From the Kitchen Table

On this episode of The Open Door, Jean Lee, founder of the Academy of Chaos and director of the Midwest Homeschool Expo, stops by the studio to talk about her journey into homeschooling during COVID and her work creating community-based educational resources. Jean discusses how she developed hands-on engineering, geography, and economics classes at the Westfield library, while also organizing a co...

On this episode of The Open Door, Ron Williams stops by the studio to talk about his brand Nate Redd Clothing, to talk about his journey from drawing clothes he couldn't afford as a child to building his Indianapolis-based fashion brand over the past 11 years. Ron shares how his mother's influence shaped his brand - from teaching him to draw to inspiring the name "Nate" (from Nathaniel, her favori...

On this episode of The Open Door, Tori Witter stops by the studio to talk about Indy Design Week, a volunteer-run nonprofit that celebrates and elevates design across all disciplines in Indianapolis. Tori discusses how the organization brings together different design communities through their annual week-long festival in April, featuring local speakers, partnerships with design organizations, and...

On this week's episode, Antonio Maxie (formerly Yung Tone) discusses his journey from north side battle rapper to establishing himself as an Indianapolis music and business icon, or as Drayco put it, "a real Naptown celebrity." Maxie shares insights about the impact of early mentors and venues like The Ugly Monkey on his development as an artist, his commitment to Indianapolis, and his role in bui...

On this week's episode, Drayco McCoy, a prolific Indianapolis-based rapper, producer, and multi-disciplinary artist, joins us to talk about his journey from Fort Wayne to becoming an integral part of the Indianapolis music scene. Drayco discusses his creative process 33 projects in, his recent sobriety journey, and vision for Indianapolis' creative future. We also explore themes of artistic authen...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Congressman André Carson joins us to talk about his journey from growing up in Indianapolis's Dodge City neighborhood to becoming a representative of Indiana's 7th Congressional District in Washington D.C. We talk about his early life as a hip-hop artist and activist, and how these experiences shaped his approach to politics and community service. The...

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, Senator Andrea Hunley kicks off 2025 by sharing her path from elementary school principal to state legislator, rooted in a childhood where books became her sanctuary after personal tragedy. As one of only two Black women in the Indiana Senate, she discusses bridging divides through authentic connection and proximity to different communities. Her perspe...

On this special BONUS episode, it's the holidays! Patrick, John, and Mike take a minute to talk about the past year of the show and what it's been like working together. We also reveal YOUR top three episodes of 2024, as voted on by YOU, the audience!  Thanks to everyone who has been a part of the show in any way this year! You make it worth doing! See y'all in 2025! Support the show Leave a revie...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Korie Griggs, a multi-hyphenate creator and healer, joins the show to talk about using creativity as a pathway to healing from grief and loss. Korie discusses how her early experiences with journaling and creative expression evolved into various forms of artistic practice, including metalwork, poetry, and community care. We also get into collective hea...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, multi-faceted artist and all-around awesome human being Kyndl joins the show to talk about her evolution from aspiring rapper to established hip hop artist (and beyond). Kyndl shares insights about her journey through faith, music, and community-building, including her time in Atlanta and return to the Indianapolis hip-hop scene. She also explores them...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Shane Young bka Art By Fitz comes through to talk about his journey from basketball player to renowned Indianapolis artist and how his lived experiences and emotions inform his community-centered artwork. Fitz shares insights about the evolution of Indianapolis' art scene and the importance of building genuine offline communities. He also emphasizes th...

On this week's episode, the most legendary himself, FOXD'LEGND joins the show to talk about his journey from basketball player to musician, and how he intentionally shifted from making music from a dark place to creating feel-good songs on his latest album "33". Fox shares insights about performing with a live band, the untapped potential of Indianapolis hip-hop, and the importance of creating aut...

On this week's episode, Duane Thalley, know universally as Stretch, joins the show to share his journey from Los Angeles to Indianapolis, where he discovered his passion for building authentic connections across cultural and racial divides. A near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2019 became the catalyst for launching the Follow D$ Podcast and finding his true purpose in community building. Through vu...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Al Carroll, President and CEO of IndyHub, joins the show to talk about how relationship-building has been key to shaping his career and community impact. Al discusses what brought his from Florida to Indiana, what he learned working at TechPoint, and how it all led him to what he's doing now at IndyHub, spearheading an evolution from a "young professio...

On the final installment of Community in Conversation for 2024, the team popped out to University Park downtown for the fourth Chicken & Beer Festival, hosted by Eat Here Indy! Chicken & Beer Fest has been a staple in the city for the past four years. It connects people to the tastiest local restaurants and chefs featuring delicious food, great music, and the highly anticipated “Hot Wing C...

On this episode of Conversation Piece, Lena Pringle, former anchor of Daybreak on Wish TV, shares her journey from traditional journalism to becoming an art-trepreneur in Indianapolis. After taking a transformative break from her career, she discusses how prioritizing wellness, building community, and embracing creativity led to unexpected opportunities including walking in New York and Paris Fash...

On this week's episode, Emmy Award-winning director, producer, and camera operator Jake Huber joins the show to discuss his journey in the film and video industry — from starting out filming local shows to creating custom set builds for music videos, and shares insights on storytelling, community building in Indianapolis' creative scene, and his transition to documentary-style work. He also shares...

On this installment of Community in Conversation, we take a look inside Epicurean Indy, a brand new international food and art festival specifically centering and highlighting the immigrant / international communities that exist here in Indianapolis. In this episode, we sit down with five folks from various industries with different stories to find out why Indianapolis is a PERFECT place for event...

On this installment of Community in Conversation, we explore Proof: A Midwest Literary Festival in Indianapolis 📚 The episode highlights the often-overlooked members of the literary community, including volunteers, staff, and booksellers, who contribute to making such events possible, while aiming to elevate and center voices that are typically underrepresented. Community in Conversation is a bon...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, we head to the historic Naptown Thrift in South Broad Ripple for the next installment of Community in Conversation, celebrating six years of the shop and the release of Visual Aural, a mixtape and photo book combination showcasing some of the best hip hop artists in Indianapolis from local photographer and hip hop head Jake Moran. We got the cha...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, we launch our newest series Community in Conversation, focused on highlighting the people behind the scenes of the organizations who bring events like BUTTER and CHREECE to life every year. In this episode, we head to the historic Stutz in downtown Indy for the fourth annual BUTTER FINE ART FAIR. Held on Labor Day Weekend, this multi-day event c...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, with sit down with Naptown hip-hop collective Slum Baby Family (SBF) at the Chreece festival in Fountain Square. The group discusses their evolution, recent album release "Family First, Volume One," and the importance of Chreece in showcasing local talent. Members 4200Kory, MACCOLADES, DJ Des, and Pfeif (4/5 of the collective — shout our Kxng Di...

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, we celebrated 100 episodes of the show with a live recording on August 19th at Tinker House Events in Indianapolis. In front of a live audience of friends, family, and community members, Patrick, along with the CP team of Mike Lee, John Overton, and Madeline MacKinnon, reflects on the growth of the show, why we made the pivot to Indianapolis, and how s...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Kelsey Jones, a strategic communications expert and entrepreneur, joins the show to discuss her transition from corporate work to launching her own consulting business and running Silent Book Club Indy. She offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and communications professionals in Indianapolis, emphasizing networking and community involvement. And, w...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, interdisciplinary artist and curator Fēi Ford comes by to discuss her journey with Future Friends Holographic Magic Club, her evolution as an artist, and the importance of community in her work. She also reflects on her recent solo show, the challenges of gentrification, and her role as a connector in Indianapolis' arts scene, offering listeners insigh...