Conversation Piece Podcast

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, Senator Andrea Hunley kicks off 2025 by sharing her path from elementary school principal to state legislator, rooted in a childhood where books became her sanctuary after personal tragedy. As one of only two Black women in the Indiana Senate, she discusses bridging divides through authentic connection and proximity to different communities. Her perspe...

On this special BONUS episode, it's the holidays! Patrick, John, and Mike take a minute to talk about the past year of the show and what it's been like working together. We also reveal YOUR top three episodes of 2024, as voted on by YOU, the audience!  Thanks to everyone who has been a part of the show in any way this year! You make it worth doing! See y'all in 2025! Support the show Leave a revie...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Korie Griggs, a multi-hyphenate creator and healer, joins the show to talk about using creativity as a pathway to healing from grief and loss. Korie discusses how her early experiences with journaling and creative expression evolved into various forms of artistic practice, including metalwork, poetry, and community care. We also get into collective hea...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, multi-faceted artist and all-around awesome human being Kyndl joins the show to talk about her evolution from aspiring rapper to established hip hop artist (and beyond). Kyndl shares insights about her journey through faith, music, and community-building, including her time in Atlanta and return to the Indianapolis hip-hop scene. She also explores them...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Shane Young bka Art By Fitz comes through to talk about his journey from basketball player to renowned Indianapolis artist and how his lived experiences and emotions inform his community-centered artwork. Fitz shares insights about the evolution of Indianapolis' art scene and the importance of building genuine offline communities. He also emphasizes th...

On this week's episode, the most legendary himself, FOXD'LEGND joins the show to talk about his journey from basketball player to musician, and how he intentionally shifted from making music from a dark place to creating feel-good songs on his latest album "33". Fox shares insights about performing with a live band, the untapped potential of Indianapolis hip-hop, and the importance of creating aut...

On this week's episode, Duane Thalley, know universally as Stretch, joins the show to share his journey from Los Angeles to Indianapolis, where he discovered his passion for building authentic connections across cultural and racial divides. A near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2019 became the catalyst for launching the Follow D$ Podcast and finding his true purpose in community building. Through vu...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Al Carroll, President and CEO of IndyHub, joins the show to talk about how relationship-building has been key to shaping his career and community impact. Al discusses what brought his from Florida to Indiana, what he learned working at TechPoint, and how it all led him to what he's doing now at IndyHub, spearheading an evolution from a "young professio...

On the final installment of Community in Conversation for 2024, the team popped out to University Park downtown for the fourth Chicken & Beer Festival, hosted by Eat Here Indy! Chicken & Beer Fest has been a staple in the city for the past four years. It connects people to the tastiest local restaurants and chefs featuring delicious food, great music, and the highly anticipated “Hot Wing C...

On this episode of Conversation Piece, Lena Pringle, former anchor of Daybreak on Wish TV, shares her journey from traditional journalism to becoming an art-trepreneur in Indianapolis. After taking a transformative break from her career, she discusses how prioritizing wellness, building community, and embracing creativity led to unexpected opportunities including walking in New York and Paris Fash...

On this week's episode, Emmy Award-winning director, producer, and camera operator Jake Huber joins the show to discuss his journey in the film and video industry — from starting out filming local shows to creating custom set builds for music videos, and shares insights on storytelling, community building in Indianapolis' creative scene, and his transition to documentary-style work. He also shares...

On this installment of Community in Conversation, we take a look inside Epicurean Indy, a brand new international food and art festival specifically centering and highlighting the immigrant / international communities that exist here in Indianapolis. In this episode, we sit down with five folks from various industries with different stories to find out why Indianapolis is a PERFECT place for event...

On this installment of Community in Conversation, we explore Proof: A Midwest Literary Festival in Indianapolis 📚 The episode highlights the often-overlooked members of the literary community, including volunteers, staff, and booksellers, who contribute to making such events possible, while aiming to elevate and center voices that are typically underrepresented. Community in Conversation is a bon...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, we head to the historic Naptown Thrift in South Broad Ripple for the next installment of Community in Conversation, celebrating six years of the shop and the release of Visual Aural, a mixtape and photo book combination showcasing some of the best hip hop artists in Indianapolis from local photographer and hip hop head Jake Moran. We got the cha...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, we launch our newest series Community in Conversation, focused on highlighting the people behind the scenes of the organizations who bring events like BUTTER and CHREECE to life every year. In this episode, we head to the historic Stutz in downtown Indy for the fourth annual BUTTER FINE ART FAIR. Held on Labor Day Weekend, this multi-day event c...

On this special bonus episode of Conversation Piece, with sit down with Naptown hip-hop collective Slum Baby Family (SBF) at the Chreece festival in Fountain Square. The group discusses their evolution, recent album release "Family First, Volume One," and the importance of Chreece in showcasing local talent. Members 4200Kory, MACCOLADES, DJ Des, and Pfeif (4/5 of the collective — shout our Kxng Di...

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, we celebrated 100 episodes of the show with a live recording on August 19th at Tinker House Events in Indianapolis. In front of a live audience of friends, family, and community members, Patrick, along with the CP team of Mike Lee, John Overton, and Madeline MacKinnon, reflects on the growth of the show, why we made the pivot to Indianapolis, and how s...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Kelsey Jones, a strategic communications expert and entrepreneur, joins the show to discuss her transition from corporate work to launching her own consulting business and running Silent Book Club Indy. She offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and communications professionals in Indianapolis, emphasizing networking and community involvement. And, w...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, interdisciplinary artist and curator Fēi Ford comes by to discuss her journey with Future Friends Holographic Magic Club, her evolution as an artist, and the importance of community in her work. She also reflects on her recent solo show, the challenges of gentrification, and her role as a connector in Indianapolis' arts scene, offering listeners insigh...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Oreo Jones, a pioneering figure in the Indianapolis hip-hop scene, joins the show to discuss his musical journey from punk rock roots to becoming a hip-hop artist, his experiences navigating the Indianapolis music landscape, and the creation of CHREECE, an all-day hip-hop festival in Fountain Square. Jones shares insights on artistic growth, community...

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, Sarah Myer, Chief of Staff & Strategy at Indiana Sports Corp and one of the city’s biggest ambassadors, joins the show to discuss her journey from working in arts and media to leading major sports events in Indianapolis. She shares insights on event planning, community impact, and the importance of volunteering. Sarah also breaks down Indianapolis'...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Jake Moran, a fashion, streetwear, and editorial photographer based in Indianapolis, joins the show to discuss his upcoming project "Visual Aural," a dual-medium art piece combining black and white photography with original hip-hop tracks from local artists. Jake talks about how he got into photography, finding his creative voice, and how black and whi...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, Dierre Hartman, a rising hip-hop artist known as Kxng Dierre and a journalism student at Jackson State University, joins the show to talk about his journey from Indianapolis to Jackson, Mississippi and how his HBCU experience has shaped both his music and his brand, God's Child. Dierre shares his early influences, his participation in NPR's Next Genera...

On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, host Patrick Armstrong sits down with Aaron Marshall, better known as Double A, a rising star in Indianapolis's hip-hop scene and the owner of Naptown Thrift. The conversation explores Marshall's journey from aspiring artist to successful entrepreneur, delving into his passion for vintage fashion, his evolution as a rapper, and his perspectives on the...

On this week's episode of Conversation Piece, David Gibson, storyteller, filmmaker, and founder of Elevation Is A Must, shares about the vision that sparked his entrepreneurial journey, why changing our mindset is the first step to changing the world, and how that same world needs more people to "come alive" right now. David also shares the three things within our control that can drastically chan...