Freedom to Rise

Hurricane season officially begins June 1st; and if you're feeling almost prepared, you're not alone. In this special episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast, we're leaning into hurricane preparedness and the power of community partnerships. Thanks to a grant from Verizon through United Way Worldwide, we're amplifying our efforts during National Hurricane Preparedness Month to ensure that our neighbors are ready. Not just to face storms, but to recover from them stronger than before. Bronwyn welcomes Vice President of Investments and Partnership Strategies Josh Dunn and Disaster Resilience Officer Heather Koester to discuss getting better prepared, how United Way Suncoast supports long-term recovery, the lessons learned from Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton, and why resilience starts before the storm hits. 

When we delve into the topic of affordable and workforce housing in this state, issues pop up like dollar weed on a Florida lawn. What can be done to address an issue that weighs on our economy and weakens our labor force? On this episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we talk to Kody Glazer, the Florida Housing Coalition's Chief Legal and Policy Director, about this pressing state issue.

In this episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast, host Bronwyn Beightol welcomes Molly Grant, Executive Director of the Association of Early Learning Coalitions, and Madeleine Thakur, President and CEO of The Children's Movement of Florida. Together, they explore Florida's new 2024 tax credit designed to incentivize employer-supported childcare—whether through on-site facilities or partnerships with community-based providers. This policy aims to support working families, strengthen the state's workforce, and improve outcomes for children. Join us as we delve into what this means for Florida's future and how employers can play a critical role in early learning access and equity.

In this episode of Freedom to Rise, we dive into the data that shapes Tampa Bay's future. Each year, the Tampa Bay Partnership and the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business, with support from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and United Way Suncoast, release the Regional Competitiveness Report and Tampa Bay eInsights. These reports provide key insights into economic trends, affordability, education, and the talent pipeline across our region.This year's findings highlight successes and challenges, and joining Bronwyn to lead the conversation is Sarah Burgoyne, the new Senior Director of Research and Public Policy at the Tampa Bay Partnership. Sarah brings a fresh perspective to the data that drives change.

In this episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast, Bronwyn discusses key disaster recovery questions with Brady Penn, a FEMA External Affairs Officer working clsesly with the relief efforts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. With over $1.8 billion in housing and public assistance granted to Florida communities hit by the recent storms, FEMA is offering critical support; but the application process can feel daunting. Brady shares expert insights on starting applications, handling denials, and accessing resources for those who need it most; even if you make a mistake. Whether you're navigating recovery yourself or supporting others, tune in for essential information and guidance.For more information on how you can apply for assistance, visit our website: https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/disaster-resilience/

A  significant number of the communities in our area live without the conveniences and advantages banking accounts offer. Bronwyn invites Mark Smith, Financial Stability Manager and Bank On lead for United Way Suncoast and Patrick Eichholtz Community Development manager for First Horizon Bank in a discussion about what it means to be unbanked or underbanked and why economic inclusion is a focal point for United Way Suncoast. More information can be found at https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/what-we-do/income/bank-on-suncoast/

The new 2024 ALICE Report illuminates the plight of families living paycheck to paycheck, and highlights the fact that the household survival budget for a family of four in Pinellas County now ranks as the highest in the state. On this episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we delve into the results of the new ALICE report and explore how we're weaving together our education and financial stability efforts to create greater economic mobility for families across the region with Community Impact vice presidents Nicole Brown and Doug Griesenauer.https://www.unitedway.org/

In framing the findings of its latest Regional Competitiveness Report, the Tampa Bay Partnership used the term The Allure of Sunshine. The report highlights the fact that for Tampa Bay to maximize its potential, it has to go beyond warm weather and scenic vistas and address the drivers behind workforce and affordability trends. On this episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we speak with the partnership's top economic researcher, Lucia Farriss, about how we stack up against 19 other comparable cities in education, workforce development, net migration and a host of other measureables. Listen in. 

United Way Worldwide Senior Director of State Policy and Advocacy, often asks United Way advocates "to find the person in each of the representatives" they meet and set aside partisan differences. It's key, she said, to removing the invisible walls trapping the community members United Way strives to serve. On this episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we talk about advocacy and how United Way Worldwide's efforts in Washington, D.C., may impact folks right here on the Suncoast. Listen up.

Some present a rosy picture of the Florida economy, but on the latest episode of the Freedom To Rise podcast, we delve deeper into the data and explain why all is not well for the state's ALICE families. Florida Trend associate editor Mike Brassfield and United Way Suncoast Data Analysis Director Aaron Neal join United Way Suncoast Chief Impact Officer Bronwyn Beightol to give a true picture of the highs and lows of the state economy. Listen in.

