Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Alissa Rosebrough, Executive Director of Arise Africa, who highlights the nonprofit organization empowering Zambia's next generation through education, shelter, and love. Arise Africa is committed to helping children live a life that God desires for all mankind by serving the children of Zambia who are suffering from economic, physical, and spiritual poverty through a Christ-centered approach involving full-time care, education, discipleship, and feeding programs.

During the interview, Alissa shares how her career as a photographer led her to Zambia and how life-changing experiences in the country led her and her friend, John Rosacker, to form the nonprofit organization in 2010. Alissa shares the story of how the organization's efforts have grown over the last 15 years to serve around 700 kids and details the model where their American teams serve as outside support, helping to create an environment where the local Zambian team can survive and thrive embracing the rich legacy of their culture. Alissa shares some of the many success stories of youth growing up in their homes and schools to escape poverty, enroll in international universities, and become successful professionals who return home to help lead and create positive transformation in the community. She talks about the rich culture of Zambia and their happiness and sense of community where everyone takes care of each other, yet the poverty that permeates the area where Arise Africa serves. She talks about the many ways the community can support their efforts through financial donations, sponsorships, partnerships, and mission trips. She uses Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services as an example of how companies can come alongside Arise Africa and partner to serve locally, financially support their programs, and send teams on mission trips to Zambia to experience the magic of building relationships with the kids and staff while helping to build facilities that will impact the community for years to come.

Visit https://www.ariseafrica.org to learn more and get involved with Arise Africa.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Laura Hickman, Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Growth at Flint Global Partners, who highlights the nonprofit organization that is based in Middle Tennessee and working locally and in different countries around the world with the mission "to see great humans break cycles of extreme poverty and dependence, creating flourishing families and communities that make the world a brighter place."

During the interview, Laura shares her background, which includes seeing how her mother was able to make a strategic difference in the community through nonprofit work and and her own experiences teaching children with emotional and behavioral disorders. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships and how using specific tools to help the children believe in their future made positive changes, and how those results helped inspire her to do more. Laura also discusses her previous work with at-risk youth in other countries, helping them transition out of orphan homes and government care systems, which helped pave the way for establishing Flint Global Partners.

Laura discusses the founding of Flint Global Partners, a nonprofit organization that offers training and coaching organization aimed to help people move out of poverty through entrepreneurship, education and skills development, and access to resources and opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of local leaders in problem-solving and the need for a mindset shift before implementing other tools and skills. Laura elaborates on the process and how it works, to which she explains the three main areas they address: mindset, skills, and access. Laura also mentions their work in Nashville, helping at-risk youth build life skills and connect to businesses, and their plans to expand into entrepreneurship for ground-level entrepreneurs.

Laura discusses the company's global presence, with operations in 12 countries. Laura emphasizes the importance of local leadership in customizing their tools and practices to meet the specific needs of each region. She also highlights the role of team members with international experience in bridging cultural gaps.

Laura discusses the partnership with Harvest Hands, a community development center, to provide employment opportunities for their students in Nashville, Tennessee. The program has been successful, with students finding jobs and gaining life skills. Laura also mentioned a new partnership with JDEC (Judge Dinkins Education Center), a program for kids involved in the justice system, which focuses on construction skills and job readiness. The program has seen positive results, with most graduates finding employment or pursuing further education.

Laura discusses various ways the community can support Flint Global Partners, including donations, spreading the word, and connecting with entrepreneurs. She highlights the organization's focus on providing entrepreneurship opportunities and training to women in Kenya, and encouraged attendees to shop their jewelry and also participate in Flint Global Partners' spring and fall events. She expresses her willingness to engage with anyone interested in the organization's mission.

Visit https://flintglobal.org to learn more and get involved with Flint Global Partners.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Brandi Jack, Chief Operating Officer with Nashville Diaper Connection, who highlights the nonprofit organization that provides diapers to families in need through a distribution network of community partners who work directly with the families.

During the interview, Brandi shares how the organization was started in 2013 and how it has since grown to distribute 4.5 million diapers in 2024, serving about 7,000 babies monthly. She emphasizes the importance of providing diapers for families, especially as family expenses continue to rise and families are forced to choose between food and diapers; and she also discusses how diapers play an important role in the health and development of babies. Brandi then discusses the organization's model, which involves purchasing or accepting donations of diapers, having volunteers sort and wrap them in packages of 25, supplying the diapers to their distribution network of community partners, having those community partners provide the diapers to the families in need. She also details two of their more creative initiatives with Clinic Connections and Diapers for Diplomas, and discusses how focusing on healthcare and higher education are helping to address additional challenges in the community and helping parents complete their education to increase their earning potential. The conversation concludes with Brandi talking about the many ways the community can support their efforts through monetary and diaper donations, volunteerism, and their upcoming Corporate Wrap Off event on September 16, 2025.

Visit https://www.nashvillediaperconnection... to learn more and get involved with Nashville Diaper Connection.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Domonique Townsend, CEO of We Optimize Work, who shares how she transitioned her years of experience as an Industrial Engineer and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt to launch We Optimize Work and specialize in helping organizations align strategy with people to lead change with confidence without burning out teams or losing momentum.

During the interview, Domonique introduces their WOW Framework, which equips organizations to lead with clarity, gain stakeholder buy-in, and activate high-performing, engaged teams. She discusses the importance of challenging assumptions and finding misalignments and bottlenecks, tapping into the skills and experiences of employees for ideas and solutions, and adapting to different generations in the workplace and leveraging their wisdom. Domonique shares tips and recommendations for how to regain momentum in initiatives at work and for owning our role to make work feel good. She emphasizes the importance of having a personal purpose statement and showing employees how their roles make an impact. She also discusses positive trends in open conversations among leaders and the return to office, but also highlights the need to improve the culture being fostered. Domonique wraps up talking about her book, "Inspired to Innovate," and her philanthropic efforts and focus on education and advocacy for youth, serving on the board of Purpose Preparatory Academy and mentoring aspiring engineers from underrepresented backgrounds to help provide access to opportunities for success.

