Chanell and Roy Burton, hosts of the Jawn Appetit Podcast, a popular weekly food podcast. With insightfulness and levity, the duo examines Philadelphia’s voracious appetite for food. To the outsider, it’s a cultural immersion show about where city inhabitants go to break bread. For the local, the Jawn Appetit appeals to the foodie connoisseur on a mission to find a new favorite spot. Tune in to the conversation, as we learn more about what inspired Chanell and Roy to develop this entertaining podcast.

Jonathan Lovitz, Senior Vice President, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, makes his second trip to the PHL Diversity Podcast as he prepares to serve as emcee for the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Conference (D&I) in Philadelphia on March 25-26.

At the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Lovitz advocates on behalf of diverse constituencies including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender businesses. His work focuses on procurement opportunities, workforce training and certification, facilitating corporate relationships, and building best practices.

Lovitz is a regular commentator on MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, The Advocate, and Out Magazine, and has been recognized by Business Equality Magazine as one of its’ ’40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40’.

On the latest episode of the PHL Diversity Podcast, Lovitz discusses the content and conversations he is most excited for at the D&I Conference later this month. The multi-industry and educational summit will convene national thought leaders at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Philadelphia, with an exchange of new ideas and networking

Dr. Donald Guy Generals, President of the Community College of Philadelphia, is a teacher, advocate, and administrator, working as a change agent on behalf of students in search of better educational opportunities.

Highly credentialed and experienced, Dr. Generals leads the Community College of Philadelphia, the city’s only public institution of higher education, serving 35,000 credit and non-credit students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Since 1965, the Community College of Philadelphia has served more than 685,000 of the city’s residents.

In this edition of the PHL Diversity Podcast, Dr. Generals’ weighs-in on issues surrounding the entire student lifecycle – from next generation students applying to college to post-graduates who may struggle to pay off their debt. The Community College of Philadelphia prides itself on creating better pathways to careers and shaping a curriculum that builds skills at the top of employers’ ‘wish list’.

Dr. Generals discusses some of his leading initiatives, such as strengthening ties to the business community. During the 13th Annual Business Opportunity Luncheon, the Community College of Philadelphia was a presenting sponsor of the ‘Bring it Home’ award, recognizing the career of Senator Vincent Hughes.

Francisco Cortes, Interim Executive Director and Youth Program Manager at Galaei, embodies the common history of resistance and resilience of Latinx and queer people. A grassroots political and social movement organizer, Cortes is a Mexican immigrant and gay Philadelphian, who serves as the youngest appointed commissioner to the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs Commission. He has been tasked with the responsibility of identifying the needs of marginalized LGBTQ Philadelphians and advocating for effective ways to re-allocate city resources to those who have been historically underrepresented. On this episode of the PHL Diversity Podcast, Cortes talks about his passion and discusses his vision for the future of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community.

Angela Quiles Nevarez, Counsel at Jackson Lewis P.C., has been a practicing attorney for nearly 15 years. She has risen to the top of her profession litigating cases of discrimination, sexual harassment, and wage and hour violations on behalf of employers.

Nevarez joins the PHL Diversity Podcast to talk about early career aspirations and her desire to be in the legal profession. Nevarez is also a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, which recently hosted their annual meeting in Philadelphia.

As the co-chair of Jackson Lewis’ Hispanic Attorney Resource Group, she is at the forefront of important diversity-related conversations. Additionally, Nevarez is the co-chair of Jackson Lewis’ Hispanic Attorney Resource Group, a group of attorneys in the firm who specialize in providing assistance in workplace law matters to businesses with a large Hispanic workforce.

A leadership transition is never easy, except when you have two respected individuals like Bill Wilson and Richard Snow involved. During the first PHL Diversity Podcast of 2019, the two leaders sit down with Executive Director Greg DeShields to talk about the past, present and future of PHL Diversity. Wilson offers insights about what worked for him during a 17-year tenure that spanned three Philadelphia mayoral administrations. Snow admits he is guided by service to others, and discusses how his work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is relative to his new role as PHL Diversity board chair. Both discuss what makes PHL Diversity an indispensable business tool for the region’s hospitality industry.

iHeartMedia’s Director of News and Community Affairs Loraine Ballard “flips the script” on Greg DeShields, Executive Director, PHL Diversity, a business development division of PHLCVB, in an interview about the upcoming Business Opportunity Luncheon, taking place on February 28, 2019.

Founded in 2007, this annual event has become the region’s signature event for networking and creating organic conversations for minority-owned businesses. Produced by PHL Diversity, it has helped to fuse countless connections, and served as an educational workshop for vendors looking to earn business from the meetings and conventions industry. This year, several local and national figures will be honored for their commitment to diversity and multiculturalism, giving the event a star-studded lineup.

Ryan Eppley, Director of Partnerships, REC Philly, is a creative entrepreneur with big ideas for the future of Philadelphia’s active community of artists. He joins the PHL Diversity Podcast to talk about his work at REC Philly, and a new project beginning to take shape in Philadelphia’s Fashion District. With a goal of giving back to the community, Ryan also discusses REC Philly’s social responsibility to the artists and creative entrepreneurs it serves.

Larry Needle, Executive Director, PHL Sports, a business development division of PHLCVB, is a relationship builder, facilitator and passionate sports fan who is responsible for bringing major events to Philadelphia. During his 27-year career, he’s had many successes, including the NFL Draft 2017 and continuing the storied history of the Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia. This year’s 119th rendition takes place on Dec. 8, and Larry gives insight into how Philadelphia has shaped this annual tradition.

Marc Coleman, President, Founder and CEO of The Tactile Group, is a leading business executive, who still operates like a hungry, first-time entrepreneur. His company’s rapid growth has earned national recognition, most notably from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Coleman believes in the value of diverse perspectives and opens up about how some of his early career experiences shaped his outlook.