Synapse Podcast

In this episode three transplants to our state discuss topics ranging from Minnesota Nice to racism to political change. With: comedian and actor Miss Shannan Paul (from Arizona); Shauen Pearce, Mayor Frey’s director of economic development and inclusion policy (from Chicago); and Elena Imaretska, the Brave New Workshop’s director of innovation (from Bulgaria).

In this episode we have a conversation with two educators from vastly different areas of expertise, who nevertheless find common ground: Phillip Shoulz, Assistant Conductor with Vocalessence, and economics professor emeritus, Tor Dahl, a Norwegian native.

In this episode we have a one-on-one conversation with Vikas Narula, the originator and co-founder of KeyHubs, a system to analyze and map out the key functional employees who drive a company, despite the hierarchical flow of the organizational chart.

Our topics in this episode stretch from Guatemala  to Norway to Clearwater County, with guests Amalia Moreno-Damgaard – The Latin Gourmet and founder of Women Entrepreneurs; Christina Carleton, a native Norwegian and head of Norway House; and painter Bob Hest, who has also had a colorful career in the music industry.

In this episode we discuss food, the future and giant cookies – with Trista Harris, President of Future Good (and author of a book with the same name), Lauren Pradhan of Grow North, organizer of Food/Ag/Ideas Week, and Tina Rexing, owner of T-Rex Cookie Company.

On this program we discuss Fashion Week Minnesota (September 23-29) with several of its participants: Co-founder Jahna Peloquin, milliner Karen Morris, and Houston White, founder of the HWMR lifestyle brand.

In this episode we feature two of the speakers in the Sept 14 Yellow Summit conference on the interface of creativity and technology: Christina Fortier, a child model, a wardrobe stylist and a Creative Director at BI Worldwide; and Andy Krueger, a UX designer who enjoys bridging the gap between live events and the digital experience.

On this episode we discuss the arts and society with Radio K Music Director Maddie Schwappach, and the Executive Director of Mizna, Lana Barkawi.

Three creatives share their stories: Roma Calatayud-Stocks, author of Symphony of Rivals; Monica Habia, co-author ofAfrica: A to Z; and filmmaker Nick Roseth, DocuMNtary – Techstars, Farm to Fork.

In this episode we explore two youth programs that emphasize learning by doing, Three-Sixty Journalism, with Executive Director Chad Caruthers, teaches writing, television and radio to high schoolers. Dario Otero, founder of YouthLens 360, teaches entrepreneurism to youth from ages 14 to 24. Our third guest was one of Dario’s protégés, 23-year-old Devante Lowe.

What is art? In this episode we picked the brains of two local artists, Natalia Berglund and Ta-coumba Aiken. Originally from Belarus, Berglund will be holding her first solo exhibition, Faces of Change, at the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, beginning August 25. Aiken is a well-known public artist in the Twin Cities, whose works can be found at the Walker Art Center and the Minnesota Museum of Modern Art.

In this episode we eat food and talk about food with three distinctive foodies: Kim Ly Curry, aka “Lil Miss Foodie” – the most prominent food blogger in Minnesota; MJ Kinney, vegan and food scientist consultant with Fare Science; and Jeremy Iggers, former food critic with the Star Tribune and proprietor of globaltwincities.com.

This week we focus on wellness, sleep and dreams. Our guests are Sarah Moe of Sleep Health Specialists, teaching artist and dream worker Sheila Asato and Molly Glasgow of Point Acupressure.

Episode 5 focuses on the Twin Cities’ greatest social entrepreneur, Joe Selvaggio, age 81. He discusses his years as an activist priest, interactions with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez, and the founding of nonprofits Project for Pride in Living, the 1% Club and Microgrants.

This week podcast is a potpourri of thinkers: A fond farewell to the Twin Cities from hip hop power couple Toki Wright and his new wife, Brittany Lynch Wright. One highlight is that Professor Toki explains the origins of Hip Hop. And then we chat with two official Kevins in field recordings at the Upper Sioux Community, Tribal Chairman Kevin Jensvold and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.

In Episode 3 … Festivals, conferences and learning how to brag about Minnesota, with Jasmine Russell (Yellow Summit, Sept. 14), Mark Ritchie (World Expo 2026?) and Lee Pao Xiong (Annual International Hmong Studies Conference).

In Episode 2 we form an overt conspiracy of interlocking organizations to commit grassroots policy formation on the Upper Sioux Reservation – with Jane Leonard of Growth and Justice, Brett Buckner of OneMN.org and Mirtha Montoya of Legal Corps.  

In our first episode, we explore virtual reality technology, and its ramifications in gaming, advertising, sports and the law, from the viewpoints of two entrepreneurs – Thong Nguyen of Roomera and Kelly Groehler of Alice Riot, and an up-to-speed attorney – Aalok Sharma of Stinson Leonard Street.