Start Local

Green or clean energy regularly garners press coverage and is often a topic of vigorous public debate. We speak at length with Ron DiSabatino about sustainable and fossil-fueled energy to better understand the factors and considerations around the debate. Ron is the VP of Nuclear Engineering with Constellation, the largest provider of carbon-free energy in the US. We also explore employee recruitment, engagement, and retention, discussing how Constellation works to attract top talent to its nuclear power plants.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Constellation

• Constellation Energy website: constellationenergy.com
• Twitter: @ConstellationEG
• Linked In: linkedin.com/company/constellation-energy
• Instagram: @constellationenergy 
• Facebook: facebook.com/ConstellationEnergy
• YouTube: Constellation – YouTube

Nuclear Energy Information & Statistics

• US Department of Energy: Multimedia Resources | Department of Energy
• Nuclear Energy Institute: Nuclear Energy Institute – nei.org
• Yucca Mountain

Additional Links

• Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• Tick Tock Early Learning Center

Transcript

The transcript will be posted as soon as it is available.

Finding and accessing quality and affordable healthcare is a concern for many. We meet with Ronan Gannon, Chief Executive Officer of LCH Health and Community Services. We speak about the medical and related needs of underserved communities and economically disadvantaged families in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. Ronan shares about the structure and offerings of LCH – and how the nonprofit has continued to expand to meet the evolving needs of the community it serves. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, LCH provides a range of healthcare and related services to vulnerable individuals who are insured, under-insured, or uninsured.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

LCH Health and Community Services

• Website: lchcommunityhealth.org
• Facebook: facebook.com/LCHcommunityhealth
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/la-comunidad-hispana
• Instagram: instagram.com/lchcommunityhealth
• Careers with LCH: lchcommunityhealth.org/recruitment
• Newsletter sign-up form

Additional Links

• Fighting Food Insecurity Locally with Andrea Youndt
• Advocating for Sustainable Transportation with Tim Phelps
• Mighty Writers
• Constellation Energy

TRANSCRIPT

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

With Kennett Square celebrated as the Mushroom Capital of the World, we knew it was only a matter of time before we spoke with Meghan Klotzbach. Meghan is the Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Operations at Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms. With the family farm outside West Grove, Pennsylvania, and facilities at a number of locations in southern Chester County, Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms pioneered the organic mushroom movement in the late 1980s. We talk all things mushrooms with Meghan in this insightful and fun conversation.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms

• Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms website
• Facebook
• Instagram: instagram.com/motherearthorganicmushrooms
• Pinterest: pinterest.com/motherearthllc
• Careers with Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms

Additional Links

• Treetops Kitty Cafe

TRANSCRIPT

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

We spend time with Nina Kelly, Director of Marketing with Chester County Tourism. We chat with Nina to discover some of the many great places to visit and wonderful things to do in Chester County. We learn about a number of hidden gems in our local area and explore some of the many exciting happenings coming to the region. This conversation is a great way to find fun activities this summer, both for tourists and for locals.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Chester County Tourism

• Website: brandywinevalley.com
  • Museums & Gardens
  • Outdoors & Recreation
  • Shopping
  • Heritage & History
  • Chester County Cheers
  • Performing Arts
• Video: cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/video/get-away-to-chester-countys-brandywine-valley/

Things to Do / Places to Visit

• America 250 Chester County
• Wharton Ersherick Museum
• Antique Ice Tool Museum
• American Helicopter Museum
• Brandywine Museum of Art
• Longwood Gardens
• Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience
• Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens
• Chester County History Center
• St. Peter’s Village
• People’s Light Theater
• Uptown! Knaurer Center for Performing Arts
• Historic Sugartown

Places to Eat / for Foodies

• White Dog Cafe in Chester Springs
• Portobello’s of Kennett Square
• The Farm at Doe Run
• Birchrun Hills Farm

Craft Distilleries

• Botanery Barn
• Bluebird Distilling

Other Start Local Episodes

• Repairing Homes and Building Relationships with Bob Beggs
• Keeping the Milk Moving and Making Cheese with Sue Miller

We meet with two leaders from Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital to discuss the medical needs of the local community and how the teams providing that care are being supported. Dr. Karen Pinsky, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer at the hospital and a practicing clinician specializing in pediatrics. Her colleague, Ed Callahan, is the Chief Human Resources at the hospital. We cover everything from addressing health inequity, the challenges following local hospital closures, finding the right medical team, staff retention, and more.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital

• Website: chestercountyhospital.org
• Dr. Karen Pinksky: pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/karen-pinsky
• Pediatrics and Children’s Health
• Careers with Penn Medicine: pennmedicine.org/careers

