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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: 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: 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: 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!

S2: Jessica Robinson Intro: Bonfires on the Move#45

Bonfires on the Move!  Technology solving mobility issues! Meet the new host of Bonfires on the Move,  Jessica Robinson.  Jessica and Romy discuss her new segment and the types of guests she will be interviewing. As technology is used to solve mobility issues, Jessica will be bringing front-line trends and fresh ideas to our listeners.…

S2: Veronika Scott of The Empowerment Plan Detroit #42

   Veronika Scott Veronika Scott of The Empowerment Plan shares her missional journey of discovering her passion for creating employment for the homeless. She courageously dives into human dignity issues and leads the way for many social entrepreneurs. Get inspired! Read Full Transcript Full transcript of show here: Romy:                 Hey there. This is Romy, and…

Season 1: Robert Egger + LA Kitchen#40

For The Love of Social Enterprises! Bonfires Got a Boost from Robert Egger The Bonfires of Social Enterprise concludes its series of stories inspired by Romy’s recent trip to Los Angeles, and her visit with attorney Cecily Jackson-Zapata, of the Sustainable Law Group. This, the final of three episodes, is about the LA Kitchen, which…

Season 1: Downtown Youth Boxing Gym Detroit#37

Detroit’s Place For Champion Kids The Downtown Youth Boxing Gym On this episode of The Bonfires of Social Enterprise with Romy Gingras, of Gingras Global we visit the Downtown Youth Boxing Gym in Detroit, Michigan. Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program executive director Jessica Hauser tells the story of the program. She tells why founder, Coach…