Marcus Shaw is the new Executive Director of The Company Lab, or as it is more commonly known, the Co Lab. The Co Lab has been at the center of Chattanooga entrepreneurial ecosystem for years now and in this episode we learn more about the role they play within our community. Along the way we get to know new leader Marcus Shaw, discuss the importance of diversity for innovation, and the vision of Co Lab moving forward as it continues to grow alongside Chattanooga's innovation economy.

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Ed Johnson was the last African American man to be lynched on Walnut Street bridge in 1906. His story is a tragedy and one of the darkest moments in Chattanooga's history. Today, a group of citizens are working to honor his legacy and remember his story by creating a memorial at the south end of the bridge with the hope that it will bring conversation and reconciliation in our community. My guests, Eleanor McCallie Cooper and LaFrederick Thirkill, are two of the committee members working to bring this memorial to life.

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Dr. Bryan Johnson is the new Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. In this episode we discuss the challenges and opportunities of one of our most critical public institutions and by the end of the conversation it is clear that Dr. Johnson is a leader ready to go to work for the teachers, families, and children of Hamilton County.

The Levitt Amp Concert Series is coming to Chattanooga this fall! The series will begin on August 24th and take place every Thursday through October on the Bessie Smith Lawn. My guest, Shane Morrow, shares the vision behind bringing this series to Chattanooga as well as preview the diverse line up.

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NEW STUDIO SPONSOR - Chattanooga Public Library & Dynamo Studios

While we have talked about Glass House Collective events on the podcast before, we have never really heard their story. In this episode we sit down with Executive Director Teal Thibaud about how it all began and the important lessons on community development that they have learned along the way.

"How can we use creativity to increase civic engagement?" That is the latest Causeway Challenge question! In this episode we sit down with Causeway's Abby Garrison to discuss this challenge as well as their previous challenges and the impact they have had on our community. At the end of the conversation we also discuss a new corner market store that is being planned for the bottom floor of Patten Towers along Georgia Avenue that will serve the tower residents as well as the rest of downtown.

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Our final episode in this special series introducing you to Chattanooga's newly elected City Council members features District 7's Erskine Oglesby. Councilman Oglesby has an extensive professional background across multiple sectors but, in the end, service is the virtuous thread that ties it all together and led him to run for Chattanooga’s City Council.

If you have missed any of the previous episodes featuring our new City Council members - District 4's Darrin Ledford, District 9's Demetrus Coonrod, & District 8's Anthony Byrd - then please get to know them in our previous episodes!

In this special episode we take a break from our series on the new Chattanooga City Council members to keep you updated on the Hamilton County budget that will affect the funding of our schools. We began this conversation a few episodes back with HCDE School Board Member Tiffanie Robinson. As of last week, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger has proposed a budget with no changes or increases for school funding. In this episode we introduce you to local education organization UnifiEd and I am joined by their Executive Director, Jonas Barriere, and Communications Director, Natalie Cook, to discuss the impact of that proposed budget both for student achievement and the long standing back log of facilities needs that now tops an estimated total of $200-$360 million.

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Part three of our series introducing you to Chattanooga's newly elected city council members features District 8's Anthony Byrd. In this episode Anthony shares his experience growing up in east Chattanooga, singing in a boy band with Usher, the influence of his parents in shaping the person he has become, and the incredible diversity of The Amazing 8!

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In this interview, City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod shares her story of growing up in Chattanooga, the path that led her to prison, and the redemption of turning her life around over the past ten years. Now she is a member of our City Council and a story of hope that our city can be proud of.

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