Phoenix Pod

What if nonprofits didn’t have to scramble for funding every time a good opportunity appeared? In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Rohit Padmanabhan, CFA , founder of Lotus Asset Management, to unpack why the Phoenix Club created an endowment and how it fundamentally changes the way the organization supports nonprofits. Rohit shares the thinking behind moving...

What if every classroom taught kids how to breathe, regulate, and belong? In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Riki Rattner , founder of Be Well in School , a Nashville nonprofit redefining mental health and mindfulness in education. Riki shares her journey from growing up in a high-pressure academic environment to creating a program that helps students and te...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Thomas Magevney, a former teacher and current program lead at Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee. They unpack why hands-on financial education matters, how programs like JA BizTown and JA Finance Park bring real-world economics to life for students, and the power of exposing kids to career possibilities early on. From f...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Sam High, President-Elect of the Phoenix Club of Nashville , to talk about his journey from Birmingham to Nashville , with a surprising detour working on a ranch in Wyoming . Sam shares how he found his way into the Phoenix Club, why volunteering and venture philanthropy are at the core of his involvement, and what motivate...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Blake Hogan , a legacy member of the Phoenix Club of Nashville , Marine veteran, and former CEO of Bunker Labs. Now leading Nashville Door Closer , Blake is focused on growing a 50-year-old company while reconnecting with the city he’s called home for nearly a decade. Blake and Jovica dive into his transition from running a...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod , host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Shaka Mitchell, a legacy member of the Phoenix Club of Nashville and a passionate advocate for education reform and civic growth. With deep ties to the community, Shaka has been at the forefront of conversations about how cities like Nashville can evolve while maintaining opportunities for all. Shaka and Jovica explore the...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod, host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Max Rykov from the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE)—the largest refugee resettlement agency in Tennessee. NICE has been at the forefront of supporting refugees and immigrants, providing critical services like housing, employment assistance, youth programs, and pathways to citizenship. Max shares his pers...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod, host Jovica Djurdjevic sits down with Garrison Snell— founder of Snell Ventures, a values-driven holding company focused on acquiring and preserving family-owned businesses while making meaningful community impacts.   They discuss Garrison’s fascinating journey, from selling his first business at 24 to finding a deeper purpose in building businesses that priorit...

In this episode of the Phoenix Pod, host Jovica Djurdjevic talks with Dr. Brandon Haskins—an educator with over a decade of experience in leadership, program development, strategic planning, counseling, consulting, and student development. Dr. Haskins has expertise in curriculum design and implementation, enhancing academic performance, and promoting diversity in educational environments. They dis...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod, host Jovica Djurdjevic talks with John Boots, founder of Expedition Group and legacy member of the Phoenix Club; Greg Skloot, President-Elect and managing partner at Bridge Crest Partners; and Rohit Padmanabhan, president of Phoenix Club and founder of Lotus Asset Management. John, Greg, and Rohit discuss their unique entrepreneurial journeys, sharing the motiva...

In this episode of The Phoenix Pod, host Jovica Djurdjevic talks with Phillip Ellenburg, President and CEO, and Sherry Mast, COO, of Faith Family Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Phillip and Sherry discuss the center's mission to provide sliding scale primary care to the working uninsured. They share the center’s origins, its holistic approach to healthcare, and the welcoming environmen...

Marcus E. Meneese is the Founder and Executive Director of Stronger Than My Father, Inc., a Christian 501(c)(3) organization created in 2013. The organization’s mission is to educate, inspire and transform today’s youth to fulfill their God-given purpose. For the past 20 years, Marcus has actively worked as a youth mentor. He believes his purpose is to coach and develop youth to become responsible...

Chip Howorth is a former President of Phoenix Club and a former Member of the Year. He currently serves as the Managing Partner at Adapt Development Company here in Nashville, TN. Chip's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chip-howorth-1981851b The Phoenix Club of Nashville is a 100% volunteer-led 501(c)(3) organization of young men with a dual mission to benefit under-served youth in Middle Tennessee a...

