Interact Studio

Human Touch - Community Voice Award - Tony Mecia of the Charlotte Ledger

Tina Postel - Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays

Our friend Matt Olin of Charlotte is Creative is joining us to talk with April Whitlock, the Executive Director of the LendingTree Foundation, about the LendaHand Alliance Cohort. LendingTree has just launched this signature philanthropy program, a three-year program for 10 Charlotte-based nonprofits designed to maximize community impact through trust-based philanthropy and meaningful relationships. The first LendaHand Alliance cohort includes: ArtPop Street Gallery Charlotte Is Creative Charlotte Rescue Mission Common Wealth Charlotte Digi-Bridge Do Greater Charlotte Dottie Rose Foundation Freedom Communities The Relatives West Side Community Land Trust

When Camp North End first opened its factories in 1924, innovation was at the core of everything. Over the decades, the space has been used to build Model-Ts for the Ford Motor Company, to support American soldiers in World War II, and to manufacture missiles during the Cold War. Now, nearly 100 years later, things look a little different at Camp North End but that spirit of innovation remains. Over the past few years, Camp North End has blossomed into a hub for artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs to work, play, and continue to innovate their craft. Camp North End creates a welcoming space for creativity and community in Charlotte with shops, restaurants, murals, and events designed for all people. When Varian Shrum, the Community Manager of Camp North End, joins us on the Human Touch, we will discuss the past, present, and future of Camp North End.

Since 2003, Tom Gabbard has been at the helm of Blumenthal Performing Arts as the organization's President and CEO. During Gabbard's tenure as CEO, the Blumenthal has become a Top 10 market for touring Broadway shows in North America. Currently, the Blumenthal is being visited by the Wicked Witch of the West as Broadway's WICKED runs at Ovens Auditorium through October 3, 2021. The Blumenthal also played a major role in the production and management of Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Charlotte, a one of kind art experience running at Camp North End through October 31. When he joined us on the Human Touch, he shared his thoughts on the current state and future of theatre, the creative culture of Charlotte, and what goes into hosting high-profile events such as WICKED and Immersive Van Gogh.

Jeff Dugdale is the Associate Athletic Director and Aquatics Director for Queens University of Charlotte. In his 12 years coaching the men's and women's swimming programs at Queens, Jeff has been a part of 12 NCAA Championship titles — 6 for men's and 6 for women's — including this year's 2021 championship. In that same time, he has been a Seven-Time CSCAA Coach of the Year, 11-Time Bluegrass Mountain Conference Coach of the Year, and the 2019 Jimi Flowers Coach of the Year. And he coached four Queens athletes who participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But for Jeff, his role in the Queens athletic department is about more than training students to be the best athletes they can be, it's also about teaching them how to be the best leaders possible — in and out of the pool. When he joined us on the Human Touch, he shared his thoughts on coaching, leadership, and the role mental health plays in athletics.

Demeka S. Kimpson, band director at Sedgefield Middle School, is the 2021 CMS Teacher of the Year. Kimpson is in her 16th year of teaching at Sedgefield, a Title 1 school. She is loved for her creativity and fierce commitment to the well-being of her students and their families. During the pandemic, she has worked tirelessly to keep the music alive for her students. She joins us on Human Touch for a conversation about providing an inclusive, quality educational experience to all students, and teaching through a pandemic.

Cheryl L. Richards, Ph.D. began her term as president of Johnson & Wales University's Charlotte Campus, on June 15, 2020, in the grip of COVID. Previously Dr. Richards served as the founding chief executive officer and regional dean of Northeastern University's Charlotte Campus. As someone with a distinguished career in higher education, she talks with us about the impact of COVID on Charlotte campuses, and what's ahead for the University.

On this episode of Human Touch, we discuss the role that culture and community play in growth and success with Tino McFarland, CEO of McFarland Construction, and Executive VP/COO Ben Wilhelm. Tino and Ben will share how they built one of the fastest-growing black-owned businesses in Charlotte—and what's ahead for construction, given the rising costs of materials.

Do you Dream Big? Kathy Izard suggests everyone does. Kathy is an award-winning author and speaker who has helped bring great change to homelessness, housing, and mental health in Charlotte — and just recently has worked with her daughter to create a community called Women | Faith & Story. The award-winning author and speaker will discuss answering the “whispers” that push you to your calling, overcoming self-doubt, doing good, and dreaming big.?

Over the course of nearly two decades in leadership roles at Novant Health, Dr. Pamela Oliver identified three keys to transforming healthcare: creating access, providing remarkable experiences, and building relationships. Dr. Oliver speaks with us about how the pandemic has changed the human side of healthcare; the importance of relationships to the future of healthcare; and the bottom line on wearing a mask.

For years, Charles Thomas has been protecting and growing Charlotte's Historic West End. His work as Program Director at the Knight Foundation is helping preserve the neighborhood's rich history.? Here he shares what the Knight Foundation is doing for a long underserved part of town.?

