Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Marcie Smeck Bryant, who recently was honored with the Social Justice Impact Award at the 2025 Strobel Volunteer Awards hosted by Hands On Nashville powered by United Way of Greater Nashville. Marcie Smeck Bryant is a retired strategic communications professional, who has been actively involved with The Nashville Food Project for over a decade, helping to establish and manage a weekly community meal program at Trinity Community Commons that focuses on food security and community building.

Through her work with The Nashville Food Project, Trinity Community Commons, and Feedback Nashville, Marcie has been instrumental in addressing food deserts, waste reduction, and supporting urban farming initiatives while emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and community engagement.

During the interview, Marcie shares her story and passion for serving others. She describes The Nashville Food Project's mission to grow, cook, and share food, focusing on community building and hunger relief. She highlights their three main components: providing 7,000 meals weekly, recovering and collecting donated food from various sources, and supporting urban farming initiatives. Marcie also details the partnership with Trinity Community Commons, which offers free meals, wraparound services, and neighborhood support through a community garden and upcoming supportive housing development.

Marcie then talks about serving on the board with The Nashville Food Project and their engagement in Feedback Nashville, highlighting the importance of strategic planning and addressing food deserts and waste in the city. She shares her personal experiences and insights gained through volunteering, emphasizing the power of taking action. Marcie wraps up talking about the significance of the 2025 Strobel Volunteer Awards' Social Justice Impact Award, and encourages others to find their passion and get involved in community organizations like The Nashville Food Project and Trinity Community Commons.

Visit https://www.thenashvillefoodproject.org to learn more about the Nashville Food Project. Visit https://www.trinitycommunitycommons.org to learn more about Trinity Community Commons.

On this episode of the cityCURRENT Show, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Keisha Walker, Community Affairs Manager for Vitalant, to explore how one of the nation’s leading nonprofit blood providers is turning compassion into action—and giving students an opportunity to save lives and earn scholarships.

Keisha shares Vitalant’s mission to maintain a steady, lifesaving blood supply for patients in need and sheds light on the challenges in cities like Memphis, where only one in four blood units needed by hospitals is donated locally. With stories that highlight the real-world impact of donation—from trauma care to sickle cell treatment—Keisha emphasizes the critical role every donor plays in the healthcare system.

The conversation dives deep into Vitalant’s 2025 Student Leader Scholarship Program, a summer initiative (June 1–August 31) that empowers students across the region to host virtual blood drives and earn up to $1,000 in scholarship funds. Keisha explains how easy it is for students to get involved, the leadership skills they gain, and how they can build a legacy of generosity starting now.

Whether you're a student, parent, educator, or simply someone looking to give back, this episode will inspire you to take action, get involved, and recognize the power in just one donation.

Learn more and sign up: https://vitalant.org/scholarship

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Ben Utecht, Super Bowl XLI Champion, bestselling author, and entrepreneur, who discusses his journey from sports to business leadership and philanthropy. Ben is the founder of SoleCareRx and Chief Culture Officer for True North Private Equity, where he oversees a family of companies spanning multiple industries. He was the keynote speaker at the cityCURRENT signature speaker series event in Nashville on May 15, 2025 and will be speaking in Memphis in August.

During the interview, Ben talks about his experience playing for the Indianapolis Colts under Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy, which inspired his second book "The Champion's Creed" and his work as a chief culture officer. Ben highlights his book "The Champions Creed: Build Your Culture on the Power of Belief," which offers a blueprint for organizations ready to transform their culture from the inside out. He explains how the Indianapolis Colts, under Coach Tony Dungy, integrated beliefs and values and intentionally designed, built, and practiced their winning culture, both on and off the field. Ben emphasizes that culture should be treated as a strategic priority in businesses, and shares practical examples of how to create objective protocols that can be measured and reviewed. He encourages readers to see culture as a revenue driver and provides the website benutechspeaks.com for more information and book purchases.

Ben also discusses the development and recent launch of Shower Sock, an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal disposable shower sock to protect feet in private and public showers. As the founder of SoleCareRx, he shares how the product idea started when he experienced a foot infection after taking a shower in flip flops while playing in the NFL. He talks about the product's exciting potential, noting its affordability and applications in preventing foot infections globally. Ben also highlights the philanthropic aspect of Shower Sock, partnering with Samaritan's Feet, a nonprofit organization distributing shoes to under-resourced communities around the world to help prevent skin infections. Ben is donating part of his cityCURRENT speaking honorariums to support Samaritan's Feet shoe distributions in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee.

