Hidden Gems Podcast

As the human and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic sets in, many Chicago area businesses have come together to produce essential goods for front-line workers, also keeping employees on payroll in the process. In this episode, we speak with Sonat Birnecker Hart, the President and co-founder of KOVAL, a craft distillery that transformed its operations to make, donate, and sell hand sanitizer to fight the spread of COVID-19. We ask: What does it take for businesses to shift production so quickly--and keep employees safe in the process? How has the Chicagoland community, including donors, distillers, and distributors, come together to get hand sanitizer to first responders and consumers? // Music and sound effects in this episode are licensed through Envato Elements. Visit www.uchicagohiddengems.com/quarantine-production to view Sonat Birnecker Hart's profile and the full audio transcript.

The pandemic has disrupted food pathways and underscored the importance of equitable access to nutrition, at the same time as more families in the U.S. face food insecurity. In this episode we speak with two inspiring leaders who have dedicated their careers to addressing domestic and global food insecurity. Catherine Bertini and Ertharin Cousin are Distinguished Fellows at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, and former Executive Directors of the UN World Food Program. We ask them: How have U.S. food banks, schools, and communities responded to the challenges the pandemic has posed in getting food to people? And, how can food supply chains become more resilient to ensure that communities have stable access to nutritious food? // Music and sound effects in this episode are licensed through Envato Elements. Visit www.uchicagohiddengems.com/stepping-up-to-the-plate to view Catherine Bertini and Ertharin Cousin's profile and the full audio transcript.

Just as nations around the world have activated extreme measures to “flatten the curve” for coronavirus, some climate change activists have also latched on to the phrase to emphasize how carbon emissions growth must be slowed to prevent catastrophic climate change. Pat Brown is the CEO of Impossible Foods, a company founded with the explicit mission to “Save Meat. And Earth.” In this episode, we will ask: What parallels can we draw between social change for the pandemic versus the climate crisis? And, how can food innovation through plant-based meats mitigate our environmental impacts? // Music and sound effects in this episode are licensed through Envato Elements. Visit www.uchicagohiddengems.com/flatten-the-other-curve to view Pat Brown's profile, photos from Impossible Foods, and the full audio transcript.

What happens to urban space, and our relationship with the natural and built environment, when people have to retreat indoors? How do human interactions evolve to fit the unique social space we now find ourselves in? In this episode, we talk with Environmental & Urban Studies Professors Evan Carver and Emily Talen from the University of Chicago to answer these questions. We then dare to reimagine Chicago's public space and urban structure based on the lessons of the COVID-19 situation, and finally, reflect on our own personal aspirations for the new, post-pandemic life. // Music and sound effects in this episode are licensed through Envato Elements. Other music is produced by Podsummit and licensed through Creative Commons Zero, in addition to music provided via YouTube's free audio library. Visit www.uchicagohiddengems.com/hidden-city to view the profiles of the experts we interviewed, and the full audio transcript.

Brief audio clip to promote Hidden Gems: Quarantine Edition in advance of the first episode release. // Music from this teaser episode is produced by Eri Leven and licensed through Motion Array. Visit www.uchicagohiddengems.com/teaser to view the full audio transcript.