In our region, only a handful of philanthropic organizations have thrived over the course of decades, marching with time and evolving to keep pace. At United Way Suncoast, we're proud to be in that group and eager to celebrate our success as we move into our second century of service. Here to tell us more about the centennial celebration is our very own CEO Jessica Muroff. Chief Impact Officer Bronwyn Beightol discusses our recent Centennial Celebration Kickoff and the magnitude of looking back on our first 100 years of achievement and looking ahead to our second century of service. From 1924 to 2024.For more information, check out our website: https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/centennial/

The Sarasota Board of County Commissioners recently voted to slash its funding for Suncoast 2-1-1, a vital service that provides a 24/7 path to support for community members in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto. What's the potential impact of losing that funding? Heart of Florida United Way 2-1-1 vice president Catherine Rea and Glasser/Schoenbaum executive director Charlene Altenhain join United Way Suncoast's Bronwyn Beightol to discuss the life-saving work of Suncoast 2-1-1, and how it's been a cornerstone in the community for more than 30 years.

All politics is local, but much can be done on the Federal level to affect us here on the Suncoast. Congresswoman Laurel Lee joins the Freedom to Rise Podcast as a lifelong public servant who has experience as a federal prosecutor, a circuit judge, and Florida's Secretary of State - and is already making an impact for Florida's 15th Congressional District. Congresswoman Lee discusses her experience in Washington, what brought her into a politics, bi-partisan legislation and issues she is working, and advice for anyone who wants to make a difference in the community. 

All across the Suncoast region, early learning educators and parents find themselves dealing with a crisis within a crisis: children acting out the emotional trauma of their lives, disrupting learning and creating an issue that results in parents losing their jobs. It's a trauma that often begins in the home, and the pandemic has only served to exacerbate the issue. United Way Suncoast has partnered with the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation and Florida Center for Early Learning to take on this issue. Listen in as United Way Suncoast CEO Bronwyn Beightol and Florida Center CEO Kristie Skoglund explain the issue and how we're working to resolve it.

In this episode of the  Freedom to Rise Podcast, Bronwyn welcomes  St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a distinguished public servant with over 20 years of experience. Mayor Welch made history by becoming the first commissioner to represent County Commission District 7 in St. Petersburg, and he's the second African American commissioner in the history of Pinellas County. Mayor Welch assumed the role of mayor in 2022, bringing his vision for progress and development to the forefront. Tune in as we discuss his five pillars of progress and their alignment with United Way Suncoast's mission."Partnership matters, and we're stronger together." 

Metropolitan Ministries' latest effort can be summed up in two words: Come Together. MetMin's NeighborHope Project focuses on zip codes disproportionately suffering from childhood poverty. The Florida Chamber's Prosperity Project identified the zip codes and MetMin has identified ways to help, including collaborating with United Way Suncoast and other organizations. Listen up as the nonprofit's JaLem Robinson and Caleb Bates detail the collaborative work happening in Pinellas County.

Jeff Brandes makes his second appearance on the Freedom To Rise podcast, but his first after ending a 12-year run in Tallahassee. The former senator and state representative from St. Petersburg has launched the Florida Policy Project, a policy bank (don't call it a think tank) to continue tackling some of the state's most pressing issues. Listen up as he tells host Bronwyn Beightol about his actionable plans regarding property insurance, criminal justice reform and two subjects directly impacting United Way Suncoast's ALICE families: housing and transportation.

United Way Suncoast has selected Career Source Tampa Bay to conduct research into the factors that drive youth success in the region. To discuss more about their research Bronwyn welcomes Dr. Byron Clayton to the Freedom to Rise Podcast. Dr. Clayton talks about work force development in Tampa, identifying success factors, and the most surprising fact of the study. Stay tuned for more information on the study at unitedwaysuncoast.org

The number of Florida and Suncoast Region families living paycheck-to-paycheck continues to rise during the first two years of COVID-19, and the loss of pandemic relief programs, may create even more barriers. The 2023 ALICE Report from UWS reveals that over 40% of region households are affected. Bronwyn invites United Way Suncoast Vice Presidents of Community Impact Doug Griesengrauer and Andrea Doggett to the Freedom to Rise Podcast to discuss who, or what is ALICE, and why it's important. 

People who run headfirst into challenges are intent upon making a difference. CEO of The Florida Housing Coalition Ashon Nesbitt joins the Freedom to Rise Podcast discussing why he thinks “everyone should have affordable housing of their choosing” and what The Live Local Act means to our area's crisis. He describes his work in housing through his career, his first four months as CEO, and how the United Way cn assist local governments and business leaders to improve the housing situation. 