To learn more about Shower Sock, visit https://showersock.com/. To learn more about Ben Utecht, his speaking and his book, "The Champion's Creed: Build Your Culture on the Power of Belief," visit https://benutechtspeaks.com.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with JR Robinson, CEO and Co-Founder of JustMy, who discusses how their platform helps organizations share and distribute content through digital business cards and an InfoHUB in order to better connect and engage with the community. During the interview, JR explains how JustMy started in 2019 to give nonprofits a voice and has since expanded to create digital magazines, a newsstand, a virtual studio service, and now digital business cards and their InfoHUB. He discusses the InfoHUB's ability to consolidate content for expanded reach, with examples including a custom application for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office that provides incident cards for accident victims and traffic violations.

JR discusses the mission of JustMy, emphasizing its focus on community service and affordable, educational tools to help individuals and businesses share their stories. He highlights the platform's unique feature of allowing users to control their content and branding, unlike other platforms like Facebook. JR also introduces the slogan, "All Eyes on You," which he believes reflects the inherent greatness in everyone and encourages individuals to showcase their best selves. He plans to further develop this concept and its narrative as part of a larger effort and movement with JustMy.

JR then introduces "JustMyGrants," a program offering full-service marketing support to businesses and nonprofits for 12 months, covering up to $14,000 in in-kind services. The program includes monthly check-ins, planning sessions, and support for events, with a focus on helping nonprofits prepare for events and create engaging content. JR explains that the goal is to distribute 6,000 grants, providing $84 million in in-kind services, and emphasizes that the program is available nationwide due to advancements in technology.

JR encourages listeners to learn more and take the next steps by visiting justmy.com or the local Memphis and Nashville websites, and JR highlights the availability of a free "myCARD X" to get started.

Visit www.JustMy.com to learn more.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Drü Collie, Co-Founder and Director of Philanthropy for Sole Hope, who highlights the nonprofit organization and their efforts to provide shoes and medical care and to restore dignity and hope for children in Uganda. The organization's mission is to "equip the vulnerable to walk in freedom from life-threatening diseases and exploitation through education, empowerment, and medical relief." During the interview, Drü shares how Sole Hope was founded after he and his wife discovered the devastating impact of jiggers, a parasitic infection impacting children in Uganda, through a YouTube video. The organization focuses on combating this neglected tropical disease in Uganda, where it is often stigmatized as witchcraft. Drü and his family moved to Uganda for six years to establish the organization, and the organization is now based in Nashville, Tennessee, with a team of employees working directly in Uganda.

Drü explains the process of Sole Hope's work in Uganda, which involves weekly village visits to wash children's feet, remove jiggers, provide education, and distribute shoes. The organization employs 48 Ugandans, including tailors and shoemakers, who create shoes from recycled denim sent from America. Drü emphasizes the importance of providing shoes, as it helps keep children in school, protects them from parasites and injuries, and addresses the stigma associated with jiggers. The organization has distributed over 370,000 pairs of shoes and operates a residential facility for severe cases.

Drü discusses Sole Hope's expansion into mental health and addiction treatment, as they've found that many of their patients in Uganda face non-physical challenges due to poverty. He explains various ways the community can support their efforts, including a $10 monthly donation program and participating in shoe-cutting parties, which are being relaunched as team-building events for businesses. Drü emphasizes the importance of taking action when seeing a problem and shares how this journey has transformed his family's perspective on life and making a difference.

Drü shares the story of Joy, a 10-year-old girl who was severely affected by jiggers, a parasitic infection. Joy was initially nicknamed "Little Duck" due to her abnormal walk caused by over 720 jiggers in her body. After receiving treatment at the Hope Center, Joy's physical and mental condition improved dramatically within a week. Her transformation not only changed her life but also impacted her village's perception of the jiggers problem, demonstrating the effectiveness of their intervention in combating this treatable disease.

Drü wraps up highlighting the ways the community can support their efforts through financial contributions, Shoe Cutting Parties, Team Building Experiences, or visiting Uganda to see the impact firsthand.

Visit https://www.solehope.org to learn more and get involved with Sole Hope.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Melody Webber, Manager of Enrollment and Community Engagement at Freedom Preparatory Academy, who highlights the mission and efforts of the tuition-free charter school network in Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama, that prepares all students in grades Pre-K through 12 to excel in college and in life.

During the interview, Melody shares how Freedom Preparatory Academy was founded by Roblin Webb in 2009, and how it has grown from a single 6th-grade class to now serving over 2,000 students across five schools in Memphis, Tennessee (2 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school) and 1 elementary school in Birmingham, Alabama in the heart of the Titusville community. Freedom Preparatory Academy's Memphis schools are in the Westwood/Whitehaven area. Melody talks about the school's expansion into Birmingham in 2024, their focus on educating the whole student, and some of their unique characteristics, including flexibility with setting start and end times to help parents with children at each of their schools, professional development for staff each Wednesday, and a requirement for high school students to complete 100 hours of community service. Melody also highlights some of the school's academic achievements, partnerships with organizations like Wellchild and UT Health Science Center for student and family support, and its commitment to character development and leadership opportunities for students.

