iBuild America Podcast

What does it look like when talent meets opportunity—and focus meets purpose? In this powerful episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Lorraine Lane sits down with Chef Cameron Shaw, a young culinary talent whose journey is rooted in legacy, resilience, and vision. From working the dish pit to earning international recognition, Cameron shares how discipline, integrity, and mentorship shaped hi...

In this episode of the I Build America Podcast, host Byron V. Garrett sits down with Tremaine Davis, visionary tech entrepreneur, educator, and social impact leader with more than 26 years of experience building companies and communities from the ground up. A seven-time founder who launched his first tech company in 2000, Tremaine now leads two venture-backed global AI firms transforming industrie...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Byron V. Garrett sits down with insurance professional, entrepreneur, mentor, musician, and family man Yonni Castillo—a multi-talented leader whose story proves that purpose, passion, and perseverance truly can coexist. Yonni opens up about his unconventional path—from growing up in Michigan, to a 20-year career with State Farm, to relocating acr...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Byron V. Garrett sits down in Michigan with Dan Stechow, President & CEO of TPOP – The Power of Preparedness—a true renaissance leader whose journey has spanned music, business, digital innovation, and now workplace safety. Dan shares his remarkable story: from playing 2,000 shows across the world as a touring bassist performing at Bill Clint...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, host Byron V. Garrett travels to the Detroit Job Corps Center to sit down with two powerful voices shaping the future of the workforce: Jordan Dent, an 18-year-old electrical student transforming his life one step at a time, and George Collard, a retired Chrysler professional turned Job Corps instructor who now dedicates his life to building the next...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, Byron V. Garrett sits down in Detroit with business leader, civic advocate, and former gubernatorial candidate Kevin Rinke—a man whose family legacy has shaped Detroit’s economy for nearly a century. Kevin opens up about growing up in a third-generation automotive family, what he learned from watching his father serve both his country and his communit...

From Corporate Leadership to Culinary Legacy. On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, we sit down in Phoenix, Arizona with Rasheedah White, business executive, entrepreneur, and co-owner of Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles, a soul food empire she has built alongside her husband, Larry White. Rasheedah’s journey began in banking, where she rose from teller to branch manager to home equity offic...

What does the American Dream mean to a new generation? In this iBuild America: Street Talks episode, meet Jackson , an 18-year-old sports business major from Wisconsin who’s passionate about sports, innovation, and making a difference. Jackson opens up about his faith, his purpose, and how he hopes to inspire others to create real impact — on and off the field. 🎧 Tune in for an honest, hopeful, a...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast , we sit down in Detroit, Michigan, with Keith Ledbetter , President and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan (ABC) and the Southeastern Michigan Construction Academy (SEMCA) . With nearly a decade of leadership in workforce development, Keith has been instrumental in creating pathways for students, career changers, and aspiring t...

What does “building America” look like through Gen Z eyes? In this iBuild America: Street Talks episode, Arizona State University student Vienna opens up about chasing purpose, balancing dreams with reality, and what her generation really values. It’s an honest, hopeful, and thought-provoking look at how the future of America is being shaped — one story at a time. 🎧 Tune in and subscribe for more...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, we find ourselves in Atlanta, Georgia welcoming Melissa A. Mitchell, visionary artist, author, and founder of A Better Life (formerly Abeille Creations). Melissa’s journey began in 2014 during a season of grief when she picked up a paintbrush for the first time. What started as an act of healing has since evolved into a global creative empire that spa...

Host Tev Grant is back at Arizona State University, home of innovation (and yes, maybe a few legendary parties), for another episode of Street Talks — a new segment of the iBuild America Podcast. This week, Tev chats with Tavai, Sydney, and Aaron, three ASU students with different majors, backgrounds, and bold perspectives on what it really means to build America. From defining the American Dream...

On this episode of the iBuild America Podcast, we sit down in Atlanta, Georgia with Phillip Clark, CEO of Just Say Something and Interim Executive Director of Compass of Carolina. With over 30 years of nonprofit leadership, Phillip has been on the frontlines of substance use prevention, family strengthening, and mental health awareness. From designing statewide and national training programs to le...

