Birmingham Shines

The word "Kuumba"  means create.

Deidre Clark is bringing innovative programs to Ensley to inspire and train kids in the creative arts.

The latest program will provide training and mentoring in the f…

Journey Beyond with Mwendo Adventures.

Episode 19 of Birmingham Shines features a conversation with Joe Caruga and Jason McCracken.

Joe is a native of Kenya who moved to Birmingham to study. Jason is…

This week’s guest is Deon Gordon--if you’re civic minded and under 40 you probably know Deon. If you’re over 40 and civic minded you’ve probably heard of Deon, even if you don’t know him personally.

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In this episode, I talk with Dr. Scot Duncan, associate professor at Birmingham Southern College and author of Southern Wonder: Alabama's Surprising Biodiversity.

The focus of the conversation is on …

David Sher is a Birmingham businessman who started the Comeback Town blog in 2012 to spark a conversation about change in Birmingham.

David's goal is to have a conversation about hard questions that …

This week we have another writer on the show, my friend Carla Jean Whitley.

Carla Jean is one of the first people I approached about being on Birmingham Shines because I know how much she loves Birmi…

Some stories are meant to be told.

The Caldwell Family’s story of survival is one example. Albert and Sylvia Caldwell met at Park College in Missouri and embarked (on their wedding day) in 1909 on th…

Mark Kelly, publisher of Weld for Birmingham, is the guest for episode 13 of Birmingham Shines.

If you’re in Birmingham, you know Mark as a writer and voice for change in Birmingham and in Alabama.

Episode 12 of Birmingham Shines features Jennifer Skjellum, president of Tech Birmingham, a nonprofit that provies education, professional development and networking opportunities for tech profession…

John McCarter, director of business development for Soluble Therapeutics, Inc., describes the company's history and path to commercialization of technology developed at UAB.

Soluble Therapeutics, Inc…

What makes someone shine? Doing the thing that you love, makes you shine. So find what it is and do that.

Sage advice from Taylor Robinson, owner of Six Foot Five Productions & co-founder of Arc Stor…

André Natta moved to Birmingham in 2004 because he wanted to play a role in the rebirth of the Magic City. He is a journalist and urban conversationalist--someone who seeks to find and tell the stori…

This is a bonus episode of Birmingham Shines, featuring David Weigel, a young educator and explorer who moved to Birmingham in 2014 to become the director of Christenberry Planetarium at Samford Univ…

Jessica & Scott moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 2011 from Manhattan for Jessica's work (medical research) and set out to discover Birmingham through the Magic City's food culture.

They started out sh…

I recorded this interview with Daniel Drinkard in early May while getting a preview of the new location of Seasick Records, a vinyl record store in Birmingham, Alabama.

We talk about our love for mus…

Amy Bickers is a professional writer and has had successful careers in feature writing, as a newspaper journalist and editor for Southern Living.In 2009, Amy saw her ex-husband commit suicide. She us…

Taylor Peake Wyatt, co-founder of MotionMobs, shares the story of starting the software development company in 2010. We also talk about the path from idea to funding, how to address the shortage of t…

Javacia Harris Bowser talks about founding SeeJaneWrite-Birmingham when she couldn't find the writing group she was looking for.

 Javacia Harris Bowser, my guest for Week 3 of the Birmingham Shines p…

Tripp Watson, Birmingham attorney and business adviser, talks about the entrepreneurial scene in Birmingham and how it's changed in the years since he began practicing law and advising entrepreneurs.

We also have a conversation about what it means to "shine" in an entrepreneurial context and whether Birmingham is now shining as a destination for entrepreneurs, makers, and creators.

Full show note…