Brittany Birken, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's Community and Economic Director, joins United Way Suncoast Chief Impact Officer Bronwyn Beightol for a deep dive into the fiscal benefits cliff issue, the sudden and often unexpected decrease in public benefits due to a small increase in earnings. 

What gets measured is what gets done. This is the mantra that drives the Tampa Bay Partnership to produce the regional competitiveness report, a data-driven account of how Tampa Bay compares to 19 other like-sized communities in more than 60 different statistical categories. On the episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast Bronwyn welcomes Tampa Bay Partnership CEO Bemetra Simmons as they discuss the community and business leader reaction to the report, the positives and negatives of growth, and how things are going at the foundation. 

Advocacy represents a cornerstone of our work at United Way Suncoast. We believe government plays a critical role in creating change that can improve people's lives, but government cannot do it alone. Neither can United Way and the rest of our nonprofit sector. Bronwyn welcomes CEO of the Women's Resource Center Ashley Brown to discuss just that. From production manager for a transformer plant to her current role she's managed an impactful nonprofit, produced a lot of success stories, and transformed the lives of thousands of women. She enters her 20th year as the CEO of the Women's Resource Center, an organization dedicated to providing direction to women of all generations by inspiring, educating and supporting them through life's transit.They discuss the center's mission, coming together with various ideas and viewpoints, her journey from first female production manager to CEO of the Center, and the critical role the center plays in helping women. For more information on the Women's Resource Center, please visit https://www.mywrc.org/

In our region, the average annual cost of childcare for a toddler is greater than the annual cost of tuition for a University of South Florida student. Only 50% of the students in our five-county footprint enter Kindergarten ready to learn. And on average, early learning educators earn $5,000 below the living wage for our area. These are just some of the indications that we're grappling with a childcare crisis in our community and nationally. To address the crisis, United Way Suncoast will stage an Early Learning Crisis virtual presentation at 10 a.m. on Dec. 6.  The hour-long event will officially introduce our organization's Early Learning Dashboard, and it'll give three panelists the opportunity to discuss the intricacies of the crisis, the steps that are being taken to address specific issues and why everyone in the community should care. You can visit our website, unitedwaysuncoast.org, to find the link and register to attend.As a preview for the presentation, we've produced a special Freedom To Rise podcast highlighting some of the key interviews we've conducted with stakeholders over the last . On this episode, you'll hear from Florida Early Learning Chancellor Matthew Mears, Manatee Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jacki Dezelski, Children's Movement CEO and former state representative Vance Aloupis and Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas CEO Lindsay Carson.

Since being elected in 2019 she's guided the city through the pandemic, social justice, protests, and now economic challenges. Yet, she's managed to navigate all of that while creating a number of improvements. On this exciting episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast, Bronwyn is joined by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to discuss affordable housing, rent and mortgage relief, Hurricane Ian assistance, and supporting the United Way. 

At United Way Suncoast, we root our work in research. We dive into data points to determine best practices, and we dig up numbers to support our advocacy; but don't mistake our mathematical machinations for a lack of passion.On this episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast, Bronwyn invites Kyle Baltuch to discuss the Florida Chamber Foundation's Florida Equality of Opportunity Initiative.  The initiative includes three components - the Prosperity Project, the Business Alliance for Early Learning, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Project. All of which are critical components to the 2030 Blueprint and ensuring Florida is the 10th largest economy in the world by 2030. Kyle also discusses how he ended up in economic opportunity and what inspires the Foundation to be so ambitious in its approach. 

The devastation left in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian leaves all of us heartbroken. We hope that recovery efforts bring comfort to those impacted by the storm, but as we've said before - hope requires more than empathetic emotions, it requires action. On this episode of the Freedom to Rise Podcast Bronwyn Beightol is joined by United Way of Florida CEO Melissa Nelson to discuss how United Way Suncoast, and all the local United Ways in Florida, will play a role in the mid-and-long term recovery of our communities. 

The path to post-secondary opportunities for today's youth can be fraught with societal pitfalls, equity imbalances, and motivational malaise - which is why youth success is one of United Way Suncoast's top priorities. On this episode we talk to two community leaders who have accepted the challenge of creating pathways for children to become successful members of our society. 

Angela Ivery went from a single mom in need of daycare to a woman working as an early learning educator. Laura White's work in speech pathology drew her into the childcare industry. On this episode of the Freedom to Rise podcast, we speak to two women on the frontlines of early learning education.

