Raising Kellan

In today’s episode, I chat with Matthew Dietz, a civil rights attorney and founder of Dislaw Consulting. Matt has spent more than thirty years advocating for people with disabilities. His litigation has advanced effective communication for Deaf people, challenged the unnecessary institutionalization of children with disabilities, and protected voting rights for people with disabilities. His work a...

A tenth-generation South Memphis resident, Marquita Bradshaw is the first African-American woman to win a statewide nomination in a major party nomination. She has built on her family’s tradition of labor and community advocacy by working on issues affecting working families and historically underserved neighborhoods. Her career has focused on environmental health, workers’ rights, economic opport...

Gary Blumenthal is the brother of Steve Blumenthal, a senior adult with profound autism, and dementia, now receiving hospice services in his HCBS group home in Lawrence, KS. He is a former high school Civics teacher, former six-term member of the Kansas House of Representatives, and former disability official in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and is currently serving as a Senior Political...

Robbie Faulkner is the Executive Director of The Arc Tennessee , a nonprofit that protects and advocates for the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is also the proud parent of two sons, Ian and Collin. Since her older son’s diagnosis of autism 28 years ago, Robbie has looked to serve individuals with disabilities and, for 31 years did so in the public educa...

Edward Mitchell was a victim of a hit-and-run bicycle accident in 2003 when he was hit by a truck, thrown into a ditch, and found by his little brother. Edward has quadriplegia with an incomplete spinal cord injury at the C5 and C6 levels. Edward obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2009 from Lane College, a private HBCU, and his MBA in 2011 from Union University.  That hasn’t slowed him down; he wor...

Chaz Molder is a native son of Columbia, Tennessee. He graduated from Columbia Central High School, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Memphis Law School. He also served as his high school and college student body president. He was elected as the Mayor of Columbia, in 2018, becoming the youngest mayor in his city’s 200+ year history. Since then, Chaz has delivered for his community...

In this episode, Sara Smith and I chat with Scott Schoefernacker and Sarah Houston of "Protect Our Aquifer,", a water resource nonprofit in Memphis, TN. This podcast centers on the Memphis Sand Aquifer and the potential impact of data centers on the environment. Timeline of our conversation: 00:41 What is an aquifer and its significance? 03:41 The origin story of "Protect our Aquifer" 06:41 How bi...

In this episode, I chat with Mandeep Kaur and Leah Williamson of Family Voices of Tennessee . Timeline: 1:30 Introduction of Leah Williamson, Director of Family Voices of Tennessee. 5:25 Introduction of Mandeep Kaur, Family Advocate at Family Voices of Tennessee. 10:34 What does Family Voices do and how do families connect with this organization? 12:26 Advocacy is an ever-changing landscape. 12:30...

Back Story This summer, we launched a #GoVote TN grassroots voter awareness campaign. We travelled over 500 miles from Franklin, Union City, to Memphis, TN, to amplify the message that electing representatives who understand the disability community is important for crafting policy that supports this community (in fact, all communities) in terms of healthcare, housing, voting rights, etc. This epi...

An in-depth conversation with Theresa Sweeny, co-founder of the National Disability and Home Care Rights Coalition, about emerging threats to disability rights and home- and community-based services (HCBS) in the United States. Sweeny explains that the coalition formed to unite disabled people, families, and organizations across diagnoses, waiver systems, and states in defense of civil rights prot...

Episode #171 (12 min listen) Today’s episode is a PSA as we head into the midterm elections. I am grateful to Anita Fowlkes, Administrator of the Dyer County Election Commission, for informing us of some key points 1:48 Early Voting starts this Friday, July 17, and runs till August 1, 2026.  To vote early, you need to take your photo ID and go to your local election commission. In Dyersburg, that...

This episode of the Raising Kellan Podcast concludes a three-part “Healthcare Affordability” series by featuring human rights advocate Kristen Grimm, founder and former executive director of Mothers for Medicare for All and newly appointed national director of One Nation Fully Covered under the Tim Carpenter Institute. [0:53] [1:17] [32:16] Drawing on her lived experience navigating her son’s 25 c...

Dr. Beth Beaudin-Seiler is a Project Director in the Health Research and Insights practice area, where she leads the Health Economics and Policy team. She leads a portfolio of work that focuses on health care affordability, including the Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHES) - a survey designed to understand the burdens, trade-offs, and worries respondents have regarding affording hea...

