Meanwhile in Memphis with New Memphis

"Memphis, we have an abundance of talent, not only on the stage as artists but also session musicians, producers, and audio engineers. You name it, it's here. And we want to make sure that they know there are many avenues to take their creative genius and utilize it." McKenzii Webster (Crosstown Arts) and Lee Rankin (media, technology, and virtual reality legal marketing attorney) are he...

"How do we connect residents to theatres, dance companies, instructional opportunities within their community they might not even know about? The map with MATA came into play as a resource for riders showcasing all of the arts and culture assets in our county." The Mid-South is rich in creative assets, but are we maximizing them to the best of our bottom line? Hear from Shelby County's f...

"I've learned the lifecycle of things -- how human actions can destroy beauty, whether intentional or neglect, but human actions can also put it back together. Adaptive re-use is not limited to a singular building." Great Scott! We're going back to the future to explore adaptive reuse in our city. How can looking backward propel the community forward? Tune in to hear from local experts o...

"The need is there; people are hungry. We will continue to provide resources, but we have to also figure out a way to truly make it attainable with the education piece and policy, too. We continue to be reactive rather than proactive... food should be a true right attainable to everyone." New Memphis has had several conversations about how social determinants of health all rely on each o...

"For many Memphians, the system that they know has always worked against them. We have built a system that works for them by mobilizing and aligning resources to address priority issues." It takes a village to support individuals and families in Memphis --  everyone is needed to create impacts from generation to generation. Dr. Kenneth Robinson of The United Way of The Mid-South , and Ki...

"Adaptive reuse, at its core, is looking at the inherent value of these places, how they speak in context to the surrounding history, and repurposing that place that might have perceived loss of value. It's an interaction with the neighborhood." Ben Schulman of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) and Deveney Perry of BLDG Memphis share the important connections between peop...

Happy New Year, Memphis! 🍾 Special guest Geoff Calkins joined us in the studio to share how sports unifies cities, has the power to change city narratives, and why his biggest hope for Memphis might be different than you'd think. This episode is a great refresher for a new season. We encourage you to also “trust the process” when it comes to beginning a new year. Whether you have new resolutions,...

"It's the glue that holds community together -- I would argue it holds democracy together. Yes, parks provide fun, respite, and peace, but I think at their best, they really underpin what's needed to build strong communities." Whether you get outside today or over the next few weeks, we want to remind you about the power of Memphis’ public parks. Jen Andrews ( Shelby Farms Park Conservan...

Dr. Mario Brown and Dr. Mary "MJ" McConner are here to help us sort through the A-B-Cs of DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) and more. It might feel a little like alphabet soup, but when you simply it, people want to belong, feel included and welcomed. It's about the journey, not necessarily a particular destination. This episode is particularly meaningful as it directly points back to t...

"In a lot of ways, teachers are not given the respect as the professionals that they are. It sounds so simple. I'm finding myself focusing on teacher mental health as much as student mental health because I have to create the space where they [all] want to be here." 2023 New Memphis Educators of Excellence Kerrith Griffin , Executive Director of University Middle School, and Danny Song ,...

"You're in a perfect place in the world to find yourself a nice wetland or a bottomland hardwood and watch a wetland wake up. It's pretty magical." Chuck Smith and Karen Waldrop of Ducks Unlimited Inc. join us to share how Memphis has become the hub of the continent's wetland conservation efforts. tune in to learn about the impacts of wetlands -- from clean water and flood mitigation, to...

"Philanthropy does not have a price tag on it, it simply has a willingness. It is wherever you choose to put your time, talent, treasure, and ties." Happy Giving Tuesday! Giving trends and opportunities have changed quite a bit over the decades, and we wanted to learn how the next generation of philanthropists are combining passion with strategy to maximize impact. Caroline Kuebler of th...

"America's dinner table is either made or moved through Memphis. We are feeding America from here, and that's important work." Cathy Pope of the Mid-South Food Bank and Gwyn Fisher of the Greater Memphis Chamber detail how Memphis can be both a hub for the food and beverage industry yet also have so many experiencing food insecurity. Tune in to hear how the solution is in the intersectio...

