches up with Dr. Sarah Petschonek, Founder and CEO of Volunteer Odyssey, who was one of the original ChangeMakers podcast interviews (episode 5) back in 2016. During the interview, Sarah shares how Volunteer Odyssey has grown over the last seven years to work with more than 28,000 volunteers who have given over 460,000 hours …

During the interview, Traci talks about growing up in Florida and some of the lessons she learned from her family and watching her father, who was en electrician. She discusses being the first in her family to go to college and how mentorship paved the way for many future opportunities, how the door was opened for her to join the team at what would…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Marcus Walker, Executive Director of Daily Bread Ministries, who shares his personal story of growing up in Texas and being called into ministry, serving overseas and meeting his wife from Switzerland, starting their family and moving back home to San Antonio to serve with the nonprofit organization that works with ov…

In this episode of the ChangeMakers Podcast, Jeremy C. Park sits down with Matt Kripke, CEO of Kripke Enterprises, Inc., Mid South Aluminum. From humble beginnings in Toledo, Ohio, to becoming a majority shareholder and recognized expert in aluminum and hedging, Matt shares his journey of hard work, passion, and resilience. Having held significant …

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with ChangeMaker, Justin Levy, Executive Director of Conscious Alliance, who shares some of his powerful and inspirational story of managing through hardships, including Cerebral Palsy, enduring 14 surgeries, being in and out of wheelchairs, having to learn how to walk four times before graduating high school, and severe d…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with ChangeMaker, Mark Melson, President and CEO of Gladney Center for Adoption, who shares some of his personal story in growing up in Euless, Texas, attending Texas A&M and the University of North Texas, moving to Louisiana and meeting his wife, and aligning his passions and purpose as both a "Gladney Dad" and leader of …

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with ChangeMakers, Tom and Ellen Harris, Co-Founders of The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, who share their story of meeting in college, living in Massachusetts and moving to Texas, starting their family, getting involved in the community and playing an important role in the development of Ft. Worth with Tom’s role as …

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Michael Graber, Managing Partner of Epic Pivot, who shares his story of growing up in Memphis, Tennessee with both mother and father being entrepreneurs and being surrounded by the musical influences of the city, and how those experiences helped shape his future. During the interview, Michael talks about his work and …

During the interview, Beverly talks about her time with Holiday Inn Worldwide and how it paved the way for her to grow into her role as a corporate executive, sharpening her skills for marketing, branding, communication, and leadership training and development. She talks about becoming an entrepreneur and small business owner with her husband, and …

About Dr. Elizabeth Brands: Elizabeth R. Brands, Ed.D., is a dedicated, strategic, and passionate leader. She brings a wealth of organizational leadership experience from occupying key roles in education institutions, nonprofits, and foundations across the region. Elizabeth’s early career experience as a classroom teacher informed her approach that…

During the interview, Kris describes how she left her hometown in Wisconsin and became an entrepreneur at an early age, how the military helped prepare her for success, how she shattered glass ceilings and led a global luxury hotel company, some of the leadership lessons learned while leading the global company Rock Springs Retreat Center was found…

Deb is an acclaimed communicator, connector, and strategist adept at uncovering potential in individuals and groups, strengthening their abilities to optimize their impact within their organization and the community. Deb believes that disrupters talking across industries and interests to collectively impact social challenges will cause deep sustain…

During the interview, Dwania talks about her parents, the important role her mother and women played in the Civil Rights Movement, seeing a cross burning in their yard, and how she approaches healing and leading with love to take the lessons of her past to become a spark for building community and connectedness through her efforts today with The Me…

Visit www.slingshotmemphis.org to learn more. About Jared Barnett: Jared joined Slingshot Memphis in October 2019. Prior to Slingshot, Jared worked at McKinsey & Company for six years. Several years of his career were based in Sub-Saharan Africa, including in South Africa with McKinsey, in Ghana as CEO of a manufacturing company and VP of a financi…

During the interview, Heidi discusses her roots in Montana, moving to Texas and what inspired her to join The Cowtown Marathon. She talks about the business of hosting marathons, the mindset of event production and tips for success, starting a nonprofit to focus on helping youth and encouraging health and fitness, some of the secrets to their succe…

About Jen Alessandra: Jen Alessandra joined Frontdoor, Inc. in March 2019 as senior vice president and chief people officer. Alessandra brings significant depth and breadth of experience as an HR leader in both public and private companies, has an impressive track record for helping businesses and employees navigate change, and in implementing stra…

