The Ednium Podcast

Ednium Family! We hope you are getting your rest in as Daylight Savings is upon us. Welcome to November and we welcome you to the newest episode of Backyard Brilliance. We have Photojournalist, artist, and creator of Vino Out The Trunk, Armando Geneyro. Armando is LA born x Raised but certainly has allowed Denver to shape him professionally and personally over the last 15+ years. After time in the...

It's that time of the year Ednium family! Horror movies, sweaters, and pumpkin spice? Nope not quite? Election season! The fellas are joined by Denver's very own born and raised County Clerk and Reporter, Paul Lopez. A Denver West High grad, former city councilmen, and life long organizer. Clerk Lopez has a vulnerable and timely conversation about fatherhood, his view on civic duties, and...

Happy October Ednium fam! As we stroll on into the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice, we have wonderful conversation with program alumni and one of best athletes the city of Denver has produced. Deidra Smith brings her personality, intellect, and wisdom to a conversation with the fellas. Talking about faith & gratitude. Her relationship with competition and the evolution of it. And h...

What's good Ednium Family! We are back with another edition of Backyard Brilliance! As we continue to find ways to highlight the work we do across the org, the fellas sit down with a pair of great and long-time friends, Cyrus Brown and Sergio Garcia. Cyrus and Serg are DPS products through and through, meeting at Morey Middle School and graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, where they...

Early fall is amongst us Ednium peeps! And we are back with another episode of Backyard Brilliance. This time we have one our own, beloved team member and alumni Xochitl Ramirez. In the pursuit of wanting to find synchronicity between alumni angency outcomes and the work we do as a team. Xochitl joins the fellas to talk about a part of her journey with living with a sense of purpose and how it tie...

¡Bienvenidos al mes de agosto! Just in time for the end of the application cycle for our programing offering at Ednium. The fellas talk with multiple-time program participants and more importantly great friends, Sheccid Najar and Ari Caro. Not only do we get to talk about their friendship, but the power of their larger circle and how that brought them to Ednium. Their experience in all three progr...

Welcome back to another Episode of Backyard Brilliance! While not the 100th episode of the fellas iteration of the podcast, it is still hugh mile maker for the ednium podcast history and journey to reach one hundred episodes. David and Langston are joined by good friend, colleague, and community member Kimberly Carracedo. Kim shares about how being a proud Panamanian has shaped her journey from gr...

May the warmth of the June radiate across all our Ednium community during this time. This episode the fellas have a wonderful conversation with; father, husband, and GW grad Mahamoud Ahmed. Mahmoud shares with us his relationship with Islam and how it has shaped his life and how shows up in community. Leading to wider conversation about the role of faith in both the global and western context. We...

Wishing your April showers bring you May flowers here at Ednium! This episode of Backyard Brilliance features a social media and hustle man extraordinaire, Jadyn Nguyen. Jadyn is a DSST Green Valley Alumni and former social media and marketing contractor with Ednium. Jadyn is proud to be from Denver; From his work with Social Fabric Hub to founding his own marketing firm, Penkhay J. Jadyn continue...

Now that we are in April, Spring is in full effect. This episode of Backyard Brilliance brings multi-program participant and one of the most civically engaged homies in the community, Karen Valenzula. Being an alumna from Denver South and Metro State University, is proud to be from the city and certainly is among the rising brilliance from our backyard. The fellas and Karen have conversations abou...

Welcome to Spring Ednium family! And we could not think of a better way to plant some beautiful seeds for growth, for the rest of the year. This episode we have the fellas sitting down with business and life partners ; Jazmin Chavez and Armando Somoza. Who run their own personal and executive coaching group, Alma Mia. With over 20+ years of experience in the legal, creative, and executive fields,...

Ednium Family! Welcome to our latest episode of Backyard Brilliance and our first of the month of March. The fellas sit down with 2025 Game Giver of the Year from this past year Ednium Homegrown awards. Brendan "Bones" Bonner is a proud Thomas Jefferson High School alum, Restorative Justice Coordinator at Polaris Elementary, and assistant boys basketball coach at Bruce Randolph High Scho...

Happy Black History Month, Ednium fam! As we are on the eve of our favorite capitalistic holiday about romance, the fellas Loved their time with this week's guest, Ednium OG, board member, and episode 3 guest, Colorado Senate President James Coleman. As a special treat, all three gentlemen are joined by Senior Advisor to the president and Secretary of the Colorado State Democratic Party, Micae...

Our second episode of the new year, has the fellas sitting down with a man who has committed himself to creating communal space in Denver and expressing himself unapologetically. Pines. invites the David and Langston into his home to have a conversation about not only his journey as a creative but even more so his values as one. From Adult Ent. to Fifth Coffee Shop in Five Points, Pines has not on...

With us being 12 days into January, we're unsure if we can say Happy New Year anymore. However, we are confident that we can welcome you to the first episode of Backyard Brilliance of 2026! The fellas are excited to bring you an episode that is bit overdue. In this episode we just get David and Langston reflecting on their first full calendar year as host of the show. We learn more about how the f...

We welcome you to the first episode of December and our last traditional conversation of the year (don't worry we are cooking something cool for the end of 2025). This episode of Backyard Brilliance, the fellas have a dope opportunity to share space with a Denver Westwood homie that has been putting in work for many years, Sarahi Hernandez. We have a conservation about power of reflection, the...

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled programing. Join the fellas as we visit a conversation from earlier in the summer with between David, Langston and current At Large Denver City Councilwoman, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (SGG). A 4th generation Denver North High graduate and former House District 4 state representative. We get to hear about SGG's experience as a mother, wife, community memb...

Following up our DPS board candidate episodes, we wanted to have some meaningful conversation with key players across this city connected to the pulse of the current state of education in Denver. This episode finds our guys having a conversation with two school practitioners. Current DSST Green Valley 8th grade Literature teacher, Janei Maynard. With Janei, Patton Lowell a current Denver Scholarsh...

Following up our DPS board candidate episodes, we wanted to have some meaningful conversation with key players across this city connected to the pulse of the current state of education in Denver. This first episode finds the fellas having a conversation with one former DPS board member and current Assistant Majority representing Colorado House District 7, Jennifer Bacon. Alongside, Rep. Bacon we h...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with a District 4 candidate Timiya Jackson. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates from all the districts up for election. Disclaimer: Ednium: The Alumni Collective is a 501(c...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with a District 4 candidate Michelle Quattlebaum, who currently serves as district 4's board member, seeking reelection. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates from all th...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with a District 4 candidate Jeremy Harris. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates from all the districts up for election. Disclaimer: Ednium: The Alumni Collective is a 501(c)...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with a District 3 candidate Scott Esserman. Who currently sits as an at large board member, looking to be reelected now in district 3. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates f...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with a District 3 candidate DJ Torres. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates from all the districts up for election. Disclaimer: Ednium: The Alumni Collective is a 501(c)(3)...

Welcome to a special edition of Backyard Brilliance, where the fellas are hosting the candidates for Denver Public Schools Fall 2025 school board of education election. This episode is with an District 3 candidate Caron Blanke. Tune into this week of 10/14-10/17 as we release conversations from candidates from all the districts up for election. Disclaimer: Ednium: The Alumni Collective is a 501(c)...