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S3: Hip Co-Working Spaces of Bamboo Detroit- Episode #73

Bamboo Detroit Update with Amanda Lewan Romy catches up with co-founder, Amanda Lewan to hear about the most recent expansion of one of Detroit’s hottest hippest co-working spaces. Listen in to some of the secrets of the success including the special nature of the diversity in members and programming.   Full Transcript Read Full Transcript…

S3: Detroit Horse Power Rides Empowerment – Episode #72

Detroit Horse Power lifts, heals, and empowers! David Silver shares an update on all of their expansion in the hearts and minds of the Detroit Youth! Community partners make his organization strong and talent-rich. Great song by a Detroit artist! Kids and horses are a great match.   Full Transcript Read Full Transcript Romy: Hi…

S3: City Girls Farm: Let the Goat Scaping Begin! Episode #70

City Girls Soap becomes a Farm: Let the Goat Scaping begin! Amy McIntire joins Romy for an update on the goat farm. Amy shares how the business has evolved from just making soaps and lotions to conservation ‘scaping’. Join in to learn how she is putting ‘Kids on the Bus’ in this great catch up.…

S3: Bags to Butterflies of Detroit – Episode #69

Michelle Smart of Bags to Butterflies in Detroit! Romy interviews Michelle Smart, founder and creator of Bags to Butterflies. Learn how Michelle is empowering women returning from the prison systems to be all that they can be. Transformation and incredible business ideas are moving this social enterprise into possibility. Don’t miss the great Detroit artist…

S3: Khali Sweeney of the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program- Episode #68

Khali Sweeney of the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program in Detroit Listen in to the powerful testimony of a great leader, his overcoming a poor education and his will to push for experiences for the kids in the neighborhoods of Detroit. Hear why Khali has adopted the phrase ‘books before boxing.’  This is an incredible…

S3: Impact Crushin’ – Top Six Countdown #66

Season 3: Top Six Impact Crushin’ BEhaviors   Welcome to Season Three of the Bonfires of Social Enterprise! This is Romy, and I am the host of today’s episode that we are calling ‘Impact Crush!’  We are doing a Top 6 countdown on behaviors we are crushin’ on. And, at the end, we are going…

S2: Life Remodeled, Chris Lambert #64

Romy interviews Chris Lambert of Life Remodeled in Detroit – incredible passion, boldness, humility, and steadfastness all rolled into one mission. Hear about the incredible neighborhood transformations. Also meet Grace Elizabeth Lee as the featured artist at the end of the episode and her new song ‘Darling.’

S2: Playground Detroit with Paulina Petkoski #62

We have two sides of what we do, IRL and URL. The first part, IRL, is In Real Life, we work with people, and we produce events, we connect people to people, and we like to promote the creative economy. Promoting the arts and culture scene here through exhibits through really cool programming that includes film screening, Q & A panels, installations with other stores that are in the area. Anything that really allows people to connect with one another and experience art in a way that is really fun and unique.
The other side of it is online. We have had an online magazine since 2011 that we started to really get out all of the fun, creative, news that’s happening in this city that, at the time, wasn’t being told in the mainstream media. Since we started the online magazine, we’ve also expanded the digital media platforms that we have to a really, amazingly, robust, social media following that is growing, basically every week. We have really great Instagram following and Facebook; we use Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, anything that really allows our audience to engage with the creative people that we support and promote.

S2: Amy Kaherl of Detroit Soup #59

Romy interviews Amy Kaherl of the now famous Detroit Soup! Amy shares about how she started Detroit Soup, some of the barriers to success and grand plans for the people of Detroit. Amy is a visionary catalyst and passionate about people. Great song at the end by Tim Schumack of Assemble Sound.

S2: Noam Kimelman of Fresh Corner Cafe#57

Romy interviews Noam Kimelman on his venture Fresh Corner Cafe in Detroit. They also discuss his non-profit partner, Detroit Food Labs, and the motivation of the youth in the city of Detroit! Noam is a very intelligent and engaging guest. Great Detroit artist at the end of the episode to round out another great show! Noam shares his great wisdom on pop-ups and the youth innovation with food!

S2: Impact Investing Inglenook with Tom Doescher #55

Romy catches Impact Investor, Tom Doescher , for an interesting conversation on how he thinks about laser outcomes of creating and keeping jobs, the opportunity for impact in Flint and why advisor support is so critical in impact investing. Tom leaves the conversation with great advice for people transitioning from traditional careers to supporting impact investing as a second stage career. Listen for the great artist, Eryn Allen Kane, and her song, Sunday, to close the episode.

S2: Kari Hughes of Buy The Change in Detroit #54

Romy Kochan interviews Kari Hughes of Buy The Change in Detroit, Michigan. Listen and learn about what inspired Kari to begin making a market for women entrepreneurs around the world. Kari discusses why she wanted to become a B Corporation and remain a for-profit company. She discusses the importance of acknowledging your successes over your gaps. Kari is a woman on a mission to help make markets for inspiring women and mothers who are overcoming around the globe. A for-profit example of great social enterprise.

S2: Mailbag! #52

Time for the Mailbag!

Romy answers three great listener questions followed by a light-hearted full song by Tim Schumack of Detroit.

S2: Southwest Solutions of Detroit#50

Romy interviews John Van Kamp of Southwest Solutions. John has been the leader and visionary of Southwest Solutions since 1973 and has successfully established a village of partners to address mental health issues. The incredible collaboration and partnering led initiatives into entrepreneurship and other related systemic change. This is an incredible story of community partnering and change!

S2: Better Life Bags#49

hand-made custom bags in Detroit employing women

Romy interviews Rebecca Smith with Better Life Bags in Hamtramck of Detroit. Hear the incredible story of how she launched a business of making custom handbags hand-sewn by local women who had previously had cultural barriers to employment. Rebecca shares how she grew, used social media, and created dynamic relationships with her now 16 employees~

S2: Detroit Horse Power#48

What became the most compelling opportunity, in my mind, is horses combined with the research-based therapeutic effects for at-risk youth, among other populations, in need with a large space requirement. They’re big animals, and they take up a lot of space. In most cities, that would be a deal breaker because most cities don’t have large amounts of open space for a large riding center. In Detroit, that actually really matches a big need that’s going to help build a strong foundation for all of the Detroit to have a strong future. Where this wouldn’t be possible hardly anywhere else in the country, horses are uniquely positioned to address two persistent problems for the City of Detroit.

S2: Eastern Market in Detroit#47

Eastern Market Corporation in Detroit interviewed by Romy on location! Learn about one of the oldest open-air farm markets in the United States and discover the grand plans for the expansion of food entrepreneurialism from start to scale! Romy speaks with Christine Quane about the history and expansion efforts that will sustainably serve a community!