Ride the Pulse with transit expert and local excitable person: Ross Catrow.
Jason Kamras is the Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools. He shares about his early experiences as a teacher in Washington, DC and reflects on the first 100 days of his tenure in Richmond. This episode is sponsored by Village Bank.
Kelli Lemon is a social entrepreneur. She does it all: radio DJing, PR/hosting, throwing parties. You name it, she does it. Kelli shares the story of moving to Richmond, what she learned building student culture at VCU, and helping get Mama J's off the ground. She also reflects on the importance of building bridges, what it takes to be a neighbor and what you can expect from her new venture, the Urban Hang Suite. This episode is sponsored by Village Bank.
Burt Pinnock is an architect at Baskervill. He’s worked on designing some of Richmond's most unique community landmarks, including the Black History Museum, the Richmond Slave Trail and the new design for the 17th St. Farmer’s Market. He reflects on his upbringing in Tuskegee, Alabama and shares his perspective on what design can do for the life of a community.
Courtney Lynch serves on the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. She shares about how her experience in the Marines shaped her view of leadership, what caused her to run for public office and the importance of authenticity.
A special episode taking you inside the experience of a live Murphy's Kids show. Featuring interviews and music--you get a snapshot of the friendship that started the punk/ska band, the antics of a frontman onstage and a sense that maybe things will be okay if we stand for tomorrow.
John Charlet is the frontman of Richmond ska/punk band, Murphy’s Kids. Today on the show he sits down for an interview. He tells the story of about how the band came to and we hear their sound evolve over time. John talks about how his day job in education connects to his passion for music. He also sheds light on what makes for a great music scene and why it’s great in Richmond right now.
David Bailey is dedicated to racial reconciliation. He's the Executive Director of Arrabon, a ministry in Richmond that trains churches and ministries on practices of racial reconciliation. David shares
Allison Jackson is an expert on how childhood trauma affects people. She defines what trauma is and why understanding it is so important. She reflects on her own story of becoming whole, the passion that drives her work and the importance of human connection to healing. Dr. Jackson also reflects on how the stories we tell ourselves shape the role we play, with an eye for what it might look like for a neighborhood or a city to tell a new story.
*We're re-airing one of our favorite conversations. Craig has been busy since we sat down to talk. He made CNN Heroes Top 10 in 2016 and continues to lend a helpful voice to what happens with young people in public housing.
Craig Dodson is a bike guy. He runs Richmond Cycling Corps, an organization that works with youth from public housing-- training them in the art of competitive cycling and helping them navigate life. Craig shares about the ways his father shaped him, the first time he visited Creighton Court and how he's seen Richmond grow.
Blaine hosts the show and Chris handles the technical stuff behind the scenes. They talk about how and why Two People became a thing, along with their favorite episodes and moments. They make dumb jokes and share some mistakes they've made along the way. The show will be on break for a few months because Chris and Blaine are both becoming dads.
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Juliellen Sarver is the Community Relations Manager at Stone Brewing. But she lived in Fulton for years before the brewery came to town. She shares about her love for cities, the history of Fulton and the importance of neighborhood engagement. We talk about beer things: What brought Stone to Richmond, their partnerships with other local breweries and what we can expect from the new restaurant that’s coming to the Riverfront. Hint: it shall be glorious.
Barbara Given owns Stoplight Gelato Cafe in Jackson Ward. She talks about how the gelato shop became a reality after losing her son to cancer and how the community helped bring it to life. Barb also sheds some light on her early days growing up in a railroad family, her career in education, and where her tenacity comes from. She even shares her thoughts on the end of life. At 81, Barb is still going strong.
Dwight Jones is the Mayor of the City of Richmond. He reflects on his early days, including a cross-country train ride with his parents and the first date he went on after moving to Richmond. We talk schools, baseball, Redskins training camp and how economic development is connected to poverty alleviation. He looks back at his last 8 years in office and offers some advice for the future.
Tired of the polarized politics? If so, Brian Cannon is your guy. He runs an organization called OneVirginina2021, aimed at redistricting reform. He shares a bit about his personal story-- how he made the shift from high school football to student government, how he used music to teach high school history and about his tenure as Mark Warner's body man. We dive deep into the nuts and bolts of gerrymandering (27:50). Then Blaine challenges Brian to a mock debate (41:10). One Note: This episode was recorded before the election, but is still relevant after it. Democracy shall endure.
