Community Chronicles Radio

In this episode, Dr. Platz welcomed back Lauren Hammer, now the CEO of Gram-E's Kitchen, a home-grown snack business that has experienced exponential growth, even while dealing with the loss of Lauren's husband and business co-founder, Bob, who passed away in June 2026.

Our guest this episode was Ryan Hoover, the Experience Director for the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, where his work touches much of what people experience throughout the Flagship City District. A big part of that is the Flagship City Food Hall, Erie's first and only food hall. It's ashared space filled with independently operated food businesses, while the EDDC manages the buildi...

On Friday, RJ Messenger was back with us on Community Chronicles. The serial entrepreneur's newest venture is Flagship Market, an 8,000-square-foot indoor marketplace on West 12th Street in Erie designed to give small businesses, makers, artists, creators, food vendors, and entrepreneurs a place to sell their products without taking on all of the expense and risk that comes with opening a trad...

On this episode, Dr. Platz welcomed Robin Mascharka is the Executive Director of the Bayfront Maritime Center, a nonprofit located on Erie's East Canal Basin that uses sailing, boatbuilding, paddling, STEM education, maritime career exploration, and other hands-on experiences to connect people with Lake Erie. Its mission is centered on creating educational, vocational, and recreational opportu...

On the first half of our show, Dr. Matthew Platz chats with Denny Glasser. Denny is the creator of DennyTV, and he's built a growing audience by traveling around Erie and the surrounding region looking for great food, interesting places, and what he calls 'flavor bombs.' He has built an audience of roughly 50,000 followers across social media channels, with individual videos often reac...

Jeff McCullor from Erie Ale Works is back with us as they get ready to celebrate 12 years in business, which is a pretty remarkable milestone for a locally owned craft brewery. On September 4th and 5th, Jeff and the crew will celebrate another year of what they describe as ‘beer, high-fives, laughs, and good ol’ times,’ with the return of the O.G. Bar, Oktoberfest, food trucks, merchandise special...

Our first guest has a story that is about pizza—but als as much a story about entrepreneurship, persistence, and getting a second chance to build something on your own terms. Joining us is Elliot Smith, co-owner of Perry’s Pizza, located at 1001 West 6th Street in Erie. Adam Calfee, an Erie-based animator, illustrator, writer, and co-founder of MoreFrames Animation, as well as the creator of Ms. M...

Joining us in the first half-hour was Victor Fernandes, founder of Fernandes Fit. Before becoming a health and fitness coach, Vic spent 26 years as a sports journalist, including part of his career covering sports right here in Erie. Fernandes Fit focuses on what Vic calls the Core Four—mindset, nutrition, training, and accountability—and offers online, in-person, and mindset coaching. Our second...

Joining us in our first segment was Britty Lea from the Gem City Renaissance Festival, which returns to Erie on Sunday, September 6th at Frontier Park. The Gem City Renaissance Festival transforms one of Erie’s best-known parks into the fantasy realm of Livaelore, bringing together live entertainment, artisans, food, historical demonstrations, costumes, characters, and plenty of opportunities for...

This episode we dedicated the entire program to one of the biggest days of philanthropy in our region—Erie Gives Day. Since its launch in 2011, Erie Gives has become much more than a one-day fundraiser. It has grown into a celebration of generosity, bringing together thousands of donors to support hundreds of nonprofit organizations that strengthen our communities every day. Joining us are three l...

Our first guest is someone who has been instrumental in shaping the future of higher education here in Erie County. Joining us once again was Dr. Christopher Gray, Founding President of Erie County Community College. Since opening its doors just a few years ago, EC3 has continued to grow by creating affordable, accessible pathways to higher education and workforce training for students of all ages...

Joining us is Dr. Andrew 'Andy' Roth, Scholar-in-Residence at the Jefferson Educational Society, educator, historian, author, and one of our region's leading voices on leadership and civic engagement. Andy's latest book is titled How to Be a Highly Effective Leader: A Primer, a practical guide that explores what leadership really means, why character matters, and how anyone can dev...