On this episode of the Human Touch, Jessica Baryla and Porter Metzler will give you the benefit of their insight as experts at effective strategy.? When Jess isn't being our Creative Director, she is a senior producer at WCCB. Porter is Director of Social Media for Interact Studio, as well as for Charlotte Is Creative.? Jess will help give you an understanding of the power of effective personal branding. And, Porter will give advice on how to share your personal brand with the world via social media.

In this edition of the Human Touch, Joni Deutsch, WFAE's on-demand content & audience engagement manager and host of the Amplifier music podcast teaches us the basics of what makes a good podcast. Joni knows what it takes to create, produce, and host engaging, thoughtful, and entertaining podcasts, and she wants to share that knowledge with you in her "Podcasting 101" talk.

Blair Primis has 20+ years of marketing experience and is a master of knowing what to do (and not to do) to help build a brand's image. He is currently the SVP of Marketing & Talent Management for OrthoCarolina. On Thursday, March 25, Blair joined us on Human Touch to discuss something he's been doing in the best way for years: “Breaking the Rules of Traditional Marketing.”

If building relationships is hard … building relationships in a virtual space can sometimes feel impossible. But for Stacy Cassio, that's no problem at all. Stacy is the founder and CEO of Pink Mentor Network, Charlotte's first mentorship collective. She is a master of networking, mentorship, and relationship building. Stacy's mentors helped shape her into the powerful woman she is today. Now she is helping others find mentors and create authentic connections that will propel them down a path to success. She knows the power of having a strong network with even stronger mentors and on the Human Touch, she shares her wisdom as she speaks on “Virtual Relationship Building.”

On February 25, Chad Henderson, head brewer and co-owner of NoDa Brewing Company, shared his story and spoke on the theme of "Overcoming." Henderson was the brewer at NoDa when it opened in 2011 on North Davidson Street. Despite massive growth, he has stayed true to the brand and homebrew roots, and he still excited. Supposedly he does take a day off every now and then, though you wouldn't know it. Whether it's brewing new recipes (and participating in zany YouTube videos) for the weekly releases or representing the brewery at events, this homebrewer turned pro is seemingly everywhere. Brewing is more than a job for Chad; it's a passion—which shows in NoDa's beers.

On February 11, Dave Alpern, the President of Joe Gibbs Racing, spoke to us on the theme of "Resolve" from Daytona as the 2021 NASCAR season got underway. Dave's journey has taken him from being known as “The T-Shirt Guy,” through the life-changing loss of his best friend, J.D. Gibbs, to being named the head of a premier organization that has amassed five NASCAR Cup Series Championships.

Join us for Human Touch, our bi-weekly virtual seminar series, on Thursday, January 28, 11:00-11:30am EST as we chat with Garrett Tichy, the owner of hygge coworking & co-founder of smpl coworking software, on the topic of "Resilience."?? ?? Garrett knows firsthand the impact that COVID-19 has created on small businesses and how much entrepreneurs large and small have had to rely on their own resilience over the past year.??

Typically our thoughts turn to goal setting this time of year. In a time of such uncertainty, you might be tempted to put your goal setting on hold. In this episode of Human Touch, we explore steps that will simplify the process and help set you up for success in 2021. We are also joined by a guest speaker – Melissa Knicely of CMPD Animal Care and Control – who brought the adoption rate up to 90% in 2020 and qualified CMPD as a no-kill shelter. A huge goal and she met it!

Our final program of the year is about an award-winning chef facing the challenges of the food industry in the year of COVID. And while he will talk about fresh farm food, and how food connects us, his story is more about the ingenuity we all share when it comes to surviving and thriving.

Among the things we're grateful for in 2020 are the people who have shown up in the world to help us through it. We are grateful for selfless heroes like Liz. She is CEO of Roof Above, a beloved champion for the homeless, and this year's winner of the Community Voice Award, presented by Interact Studio.

Negotiation and conflict are places to shine--or disappoint. If either gets the best of you, you can lose influence. If you find yourself needing to stand your ground, be less competitive or more accommodating when you experience conflict. Learn a way of thinking about your style of handling conflict that will give you renewed confidence.

Do you ever find yourself in the position of needing to sell your services, but worrying about how you can remain authentic? Whether you are looking for a job, raising money for a cause, or trying to start a business, you are in sales. Unless we're officially “in sales,” we are not always comfortable with the idea of asking for something.

Two-thirds of business leaders are uncomfortable with giving employees direct feedback on their behavior. The fear of hurting people's feelings and dealing with potential drama and retribution holds us back. Our humanness also causes us to avoid these feelings of vulnerability. There are steps you can take to ensure a smooth delivery when giving difficult feedback.

Dr. Mark Kelso, Professor of Political Science at Queens University of Charlotte, will share his insights as we head into the presidential debates of 2020. Dr. Kelso teaches a variety of courses at Queens including Campaigns and Elections, Environmental Politics, and Congress and the Presidency. His research interests includes electoral behavior and political leadership.