Meanwhile in Memphis with New Memphis

As we navigate another election cycle, New Memphis is convening conversations with experts to help debunk common voting myths and empower everyone to make their voice heard in the ballot. In this "Ballot Basics" conversation, we ask the dumb questions (like what is the difference in the City Mayor and the County Mayor?), so you don't have to. Ian Randolph of Shelby County Voter Alliance...

We are revisiting a few of the 2023 TEDxMemphis talks that focus on active listening. We hope that these insights from community changemakers remind you to stay curious and compassionate. Resources mentioned include: Roshun Austin's 2023 TEDxMemphis Talk David Jamison II's 2023 TEDxMemphis Talk Subha Vadlamannati's 2023 TEDxMemphis Talk This episode is made possible in p...

Robin "Bobbi" Brice, is an 8th Grade Mathematics educator at Soulsville Charter School, a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and is a 2022 New Memphis Educator of Excellence honoree. She entered the education sector through Teach for America and remains an active classroom educator to ensure she's "serving my full purpose." Tune in to hear how Bobbi empowers her sc...

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. Resources mentioned in this episode include: The New York Times articl...

What happens when an economic value-add comes at the expense of humanity? What are our obligations to people? Local experts Daphne McFerren (Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change) and Meka Eqwuekwe (CodeCrew) join us to share insights from their 2023 Policy Papers directly researching the impacts of automation on the workforce, the ethics of AI, and more. Resources mentioned in the episode...

Everyone has a story to tell -- it has the power to heal, empower, challenge, and even change the world. We're revisiting the 2023 TEDxMemphis conference, sharing a few of these stories. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Speed Mentoring for college students and interns New Memphis Leadership Summit Darius Wallace's 2023 TEDxMemphis talk titled Storytelling as a Yoga for the Soul Fletche...

Leadership can take many forms -- it can be loud or quiet, it can manage hundreds of individuals or one task. The common denominator is action . As New Memphis gears up for our 2023 Leadership Summit in August, we are sharing some insights from local leaders that just might inspire you to level up on your own style of leading. Much like leadership, the people we are hearing from today (Kelly Engli...

Episode Notes What is Memphis, Tennessee's most impressive contribution? It’s impact on culture! Memphis has a long list of artists and innovators who continue to shape the world we know today through their influence on arts, music, sports, logistics and more, so let’s raise a glass to a few of the city’s most notable ambassadors! In today's episode, we revisit a live event -- Celebrate What's Rig...

"We thought about Dr. King's dream and all that he had set forth, and it struck our team that 'we are the dream.' How does that dream manifest? Well, it's up to all of us." Tiffany Graham and Kevin Woods join us to share details of the renovations to The National Civil Rights Museum which include the "BlueCross Healthy Place at Founders Park." They share how their respective organizations (Nationa...

Persisting through a problem to find a solution is a universal truth for everyone. In fact, the subject of math displays more than a handful of life-lessons including discipline, teamwork, confidence, and not being afraid of failure. Yanli Cui , a 2022 New Memphis Educators of Excellence Award honoree, shares how she went from failing middle school geometry to finding a passion for teaching mathem...

"I'm proud to say Memphis is the only city in the country to have eliminated concentrated public housing." Shante Avant (WFGM) and Eva Mosby (Urban Strategies Inc.) join us in the studio to share about ways to remove barriers and create opportunities to move families from poverty to accessibility and success. Resources mentioned in the episode include: Summer Experience Launch Night at The Shell o...

"Education can help build better communities." Kerrie Jackson, a former classroom educator, works to make sure the next generation of scholars and families make meaningful connections. As the Director of Gestalt Community Schools' N.I.C.E. Program (Network, Inclusion, Culture and Equity), she works with community partners to create advocacy, wellness, and overall "pulse-checks" for all. Resources...

"One of the really powerful things we've come across in our work at Slingshot is that at least 100,000 people in Memphis who are experiencing poverty are probably not able to pursue technical trainings or other types of career opportunities because of their lower literacy levels." Sam O'Bryant (Literacy Mid-South) and Jared Barnett (Slingshot Memphis) talk about the intersections and realities of...

