cityCURRENT Radio Show

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Ethan Pretsch , Founder and President of WatchDog Robotics , which offers autonomous fire suppression systems using industry leading sensors and monitoring software combined with robotic nozzles to detect fires early and rapidly extinguish them. Ethan shares his some of his background and where the idea for the business started after searching for fire suppression sy...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Tracy Burgess , Executive Director of Dorothy Day House , and Lea Carr , President Elect with the Rotary Club of Memphis , who each highlight their respective organizations and then discuss the upcoming Café du Memphis event on April 25, 2026. Tracy Burgess shares some of Dorothy Day House's 20-year history of providing housing and support to families transitioning o...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Jenny Davis , Executive Director of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program (MYSP), who shares her personal connection to the program as a former participant, and how the nonprofit organization serves as the premiere youth symphony program in the Mid-South and celebrates musical development in a fun, inclusive, and collaborative community. During the interview, Jenny deta...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Michael Dermer , CEO of The Lonely Entrepreneur , who highlights his new book, "Entrepreneur Survival Guide: Will You Survive in an AI World?" During the interview, Michael shares his entrepreneurial journey and the development of The Lonely Entrepreneur platform, which provides a wide range of learning modules, support, and mentorship for entrepreneurs. Michael's ne...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Dwayne Spencer , President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, who discusses the organization's mission and efforts to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Dwayne explains that Memphis Habitat has built nearly 650 homes since 1983 and completed over 1,800 repairs for older adu...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Amy Cotta , Founder and Executive Director of Memories of Honor , a nonprofit organization honoring fallen service members and their families through living memorials and various programs that provide meaningful experiences for the bereaved and opportunities for communities to pay their respects and learn from stories of courage, service, and sacrifice. During the in...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Dr. Sarah Breazeale , Executive Director of the American Red Cross – Mid-South Chapter , who highlights how the organization delivers vital services, providing relief and support to those in crisis and helping individuals be prepared to respond in emergencies. Sarah explains how the chapter responds to home fires, provides blood drives, offers training certifications...

In this episode of the cityCURRENT Show, we’re honored to welcome Beven Byrnes , Executive Director of Bridges Middle School . As a mom, wife, and advocate, Beven shares her personal journey and why she believes education must be designed to meet students where they are. We explore what neurodivergence really means, how Bridges supports academic growth alongside confidence, emotional regulation, a...

In this episode of the cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta is joined by Matthew Lee , Chief Leadership Officer and Executive Coach at ABR Firm LLC . Matthew shares his perspective on leadership development, executive coaching, and why investing in people is essential to building strong organizations and healthy communities. We discuss ABR Firm’s training philosophy, the importance of communit...

In this episode of the cityCURRENT Show, Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Denise McElhaney, owner of Denise’s Happy Hounds and founder of the Happy Hounds Pet Pantry. Denise shares how her love for dogs and her faith led her to create a grooming experience centered on comfort, trust, and care—and how that mission expanded into a community resource helping keep pets out of shelters.  We explore the...

In this deeply honest and hope-filled episode of the cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Bailee Harris , founder of Light After Labor , to talk about one of the most profound—and often unspoken—seasons of life: the postpartum journey. Bailee courageously shares her personal experience with severe postpartum anxiety and depression, including panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, an...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Jillian Crane , President and CEO of First Responders Children's Foundation , who shares the organization's 25-year history and mission to support children of first responders, including their national expansion of programs and services. She discusses her background transitioning from serving on the board to actively leading the foundation and highlights their key in...

Jeremy C. Park interviews Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Scott Mann , former U.S. Army Green Beret, Founder and President of Rooftop Leadership , bestselling author, and speaker, who discusses his 23-year military career and his transition into developing "rooftop leadership" concepts focused on building trust and human connections. Scott highlights his work as a writer, including his New York Times...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Brittney Brown , Director of Mission Advancement for The Store , a nonprofit grocery store founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley in 2020. The store operates on a choice-based model, allowing individuals and families struggling with food insecurity to shop for groceries with dignity, rather than receiving pre-selected boxes. Through partnerships with o...

In this episode of The cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Denise Silas , Founder and Empowerment Coach of Empowered by DS , for a powerful conversation about helping women grow with clarity, confidence, and community—right in the season of life they’re in. Denise shares how her journey from decades of leadership experience led her to create spaces where women no longer feel st...

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with cityCURRENT Nashville Market President, Kelly Meyers, who highlights cityCURRENT and the organization's mission and efforts to connect businesses with the community to power the GOOD through events, media, and philanthropy. During the interview, Kelly talks about the partners and programs in Nashville, discussing their approach to relationship building and community...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Christy Gilmour , Principal and Owner of Gilmour Consulting , who highlights her work with nonprofits in strategic planning, fundraising, and communications. Christy shares her background and explains her consulting approach, emphasizing the importance of early involvement in projects and tailoring strategies to each organization's unique needs. She discusses current...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Chima Onwuka , Founder and President of Grind City Cares , along with his wife, Monica Onwuka , Vice President, who both highlight the nonprofit organization's mission and efforts to impact as many lives as possible by providing essential resources, creating solutions to pervasive social issues, and establishing opportunities for aid to both individuals and families....

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Bob Nardo , Executive Director and Founding Head of Libertas School of Memphis , who discusses the school's growth and recent achievements. Nardo highlights the transformation of Brookmeade School into Libertas, a public Montessori school serving children from infancy through adolescence in the Fraser community of North Memphis. He details the school's success, inclu...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Captain Jack Becker , a former U.S. Navy F-18 fighter pilot, instructor and coach, and keynote speaker, who highlights his upcoming book and shares a recap of his recent keynote presentation on leadership and teamwork from the cityCURRENT signature speaker series event in Nashville, Tennessee. Becker shares his experience using lessons from his military career to ins...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Debbie Radish-Respess , CEO and Alignment Alchemist of Invisible Horizons Coaching and Consulting , who shares her extensive background in corporate America and explains how her diverse experience led her to become a certified executive coach. She discusses her synergy strategy for aligning people with organizational purpose and improving execution, emphasizing the i...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Judy Capps , Founder and President of the Board, along with Regina Glass , Executive Director of Hope Ministries of Northeast Texas , who both highlight the Mt. Pleasant, Texas-based nonprofit organization focused on empowering single mothers through a holistic, multi-generational approach to poverty alleviation. The organization serves 32 families at a time, providi...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Stephen Bell , Director of State Operations with the Tennessee Department of Veteran Services , who discusses the department's mission and a new initiative, the Tennessee Veteran Ready Business Recognition Program. Bell explains that the department advocates for veterans, informs the public about benefits, and honors veterans through state cemeteries. He highlights t...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Happiness Researcher, Author, Keynote Speaker, and founder and CEO of Nonprofit Leadership LLC, Elle Benson , who shares her research on the science of happiness, emphasizing the importance of novelty, gratitude, and relationships in enhancing well-being. She discusses her approach of incorporating novel experiences into daily life to increase presence and joy, citin...

Host Jeremy C. Park interviews Caroline Norris , Chief Volunteer at Volunteer Odyssey , who discusses how her nonprofit organization serves as Memphis's volunteer center by matching individuals and corporations with hundreds of nonprofits across diverse causes, from housing and hunger to arts and environment, while providing capacity-building support to smaller organizations that lack staff to man...