In the first-ever episode of Street Talks, a brand-new segment of the iBuild America Podcast, host Tev Grant hits the Arizona State University campus — known as America’s #1 school for innovation — to talk with students about what it really means to build America’s future. This week, Tev sits down with Mason Paddie, a 26-year-old PhD student in mechanical engineering, to dive into the modern Ameri...

Breaking Barriers. Building Wealth. Inspiring Change. In this powerful episode of the iBuild America Podcast we travel to Phoenix, Arizona to sit down with Dr. Velma Trayham, President & CEO of the Black Chamber of Arizona, award-winning businesswoman, philanthropist, best-selling author, and one of the nation’s most influential voices in economic empowerment. From closing the racial wealth ga...

Helen Sneed Principal Partner and Founder Drive The Goal, LLC (Florida) Helen is the Principal Partner and founder of Drive The Goal, LLC. In her various roles, she empowers individuals through career coaching and HR services while helping them achieve their professional goals. Helen has provided internship opportunities through the Polk State College dual enrollment career-based experience progra...

Laura Fautsch VP of Job Corps Operations Serrato Corporation (Illinois) Laura Fautsch is the Vice President of Job Corps Operations for Serrato Corporation. Laura has spent her career in workforce development with several stints as a U.S. Job Corps Center Director and, prior to this role, worked for the U.S. Department of Labor. Laura is a national expert in building workforce-based training progr...

Sean Kelly Technical Director Light Brigade (Pennsylvania) Sean Kelly, RCDD, CFHP, is a 25+ year fiber cable and connectivity professional working in technical, engineering, and business roles. Before joining Light Brigade as Technical Director and Head of Marketing, he spent his career with leading fiber connectivity companies, including TE Connectivity, CommScope, and Rosenberger. He has develop...

Lena Owens Recruiter Agency Accounts TransTech Truck Driver Training School (North Carolina) Lena Owens is an Experienced Recruiting Leader with TransTech Truck Driver Training School based in North Carolina. Trans Tech, Inc. provides comprehensive Class A CDL training programs with modern facilities, small class sizes, late-model equipment, and instruction from professional, certified trainers. T...

Rockson Arnold CEO & Creative Director Rockeagle Pictures (Michigan) Rockson Arnold is an actor and director known for The Good Neighbor, Cinematostrophe, Inferno X - Film Concept (2018), and The Grieving Seeker. Coming from an IT background, he had worked in the Tech industry for a number of years while partly engaging in filmmaking. He made his first documentary film in 2008 as part of a res...

Dr. Jonathan Woods Senior Fellow American Council on Education (Washington D.C.) Jonathan Woods is a Senior Fellow with the American Council on Education. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and holds academic degrees in general studies from Reedley College, adult learning from Southern Illinois University, business administration from Jacksonville University, and educational administration from the...

Crystal Odom-McKinney National Director Easterseals (Illinois) As national director of the largest federally funded program for older adults who seek employment and training assistance and civic engagement, Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Crystal provides oversight and support to Easterseals multistate partners and territories for workforce programs for people with disabilitie...

Eric Shepard Executive Director Foundation For Talent Transformation (Florida) Eric Shepherd, Author of Talent Transformation, has been in the tech space for decades, from product development to CEO, and now runs a personal and team transformation non-profit organization (Foundation for Talent Transformation). Eric Shepherd’s journey in the computer industry began in the late 80s, when he gained e...

Doug Smith Director of Learning Success XR Guru (Ohio) Doug Smith, MBA, is the Director of Learning Success at XR Guru. Doug has helped hundreds of enterprise organizations and educational institutions incorporate pre-made and custom immersive learning and training modules into organizational processes. As an industry leader, he has presented XR information at conferences globally. XR Guru is the...

Bobby Brown U.S. Job Corps Center Director Serrato Corporation (Texas) Bobby Brown is the Center Director of the North Texas Job Corps facility. With roughly 30 years of experience in Job Corps, he is an established leader who understands the mechanics of operating an effective workforce development program. One of his newest innovative programs was the creation of an Aircraft Sheet Metal Repair pr...