Voices of OKC

Blake Raney expected aviation to be about flying. Over time, it became a way to serve people who often feel unseen. Blake, founder of SPAIRROW, joins Jed Chappell for a conversation about aviation, calling, business as service, prison ministry, fatherhood, and building a foundation before the storm. He shares how an unexpected appointment to Oklahoma’s aerospace and aeronautics work challenged his...

Chef Andrew Black, Oklahoma City restaurateur and 2023 James Beard Award winner, traces the discipline behind his work - from Saturday mornings in his grandmother's Jamaican kitchen to building restaurants in the city he now calls home. He and Jed Chappell talk about consistency, mentorship, staying present, handling roadblocks, and creating businesses that serve more than the people at the table.

Brad Carter, Oklahoma City’s Ward 1 Councilman, joins Jed Chappell to ask what the city must protect as it grows. They discuss transparent public service, listening across political divides, jobs and AI, recovery, homelessness, and the Oklahoma Standard Carter hopes will still define OKC for the next generation.

Kristina Mills did not apply for Survivor because she loved camping. In fact, she had never been camping before. She applied because she felt stuck. After walking through postpartum depression, losing her mother to a fentanyl overdose, and realizing her kids could see the sadness she was carrying, Kristina knew something had to change. So she recorded a simple 60-second audition video and sent it...

Most people see after-school programs as activities, games, and homework help. Christian Matthews sees something deeper. As Program Coordinator at City Center, Christian spends his days helping students navigate challenges that often have nothing to do with academics. Behind many behavioral issues are stories of loneliness, bullying, family struggles, anxiety, and a longing to be understood. In th...

Brooke Freeman never planned to become a farmer. After years working as a NICU nurse, she found herself wrestling with a simple question: How do we truly help people become healthier? That question eventually led to the creation of Natural Freedom Farm, a nonprofit farm dedicated to growing fresh, nutrient-dense produce for families who might not otherwise have access to it. In this conversation,...

There’s a line Daniel Haynes says in this conversation that quietly captures the entire heart of the episode: “When something is led by love, no one gets left behind.” Daniel is the founder of Skyward Financial Solutions, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and co-founder of Live Full alongside his wife, Raven. But more than titles, Daniel is someone deeply committed to stewardship, integrity, family, and...

Some students are carrying pain they do not yet have words for. They may not know if they are angry, sad, scared, overwhelmed, or simply tired. They just know something feels off. And too often, the adults around them rush to correct behavior before they understand what is underneath it. In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed Chappell sits down with Jordan Miller and Stuart Bennett from Generation...

Some people feel behind before they have even had a fair chance to begin. Behind in their career. Behind financially. Behind relationally. Behind the version of life they thought they were supposed to have by now. Carey Conley hears that often from young adults. And in this episode of VOICES of OKC, she talks with Jed Chappell about why vision matters so deeply in that season of life. Carey is an...

What does peace look like before it becomes a headline? Sometimes it looks like a phone call before a fight turns into a shooting. Sometimes it looks like a trusted person sitting down with two families. Sometimes it looks like fixing an air conditioner because the heat in a house is adding fuel to somebody’s grief. In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed Chappell sits down with Jabee Williams — art...

Some conversations are really about more than the topic on the surface. This is one of them. In this episode of Voices of OKC, Adam Coury joins the conversation to talk about AI, but what emerges is really a deeper reflection on discernment, responsibility, and leadership. As technology moves faster into daily life, work, and education, the question is no longer whether it matters. The question is...

Bryan Fetzer has spent years around elite performance, but this conversation is not really about sports. It is about people. About what pressure reveals, what success can conceal, and how leadership often fails when it becomes too focused on outcomes and not enough on transformation. In this episode, Bryan reflects on his own evolution as a coach and leader. He talks honestly about the tendency to...

There are careers, and then there are callings. For over five decades, Dr. David Kallenberger lived a life defined by both. As an OB-GYN and fertility specialist, he helped deliver more than 22,000 babies, walking alongside families in their most hopeful and most fragile moments. But what stands out most is not the number. It’s the posture. A quiet humility. A deep belief that no life is more impo...