Visit https://www.weoptimizework.com/ to learn more about We Optimize Work and Domonique Townsend's book, "Inspired to Innovate."
https://www.linkedin.com/company/weoptimizework/

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Cam F. Awesome, the champion boxer, motivational speaker, and author, who is the winningest boxer in USA Boxing history and has won more championships in his weight class than anyone in USA Boxing history. Cam recently spoke in Memphis, Tennessee as part of the cityCURRENT signature speaker series. Hosted by ProTech Services Group, Inc., the event was held Friday, May 2, 2025.

During the interview, Jeremy and Cam discuss Cam's background and how he frames his story. Cam emphasizes the importance of self-talk and the power of mindset, using his boxing career as an example. He also shares his approach to learning and growth, which involves questioning with curiosity and seeking different perspectives. Cam's keynote presentation is highlighted, with Jeremy noting the powerful takeaways from his story.

Cam shares his positive experience as a keynote speaker at the Memphis event, highlighting the supportive and collaborative atmosphere centered on the mission to power the GOOD. He also mentions a memorable interaction with an attendee, who he had met earlier at an event in Las Vegas and gifted him barbecue sauce and a dry rub at the event in Memphis. Cam emphasizes the importance of small gestures of appreciation, like the thoughtful gift, in building strong relationships.

Jeremy and Cam next discuss Cam's transition from youth to corporate speaking, emphasizing the use of humor and storytelling to engage and educate audiences. Cam shares his experiences as a stand-up comedian and his work with nonprofits, highlighting the effectiveness of comedy in raising funds for good causes. They also touch on Cam's role as a cultural ambassador, having traveled extensively with USA Boxing and learning about different cultures and communication styles. Cam emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural nuances in the workplace to avoid misunderstandings and improve communication.

Cam then discusses the sport of boxing, emphasizing that being tough doesn't necessarily make one a great boxer. He highlights the importance of discipline, resilience, and confidence in boxing, and how these qualities can translate to other areas of life. Cam also shares his personal mission of helping people uncover their potential and believe in themselves.

Visit https://www.camfawesome.com to learn more and connect with Cam F. Awesome.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Susan Deason, Executive Director, and Carl Davis, Managing Director of Operations with Memphis Allies, who both discuss the mission and efforts of Memphis Allies, a partnership of nonprofit organizations working together to reduce gun violence in Memphis and Shelby County. During the interview, Susan shares how Memphis Allies was launched in 2021 by the Memphis, Tennessee-based nonprofit, Youth Villages, in response to the significant increase in gun violence in Memphis during that time. Susan and Carl discuss their evidence-informed model, which focuses on community violence intervention and serves individuals at highest risk for involvement in gun violence ages 12 to 35. The model, called SWITCH - Support With Intention To Create Hope - involves a team of individuals, including outreach specialists, life coaches, case managers, and clinical specialists, who work collaboratively to help participants switch their mindset and achieve their goals. The program is typically 12 to 18 months long and has shown early indicators of success, with 90% of participants not receiving an additional gun charge while in service. The organization has over 200 staff members, most of whom have lived experiences that uniquely position them to help change someone's mindset.

Susan and Carl emphasize the importance of community partnerships, support, and collaboration both locally and nationally. They discuss the importance of their work in the community and highlight the complexity of the issues faced, along with the need for empathy and understanding. Susan and Carl talk about the need for volunteers and how volunteers can help identify and engage with the individuals being supported. Carl highlights the daily changes he sees in participants and the importance of relentless effort in this work. They wrap up with how this work is saving lives and how the community can get involved and support their efforts.

Visit https://memphisallies.org or call (901) 252-7900 to learn more and get involved with Memphis Allies.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Shelly Robertson Birdsong, Owner and Publisher, along with Anna Robertson Ham, Managing Publisher, with YOUR Community Media and YOUR Williamson Magazine, who both highlight their company dedicated to celebrating and strengthening community through impactful events, custom marketing solutions and YOUR Williamson Magazine that drive local engagement and philanthropy. During the interview, Shelly and Anna talk about their company's evolution into a creative services and event company that helps small businesses and produces revenue-based events with a charitable component. The conversation then shifts to their magazine, YOUR Williamson, which has been in publication for 14 years. Shelly highlights the magazine's focus on social events, charitable causes, and community stories, and talks about how print media is still a very powerful and important marketing tool, especially for local businesses. Anna expresses her love for the magazine's role in telling stories and raising awareness for organizations in need. Shelly also discusses the magazine's online presence and its global reach.

Shelly and Anna then transition to highlight their second annual Ladies of Distinction - Iconic Women of Williamson event being held Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Liberty Hall at The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee. The elegant event will feature a marketplace offering shopping from women-owned businesses, a silent auction, a luncheon, a fashion show and the main event, honoring the 2025 Iconic Women of Williamson. The event also recognizes women in Williamson County's history and raises funds for the Williamson Health Foundation, Capital Campaign with designation to the Turner-Dugas Breast Health Center. Through this event, two scholarships will also be provided to female high school seniors who attend school in Williamson County to be used towards their higher education. Tickets are available for purchase, with individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities available.

Visit https://www.yourcommunity.media to learn more about YOUR Community Media and https://www.yourwilliamson.com to learn more about YOUR Williamson.

Visit https://www.yourwilliamson.com/ladies... to learn more about the second annual Ladies of Distinction - Iconic Women of Williamson on May 13, 2025.