Rochester Speaks

Char Cordone, Executive Director of the People's Pantry at 555 Avenue D in Rochester, joins the show to talk about what food insecurity looks like in our community right now and how the People's Pantry is working to meet a growing and urgent need. Char shares what makes the People's Pantry different from other food pantries, why demand is increasing by about 10 percent every month, what the pantry...

Joshua Shea, porn addiction and betrayal trauma coach and author, joins the show for a candid and judgment free conversation about one of the most common and least discussed struggles people face today. Joshua shares his own story, the difference between casual use and addiction, why the question of what you are watching matters far less than why, and what the first steps toward recovery actually...

Chris Bull, member of the Penfield Rotary Club, joins the show to talk about Chasing Chains for Charity, a disc golf tournament he organized at Shadow Pines Park in Penfield that raised over $6,500 split between the Dream Factory of Rochester and the Rotary Club of Penfield. Chris shares why disc golf made such a natural fit for a charity fundraiser, what the Dream Factory does for critically and...

Show Notes: Chris Bull, Principal Consultant at Toro Solutions, joins the show to cut through the fear around AI and talk about what change management actually looks like for Rochester businesses navigating new technology. Chris shares what AI agents are and why they are different from the chatbot tools most people think of, what the real opportunity looks like for small and mid-sized businesses,...

Jennifer Sisson, life coach and founder of Focused on the Future Life Coaching, joins the show to talk about something most people underestimate, how common stalking actually is, what it really looks like in everyday life and how to keep moving forward when it feels impossible. Jennifer shares her own experience as a stalking victim, what the process of documenting and protecting yourself looks li...

Megan Gaul, weight loss coach and founder of Partake Meal Planning, joins the show to talk about losing 100 pounds naturally, keeping it off for seven years and what she has learned about helping others do the same. Megan shares what actually moved the needle for her, why most people overlook the real habits that are keeping their weight up, what she thinks about GLP-1s, and why the relationship w...

Barry Howard, President and CEO of the Webster Chamber of Commerce, and Susan Tripp, founder and owner of SMT Mobile Notary, join the show to celebrate Susan's recognition as the Webster Chamber June Business of the Month. Susan shares the personal story that led her to start SMT Mobile Notary, what the business actually looks like day to day, where she goes and who she serves, and how being an ac...

Debi Carlin Boyle, certified health and nutrition coach and personal trainer, joins the show to cut through the noise around healthy living, from what is actually in the foods being marketed as healthy to what you should know before going on a GLP-1. Debi shares her philosophy on bio-individuality, why she never puts clients on a dramatic diet overhaul, what she looks for when reading a food label...

Tonya McBride Robles, incoming President and CEO of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, joins the show ahead of her August 17th start date to talk about her background, what drew her to the RPO and what she hopes to build here in Rochester. Tonya shares her path from the Peabody Conservatory to senior executive roles at orchestras around the country, what two decades of following a naval officer...

Diane McClure, mother of Meredith, and Katie Hout from the American Red Cross join the show to talk about the 15th annual Fairport Angels Blood Drive, held this Thursday June 18th from 1 to 7pm in the gym at St. John of Rochester in Fairport. Diane shares the story behind the drive, what these 15 years of gathering have meant to the families of Hannah, Bailey, Meredith, Sarah and Katie, and why th...

Chris Widmaier, Executive Director of Rochester Ecology Partners, joins the show to talk about getting outside this summer, where to go and what his organization has planned for kids, families and educators across the region. Chris shares some of his favorite underrated spots across Monroe County, from the west side to the east side, talks about what makes Rochester's parks and waterways genuinely...

Pam Ayers, founder of the Spencerport Free Food Pantry and principal at Impromptu Consulting, joins the show to talk about food insecurity in the suburbs, why it looks different than most people expect and what five years of running a no barrier, no questions asked pantry in the village of Spencerport has taught her about community. Pam talks about the misconceptions around suburban hunger, what i...