"We all want to be seen and feel like we belong. Seeing yourself reflected matters." The month of May might be all about music and BBQ, but that's far from the whole picture of our diverse city. May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month , and this year, the celebration of culture was formalized in a new way for the 901 to experience thanks to Dr. SunAh Laybourn and partnership...

"Once you become aware that 40% of the food grown in the U.S. is wasted and figure out where you're connected, people are genuinely interested on how to engage." We're getting down and dirty to help clean up our city with Janet Boscarino (Clean Memphis) and Leann Edwards (Project Green Fork). We're talking about the link between environmental education and academic outcomes, how to help reduce foo...

"Don't let the emergencies cloud the vision of the work you're doing." We're getting back to the A-B-C's of it all with 2022 Educator of Excellence, Grant Monda . As Executive director of Aurora Collegiate Academy, Grant is the working to build a strong foundations for the leaders of tomorrow. Grant is a Teach For America - Memphis alumni and the recipient of their prestigious Barbara Rosser Hyde...

"Your income shouldn't determine your health outcomes." We're discussing a unique piece of the healthy communities puzzle -- housing. There is a distinct intersection of healthcare and housing that greatly impacts both individual and community health, and we're digging into the specifics with Dwayne Spencer (Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis) and Marcy Wurzburg Stagner (Church Health). Resou...

"It takes all of us working together to build a more just world so that we can all live, work, and thrive in this community together." We're continuing the conversation we began a few weeks ago by discussing how state and local legislation impacts healthy communities, livability, and economic progress. Phillis Lewis of Love Doesn't Hurt 901 and Shahin Samiei of Tennessee Equality Project join us t...

Entrepreneurship is risky business (literally), but in Memphis, the rewards often outshine the risk. Memphis is known as a city that produces movers and shakers—problem solvers who get creative and look beyond limitations—but what are we doing to support and keep them here? How do we define success and how does hope factor into a business plan? Can we invest in innovation with more than just money...

"Tennessee is under the national spotlight." Preserving healthy communities and city livability impacts everyone, and having crucial conversations is critical for education and activation. In that spirit, New Memphis invited Jenna Dunn (Trans Services Specialist at OUTMemphis ), Anu Iyer (Volunteer Coordinator and Community Manager at OUTMemphis), Krista Wright Thayer (Director of Outreach and pre...

Is pressure pushing down on me, pushing down on you? We're tackling something that impacts everyone -- STRESS. 😵 Life has been in a pressure cooker these last few years, and the ripple effects of stress are creeping into every area of our lives. Our friends at Baptist Hospital and Baptist Memorial Health Care are sharing their knowledge on: how stress impact your immediate and long-term health ho...

"If you love Memphis, Memphis will love you back." A rising tide lifts all boats, and Lift Insights & Capital Partners is aiming to do just that for businesses here in Memphis.↗️ Tune in to here Paulo Teixeira and Bruce Landau talk about how they [and their other co-founders] are using their "retirement" to pay their business expertise forward. This episode is made possible in partnership with...

"I sat there and I imagined myself 5 to 10 years from that moment [of turning in my journalism resignation], and what would I say to myself? I would've been so disappointed if I hadn't tried to make this idea a reality." Kontji Anthony, CEO and co-founder of Youdle as well as a New Memphis Board of Trustees member. She along with her two sisters and friend created this start-up from a need they sa...

"Volunteering is an incredible way to get to know your city, network & meet people, and ultimately to give you a leg-up as you are maybe looking to make a career change or get plugged in." Philanthropy and Memphis go hand-in-hand. But where does our city rank in comparison to other cities? What is the ROI of volunteering?  Dannon Thornton of Volunteer Odyssey shares the impact of VTO (voluntee...

"Memphis is a beautiful base like a canvas that has already been primed and is waiting to continue to painted by different stories." Our conversation with David Quarels IV is as bold and colorful as his new wallpaper line with Chasing Paper. He shares resources for the Memphis arts community, why he named his wallpapers after the legacy of powerful women in his life, how he uses his chromesthesia...