Ed also talks about forming the Gillentine Group in 2008 to focus on legacy planning and philanthropic strategies to help families have a more significant impact on the world. He shares the story of writing his book, "Journey to Impact: A Practical Guide to Purpose-Driven Investing," and talks about some of the lessons and steps that have helped hi…

Chris and Elaine moved from St Louis, MO to Franklin, TN in 2004 to start a church. Little did they know that in the process of pastoring a church that One Generation Away would be birthed. In 2013 One Generation Away was established and in the first year distributed 400,000 pounds of food from the back of the Whitney’s car. It has now grown to ser…

Michael shares his story of traveling the world, how he was able to finance his adventure, some of his favorite moments, many lessons along the way, and what advice he would pass along to others who want to pursue a dream. He also talks about his next chapter with Mindful Media and how he is taking the experiences learned working with media compani…

During the interview, Rusty talks about growing up in Texas, graduating from the University of North Texas and getting into the insurance business. He discusses being named President and CEO of Higginbotham in 1989 at the age of 27, and implementing the firm’s defining “single source” service model whereby customers can obtain all their insurance a…

From challenging stereotypes of girls in her Catholic school more than 40 years ago, to her first job after college convincing nonprofits to engage with youth volunteers, or her role as board chair of a global nonprofit transforming the way we do international development, Nancy has experienced the challenges of leading big change within establishe…

Recently, Joel co-founded Kosan, a travel clothing company. The company launched one of the most successful Kickstarter apparel products of all time - reaching over $1M in sales in 30 days. He appeared on CBC's hit show Dragon's Den, was one of the inaugural BCBusiness 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs and is also an author and award-winning documentary fi…

Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P., is an internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organizational consultant who transfers his knowledge of exceptional business practices in ways that develop joyful and productive workplaces with a focus on customer experience. His insights encourage leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passiona…

Matine now serves as Executive Director of EEqual, a youth-led nonprofit, raising $100,000+ for students in need. Matine has been featured in People Magazine, ABC News, and has won the President’s Volunteer Service Award three times. EEqual’s mission is to level the playing field for students in poverty. The organization provides scholarships and m…

His teaching career spans nearly 40 years and includes instruction in English, speech and drama, theater arts, and speech communications. Since his retirement in 2016, Dr. Sennett stays busy writing, speaking, serving on the boards of several non-profits, and offering encouragement and expertise to those in need. HERB'S BACKGROUND AND PROFESSIONAL …

During the interview, Owens talks about her efforts, lessons learned and so much more. Learn more about Summer Owens by visiting www.SummerOwens.com. The ChangeMakers Podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services. Be inspired by more positive media by following cityCURRENT here: www.cityCURRENT.com…

During the interview, Yancy and Jason both talk about how they got into their respective careers, lessons learned, how they approach their creative process, and more. To learn more about Yancy Villa-Calvo visit www.YancyArt.com. To learn more about Jason Jackson and brg3s visit www.brg3s.com. The ChangeMakers Podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and …

Andre Jackson Founder & CEO For more than a decade Andre has performed extensively in award-winning theatrical productions nationwide. He is a noted alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA). As an actor, Andre has been awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, NAACP Theatre Award, Los Angeles Ovation Award, and was nominate…

Our friend Kellie Turnage, @kturnage121, is bravely sharing her story of #addiction, which almost cost her everything, including her life, so she can help others and walk them from the darkness she personally experienced then to the light she enjoys now with her beautiful family and career. It’s critically important that we better understand addict…

Now in it's 11th year, Aidan Cares is an independent 501c3 created by a board of supporters that believe in this crucial mission. All donations are used for impacting youth and adults along their paths to give and serve partnering to do so with charities doing awesome stuff. Learn more: https://www.aidancares.org/ The ChangeMakers Podcast is produc…

Through great adversity after a horrific road traffic accident in October 2017 left Dr. Ajay G Doni with a prosthetic leg, Dr. Ajay has used that life changing event as a platform to guide various amputees on how to overcome amputation trauma, provide tips on improving gait pattern, and educating others on various prosthetic options and components …

Carol Johnson-Dean, Ed.D., is currently the Interim President, LeMoyne-Owen College, Memphis, TN. Prior to that appointment, she served as the Executive Director of New Leaders, South Region, a national organization providing leadership development for aspiring principals and teacher leaders. She has provided oversight to New Leaders programs in Te…

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Robin and Jason Hills, who share their personal story of turning disabilities into the powerful abilities of finding love, starting a family, having successful careers and encouraging others to break out of their mental and physical constraints to find fulfillment, embrace diversity, achieve greater levels of success,…