It would be hard for anyone to find a bigger cheerleader of Charlotte than Clayton Sealey, and that is who we had the chance to talk to on this episode. Clayton is from Charlotte, left for some years while still keeping an eye on his city, and now is back making a difference in so many ways. 

Clayton is a voice for city government, urban development, walkable cities, the arts and is known to have an occasional hot take. In everything he does, you can see that he cares deeply about Charlotte and its success. We were pleasantly surprised to learn so much about the city and art during this episode, so we know you are going to enjoy it!

We got the chance to sit down with a longstanding pillar of the Charlotte restaurant industry, Chef Bruce Moffett. Chef Bruce is the owner of the Moffett Restaurant Group that includes Barrington’s, Good Food on Montford, Stagioni, and soon to open Sala. 

There are so many chefs in our city now who have spent time learning and growing in one of Bruce Moffett’s restaurants, so his impact can be seen and tasted all across our city. 

He dives into the history of the Charlotte food scene and shares his 5 pillars that he builds his business on. We also got a hilarious story of how getting hit in the face changed his perspective on life. He cares deeply about food and the way it can bring people together and personally his restaurants are truly some of our favorites. Give this episode a listen for a great conversation and some really funny stories. 

We are excited to share our episode with Makayla Binter, who is a Creative Catalyst for Charlotte is Creative, a talented artist, and a pillar in the Charlotte arts community. She is one of the most vibrant individuals you could ever be around and she consistently exudes joy. Makayla was often told she would not be able to make a living with art, but she has proven all those people wrong and has become a huge supporter of artists all across Charlotte. She is one the best connectors our city has!

This episode is full of personality and you will definitely smile listening to it. Makayla shares her journey with us, and it’s amazing to hear her go from D1 athlete who loves arts and to a full time artist, showing others how it can be done. Makayla has opened our eyes to so many amazing art centered events and we are so grateful for that. 

We are back after taking some time to celebrate our first 25 episodes of Queen City Unleashed with Emmy Award Winner Shevaun Bryan!! Shevaun is a news anchor on WBTV and has been in the industry, around the country, for a long time. She is passionate about telling important stories and we are lucky to get to chat with her, right off the Emmy win. 

Shevaun has interviewed big names like Lebron James and Dwayne Wade and even interned with DJ Khaled back in the day! She has worked in big markets and small markets but has always known that Charlotte was a place she wanted to end up. This episode is fun, vulnerable, and insightful, and by the time you are done you will be cheering for Shevaun as a multidimensional shiny mess!

For our 25th episode of Queen City Unleashed we have Kayleigh Ruller, a Food Writer who writes for national and local publications. Kayleigh loves food and writes about it in a way that gives people a better appreciation for the food around them. She has highlighted some of the biggest names in food in Charlotte but she has the same pride when it comes to the smaller names! 

Kayleigh is one of the most authentic people you will meet and it shows in how she presents herself in her work and and even in how she dresses, as she recently told us. One of our favorite things about her is that she is also a story teller! Whether it is telling the stories of Chefs or digging into the ghost Blanche Reynolds, she does a great job of taking you on a journey with her writing. 

Tune in to hear her in her element... telling great stories and and painting pictures we love to follow!!

On this episode we sat down with Tim Edwards, the founder of Splatter Charlotte and co-founder of Residency Charlotte! Tim is one the most fun interviews we have had on the podcast. His humor and passion make for great stories that we know you will enjoy. 

Splatter Charlotte is one of the most fun date activities in Charlotte and it is special because you get to take the art home. Tim and his team have thought about everything to make this an unforgettable experience. He also is behind bringing the idea of singing in the car with your friends to a large scale with Residency Charlotte. Their different theme nights with local live musicians create experiences you will not want to end. 

Tim is also a part of Shameless Improv, with recent guest Bryan Li, and he will be a part of the upcoming show we are doing together. Anyone would really enjoy this episode, so give it a listen and let us know what you think!!

This episode is really special because it is about a non-profit we are a part of. We got to chat with Leslie Leitner, who is the Community Engagement Associate for Supportive Housing Communities (SHC). Supportive Housing Communities is a local non-profit on a mission to end homelessness and human suffering in the Charlotte area by providing permanent, supportive, and affordable housing to Charlotte’s most vulnerable neighbors.

The work this organization is doing is truly amazing and making a big difference in our city! Everything they do is about supporting the neighbors that are often forgotten in Charlotte. When we say we want to “Share the Voices of Charlotte” we also mean these voices. We are honored we get to highlight SHC and the neighbors they walk through life with. 

They have great volunteer opportunities to do with friends or with co-workers, and they have great events where your participation makes a difference in the lives of the people they serve. We hope you enjoy this episode and that the work touches your heart like it did ours a year ago. 

We had the chance to sit down with a man of many talents and interests, Bryan Li! Bryan Li! Bryan is one of the co-owners of Open Rice, co-founder of Residency Charlotte, and a founder and producer of Shameless Improv. 

Bryan has such an interesting story that you will enjoy listening too. He grew up in Honk Kong, he has started multiple restaurants, he fell in love with improv comedy and he loves providing amazing experiences. Bryan is also a big advocate for local arts and is a huge part in creating a space for creatives from all walks of life. 

You will enjoy hearing Bryan’s passions come out in this episode and lucky for us, we will be collaborating with him and his Shameless Improv group to have a show to raise money for a non-profit!

We had the opportunity to talk to Chef Sam Diminish on our twenty-first episode of Queen City Unleashed. Chef Sam is the Executive Chef of Restaurant Constance and Owner of Your Farms Your Table! He has been recognized around the city multiple times and was recently a James Beard semi-finalist. He is passionate about supporting local farms and also about being a voice for the voiceless when it comes to sobriety. 

Our conversation was so encouraging, because no matter what he has been through, Chef Sam is still positive and making a difference in his community around him. He started off the episode by calling himself “a friend”, and by the end of this episode he may feel like your friend too. 

You definitely don’t want to miss this episode to hear all about his journey and even hear the fun story of how he ended up being the personal chef for NFL Running Back Christian McCaffrey!

In our twentieth episode of Queen City Unleashed, we sat down and talked to Yaz Humaideh, the owner of Sip City Market and Bottle Shop! His bottle shop has become a place of community, where people from all walks of life come to hang out. From coffee,  beer and sake, to ping pong and board games, Sip City has it all. 

The thing that really sets Sip City apart is Yaz! He loves people and connecting with folks. He is the ultimate people person and loves building relationships with his customers. He calls them his family and in this interview you will clearly see why. 

Tune in to this episode to hear about the things he has learned about himself, his love of people and hospitality, and how he tricked his parents into moving to America! You will absolutely love Yaz by the end of the episode.