The Pursuit Of...

Nancy Bordine joins Ryan and Mark to share her pursuit as an author, quilter, and nurse. Miss Nancy Writes children’s books that nurture Critical Thinking, Diversity Awareness, Observational Skills, and Creativity. Her current project features engaging images of children interacting with traditional quilt patterns. As a writer, Miss Nancy taps into her background of RN/Healthcare Educator, where s...

Angie Sanchez , MBA, PhD candidate from Michigan State Universit y joins The Pursuit Of... to discuss The Nooni Project . The Nooni Project will conduct a needs assessment and implement breastfeeding programs in six Indigenous Tribal Communities in Michigan. Over 150 Indigenous community members will be trained and certified as Indigenous Breastfeeding Councilors to bring breastfeeding back as a c...

Ryan and Mark sit down with Ty Schmidt from Good Works Lab today to discuss his experience in driving positive social change, the inception of Good Works Lab , and his love for Northwestern Michigan among many other things. Good Works Lab is a one-stop shop, full-service social change agency for organizations, citizen-led initiatives, and philanthropic movements that are focused on making waves in...

Ryan and Mark sit down with Alison Kadlec , Senior/Founding Partner at Sova ; an organization focused on "building capacity for large-scale change in higher education." Mission: Sova focuses on improving the quality and accelerating the pace of complex problem solving in the areas of higher education and workforce development. Animated by a core commitment to advancing socioeconomic mobility for m...

This week the NLM crew at “The Pursuit Of…” sits down with Ryan Hannon , Community Engagement Officer at Goodwill Northern Michigan . Ryan has a long track record of street outreach with knowing and helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Northern-Lower Michigan. “Home looks different for everyone, and so do the obstacles that stand in the way. Street Outreach meets people ex...

Samantha TwoCrow, Director of Title VI: Suttons Bay Indigenous Education Program joins Ryan and Mark to discuss the state of Indigenous Education in Northern Michigan. Samantha and Mark both reflect on their individual experiences with the program from their childhood and adolescence. The group also considers the additional challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brought to Native American homes as it re...

Welcome back! "The Pursuit Of..." Podcast, Season 2! Ryan and Mark begin with an episode sharing the changes in the business from beginning of the pandemic until now. All of the highlights are discussed to give an idea of the opportunities in remote tracking and editing as well as pivots made to help complete projects. AND... once again... this is the ONLY time this season, that you will hear from...

Set Aside Convictions — Move On In Your Life: In April 2021, Michigan enacted the Clean Slate Law to help those with criminal records seek expungement through the legal system. The law will help people find better jobs, qualify for housing and higher education loans, and give peace of mind that past mistakes are no longer a hinderance. Courts set aside your conviction(s) if you meet specific crite...

For the final episode of 2021, Cami Fraser, Executive Direct at Michigan Indian Legal Services , ( MILS3.org ) joins Ryan and Mark to discuss the history and mission of MILS. Michigan Indian Legal Services provides legal services statewide to income-eligible individuals and Tribes, advocates for the rights of individuals, which advances systems of justice, and works to preserve Indian families thr...

Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director at For Love Of Water (FLOW), joins Ryan and Mark to discuss the mission of FLOW and our common interest in protecting the Great Lakes. FLOW - Our story is about water – 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water – and the need to educate citizens and leaders about protecting the Great Lakes as a commons held in public trust now and for future generations. At FLO...

National Writers Series, Executive Director, Jillian Manning joins Ryan and Mark to discuss NWS, spread the love of books, celebrate the authors that the organization brings to Northern Michigan, and share her history in writing. ABOUT NWS The National Writers Series (legal name Writers Series of Traverse City) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging world-renowned authors in meaningful...

Norte, Advocacy and Communications Director, Gary Howe joins Ryan and Mark at New Leonard Media to share his "Walk-n-Roll" lifestyle and Norte's mission to get folks outside and moving. Gary gives us a brief history on Norte, the reception from the community, their growth, and his role with the organization, Norte is Northern Michigan’s youth-focused, active transportation-centered, neighborhood-b...

