The Charlotte Ledger Podcast

In 2014, Kimbo Bohannon founded Buddy/Mentor, a nonprofit mentoring program for elementary students. She has since retired from her 27-year career in teaching. In this episode, she discusses the importance for students to know someone is cheering them on and how she builds relationships in the community to support Buddy/Mentor. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our...

Ross Danis served as president and CEO of MeckEd, a Charlotte nonprofit dedicated to ensuring access to opportunity for all children. Danis, who retired in April 2023 (after this podcast was recorded), operates under the idea that there is more than one way to be smart. He discusses ways to help children realize that struggling with traditional schooling doesn’t define their intelligence.  For mor...

Commercial real estate has been falling on hard times lately — but one of its bright spots is the development of medical office buildings, because of the steady demand for healthcare. Brannen Edge, CEO of Charlotte-based Flagship Healthcare Properties , talks with Charlotte Ledger editor Tony Mecia about some of the factors affecting the sector, including the rise of telehealth, changing demograph...

Dave Redding has been a Charlotte litigator for over 20 years. He’s learned that litigators need to keep themselves mentally and physically fit. In 2011, Redding co-founded a men’s workout group called F3 that's grown to over 50,000 participants worldwide. In this episode, Redding shares why having compassion has made him a better litigator and how F3's leadership structure makes the workout group...

How are Charlotte small businesses doing in this uncertain economic time? In this episode, recorded LIVE at the Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2023, The Charlotte Ledger's team chatted up 8 local businesses for a couple minutes each, in fields including photography services, coworking, yoga, veterinary medicine, restaurant supply and corporate merch. This episode features brief i...

Cheryl Richards serves as president and CEO of Catapult , an employers’ association that serves more than 2,300 employers across the Carolinas and beyond. Before joining Catapult, Richards worked in higher education for 32 years. In this episode, Richards shares how her background prepared her for Catapult, what employment challenges face companies today, and how employers can keep their employees...

Fabi Preslar founded SPARK Publications in 1998 as a graphic design firm. Now, SPARK is a custom-publishing design firm that helps businesses across a variety of industries grow and convert their knowledge into marketable books or magazines. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit TheCharlotteLedger.com . This episode is part of a series in which w...

As part of the 4th anniversary of the launch of The Charlotte Ledger, The Ledger's Tony Mecia and Cristina Bolling discuss company's origins, how Charlotte journalism has changed over the past 25 years and where The Ledger fits into the future of journalism. This podcast is hosted by Steve Dunn of Miles Mediation and Arbitration and Tim Whitmire of CXN Advisory. For more information about The Char...

Women in need of stable employment and job security need more than a working wardrobe – they need services to help them land meaningful jobs and keep them on the path to career success. Nobody knows that better than Kerry Barr O’Connor, executive director of Dress for Success Charlotte, which during the month of March is holding its Your Hour Her Power fundraising campaign. In this episode, O’Conn...

As Charlotte FC starts its second season, it is hoping to keep the momentum going from its successful first year, in which it exceeded expectations and nearly made the playoffs. The team's sporting director, Zoran Krneta, shares his philosophy on building a roster. He also recalls some the poignant moments surrounding the tragic death of Anton Walkes in a boating accident this preseason — and expl...

Charlotte's arts scene is evolving, and few understand the landscape better than Tim Miner, co-founder of Charlotte is Creative, a non-profit that helps bridge the gap between artists and the business community. In this episode, Miner discusses the development of the arts in Charlotte and what creative types need to flourish here. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for...

In the 1980s, a handful of local business leaders known as "The Group" would meet to discuss their vision for turning Charlotte into a modern and thriving "New South" city. And they made it happen. Today, the influence of businesses on Charlotte's direction has waned, and decision-making on big issues is more fractured. Longtime Charlotte journalist Jim Morrill discusses "The Group" and its legacy...

