Why, Indy?

Existance, Death, Healing, Suffering, Consciousness, LOVE. Just a few things poet and author, Korie Griggs and I talked about in this perspective-shifting conversation. Buy her book, Suffer Well now!

I kicked with my man and Indy photgrapher, Jake Moran to talk about the Indy hip hop scene and his latest project, "While They Slept" - which documents special moments with 25 Indy hip hop artists. 

Owner of Naptown Thrift and local Indy hip hop artist, Aaron Marshall (aka Double A) joins me on the mic this week to talk about Indy fashion and hip hop culture. Aaron shares his experience of being an artist in a city that has yet to establish a blueprint to national success and pivoting to become one of Indy's best thrifting destinations.

This is the first of many episodes exploring the sub-cultures of Indy culture. And when it comes to fashion and design, there may not be a better guest than Michael Angelo - founder of brand By Michael Angelo and co-owner of Anngelo Salon & Workshop. Not only does he share his journey to the top of Indy's fashion scene, but also shares his honest and challenging perspective on Indy's fashion culture.

Season 3 is all about Indy culture, and Tiffany Browne of HistoricIndianapolis.com is the perfect guest to lay the foundation on how current Indy culture was impacted by happenings of the past. Hint: You may be surprised.

In this season finale, a driven and talented young man in Andre Harakas hops on the mic to share his journey from a college athlete to a founder and CEO of a ProBooks Sports, a tech company. Andre's history is here in Indy on the east side, and his future in Indy is looking quite bright.

Latoya Johnson is making some serious moves! She is the Founder and CEO of AwayZone®, a minority led social enterprise that uses matching technology to connect business owners who represent a racial, ethnic, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation minority group to consumers who are seeking culturally relevant experiences. Victor, the app, is the tool that will help authentic, minority-owned businesses get in front of people who are looking for them. Tune into this convo to learn the story behind this incredible business and how Latoya plans to make an impact around the country.

In this first episode of the tech segment, I talked it up with local tech entrepreneurs, Matt Baggott and Aaron Miller who recently launched Spoke Locally. Spoke Locally is a proximity-based app that delivers content from local businesses around you. These guys are pretty incredible and have certainly created a solution that will change the way that we experience Indianapolis and support our local businesses.

Jesse Blythe is one of my favorite people in Indy. After working in the restaurant/hospitality industry for years, he and a 4 other talented folks started Leviathan Bakehouse - a one-of-a-kind spot that brings a triple threat in food, coffee, and bread/patisserie. All in the middle of a global pandemic! Not only does he know how to run house, but he's one of the most genuine people I know.

For the 3rd episode of the coffee segment, Justin Jones - owner of Bovaconti Coffee and Georgia Street Grind joined me on the mic. We talked about the importance of community building for Bovaconti and all of his ventures. It's fair to say that we will be seeing much more from this incredible entrepreneur as he looks to add value to the communities he loves.

Tune into a truly authentic talk with Amberson Coffee & Grocer owner, Hugo Cano. I've loved getting to know Hugo through the podcast and the Why Indy Latte partnership, and he always is so honest with his story and emotions. He's grown to truly love this city and is now playing a major role in how we experience it. 

In the first episode of my coffee segment, I chilled with Steve Hall, Co-Founder of Tinker Coffee. We talked about his personal story to founding one of the best local and global roasters, the evolution of the Indy coffee scene, and Tinker's most recent major moves.

Malina Simone and Alan Bacon are a dynamic duo. Through their personal experiences and shared relationship, they've created a one-of-a kind cultural development firm, GANGGANG that builds equity in community and culture through collaboration. In addition to putting in THE WORK, they are such phenomenal people! Tune in for great stories, strong commentary, and many laughs.

I chopped it up this week with local graphic designer and artist, Amiah Mims. By day, she specializes in graphic design for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and by evening, she hustles to create beautiful artwork for you - the people of Indianapolis. She sits at an interesting intersection of design and art where she can tap into both ways of creating to ultimately make something beautiful. On top of being artistically talented, she is such a kind, thoughtful, and uplifting person. Enjoy!

What a special interview! I kicked it with one of my sister's this week, Marin Strong, who is an incredible designer and founder of Gather - Designs by Marin. We laughed and smiled our way through a conversation about her journey to starting Gather, why she positioned her work around special moments and celebrations, and her thoughts on the Indy arts scene as a new creative. Enjoy!

The hungriest artist in Indianapolis, Ashley Nora, was a delight to have on the show. We talked about how she taught herself to paint, what drives her, and her dream of being a world-class artist. She's well on her way.

In the first of 5 episodes focused on the Indy art scene, I connected with one of my favorite local artists, Israel Solomon. Israel gave insight into his early art days, his experience blowing up in 2020, and his unique painting style. Check out his work after the show!

I chopped it up with the local legend, entrepreneur, food enthusiast, and influencer, Mike G. He's been putting naptown on for years as his self-made brand continues to grow. We talked about how he's built his empire, his perspective on the Indy food scene, and his favorite spots around town. Tune in!

Co-founders Austin Burris and Bradley Houser were such a fun time! I gained tremendous insight into how the food media extraordinaire, EatHere originated. They provided perspective on how much the Indy food scene has developed in the last 5 years and how much more growth has yet to be had. Tune in!

Chef Oya, owner of Chef Oya's The Trap, may be one of my favorite personalities in Indy. She's a steward of the community, a boss, and one helluva chef. Tune in to hear Chef Oya's origin story as a restauranteur, her strong belief in working for the community, and of course her why.