Jack Berry is the former Director of Venture Richmond and he's running for mayor. He reflects on how his parents example of service in Lynchburg shaped him. He talks about what it was like in his early days working in the city of Richmond and what he accomplished as the Administrator in Hanover County. Jack shares his vision for what our city can be and about the time he drove a bus in college.
Levar Stoney is the former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia and he’s running for mayor. He reflects on his early educational experiences, how his grandmother shaped him, his relationship with his dad and how he got into politics. He talks through some specific questions about the city (37:00). At the end, Levar answers a moderately paced round of questions (53:05), where we get some solid fashion tips.
Jon Baliles serves on Richmond City Council and is running for mayor. He reflects on how growing up in a family dedicated to public service shaped him at an early age. He talks about how Richmond's street art festival came to be and what it taught him about collaboration. He also shares his perspective on some of the city's issues and what he'd do as mayor to address them. At the end, Jon plays a game of Q&A where he reveals whether he uses product on his great head of hair.
Brittanny Anderson is the chef and co-owner of The Metzger, a German Bar & Butchery in Church Hill. She tells the story of what drew her to cooking and how The Metzger came to be. Brittanny also talks about the new Swiss chalet themed restaurant that’s coming to Scott's Addition. At the end, she plays a game of Q&A where we learn that she enjoys the simple things in life.
Alfred Durham is Richmond's Chief of Police. He talks about what it was like growing up in DC and his early experiences with the police. He talks about working as a police officer in Washington DC during the crack epidemic, how he got to Richmond and how losing his brother to gun violence impacted him. He shares about how he approaches his work, the importance of having conversations and how he broke the record at the SWAT team obstacle course.
Alfred Durham is Richmond's Chief of Police. He talks about what it was like growing up in DC and his early experiences with the police. He talks about working as a police officer in Washington DC during the crack epidemic, how he got to Richmond and how losing his brother to gun violence impacted him. He shares about how he approaches his work, the importance of having conversations and how he broke the record at the SWAT team obstacle course.
Libby Germer is a teacher at George Wythe High School. She talks about how she got interested in education, what it’s like to work in a city school and we discuss budget needs in Richmond Public schools. Libby also talks about the curriculum she developed, helping students engage with the the history of public housing in their community. You'll hear from a special guest and a story about a squirrel, too.
Libby Germer is a teacher at George Wythe High School. She talks about how she got interested in education, what it’s like to work in a city school and we discuss budget needs in Richmond Public schools. Libby also talks about the curriculum she developed, helping students engage with the the history of public housing in their community. You'll hear from a special guest and a story about a squirrel, too.
Blaine plays a high stakes game with Josh Yates, asking him to make split second decisions about which unusual coalition he likes better.
Josh Yates is the Director at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at UVA. They've got project called Thriving Cities, which provides a framework for thinking about building healthy cities. Josh talks about how a city is more like a complex ecosystem, than a factory with levers (11:00). He shares the six elements, or "endowments", that contribute to a city's thriving (16:20). And they discuss the importance of unexpected, unusual coalitions to the life of a city (30:45). If you like cities, this one is for you.
Ross Catrow is the publisher of RVANews. Ross talks about how RVANews rose out of the ether to become a thing that exists. He reflects on his love for pop culture and movies. He explains why trying to build a great Richmond is like trying to make Evil Dead 2, which he says is “a perfect film”. Ross offers up a dose witty banter, hopeful optimism and thoughtful reflections on the future of Richmond.
Katherine Wintsch is the Richmond Christmas Mother, bringing Christmas cheer to those in need. She is the founder of The Mom Complex, a firm that helps some of the biggest companies in the world understand mothers to meet their needs more effectively. Katherine shares about her own insecurities, how those things impacted her as a mother, and how the Mom Complex came to be.
Tom Silvestri is a newsman. He is the president and publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Tom talks about how he landed in Richmond and what downtown was like in the early 80s. He also reflects on the state of the news industry, what it's like to lead a longstanding institution and what he thinks his legacy may be. At the end, Blaine challenges him with a rousing game of "Name That Tom."