Greg Skloot is Managing Partner at  Bridge Crest Partners , a buy-side M&A search firm based in Nashville. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of  Crystal , an AI software startup backed by Salesforce Ventures. He is also co-author of Predicting Personality, a  book  published by Wiley about using AI to understand people and win more business. Prior, Greg was VP Growth at Netpulse (70 employ...

Larry Kloess is a native Nashvillian with family roots going all the way back to the founding of Fort Nashborough by his ancestors, the Donelsons. After growing up in the suburbs of Nashville (Brentwood, Franklin, and Hendersonville) he spent several years away from Music City attending Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and working in Colorado and California for brief stints. After the Ma...

On this episode we address the issue of human trafficking with Mary Trapnell and LeAnn Walters, members of the Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition (NHTC). They share personal experiences and journeys to this critical work. LeAnn, a survivor, now supports victims through NHTC, while Mary discusses her awakening to the prevalence of trafficking. We explore traffickers' tactics and mindset...

Scott Hearon is a native Nashvillian who grew up playing youth sports in the gyms and fields all over Middle Tennessee. A remarkably average athlete, Scott did not make a big impact in the high school stat columns, but he found his niche as a gifted leader and communicator among his teammates and coaches. Scott attended Baylor University and earned a degree in Communications and a minor in Busines...

Micah is the President of Anchor Investments and founder of Mission Hotels, a unique hotel brand that donates a majority of its profits to underserved communities. With a background in real estate investment and development, Micah has been involved in nearly $300 million worth of transactions over the past seventeen years, including the acquisition and development of 3 million square feet of comme...

The Aloe Family is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to provide opportunities for education, well-being, self-sufficiency and healing to resilient communities and individuals facing challenges of poverty and lack of family support.   https://www.thealoefamily.com/ Social Media: @thealoefamily     The Phoenix Club of Nashville is a 100% volunteer-led 501(c)(3) organization of young men with a dual...

PCON Mayoral Candidate Forum We are excited to bring you an exclusive audio of the PCON Mayoral Candidate Forum, which took place on Monday, May 22, 2023, at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. The discussion was moderated by Steve Cavendish, president and editor of the Nashville Banner, along with Demetria Kalodimos, executive producer of the same organization. The Na...

Demetrius B. Short, CEO & Founder of Transformation Life Center. Over a decade has passed, since he walked across the stage as the first in his immediate family to complete the process of obtaining a college degree. To this day, Transformation Life Center CEO, Demetrius Short reflects on how his real-world experience did not come without struggles and obstacles stemming from his matriculation...

Rohit Padmanabhan is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Lotus Asset Management, a boutique financial advisory company that works with young professionals across the country. Rohit graduated from Rice University with a focus on Math and Economics and worked at several major banks, managing assets for ultra-high-net-worth clients for nearly a decade before deciding that he wanted to take hi...

Rodger Dinwiddie has been the CEO of STARS-Nashville, an evidenced-based Student Assistance Program, since 1986.  Prior to joining STARS, he served as the Executive Director of another nonprofit organization working with the juvenile court for five years and was a classroom teacher in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools for 7 years. Rodger is an Olweus Technical Assistance Consultant fo...

Patrick Baird is an entrepreneur, management consultant, and investor.  He has founded or been a co-founder of ventures in disparate industries including fashion, government IT services, and real estate. As an Engagement Manager with Lodestone Advisory Group, Patrick works with mid-market companies on international expansion and strategy, as well as county/local governments on economic develo...

Cory Cain has called Nashville home since 2015. He has a background in marketing and sales, working for companies such as Mars, Nielsen and Amazon. Cory is a husband, father of two boys, an active community member and avid reader. He joined the Phoenix Club in 2019 and served various board roles until elected as the 2023 Club President. The Phoenix Club of Nashville is a 100% volunteer-led 501(c)(...