The Confluence Cast

Sours, IPAs, and stouts, oh my! Dan Whalen, a reporter for Columbus Underground, has quickly become well-versed in the local brewery and beer scene, despite only living in Columbus for two years. We talked about the high quality, diverse selection, and unpretentious atmosphere of the beer scene in Columbus, as well as ways for people to expand their taste preferences and the current trends in the...

The children of our community need advocates in order to ensure that they are safe, stable, and able to thrive. When it comes to homes and families, that is the role of Franklin County Children Services. They are tasked with making sure that children are safe in their homes, providing families with resources if they are needed, and providing support to the community in general. Shownotes Holiday W...

At the risk of sounding like a broken record that you’ve heard before: Voting is important. On the occasion of next week’s midterm election, David DeWitt, the editor-in-chief of the Ohio Capital Journal, sat down with the Confluence Cast this week to discuss how the political landscape has changed in the last two years, the Ohio Supreme Court races and the issues that will be decided as a result o...

The role of our elected officials is largely known to us. That is less true for our county commissioners. Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley joins the Confluence Cast this week to discuss what the commissioners’ office does, her background, and how she translates advocacy into her role on the board for the largest county in the state. Shownotes Franklin County Commissioners Commissio...

It has been said that festivals are one of the best things about our community. By extension, the folks who conceive and orchestrate them are making the city measurably better. This week, on the occasion of the upcoming Hot Times Festival, organizer Candy Watkins discusses the origins of Comfest, why Hot Times Community Festival is the friendliest festival in town, and the importance of leaning in...

Columbus has a lot of character to it. From Comfest to COSI, there are a myriad of topics, issues, inside jokes, and even memes that every Columbusite should be aware of. 614 enthusiast Doug Powhida, the man behind the satirical twitter account Fake Dispatch, graces us this week with a high-level survey of what makes the city great, and sometimes not so great. Shownotes Fake Dispatch on Twitter CO...

As the Assistant Director of Housing Strategies for the City of Columbus, Erin Prosser wakes up every day thinking about housing in the city. In today’s episode, we discuss strategies for combatting NIMBYism, the importance of non-commercial partners when we think about housing, why housing should be thought of as infrastructure, and how we can right-size our systems in order to align them to our...

As a growing city, we have growing city problems. No one knows that better than Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. With the influx of new residents and new jobs, President Hardin discusses transit as an equity issue, the importance of continuing conversations around race and policing, why we have to do big things now, and the big changes coming to how the city council will be elected,...

At a time when the city seems close to a boom in terms of economic development, it also faces challenges with that growth. This week, Columbus’s Director of Development Michael Stevens discusses the portfolio of the Department of Development, how the department works to improve the lives of Columbus residents, evaluating investments at a neighborhood level, and how tax abatements happen in the cit...

How should eScooters, ride-hailing apps, and car-share services be considered in the conversation about alternative transportation? Can we think of them as a public good when they are for-profit entities? This week, Columbus Underground reporter Brent Warren discusses the options for last-mile transit that exist in Columbus, how they came to be, and the motivations and incentives for the companies...

Art and artists have the power to change perceptions. In this week’s episode, multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, & social justice advocate Lisa Mclymont discusses her background, work, her path as an artist, how she chooses her work so that it remains aligned with her self-defined purpose, and her work on the Columbus Art Commission. Additionally, the episode starts with a mini-episod...

Columbus is the largest city in the country without any form of rail service. That might not be changing anytime soon but plans are coming together for an alternative by way of the LinkUS Columbus initiative: Bus Rapid Transit. In today’s episode, Josh Lapp of Transit Columbus talks about the plan, how to convince people that we need transit, and what Amtrak service in Columbus may look like...

Communities around Central Ohio are facing rapid change. That’s apparent in Upper Arlington where Steve Schoeny serves as City Manager. In this week’s episode, we discussed the role of a city manager, his time as Development Director for the City of Columbus, addressing diversity in communities, and the new development coming to UA. Shownotes Upper Arlington Columbus Department of Deve...