A May report from the Florida Department of Education revealed that third-grade reading scores dropped or remained stagnant in four of the five counties serviced by United Way Suncoast. It's a clear indication that COVID-19 education disruptions have impacted student performance. It's also a signal that out of school reading programs remain critical to elevating performance and dealing with post-pandemic problems. On this episode of the Freedom to Rise podcast, we speak with Bill Sadlo, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota/DeSoto; Dawn Stanhope, Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee; and Bernadette Denison, literacy coordinator at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast about how their organizations are working to reverse the trend and unlock literacy in our region.

Dianne Jacob, one of the state's leading early learning advocates, is the Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations in Florida for PNC Bank. She leads her team in developing sponsorships and grants throughout the west coast of Florida. Bronwyn asks Dianne about her history of giving back to the community and PNC's stake in early learning.  They also discuss how PNC Bank invests in their employees, Florida's largest early learning needs, and more. 

Bronwyn welcomes Pinellas Early Learning Coalition CEO Lindsay Carson and Hillsborough Early Learning Coalition CEO Gordon Gillette to the podcast to discuss what drives them, the current start of early learning, how the affordable housing and eviction crisis' are affecting recruiting and retention and more. Lindsay also discussing the "benefits cliff" and how partnerships like United Way Suncoast can make a difference. 

Bronwyn Beightol welcomes Children First CEO and Executive Director Philip Tavill. Philip discusses the pandemic's impact on Children First, access and equity in early learning, the importance of mental health support at Children First, what it means to be in the top 1% of all Head Start programs, and more. 

Host Bronwyn Beightol is back to talk with Chancellor Matthew Mears on the role of the Chancellor of Education, emerging from the pandemic, helping early learning educators ‘ salaries, the importance of early learning, the engagement of the business community, and more.

Tampa Housing Authority Senior Vice-President/Chief Operating Officer Leroy Moore joins us to discuss rising rental and eviction rates, “the missing middle,” how much more government support is needed, redevelopment efforts, gentrification, transportation, and more. 

Host Emery Ivery chats with St. Petersburg Councilwoman Deborah Figgs-Sanders about starting as a councilwoman during the pandemic, the issue of housing and the eviction crisis, development in St. Pete, workforce development and transportation in the city, and more. 

Dr. Elizabeth Strom discusses the statewide eviction moratorium during the pandemic, what local non-profit organizations can do to assist in affordable housing, rent control, and solutions to this crisis moving forward. 20:06: Emery's Big Takeaway. 

Florida Blue Southwest Florida Local Market Leader Nick Kouris discusses serving as local market leader, Florida Blue's overall outlook, breaking the cycle of generational poverty, reducing opioid deaths, and more on this edition of the Freedom to Rise Podcast.25:25: Emery's Big Takeaway. 

Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes discusses affordable housing,  property insurance, early learning,  prison reform, and more.25:23: Emery's Big Takeaway.

Clearwater Polic Chief Daniel Slaughter joins the podcast to discuss how a a substation became a resource center for the United Way, the department's experience in working with the youth in the community, the relationship with the community in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and more.  

Eileen Coogan, executive director and CEO of Allegany Franciscan Ministries, discusses what it means to be a servant leader and leading non-profits for over 35 years, the Common Good Initiative, the successes in Wimauma, and more.

We chat with Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Grego discussing what keeps him going after 40 years in education, the biggest challenges presented by the pandemic, the importance of community partnerships, and the focus on early learning.

In this series we shift to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties with host Chief Impact Officer Emery Ivery. On this episode we focus on eviction defense with Hillsborough County Commissioner Kimberly Overman and Attorney Tom Difiore. 

0:00: We welcome Manatee County Commissioner Reggie Bellamy to the podcast.30:48: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway. 

0:00: Bronwyn welcomes Manatee Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jacki Dezelski Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Kasten.33:25: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway.

0:00: Bronwyn welcomes guests Anne Bouhebent, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of the Heartland; Janet Kahn, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota; and Kerry Gaylord, director of child development for the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee to the podcast.33:27: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway.

3:03: We welcome the Representatives to the podcast.32:43: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway.

0:00: We welcome Debra Jacobs and Beth Duda from the Patterson Foundation to the podcast.26:39: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway. 

0:00: We welcome Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan to the podcast! 33:57: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway

1:56: We welcome DeSoto County Commissioner Ashley Coone to the podcast.37:04: Bronwyn's Big Takeaway

01:39: We welcome Dr. Brennan Asplen to the podcast32:28: Brownyn's Big Takeaway