"Re-entry is about a human. It's not about a system or a behavior, it's about a human re-claiming humanity." DeAndre Brown of the Shelby County Office of Re-Entry and Virginia Murphy of Playback Memphis describe the impact of the arts on the process of previously-incarcerated individuals reclaiming their humanity. Resources mentioned in the episode include: Playback Memphis Celebrate Wha...

"If we dismiss such a large section of our community it makes Memphis dismissible in the grand scheme of things." Dr. Elena Delavega of the University of Memphis School of Social Work and Rev. Lisa Anderson of Room in the Inn join us to share the nuances of both data and social impact of those experiencing homelessness in our city. The long-term impacts of homelessness permeate into the...

"This is probably cliché to say at this point, but the city does have grit. It has attitude, in a good way, and there's a strength to it in its people that I just absolutely love." This is Halloween , and we're leaning into the spirits and haunts that make our city the special place it is today. Old Dominick has centuries worth of stories steeped into each spirit, and Backbeat Tours are...

"Doing this job while knowing how crucial early childhood is to a child's later success in school, lights a fire in me and an excitement because I know these years are the most important. Giving them those tools as early as possible is a huge benefit." New Memphis Educators of Excellence, Stephanie Sacco and Michaela Arguin , are sharing the importance of early childhood education, how a...

"While there's a lot of frustration, fear, and concern in our community, I do also see hope. That frustration and fear come from a place of alignment. Everyone in our community wants the same thing: we all want our community to be a safe, wonderful place to live. That alignment gives me a lot of hope. I know that we have the best people and the best resources; if we can align ourselves approp...

"You have all of these touchpoints that aren't necessarily under our control, but we understand that we own the experience." Hospitality runs deep in Memphis -- from the creation of Holiday Inn to making an event of ducks walking to an elevator -- every detail of that experience is curated by individuals in the hospitality industry. But what is being done to pour into those curating thes...

"It's the glue that holds community together -- I would argue it holds democracy together. Yes, parks provide fun, respite, and peace, but I think at their best, they really underpin what's needed to build strong communities." Jen Andrews (Shelby Farms Park Conservancy), Tina Sullivan (Overton Park Conservancy), and Carol Coletta (Memphis River Parks Partnership) have a lot in common. Th...

"We live here, too, so we very viscerally understand a lot of the experiences of Memphians, how that drives conversations about politics, how that drives different candidate's platforms, and how that may ultimately drive whoever ends up in office." Samuel Hardiman of The Daily Memphian and Katherine Burgess of The Commercial Appeal share how they approach their role as journalists, how l...

"People talk about those who are 65 years and older as one group, but you would never talk about those ages 0 to 40 as one group. There is the infant, the toddler, the kindergartner, then elementary and middle and high school... it goes on and on. There are 10 different categories for the first 40 years of life, yet society looks at the last 40 years and says 'oh, they're all the same' but th...

"The idea that creatives come up with creative solutions goes far beyond the walls of any of our arts organizations." Michael Detroit of Playhouse on the Square and Tracy Lauritzen Wright of ArtsMemphis join us to share the role of the arts in our city, the collaboration rather than competition, and Memphis' first arts-centered mayoral forum. Resources mentioned in this episode include:...

Anasa Troutman joins us to share how the Historic Clayborn Temple is not only being restored for remembrance but revitalized as a resource and catalyst for stories that will shape the future. Resources mentioned in this extended-cut episode include: Historic Clayborn Temple Anasa Troutman's professional website National Trust for Historic Preservation Clayborn Temple Traveling Exhibit gui...

"We have a vision for Memphis where you don't have to own a car to get outside of your neighborhood. We have a vision for an equitable, accessible transportation system that allows residents and visitors alike to see all of the amazing parts of Memphis that we have to offer." It might seem as simple as getting from Point A to Point B, but the reality is that transportation impacts every...