54,000 households in Central Ohio pay 50% of their income for housing. Homeport, along with other Columbus-based organizations, are working to fix that. This week, Homeport President and CEO Bruce Luecke discusses their work, the growing need for affordable housing in Columbus, and the contributing factors that hamper Columbus’s housing market. Shownotes Homeport National Church Residences W...

What’s the difference between being an arts advocate and an artists’ advocate? Look to the policies and missions of the Greater Columbus Arts Council for an idea. This week, I spoke with Jami Goldstein, Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Events. We discussed the organization and how it’s funded, their non-competitive grants programs, their new office and gallery sp...

Everyone has the opportunity to document their lives in their own ways. On the eve of the release of her latest collection of work, I spoke with Columbus-based poet Maggie Smith. We discussed how she writes, how the publishing industry works, the inspirations for her work, and why she chooses to stay in Columbus. Shownotes Maggie Smith Goldenrod Good Bones (book) “Good Bones” (poem) Si...

As we navigate change, how can we create actionable plans for the future? Futurist Rebecca Ryan has a few ideas. Based in Madison, Wisconson, her past work in Columbus led to the advent of the city’s young professional initiatives. We discussed the work of a futurist, the tangible things that can be done to improve the social fabric of communities, and if it’s important to be back in t...

The work of architects has an impact on our lives every day. But how does that work get done? This week, we’re talking architecture and development with the principal of architecture and design firm JBAD, Jonathan Barnes. We discussed how architecture firms work, the importance of relationships, the issues that should be kept in mind as Columbus continues to grow, and whether we’re doi...

How will businesses pivot when things get “back to normal?” Becca Apfelstadt, the co-founder of creative and marketing agency treetree, has a couple of ideas. In this episode, we discuss how the firm got started at a time of change, how they are pivoting in this time of change, and the importance of culture and the role of the office in the impending new normal. Shownotes treetree Nort...

Contemporary art and the presentation of it has traditionally been a class-based endeavor. The Wexner Center for the Arts is trying to change that through its programs and the type of work that they present. I spoke with Johanna Burton, the Center’s Executive Director about what the Wexner Center is and how you should view it, how to convince people to expose themselves to the arts, the impo...

Take your broken heart and turn it into art. This week, I sat down with Andrew Levitt, AKA Nina West, Columbus’s predominant drag queen and champion. It’s been 20 years since Andrew became Nina; high time to take stock in his career and what’s next. We discussed how he got started, the cultural phenomena of drag, the importance of being resourceful and scrappy, what’s it&#8...

The annual Beatles Marathon, now in its eleventh year, has become a holiday tradition in Columbus. Normally gathering thousands of people throughout the day at the Bluestone, the event will be streamed live online this year. On the occasion of the upcoming 11th annual Beatles Marathon, now called Sgt. Peppercorn’s Marathon, I spoke with the event’s creator and frontman, Joe Peppercorn,...

There’s a rich history in Franklinton. This week, we dive into the origins of 400 West Rich and the larger 400 Square with the curator of their 400 History Show and Mini-Museum, Zach Henkel. We discuss the history of Franklinton, how the building has evolved over time, and what you can experience at the exhibition. To book a visit, please contact Zach Henkel at 614-806-6559 or  zachh@400west...

When it comes to development, the City of Worthington, like many cities with their size and limitations, has to play a balancing act on navigating varying interests. Reporter Brent Warren sat down with the city’s economic development director and assistant city manager, David McCorkle, and Worthington City Manager Matt Greeson to discuss developments coming to Worthington and how they’...

With the threat of protests and the coronavirus raging, what’s going to happen to Downtown Columbus? On the occasion of his recent retirement, we spoke with the former executive director of the two Downtown special improvement districts, Cleve Ricksecker, about the state of Downtown, why he retired, and why Columbus needs a screamer. SHOWNOTES Cleve Ricksecker Previous episode with Cleve Special I...