Bridging Chicago

Kicking off Teachers Appreciation Month, Savannah Rountree sits down with Dr. Edward Podsiadlik, author of Anecdotes and Afterthoughts: Literature as a Teacher’s Curriculum, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Podsiadlik recalls his passion for education beginning as a page for the Chicago Public Library and its Preschool Storytime program, to working over a decade for CPS and teaching future educators in higher education. Being a native of Chicago, Dr. Podsiadlik holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from St. Xavier University, and has obtained M.A. degrees in English Literature and Writing from Purdue University, and Educational Administration from St. Xavier University.  He later received a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Podsiadlik has been featured in several professional journals for his admiral teaching scholarship, and has spoken about his teaching values at countless professional presentations. Be on the lookout, because this December, his second book. Grieving as a Teacher’s Curriculum: Relevant Prose and Postscripts will be hitting a bookshelf near you!

On this episode of the podcast, Nathan Ciulla sits down with Michael Edwards, President and CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA), an organization that aims to revitalize Chicago’s Loop to perpetuate the growth and development of its businesses and investments. As a native of Buffalo, New York, he attended Canisius College in his hometown where he received a BA in political science and history. After graduation, he went to the University of Pittsburgh where he earned a MA in Public Administration. He was also the former CEO and President of Downtown Spokane Partnership, and former president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Being constantly on the move, he found himself working in multiple cities in the US, aiming to improve their downtown areas through fun and creative communal activities, and by developing structural plans in order to create an organized, interconnected, and secure community. Working with CLA, he hopes to have people “think of the Loop beyond 9 to 5.”

In the conclusion of our two part miniseries featuring Cara Chicago, Nathan Ciulla sits down with Maria Kim, the nonprofit’s President and CEO. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Comparative Literature and French she found herself climbing the ranks at an insurance company for over a decade. Inspired by her mother, a nurse for over 50 years, Kim wanted to continue dedicating her life to service but in a new sector. She found herself at Cara Chicago, where she is guiding people to discover opportunities of employment and helping them rebuild their hope. Kim holds an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Kim has served as a fellow for both Leadership Greater Chicago and American Marshall. She was a part of TEDxMidwest Emerging Leader as well as Bank of America Neighborhood Builder, and recently also served on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s transition team.

In part one of our two part miniseries featuring Cara Chicago, Savanah sits down with Jesse Teverbaugh to discuss his life-changing involvement with the non-profit. From student to Director of Student and Alumni Affairs, Teverbaugh walks us through his life experiences which led him Cara Chicago. For over 15 years, Jesse has helped Cara students regain their confidence and find their spark to ensure a better life. A former student of Illinois State University, Jesse has been featured in The Reader as a Chicagoan to know and was chosen as the 2011 National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Unsung Hero. Jesse’s civic engagement includes service as the President of the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce and 40+ years as a member of Omega PSI PHI Fraternity.

On this episode of the podcast, Nathan sits down with Thomas Dammrich, the President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, to chat about his background growing up in southern Illinois, coming to Chicago for school, and lessons he’s learned in his career. From starting his career in student housing, to working his current position as President of the NMMA, Thom learned how to wear many hats and discussed how vital it is to have good communication in order to build and grow collaborative teams. Thom recently received his doctorate in Business Administration from DePaul University, and has been an asset to the boating industry for 20 years by serving as an advocate and educator to keep boating a safe and enjoyable pastime activity for the public.

This episode of the Bridging Chicago Podcast features the father-son team of Ted Joseph and Justin Joseph, from Swap-O-Rama Inc. Ted Joseph spent more than forty years in the public accounting arena, and after a successful career, he planned on an equally as successful retirement. When a former colleague presented the opportunity to join Swap-O-Rama in his current role as COO and CFO, Ted jumped at the chance and asked his son, Justin Joseph to join him. Ted knew that Justin’s background in sales would be a great addition to the Swap-O-Rama team, and Justin agreed to come on board as the markets Vice President of Operations. Hear how Ted and Justin have helped grow the markets in their three Chicagoland locations, both of their Florida markets, and about how Ted and Justin have made their family ties work for both Swap-O-Rama and their families.

As summer wedding season continues in full swing, Kate Lerman, the Owner and Lead Planner of Chicago Vintage Weddings joins us on this episode of the Bridging Chicago Podcast. Kate talks about her roots in the Chicago area, her dream of going to veterinarian school, and the experiences that brought her to starting her own wedding planning business. Wedding planning allows Kate to use her creativity and organization skills in a way that helps her clients have the day they’ve always dreamed of! Hear how Kate went from renting vintage pieces, to providing full-fledged wedding planning, and successfully growing her business since 2012.

Teresa Ging, owner of Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique and Sugar Bliss Patisserie, joins us this week to share how she went from working in the financial services industry, to moving to Paris to attend the Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie School, to opening her own cake shop! Teresa’s experience as a minority female business owner in the famed Chicago Loop district, provides a fresh perspective that our listeners will enjoy. Teresa recently received the Enterprising Woman of the Year award and continues to expand her business by opening multiple locations in the downtown area. Don’t miss this episode as Teresa shares what she’s learned during her journey in starting and growing her business.

Our next guest to join the Bridging Chicago podcast is Allan Kaplan, Principal of a third generation family-owned business in Chicago. As an insurance professional, Allan has extensive experience in providing his clients with services offering consultation on business continuity plans, estate planning, life insurance, and retirement planning. Joining his family’s firm AKORP, in 1995, Allan merged his firm with Coordinated Financial Programming to form New Century Planners, LLC. He recently joined the Robinson Financial Group, another family owned business that offers solutions for long term-individualized life, health, and disability insurance. Listen up to learn more about the ways these corporate and personal financial services can be beneficial for you and your family.

Continuing the tech theme presented in last week’s podcast, our next episode features Dugald Hamilton, the founder of the Australian based law firm “23Legal.” As an innovator, Dugald focused on creating a law firm that provided traditional commercial legal services along with incorporating newly emerging technologies. Specializing in litigation, dispute resolution, restructuring and insolvency, Dugald establishes the most efficient services by combining his passion for technology and contemporary advancements, with concepts of legal traditions. Listen up to learn more about the ways Dugald finds solutions to age-old problems by using technological and modern approaches.