Charles Thomas serves as the Charlotte program director of the Knight Foundation and focuses on the development and preservation of Charlotte's Historic West End neighborhood. In this episode, he discusses how the Knight Foundation invests in the community and encourages residents to participate in the development process. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our news...

Dualboot Partners principal Todd Buelow's 25-year career as an entrepreneur is centered around servant leadership. In this episode, he shares how he grew his extensive network to help more people, how being a late bloomer shaped his outlook on life, and what advice he would give to aspiring entrepreneurs. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit The...

Manoj Kesavan founded BOOM Charlotte to create a space for Charlotte's talented artists to showcase their work. In this episode, Kesavan shares his inspiration for BOOM, why diversity is important to Charlotte's art scene and where the city falls short in supporting its local artists. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit TheCharlotteLedger.com ....

Amy Aussieker, executive director of Envision Charlotte, is one of Charlotte's leaders in making the city more sustainable. In this episode, she talks about her work at Envision Charlotte, why it’s so important for our city and why she is breeding soldier flies at the city-owned Innovation Barn. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit TheCharlotteL...

Have you ever thought people aged 40+ should be identified and recognized for their good work? Yeah, we did, too — so much that we started The Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Awards, which celebrate people who are making our community better and who are aged 40 and up. In this special episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Charlotte Ledger editors Tony Mecia and Cristina Bolling explain the whys and...

As we enter 2023, there are big question marks about the future of the U.S. economy. What will happen with inflation, jobs, stocks and the housing market? A panel of experts broke down those topics and more in a Jan. 4, 2023, online forum called “Taking the Air Out of Inflation: 2023 Economic Outlook.” The panel is presented by Davidson College and U.S. Bank, and the moderator is Charlotte Ledger...

Since the death of her son Joe in 2010, Diane Restaino of Charlotte has been working toward his dying wish that she raise money to advance research and treatment of pediatric cancer. Over the course of 13 years, Diane grew the Joedance Film Festival into a well-known nonprofit that raised more than $400,000 for Atrium Levine Children's Hospital's cancer program. As Diane announced the festival's e...

Charlotte's real estate industry is changing — and David Ravin, CEO of development company Northwood Ravin, has had a front-row seat to its evolution over more than two decades. He reflects on his early interest in architecture and urban planning, his time as a student at UNC Charlotte, what he learned at real estate giant Crosland, Northwood Ravin's philosophy on building and where real estate in...

How does Charlotte's tech sector stack up nationally, and where does it go from here? Veteran local tech entrepreneur John Espey, CEO of Defiance Ventures, assesses Charlotte's strengths and weaknesses in tech, tells what he looks for in making tech investments, discusses the sector's recent challenges and offers an outlook for crypto, artificial intelligence and more. For more information about T...

When Claire Schuch reported for duty at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in spring 2022, she inherited a department with plenty on its plate. Schuch leads the district’s planning services department, which is responsible for tasks ranging from drawing boundaries for new schools to devising plans to accommodate for growth and shifting populations. She sat down with Ledger managing editor Cristina Boll...

If a big transit plan for Charlotte is going to happen, it’s going to take a regional approach. And Geraldine Gardner, executive director of the Centralina Regional Council, has been working on a regional approach to Charlotte-area transit since 2019. Last year, the Centralina Regional Council and the Metropolitan Transit Commission released Connect Beyond, a regional mobility plan that offers a v...

Marjorie Molina wasn’t expecting to run for political office. But when a vacancy opened on the Charlotte City Council and friends suggested she give it a try, she went for it. Some parts of running a political campaign didn’t come naturally, like fundraising. But it worked: She beat four opponents in a May 2022 primary and was sworn in representing Charlotte’s eastside in September 2022. Molina, 4...

The Catawba River is Charlotte's source of water. It's vital to our region. So how do we protect it? Brandon Jones of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation discusses that important topic with The Charlotte Ledger's Lindsey Banks. They explore what being a riverkeeper means, why protecting the river basin is important in Mecklenburg County, the foundation's work and the coolest spot in the basin to vi...