Nathaniel Mich, Executive Director of Taproot Collective, joins the show to talk about community gardens, youth employment and what his organization is quietly building across Rochester's neighborhoods. Nathaniel shares why Rochester is uniquely positioned for this kind of work, what Taproot Collective actually does for the 120 plus community gardens in the city, and how 40 to 45 young people from...

Amanda Miller, licensed mental health counselor and Director of Programs and Support Services at Cancer Support Community at Gilda's Club Rochester, joins the show during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about what it really looks like to support someone through one of the most isolating experiences a person can face. Amanda shares what CSC Rochester offers its members, why the mental health...

On Memorial Day weekend, Barry Howard, President and CEO of the Webster Chamber of Commerce, and Cheri Wood, local coordinator for Wreaths Across America in Webster, join the show to talk about honoring those who served, what that looks like in our community and how you can be part of it. Cheri shares the heart behind Wreaths Across America, what the December 19th wreath laying ceremony at Webster...

Laurie Valentine, CEO of the Society for the Protection and Care of Children, returns for part two of our conversation about SPCC's work in Rochester, this time focusing on what drives the mission forward, how the community can get involved and what the next chapter looks like for the country's oldest nonprofit agency. Laurie shares what she believes is the true catalyst for change in the families...

Laurie Valentine, CEO of the Society for the Protection and Care of Children, joins the show to share the remarkable 150 year history of one of Rochester's most important nonprofits and to walk through the eight programs SPCC currently runs to support children and families across our region. Discover how SPCC was founded in 1875 following the case of a young girl named Mary Ellen, whose story spar...

Joan Margaret, artist, art teacher at the Memorial Art Gallery and founder of Billboard Art ROCs, joins the show to talk about what happens when you combine a love of color, a commitment to community and a drive down a gray stretch of 490 after COVID. Discover how Billboard Art ROCs got its start when Joan noticed how dismal the messaging around her felt on her daily commute and decided to do some...

Maria Sommerville, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach, and Bethany Creager, Sales and Marketing Assistant, join the show to share what life looks like at the Highlands at Pittsford , an affiliate of the University of Rochester set on 52 beautiful acres just outside the village with a short walk to the Erie Canal. Discover how the Highlands serves residents from age 62 to 104 across cotta...

Dr. Sara Calus, Director of Educational and Clinical Services at Rochester Hearing and Speech Center , joins the show to talk about the work happening every day with Rochester's youngest and most vulnerable children, and why the first five years of life are the most important window to pay attention to. Discover what early intervention really means, a state funded play based program that sends phy...

Just in time for Earth Day, Chris Widmaier, Executive Director of Rochester Ecology Partners, joins the show to talk about what it means to help all people find nature where they live, work and play across the nine county greater Rochester region, and why that mission has never felt more urgent. Discover the Nature Rx movement, a growing practice where doctors and mental health practitioners presc...

When Julianne Groff was asked to apply for the Executive Director role at Webster Comfort Care Home in 2021, her first reaction was that she was a social worker, not a business person. Today she is the Webster Chamber of Commerce 2026 Business Person of the Year, and her story is a reminder that leading with your heart is its own kind of business strategy. Discover how Julianne went from making re...

Most people picture addiction as something that happens to someone else. Jennifer Faringer, Director at DePaul's National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Rochester Area, joins the show to explain why prescription medications have made that assumption more dangerous than ever, and what every Rochester family can do right now to reduce the risk. Discover how the opioid crisis was fueled no...

Founded in 1946, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Rochester Area is one of the three oldest addiction councils in the country, and this May it is celebrating 80 years of uninterrupted service to Monroe County. Jennifer Faringer, Director at DePaul NCADD-RA, joins the show to reflect on that history and look ahead at the work still to be done. Discover how the face of addictio...

Just in time for Earth Day, Lindsay Kremers, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Lindsay Kaya, Youth Engagement Coordinator at the Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties, join the show to talk about something most people never connect to environmental health, tobacco waste. Cigarette butts are the single most littered item worldwide and the filters inside them are...