A special episode! We revisit the sounds of the bike race. Blaine takes a walk down Broad St during the race, talking to people as he makes his way to Libby Hill for the dramatic climax of the race. We hear from European cycling fans, entrepreneurial kids and a handful of other folks from the Richmond cycling scene. We consider what the race means for Richmond and what it means to see things in new ways.
Craig Dodson is a bike guy. He runs Richmond Cycling Corps, an organization that works with youth from public housing-- training them in the art of competitive cycling and helping them navigate life. Craig shares about the ways his father shaped him, the first time he visited Creighton Court and how he's seen Richmond grow.
A quick look at all things bike race, featuring highlights from our interview with Lee Kallman from Richmond 2015. We look at how the course was designed, the best places to watch and why you should be excited...all in ten minutes. Check out our full interview with Lee for more about him and the bike race itself.
Moses Foster is a communication guy. He is the founder of the West Cary Group, a full-service marketing and advertising firm. Moses reflects on his professional journey, the things that shaped him, and why he decided to start his own agency. He also talks about the value of diversity in problem-solving and the role of the creative class in the Richmond region.
Carrie Rose Pace is in public relations at GRTC. Among other things, she’s also a meteorologist. Carrie talks about how she landed at CBS6 in Richmond and why she's made the jump to work in transportation. We talk Bus Rapid Transit and what that means for the region. Other things discussed: Disney characters, transportation movies, meteorology theme park design.
Glen Sturtevant is running for public office. He's a Republican candidate for the Virginia State Senate and currently serves on School Board for Richmond Public Schools. We talk through Glen's journey, including how growing up in Virginia public schools, playing high school sports and working at Food Lion all shaped his passion for education. We wrap our interview with a round of Lightning Q&A. There are multiple references to Glen's hair which we stand by 100%.
Check out our blog for a map of the district where Glen is running:
http://www.twopeoplepodcast.comstate-senate-district-10-map/
(works best on a desktop)
Valley Haggard is a writer. She was the book editor at Style Weekly and currently runs Richmond Young Writers. She shares some crazy stories-- jaunts through Europe, falling in love with a wrangler, working on a cruise ship. She also reads a short piece on how she learned to stop hating herself.
Lee Kallman is the Marketing & Communications Director for Richmond 2015, the group responsible for coordinating and hosting the big bike race that's coming to Richmond. We learn about Lee and talk about all the cycling things: How did Richmond win the bid? How are the races structured? Do Norwegians travel well? It's a cycling extravaganza.
Anousheh is a vocalist and musician. She talks about how she got into music, how she became the voice for many-a dance club anthem and ultimately how she developed her own voice as an artist. She treats us to a live version of a track off her new album.
Brian McDaniel is a blogger and photographer. Brian ran Dirty Richmond, a blog that captures moments of people and style in our city. Things discussed: his passion for blogging, his time at Ledbury, why his mixtape game is so strong, twinkie makers. Brian also plays a rousing game of Twitter: Explained.
Noah Kim is a senior at Maggie Walker. Weeks from graduation, he reflects on his high school experience: his first day of school, a teacher who changed his life, a time he failed, the importance of resiliency. Noah also plays "What's That 90s Thing?" which is exactly what it sounds like.
Shawn Boyer is the founder of Snagajob, a Richmond-based company that helps people find hourly work. He talks about growing up in Oklahoma and observing his parents start small business selling jewelry. Shawn tells the story of Snagajob-- how it came to be and the moments when he wasn't sure they were going to make it. Shawn also plays "Snagajob Pavilion Trivia," where Blaine asks Shawn ridiculous questions about music.
Michael Phillips is a sportswriter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He joins us to talk about Shaka Smart's departure-- why he left VCU and what it means. We also talk biscuit burgers, the airport stakeout, and the hip-hop hype man.
Don Coleman is the Chairman of the Richmond City School Board. He talks about growing up in the projects, coming through the foster care system and how that informs his work. We also get Don to flex his muscles as a master vocalist.
Kendra Feather owns a bunch of restaurants in Richmond. And they are all delicious. She talks about how she went from working as a waitress to owning a restaurant. Kendra also talks about what Richmond was like in the 90s and how roller derby positioned her for success.
Welcome to TWO PPL, a podcast about Richmond. In this episode, we introduce ourselves and tell you a bit about the podcast.
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