Sharmain Matlock-Turner, President and CEO, Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC), discusses the path that led her to become the organization’s first female president and CEO. The Temple University graduate has deep ties to Philadelphia, and she shares her passion for eliminating poverty in some of the city’s most vulnerable communities. Recently, she was appointed to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Pennsylvania Redistricting Reform Commission, and she serves on the Census 2020 Complete Count Commission and Philadelphia City Council’s Special Commission on Poverty Reduction and Prevention.

Sybil Davis, National Accounts Manager, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, discusses final preparations for the highly anticipated Business Opportunity Luncheon on February 24th, 2020. The 14th annual event brings together diverse and multi-cultural business leaders from the area, with meeting planners and convention organizers who will be seeking partners to engage with during events held in Philadelphia. Davis, who is a results-driven sales leader in the hospitality industry, talks about some of the luncheon highlights and how the city positions itself nationally for diversity-related events.

Kevin Chemidlin, founder of Cue9 Podcasts and host of the “Philly Who?” podcast, joins “PHL Diversity Podcast” to discuss the development of entertaining and authentic content that tells stories through podcasting. “Philly Who?” features some of Philadelphia’s most interesting doers, thinkers, and performers. Chemidlin also shares how he’s gained the attention of listeners and the most interesting person he’s interviewed. Since launching in May 2018, the hour-long show has released 67 episodes, had over 75,000 listens, and was named one of the most popular podcasts in Philadelphia by Billy Penn.

The legendary, Joan Myers Brown, founder of The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) and The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts joins PHL Diversity Podcast to discuss the 50-year celebration of PHILADANCO, the International Blacks in Dance Conference coming to Philadelphia from January 14-19, and her legacy being documented in the book “Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina” by written by Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Throughout her lifetime, Myers Brown has received a host of accolades from local awards to the National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama.

Women hold fewer than 40 percent of all hotel managerial positions and less than 20% of general management roles. The Philadelphia Mona Lisa’s, a membership organization supporting black women in the hospitality industry, is working to change this statistic. The next PHL Diversity Podcast guests are seasoned executive and founder of Mona Lisa’s, Darnell Belford; an aspiring industry administrator and member of ML’s, Kelly Acy; and future hospitality graduate, Shyanne Gaston. They discuss the importance of establishing Mona Lisa’s in 2016 and its impact on the industry, how they are preparing the next generation of industry leaders, and much more.

Stephanie Reid, executive director of Philly Counts 2020—the city’s effort to support the next U.S. Census—joins PHL Diversity Podcast to share key insights on how the 2020 Census works and her team’s efforts to ensure every Philadelphia resident is counted. She also talks about the paid opportunities available for those interested in assisting with the census and the launch of the Philly Counts 2020 Action Fund, which supports local organizations raising awareness about the importance of the census.

Tony Lopes, creator and host of the “Self Made Strategies” podcast and private attorney, joins “PHL Diversity Podcast” to share key insights on how small businesses can access and manage government contracts, the state of business, and top challenges for entrepreneurs and small businesses. He also discusses his podcast journey and how its 39 episodes inspire listeners to add maximum value to their organization.

Tony Lopes, creator and host of the “Self Made Strategies” podcast and private attorney, joins “PHL Diversity Podcast” to share key insights on how small businesses can access and manage government contracts, the state of business, and top challenges for entrepreneurs and small businesses. He also discusses his podcast journey and how its 39 episodes inspire listeners to add maximum value to their organization.

Richard Lewis, a leader in media and marketing for more than 40 years and recent retiree as region president of iHeartMedia in Philadelphia, returns to the PHL Diversity Podcast to talk all things media. He shares insights on the continued fast-growing podcast industry and reflects on his career in broadcast radio and digital audio. Lewis also talks about his transition from the busyness of corporate life to a slower, more enjoyable pace of retirement and launching his business blog, CareMoreToday.com, which is inspired by various aspects Philadelphia.

Donna Frisby-Greenwood, president and CEO of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, shares a detailed overview of the inaugural Class of Philadelphia Homecoming Weekend that’s happening November 7-9 and is generating excitement across the city. PHLCVB is a proud sponsor of this series of events that will celebrate all alumni of Philadelphia Public Schools and honor five individual alumni at an awards gala including Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, Jill Scott. She also talks about her extensive career in education where she secured and managed more than $40 million in grant funding.