In this episode, I chat with Shana Watkins from the Tennessee Justice Center about their upcoming HealthCare Afforability Summit, which will be taking place in: Knoxville on June 10, 2026 Nashville on June 17, 2026 Memphis on June 24, 2026 Timeline of the Conversation 01:30 What is the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC)? 03:00 What's in a name? Tenncare is Medicaid! 07:00  Harms of H.R.1 (Big Beau...

Ms Alicia Cantrell has an exciting VBS planned at Roellen Baptist Church in Roellen, TN, this coming June 8-12, 2026. Be sure to listen to see how your children can sign up. Timeline of conversation: 1:00 How did the idea for this Vacation Bible Study(VBS) evolve? 2:00 FFA, 4-H are Heart of Champions. 4:00 Some of the scheduled activities during VBS. 5:00 How to sign up for VBS 6:30 Ways to volunt...

Rachel Lovell is a dedicated public servant and advocate for civic participation in Weakley County, Tennessee. She has served as an Election Commissioner with the Weakley County Election Commission for the past five years, following five years on the Counting Board. Through her work, Rachel is committed to ensuring elections are fair, transparent, and accessible, and to helping voters understand t...

Interview with Former U.S. Representative for the Eighth Congressional District of Tennessee, John Tanner, and his wife, Ms Betty Ann Tanner 00:55 Mr Tanner : Can you please tell us about your early life, sir, up to meeting Ms Betty Ann? 03:43 Ms Betty Ann:   Can you tell us where you were born, how you met John, married, and your family ? 06:27 Mr Tanner : You have an incredibly distinguished car...

(7 min listen) We are excited to be hosting Thriving Caregivers this coming weekend, 4/18/26, from 10 AM to 3 PM at Dyersburg First United Methodist Church. This program will be led by Kristin and Todd Evans, national speakers and authors of "How to Build a Thriving Marriage as you care for Children with Disabilities." Here is an outline of the program, and we hope to see you there Morni...

This episode with Kyndell Harkness is a follow-up from an interview #161 with Molly and Kristen from the Mama Bear Podcast. Kyndell Harkness, a former photojournalist at the Minnesota Star Tribune and now CEO and founder of Infinite Voices.  The episode delves into Kyndell's journey from Harlem to the Midwest, her extensive career in journalism, and her transition into a role focused on culture an...

Michaela Barnett is a small business owner, scientist, and community leader who spent the last year working in Congress — so she knows firsthand what isn’t working, why, and what to do about it. She's running to flip the longest-held Republican seat in the country, Tennessee's second congressional district. Michaela is fighting to reclaim our people's power and reform our government to...

In today’s episode, I chat with Kirsten DesMarias and Molly Hilgenberg, co-hosts of the podcast” Mama You Belong.” Kirsten and Molly live in Minnesota and are here to create an awareness of what is happening with regard to Operation Metro Surge. This episode was recorded Feb 9, 2026 and on Feb 12, 2026, Tom Homan who is leading Operation Metro Surge after Greg Bivino’s removal, reported that “immi...

In today's episode, I chat with Mandy Hinson from St John's Community Services about the services provided by the organization, as well as the as a budding new project called " The Pantry." Timeline: 1:00 Mandy Hinson introduction 1:49 What is St John's Community Services? 3:00 Oasis Program for unhoused youth and victims of domestic abuse. 4:00 The Pantry 5:42 The beginning...

In this epsiode I chat with Heather Henderson, a disability advocate from Columbia, TN Timeline: 1:00 Introduction 2:30 Information and Misinformation 4:30 Learning the Systems that support the Disability Community. 9:00 Advocacy: Proactive (planning) vs Reactive? 12:00 Unapologetic Advocacy 14:00 Accountability from Systems that serve the Disability Community 14:30 : What is on the Horizon for He...

Overflow Church in McKenzie, TN, will be hosting Night to Shine on February 13 from 6 - 9 PM. To be sure to listen as Sydney Inman OTR talks about her journey as an occupational therapist, as well as her serving as part of her church team to host their first-ever prom for individuals with IDD here in Northwest TN. Sydney also describes her church's commitment to an inclusive environment, as we...

Today I got to chat with Keona Gwinn who I met at Tennessee Day on the Hill about a year ago. Keona is a MPH candidate at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee and recently delivered a TEDx talked based on the medical home model. Timeline: 1:00 Who is Keona Gwinn? 1:49 Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill 2026 3: 38 Keona's early years: spina bifida, CHOA , Camp krazy legs 4.30 Keona...