Joining us in our first half-hour is Aiden Knapp, owner of Knapp's Butcher Block. What began as a custom meat processing business has recently expanded with the opening of a new retail market, giving customers direct access to high-quality meats and locally sourced products. Our next guest is helping people experience one of Erie's greatest natural treasures in a fun, active, and unforgett...

For the first half of the show, we're excited to welcome back one of Erie’s most talented singer-songwriters, Brooke Surgener. Brooke has built a loyal following with her heartfelt songwriting, beautiful vocals, and performances that blend indie folk, Americana, and pop into a sound that's uniquely her own Our second interview is with Nicole Platz. Nicole first joined us as she was prepari...

In the first half of our show, Dr. Platz spoke with Destin Demarion, owner of Demarion Bass Fishing Enterprises LLC. Through his work, Destin combines competitive fishing, education, outdoor recreation, and entrepreneurship, helping anglers of all experience levels improve their skills and enjoy the sport. We then learned the story of Stephanie Montgomery, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Select an...

On this episode Dr. Platz was joined by Megan Solensky, who many listeners may know from her increasingly popular restaurant review videos on Facebook. Through her videos, Megan has been shining a spotlight on locally owned restaurants, hidden gems, longtime favorites, and the people behind them. She is also the Community Relations Specialist of the Community Blood Bank, so she discussed ways to p...

Joining us in our first half of the show was Mark Jeanneret, President and CEO of VisitErie. VisitErie recently partnered with Erie Apparel to launch its very first merchandise collection, called “It’s All in Erie.” In segment two, Jasmine Almeida is back with an exciting new venture — one that involves a beloved Erie institution. Jasmine is the new owner of Avanti’s Restaurant, a name that has be...

Joining us first in this episode was Bryan Brinkle of the Erie Shriners Cycle Corps, part of the Zem Zem Shriners organization here in Erie. The Cycle Corps has a long history of participating in parades, community events, fundraising efforts, and supporting the mission of Shriners Children's Erie. In our second half of the show, . We were joined by RJ Messenger, an Erie entrepreneur, speaker,...

On this episode Dr. Platz welcomed Jake Rouch, Vice President of Development for Passport Reality and host of The Jake Rouch Show podcast. Jake has spent more than 30 years working with businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community leaders to help Erie evolve and grow. In our second half, we were joined by Yash Kasini and Yashash Kasini, founders of StayX. StayX, Inc. is an AI software comp...

In this episode, our guest for the hour was someone who has become well known in Erie not only as a business owner—but as one of the region’s most recognizable endurance athletes. Andy Hellman is the owner of Snap Fitness Harborcreek, a gym focused on helping people improve their health, fitness, and overall quality of life through consistency, accountability, and community.

This week we got an update on the story of Serafini’s Trattoria, located in the heart of downtown Erie—a restaurant rooted deeply in family tradition, Italian heritage, and community connection. Owners Opie Hughes and Amanda Serafini joined us. Then we spoke with Brandon Soto, the owner of B. Soto Media, a photo, video, and drone production company based right here in Erie, specializing in capturi...

Our first guest was Jessica Hunter, the owner of Jessica Hunter Photography, a locally based business with more than a decade of experience creating portraits, commercial imagery, and storytelling visuals for individuals and organizations across our region. In the second half of the show, we were joined by Matthew Fisher, now the co-owner of Porky’s Pizzeria in downtown Erie—a well-known local spo...

In this episode, we were joined by , one of the voices behind the Steelers by the Lake Podcast — a growing podcast built around a shared passion for all things Pittsburgh Steelers. Then , co-owner of Erie Ale Works returned to talk about their Benevolent Beers program, a unique initiative where a portion of sales during designated events goes directly to support local nonprofits.

Our first guest this episode was Mukti Subedi, a local entrepreneur and business owner of both the Wonderful Shop on Parade Street and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at the Millcreek Mall in Erie. Joining us in the second half of the show was Chelsea Oliver, owner of Ties & Toasts, a unique event services company right here in Erie.

Our first guest this week brought a little sweetness, and a whole lot of nostalgia to the Erie community. Casey Corritore joined us, owner of Casey’s Ice Cream Cart, a mobile dessert experience. In our second half, Rob Cacchione from Build Better Fields was with us, representing a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and upgrading athletic fields across the Erie area.