Beyond the Bite

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes Mike Lynd, CEO of Kairoi Residential, for a deep dive into economic development and the pivotal opportunities facing San Antonio. Mike shares his personal journey from Florida to Texas and discusses how his family's business background shaped his approach to property development and community investment. The conversation highlights Ka...

In this episode of  Beyond the Bite , host Eddie Aldrete turns his attention to a story on the Texas gulf coast as he sits down with Stephanie Hajducek from Project YaREN and Dolly Gonzales Trolley from Voices for Coastal Bend Energy as they dive into the details of a proposed ammonia plant in Ingleside, Texas. The discussion opens with the basic question of who and what is Project YaREN?&nbs...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete is joined by Pete Cortez, CEO of La Familia Cortez Restaurants and board chair of the Alameda Conservancy, along with Trey Jacobson, consultant and interim executive director for the Conservancy. Together, they dive into the rich history and exciting future of the iconic Alameda Theater in downtown San Antonio. The conversation begins with a l...

In this episode, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with April Ancira of the Ancira Automotive Group for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about the state of the auto industry, the value of giving back to your community, and the evolving political landscape of San Antonio. April shares the fascinating history behind the Ancira Automotive Group, including their expansion beyond San Antonio into smaller...

The question going around town is when will the campaigning stop and the governing start? In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Trish DeBerry, CEO of CENTRO, and Kevin Wolff, partner at Spire Risk Management, both former Bexar County Precinct 3 commissioners. They break down what happened, do a deep dive into the high-stakes decision over Project Marvel and the...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Laura Saldivar Luna, founder and creator of Piñata Possible, to explore the journey of breaking through self-imposed limitations and embracing possibility. Laura shares the inspiration behind her company's name, using the metaphor of the piñata to illustrate how personal and professional breakthroughs often come from embracing o...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with San Antonio City Council members Marina Alderete Gavito and Marc Whyte to discuss a range of hot topics affecting the city. The conversation kicks off with the recent incident involving Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez and transitions into an in-depth look at Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones's leadership style and various procedural chan...

In Episode 61 of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete is joined by returning Councilman Marc Whyte (District 10) and newly elected Councilwoman Misty Spears (District 9) to discuss the pressing challenges facing San Antonio’s City Council this year. The conversation opens with reflections on the loss of 13 lives in the recent flooding event and the urgent need to address the city’s aging infrastr...

Meet two of the voices from San Antonio City Council. In this episode, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with San Antonio City Councilwomen Sukh Kaur of District 1 and Ivalis Meza Gonzalez of District 8 to explore the experiences and challenges facing both an incumbent and a newly elected official. Kaur reflects on her first term, highlighting the intense workload, the importance of constituent se...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina for an in-depth conversation about family, leadership, and life along the Texas border. Judge Tijerina opens up about his upbringing in Webb County, in and around Laredo, sharing stories about his large family, the values he learned from ranching life, and his journey from professional baseball to...

In this special live edition of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes San Antonio mayoral candidates Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos for an in-depth conversation on some of the most pressing issues facing the city. Filmed before an audience of The Leadership San Antonio Alumni Association, the discussion covers the looming city budget shortfall, challenges with city revenues, and how ea...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with guests Rob Killen and Erin Bley to break down the unexpected twists in San Antonio’s recent mayoral and city council elections. The discussion opens with a deep dive into the mayor’s race, unpacking the surge of outsider candidates, the influence of outside money, and the impact of strikingly low voter turnout. The trio highligh...

In this special episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete offers listeners an in-depth "Mayoral Candidate Mashup" ahead of San Antonio’s 2025 mayoral election. Instead of the typical soundbite answers found in traditional forums, this episode features 3-4 minute highlights from Aldrete’s interviews with each of the nine top contenders. These candidates include former and current city council...

The odds of her succeeding in life have never really been in her favor, but through hard work and determination, Melissa Cabello Havrda overcame the odds, graduated from college, graduated from law school, began her own law firm and got elected to the City Council. Now, she wants to be San Antonio’s next mayor. She’s running a grassroots campaign in a very crowded field. Cabello Havrda shares...

To understand Gina Ortiz Jones, you have to start with her personal journey. In this episode, she reflects on her path from growing up on the far West Side of San Antonio to serving as the 27th Under Secretary of the Air Force. She shares how her upbringing and military experience have shaped her belief in the importance of strong local leadership, community investment, and expanded educational op...

With former City Councilman Clayton Perry, what you see is what you get. The folksy, jovial former councilman definitely knows what he doesn’t like and that’s a city that spends too much, is way behind on funding infrastructure projects and a city that keeps veering outside of its’ municipal lane getting involved in state and federal issues that will either generate lawsuits or in some form,...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, to discuss the role he played in cutting through the federal bureaucracy on significant trade and infrastructure projects in Texas. One of the key topics is Senator Ted Cruz's efforts to expedite the approval process for new international bridges and the expansion of an international bridge along the Texas...

In this episode, the conversation kicks off with business leader and mayoral candidate Robert Melvin discussing his unique perspective on economic development, shaped by his experiences as a business owner, builder and entrepreneur. He highlights the importance of changing the city's approach to development, emphasizing a need for minimizing red tape and fostering a more cooperative relationship b...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite,” host Eddie Aldrete welcomes back San Antonio Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia. The conversation begins with an update on Dr. Rocha Garcia's father's health, following his diagnosis with Alzheimer's. Rocha Garcia talks about the support she receives from her extended family and shares a touching story about how her son helps care for her father by handling dai...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza, rejoins the podcast to provide important updates on San Antonio’s power landscape. Garza discusses how CPS Energy has adapted since the severe winter storm of 2021, emphasizing their improved communication with ERCOT and the significant strides they've made in power generation and responsiveness to outages. Garza highlights CPS Energy'...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," Eddie Aldrete sits down with guests Demonte Alexander, CEO of Citizen Reach and Director of Public Affairs for Bridgewater Consulting, and Shay Bluntzer from Marlin Blue Strategists to discuss their professional transitions and insights into the current state and future of San Antonio politics. Demonte elaborates on the mission of Citizen Reach, focusing on pu...

In this episode, host Eddie Aldrete is joined by Rob Killen and Erin Bley as they explore San Antonio’s evolving political and urban landscape. The discussion spans upcoming elections and the intricate dynamics of governance shaping the city’s future. The conversation opens with an analysis of the challenges and opportunities surrounding the upcoming mayoral election, the first open-seat race in 1...

🎙️ In this episode of Beyond the Bite , we’re diving into transformation, innovation, and the future of San Antonio. Host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Dr. Taylor Eighmy, President of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), to explore some truly game-changing initiatives that are reshaping the city’s educational, cultural, and economic landscape. Dr. Eighmy shares how UTSA is leading the cha...

Mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in business, government and economic development. In this episode, Host Eddie Aldrete and guest Rolando Pablos delve into the importance of trust and experience in leadership roles, particularly when it comes to collaborating and negotiating with others. Pablos shares his vision for enhancing community awareness to add...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete dives into the deep end of the mayoral campaign pool to better understand what candidates should be doing right now, how much they need to raise to be viable and why candidates need to approach this non-partisan office with a partisan campaign.   Join Eddie and his live audience as his political consultant guests – Republican Kelton Mor...