Ojibwe author, Angeline Boulley joins Ryan and Mark to discuss her best selling novel, " Firekeeper's Daughter ", life as a Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians tribal citizen, and her career in Indian Education. BIO: Angeline Boulley , an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Sh...

Brett Fessel , River Ecologist, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Natural Resource Department and Frank Dituri , Director, City of Traverse City Department of Public Services join to discuss the Boardman/Ottaway River Ecosystem Restoration. This is a major project involving the removal of three dams and modifying the lower barrier to prevent invasive species upriver while allowing...

In our first episode with two guests, Ryan and Mark have a conversation with Sarna Salzman, Executive Directive at SEEDS and Board Member, Ed Smith. ecocseeds.org SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to implement local solutions to global issues at the intersection of ecology, education, and design. Through its staff, volunteers, and community partners,...

In this episode, The Pursuit Of... hosts sit down with Matthew W. Morgan, Executive Director at Veterans in Crisis. https://veteransincrisis.org/ When our heroes in uniform return home, often times the transition to civilian life is an emotional and financial struggle. Veterans In Crisis (VIC) was created to assist veterans with some of those unforeseen needs. VIC provides immediate 'hand-ups' tha...

Marco Dedenbach sits down with Ryan and Mark to discuss the Crystal Community Ski Club, Master The Mountain . He shares the history of the program and the passion for getting kids outside. "Master The Mountain is the learn to ski/snowboard component of The Crystal Community Ski Club (CCSC). We are a family-oriented snowsports club where youth, ages 7 through 17, can learn or advance alpine skiing...

Ryan and Mark sit down with Julie Clark, Executive Director for Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc. ( TART Trails ).to discuss the mission of TART Trails, the positive impact it has on our community, and what brought her to Northern Michigan. TART Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that formed in 1998 when four individual trail groups in the Traverse City area united to create a...

In this episode of The Pursuit Of... Podcast, Ryan and Mark sit down with Ben Whiting to discuss entertainment and communication. Ben is a Speaker, Entertainer, and Consultant. He has been seen and heard sharing magic and mind reading around the world from street performances to TEDx. More on Ben Whiting at BenWhiting.com Ben Whiting is a multi-talented individual with a diverse background in thea...

Ryan and Mark have a fun conversation via Zoom with Erin Anderson-Whiting from Impact 100 and Parallel 45 Theater Festival . P45 SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL Every summer, Parallel 45 produces a festival of plays in the relaxed setting of the Civic Center Park in Traverse City. Artists from across the country and around the world convene on P45’s new, state-of-the-art stage to perform adventurous, boun...

The vision of the Michigan Offender Success Model is that every offender released from prison will have the tools needed to succeed in the community and the opportunity to utilize those tools to be productive, self-sufficient citizens. The mission of the Michigan Offender Success Model is to reduce crime by implementing a seamless plan of services, supervision, and opportunities developed with eac...

In this episode Ryan and Mark have a zoom call with Bill Watson from YouthWork, a youth opportunity program brought to Northern Michigan via AmeriCorps and Child And Family Services of Northwestern Michigan. YouthWork is a unique program designed to develop young people and their communities by completing critical projects for nonprofits and government agencies in northern and central Michigan. We...

This episode is for the pet lovers! Ryan and Mark sit down with Kerri Collier, owner at Great Lakes Pet Memorial and Cremation , (GLPM) Traverse City, Michigan. Great Lakes Pet Memorial understands that pets are loved as one of the family and that's why they specialize in aftercare with dignity, respect and love for the pets that have journeyed on from your life. "Great Lakes Pet Memorial is a ful...

In this episode we sit down with our friend, Percy Bird Jr. from Binashe Cannabis Solutions. Percy is an erolled citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. He shares insight into the business activities that support the cannabis industry, and does this from an indigenous perspective. Binashe Cannabis Solutions is the Exclusive Representative of the Megalodon Advanced Labora...

John Di Giacomo, Founding Partner at REVISION LEGAL joins Ryan and Mark at New Leonard Media to share his expertise on all things related to intellectual property. From chasing down copyright infringement on the other side of the planet to helping recording artists gain the rights to their master recordings, John shares how his firm has fought hard to help project their client's artwork, trademark...