Melody explains the enrollment process for Freedom Prep charter schools, where returning families complete enrollment first, followed by new applications processed within 24-48 hours. She outlines how seats are awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis and how families receive email notifications about acceptance or waitlist status with parent meetings being required before the first day. Melody, who previously taught 7th-8th grade math and later high school, shared her perspective on the school's strengths and her experience watching students progress from 7th to 11th grade, then graduation.

Melody discusses the importance of building relationships with families and providing support through parent-led workshops and community engagement at their schools. They emphasized the need to treat students as individuals rather than numbers, offering opportunities for academic, psychological, and extracurricular growth. She highlights the ripple effect of Freedom Prep's impact on the community, preparing students to become future leaders in various fields.

Melody wraps up discussing Freedom Prep's community engagement initiatives, including open houses, tours, registration help nights, workshops, literacy and math nights at their campuses. She explains that the school seeks partnerships to offer additional family-focused programs like first-time homebuyer and budgeting classes. Weber provides multiple ways for interested parties to learn more and get involved, including visiting their website freedomprep.org, following them on social media, or contacting her directly at (901) 538-9500 ext. 60276 or (901) 498-1849.

Visit https://freedomprep.org to learn more about Freedom Preparatory Academy.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Karen Briscoe, Executive Program Director with PLAY NICE, who highlights the nonprofit organization focused on "providing a holistic youth development experience that prepares students for life beyond the classroom - equipping them with real-world skills, entrepreneurial mindsets, workforce readiness, and the confidence to lead with purpose, engage in their communities, and build meaningful futures through hands-on learning and mentorship."

During the interview, Karen shares how the nonprofit organization started in 2019 by Tye Coleman and Kenny Cohen as an anti-bullying program, "Imagine It's You and Do Something," with the Police Athletic League (PAL) in New Jersey and Florida, and then how PLAY NICE was brought to Nashville when Tye Coleman moved back home to Tennessee. Karen highlights how PLAY NICE has grown in Nashville through partnerships, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Kid Power, YMCA, and Metro Nashville Schools, and how their programs still focus on anti-bullying, but have evolved to provide a holistic youth development experience with character education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization's initiatives include building self-esteem, workforce development, and entrepreneurship through mentorship programs, along with year-round activities like summer camps and after-school programs. Karen discusses the positive impact of their programs and talks about the importance of their volunteers, called "Champions for Change." Karen highlights the positive impact on participants, noting increased confidence and improved behavior, and encouraged community support through donations and volunteer opportunities, emphasizing that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success with the right support.

Visit https://www.nbztv.com/ to learn more about PLAY NICE and how to get involved, or you can call Karen Briscoe at 615-755-9718. PLAY NICE is located at The Forge, 217 Willow Street in Nashville, Tennessee.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with keynote speaker, Angela Gargano, a 6x American Ninja Warrior, former Miss Fitness America, 3x Cover Girl and biochemist turned fitness trainer, who shares some of her personal journey and how her background in biochemistry led to helping colleagues with fitness and nutrition, eventually leading her to open a gym and pursue Ninja Warrior competitions. She highlights the importance of community in her success, noting how a videographer encouraged her to try out for the show and how the Ninja Warrior community provided support and motivation. Angela emphasizes that community plays a crucial role in personal growth and achieving goals, offering encouragement and hope to individuals striving to overcome obstacles.

Angela shares her experience of recovering from an ACL tear that happened on the last obstacle while competing on American Ninja Warrior, and highlights how focusing on small, foundational elements like core strength and basic movements was crucial for her rehabilitation. She ties the experience back to some of the points she makes in her keynotes emphasizing the importance of building a strong foundation through simple practices, including proper sleep, nutrition, and mental fitness, which is essential for overall success and resilience. Angela discusses how incorporating small, consistent actions into one's routine, even for short periods, could lead to significant improvements without sacrificing time for larger goals.

Angela then shares the basis of her RIGHT Method framework for handling adversity, which involves acknowledging emotions, identifying controllable factors, and developing a game plan. She emphasizes the importance of self-care and adaptability, and encourages taking small steps towards goals despite uncertainty. Angela also discusses her approach to overcoming self-doubt and negative thinking patterns, highlighting the power of positive visualization. The conversation concludes with information on how to follow Angela and book her for speaking engagements, including her website and customized talks for various audiences.

Visit https://www.angela-gargano.com to learn more about Angela Gargano.