Additional Links

• Chester County Community Foundation’s Idea Council

We connect and spend time with Peter Davis, owner and brand story strategist with Hero's Quest Consulting. Peter explains business as theater, walking us through the power and value that stories can play in the marketplace for both businesses and nonprofits. Based in Oxford, Pa, Peter is an engaging and dynamic conversationalist – and this conversation offers many insights for local area leaders.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Hero's Quest Consulting

• Website: herosquestconsulting.com
• Hero's Quest Consulting on Facebook
• Peter Davis on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peterdavisbaltimore

Books

• The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage – by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
• The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes – by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson
• Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business – by Kindra Hall

Local Area Nonprofits

• LCH Health & Community Services
• SILO (Serving, Inspiring and Loving Others)
• Oxford Neighborhood Services Center

TRANSCRIPT

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

When folks think of Italian restaurants in Chester County, Pa, Limoncello pops to the top of the list for many locals. We caught up with Dina Mingrino Barbone to learn about running the two restaurants that she owns with her two brothers, Paul and Frank. Dina talks about growing up in the restaurant that her mother started, the community that has embraced the restaurant, and what it is like running two highly acclaimed and commercially successful restaurants.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Limoncello

• Restaurant website: limoncellorestaurant.com
• Careers with Limoncello: limoncellorestaurant.com/careers
• Instagram: @ristorantelimoncello
• West Chester Facebook: facebook.com/LimoncelloWC
• Chester Springs Facebook: facebook.com/LimoncelloWC

Additional Links

• Toys for Tots
• Jean-Gorges Philadelphia

NOTE: The episode artwork is the Mingrino Family, from left to right: Frank, Giuseppe, Maria, Paul, and Dino Mingrino

TRANSCRIPT

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

We spend time in conversation with Bob Beggs, Executive Director of Good Works, Inc. Good Works is a Christian nonprofit organization working to transform lives by repairing homes for low-income families and sharing the hope that Bob, his colleagues, and teams of volunteers have found in Jesus Christ. We talk about the housing challenges that low-income families face in Chester County – and how Good Works aims to address those challenges by interweaving care for homes with care for people.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Good Works, Inc.

• goodworksinc.org
• Volunteer for Good Works: goodworksinc.org/volunteer

Additional Links

• Good Neighbors Home Repair
• Habitat for Humanity of Chester County
• American Helicopter Museum
• Freya Systems
• Open Hearth
• Phoenixville Community Health Foundation
• ALICE Report from the United Way of Chester County
• Episode 41: Connecting People that Can Help with People that Need Help with Chris Saello
• When Helping Hurts: : How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

NOTE: The Help Book mentioned in this episode is no longer being produced.

Transcript

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

We step into the podcast studio with Bill Ronayne, the founder and owner of Brandywine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning. Founded in 1993, BVHVAC has grown to more than 60 employees, serving both residential and commercial customers from its base in West Chester, Pennsylvania. We speak with Bill about running and growing his community-focused business for more than thirty years.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

Brandywine Valley Heating and Air Conditioning

• Website: bvhvac.com
• Careers with BVHVAC: bvhvac.com/employment
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/brandywine-valley-heating-&-ac
• Facebook: facebook.com/BVHVAC
• Community involvement: bvhvac.com/community-involvement

Other Links

• Michael Gidlewski + Achievement Unlimited: achievable.com
• BDR (Business Development Resources): bdrco.com

Volunteer Organizations

• Chester County History Center
• Kennett Symphony
• West Chester Fire Department
• Good Neighbor Day in Downingtown

Educational Institutions

• Thaddeus Stevens College
• Chester County Intermediate Unit

Transcript

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.

We sit down in the podcast studio with Christine Zaccarelli, Chief Executive Officer of The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County to talk about how victims of sexual violence and others crimes can access the support they need. Chris walks us through the work that she and her colleagues at CVC are doing in the areas of victim advocacy, counseling, and prevention education.

OUR PARTNER

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce

LINKS

The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County

• Website: cvcofcc.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/crime_victims_center
• Facebook: facebook.com/cvcofcc
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-crime-victims’-center-of-chester-county-inc-/
• Volunteer opportunities: cvcofcc.org/get-involved
• On LinkedIn: A Day in the Life of An Advocate

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Events

For more details about any of these launch events or the walk, please visit CVC’s Facebook page.

• April 01: West Chester
• April 02: Kennett Square 
• April 02: Phoenixville
• April 03: Coatesville
• April 13: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes in Phoenixville

Additional Resources

• Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
• Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR)
• Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)
• Telemedicine platform: doxy.me

Other Organizations

• Chester County Food Bank
• Home of the Sparrow
• Open Hearth
• United Way of Southern Chester County
• Fund for Women and Girls
• Phoenixville Community Health Foundation
• The Alliance for Health Equity

Transcript

The episode transcript will be posted on our website as soon as it is available.