Five years ago Lauren Pusateri and her husband bought a 100 year old fraternal hall on Linwood Boulevard. Now she is turning it into a production studio that Kansas City's photographers, filmmakers and creative teams can share, and her plans are sitting with the city.

This episode we are joined by Lauren Pusateri, a commercial photographer, motion director, and creative director based in Kansas City. She leads concept-driven campaigns for brands who want images that actually move people, not just fill layouts. Through Lauren Pusateri Productions, her female-focused content studio in Kansas City's West Bottoms, she runs projects end to end. A throughline in Lauren's work is women building things on their own terms.

She and Wes walk through what it takes to bring an old building back to life as a first time, owner occupied project: finding the right person to ask at City Hall, the plan review meter that reads 12 percent complete, banks that would rather see apartments than a dance hall, and the advice she would give the next person who tries. Wes on why owner occupiers matter to a livable neighborhood, drama free basic services, and the Midtown and West Bottoms comeback.

To see her work or hire the studio, go to laurenpusateri.com or find her on Instagram at @lauren.pusateri.

Wes Rogers is a Kansas City councilman running for mayor. Believe in KC is an honest conversation with the people who make this town worth believing in. Watch or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

Missouri graded its own foster care system and came in 50th out of 50 in the nation.

This episode we are joined by Merideth Rose, President and CEO of Cornerstones of Care, a Kansas City child and family agency that has been doing this work for 157 years. Merideth also served communities as the Public Affairs Officer for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), serving as principal advisor and Deputy to the External Affairs Director.

She and Wes get into what that ranking actually means for kids here, and how much of it a mayor can move. Kansas City spends about three quarters of its general fund on public safety. Merideth makes the case that prevention is the cheap end of that same bill, and she brings the receipts.

To learn more or get involved, go to cornerstonesofcare.org.

Cornerstones of Care hosts a Caring About Community Coffee on the first Wednesday of every month, 8 to 9 a.m., open to anyone who wants to hear the story and find a way to plug in.

Wes Rogers is a Kansas City councilman running for mayor. Believe in KC is an honest conversation with the people who make this town worth believing in. Watch or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

Millions of new eyes are on Kansas City after the World Cup. The question is whose hands made what they see.

This episode we are joined by Jared Horman. Jared Horman is a designer and muralist who has helped shape Kansas City's public landscape for over a decade, known for bold, unapologetic LGBTQ murals that put queer history and joy on the city's walls.

He and Wes get into how a mural actually gets made, and what a mayor can do for the people who make them: vacant lots and blank walls turned into studio and gallery space, working artists treated like the small businesses they are, and a real line for public art in the budget.

Find Jared Horman at jaredhorman.com and on Instagram @jaredhorman.

Wes Rogers is a Kansas City councilman running for mayor. Believe in KC is an honest conversation with the people who make this town worth believing in. Watch or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

A blue city has to win things out of a red state capitol. Sometimes it just needs to be left alone to work.

This episode we are joined by Ashley Aune. Missouri State Representative Ashley Aune represents House District 14 in Platte County, and serves as Missouri House Minority Leader.

She and Wes get into how Kansas City actually gets what it needs from Jefferson City, and what it takes for a mayor to deliver there: relationships, results, and being in love with this city.

Follow Ashley Aune at ashleyformissouri.com, on Instagram @ashleyformissouri, and on TikTok @ashley4mo.

Wes Rogers is a Kansas City councilman running for mayor. Believe in KC is an honest conversation with the people who make this town worth believing in. Watch or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

Conversion therapy targets kids, and it leaves damage that lasts.

This episode we are joined by Valerie Hughes, a Kansas City Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC. In her own words: "I am a relational therapist who seeks to develop a collaborative, affirming connection with each of my clients. I work with individuals and relationships on challenges associated with relationships, anxiety, depression, and sexuality."

She and Wes get into what conversion therapy actually is, why it so often targets children, and what a city can do about it. It ends with a message to anyone who has been through it: in Kansas City, you are welcome.

Reach Valerie Hughes at [email protected].

Wes Rogers is a Kansas City councilman running for mayor. Believe in KC is an honest conversation with the people who make this town worth believing in. Watch or listen wherever you find your podcasts.