There is a certain kind of exhaustion that runs deeper than being tired. It is the frustration of knowing something feels off in your body while also feeling like no one is slowing down long enough to help you figure out why. In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed Chappell sits down with Tiffany Richey, founder of Richey Wellness, for a thoughtful conversation about functional medicine and the deep...

What happens when a state begins to rethink justice, not just as punishment, but as restoration, accountability, and public safety working together? In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed Chappell sits down with Tricia Everest, Oklahoma's Secretary of Public Safety, for a deeply human conversation about leadership, reform, trauma, forgiveness, and the future of Oklahoma. Tricia shares how personal...

Some stories begin with a plan. Others begin with curiosity. Mike Hearne's story started with a plane ticket. Originally from South Wales, Mike arrived in Oklahoma in 2011 to play college golf at Southern Nazarene University. What he didn’t expect was that Oklahoma City would eventually become home — and the place where he would begin documenting the stories of an entire community. Today, Mike hos...

Episode 16 | Derrick Sier There is a difference between living in a community and being formed by one. In this episode, Derrick Sier joins Voices of OKC to discuss the power of present fathers, the importance of positive adults outside the home, and the responsibility our city has in shaping young lives. Raised in North Tulsa, Derrick shares how his father didn't just show up — he intentionally su...

Mayor David Holt on Leadership, Youth, and the Future of Oklahoma City | Voices of OKC In this episode of Voices of OKC, student host Jordan Arnett interviews Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt inside City Hall for an honest conversation about leadership, civic responsibility, and investing in the next generation. Mayor Holt discusses: His journey from Putnam City North to the White House Winning a th...

In this deeply personal episode of Voices of OKC, we sit down with Victoria Haggard—a former City Center student whose journey reflects resilience, discipline, faith, and the quiet power of choosing a different future. Growing up in Oklahoma City, Victoria faced anger, loss, and moments of hopelessness that could have easily defined her story. Instead, she made a decision that changed everything....

Some stories don't just inspire you. They quietly change the way you see hope. In this episode of Voices of OKC, the roles flip as 16-year-old City Center student Jordan Arnett steps into the host seat and interviews Jed about redemption, purpose, and the road that led to City Center. But the conversation quickly turns into something deeper. Jordan shares his own story. Growing up with instability...

What You Will Hear in This Episode • Eliud Villarreal’s upbringing in Oklahoma City and growing up in Yukon • How martial arts, sports, and discipline shaped his early years • Meeting his wife through the car business and building a family together • Fatherhood, racing, and discovering his daughter’s natural driving talent • The origin story of Exotic Motorsports and stepping into entrepreneurship...

What You Will Hear in This Episode • Growing up as a pastor’s kid and moving from a small town to inner-city Dallas • Navigating faith, skepticism, and rebellion before making belief personal • College years, athletics, and formative leadership experiences • The moment of personal encounter that reshaped everything • Why faith cannot be inherited and must be owned • Saying “no” to ministry before...

Voices of OKC hosts Ashonte Winston, Program Director at City Center, as she shares her journey from Spencer, OK, to leading youth programs after experiences with college setbacks, mentorship, and AmeriCorps. The episode highlights her philosophy of showing up for young people, the collective impact model of partnering with community nonprofits, and success stories of students who have turned thei...

In this episode, Emanuel Rivera shares his journey from Southside Chicago to Oklahoma, his mixed martial arts and ballroom background, and how he founded The Come-Up Foundation to bring martial arts, discipline, and mentorship to kids in schools and community centers. We hear how the program builds leadership and emotional control, the anti-bullying and life-skills curriculum, school partnerships,...

What you will hear in this episode: In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed sits down with Dr. Wayne Chappelle, a licensed clinical and sports psychologist whose work spans elite military units, professional athletics, and high-performance leaders across the country. Dr. Chappelle currently serves as a Sports Psychologist for the OKC Thunder and previously led the Aeromedical Operational Psychology...