Episode 31: Historian Bill Deverell joins the show to discuss his interest in the American West, the importance of studying our past, and his excellent podcast series Western Edition.

Bill originally considered following his father’s footsteps of being a doctor before dedicating himself to exploring the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Following professorships at UC San Diego and CalTech, Bill became a teacher at USC and then the Director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and one of the founding directors of the Los Angeles Service Academy. In 2021, Bill and the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West launched Western Edition, a wonderful podcast series that explored our relationship with fire in season one and Los Angeles’ Chinatown in season two.

Episode 30: Tournament of Roses’ Senior Event Manager Mariela Spillari joins the show to talk about the impact of her hard-working family, how she got involved with large-scale event planning, and her favorite part of a parade.

Born in Guatemala and raised in New York, Mariela has built a successful career in one of the most stressful and demanding jobs imaginable. Before joining the Tournament of Roses to work on the most recognized parade in the world - The Rose Parade - Mariela was an event manager at Macy’s, where she worked on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Fourth of July Fireworks, among countless others. In 2019, she joined LA Pride as Producer of the LA Pride Parade, an experience that has had a tremendous impact on her personally.

PCC Board of Trustee Sandra Chen Lau joins the show for a conversation about the role education had in her early life, her work with non-profits and higher education, and why she ran for the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees in 2018.

Raised in Monterey Park after her family immigrated from China, Sandra attended Rio Hondo College before earning her bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside and a master’s degree from UCLA. As a non-profit philanthropy executive, she has worked to improve higher education while at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, UCLA, and USC. Sandra joined the PCC Board of Trustees to help bring some governing stability to such a storied institution and her mission continues as PCC faces new headwinds following Covid. Among other topics, we talk about falling enrollment, the rising cost of higher education, parenthood, and some of her favorite places around Pasadena.

Episode 28: Lauretta Records’ CEO Katrina Frye joins the show for an in-depth discussion about her early involvement in the arts, the state of the music industry, why it was important to create an independent music label, and how she empowers artists to build long-term careers.

Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Katrina has built her career in arts management with incredible experiences such as being a band manager, a successful entrepreneur, and now as the founder of Lauretta Records. Believing that music is currently in a renaissance, Katrina works to create a sustainable platform for Lauretta Records’ emerging artists by breaking them into what she calls the new radio - television and film.

Lindy Hop Dancers Ellie Jay and Mike Foncannon join the show for an enjoyable conversation about dancing, their passion for swing, how they came together as partners, and what brought them to Pasadena in 2021. Los Angeles and Pasadena have a rich history in Lindy Hop, and Ellie and Mike have brought their unique style to this energetic and artistic scene.

Ellie and Mike come from different backgrounds but share a love of dance. They are the creatives behind Sunny Side Syncopators, a social club and dance production company, teach swing and Lindy Hop at the Athletic Garage Dance Center and participate in competitions, such as the International Lindy Hop Championships.

CivitasLA’s Dwayne Gathers joins the show for a discussion about his work in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors and why he launched the Los Angeles-focused podcast to uplift civic discourse and elevate emerging community voices.

Born and raised in New York, Dwayne worked at both the US State Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development before serving the state of California by building connections with South Africa. Since the summer of 2020, he has hosted the CivitasLA podcast to bring people together to discuss some of the most pressing issues we face and the opportunities to work together to build a stronger and more diverse Los Angeles.

Semolina Artisanal Pasta’s Leah Ferrazzani joins the show to share how her love of food took her on a journey from drying pasta in her home’s laundry room to producing some of the finest US-grown organic fresh and dry pasta around.

Originally from New York, Leah left behind her career as a food and wine writer to launch Semolina Artisanal Pasta in 2014. Since then, she has expanded their wonderful pasta selections and are now featuring inspired sandwiches at their shop and “pasta lab” at 1976-1978 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena.

Councilmember Jessica Rivas joins the show to talk about growing up in a family of public servants, her early legal career, and why her family was drawn to Pasadena.

In February of 2021, Councilmember Rivas was appointed to the City Council to fill the vacant seat of now Mayor Victor Gordo. While having only been on the Council for a little over a year, she has a long record of public service. Councilmember Rivas was on Pasadena’s Commission on the Status of Women and the Northwest Commission all the while working as Deputy County Counsel with Los Angeles County and serving our country with the US Army Reserve.

In this thoughtful discussion, Councilmember Rivas shares her vision of serving the greater good, some of the critical issues facing Pasadena, running for public office, and several of her favorite places to visit in District 5.

Breakthru Fit Studios’ Michelle and Phil Dozois join the show to talk about their personal fitness journeys, owning Pasadena’s premier fitness club, and repositioning their business in the age of covid.

Following the mandatory lockdowns, Michelle and Phil quickly pivoted to streaming classes so that people could maintain their physical and mental health during such a challenging time. In December 2020, they were forced to formally close the gym they worked so hard to build, but their story did not end there. They regrouped and opened Breakthru Fit Studio at 2700 East Foothill Boulevard in 2021 all the while continuing their popular streaming options to reach fitness enthusiasts around the world.

Michelle and Phil’s story is one of overcoming countless obstacles so they could focus on their core mission of improving the lives of their clients.

For more information on Breakthru Fit Studios, please visit them at www.breakthrufitness.com and follow Michelle and Phil on social media platforms.

Greetings Tour’s Victor Ving joins the podcast to talk about how his fascination with graffiti growing up in Queens eventually led him to pack up an RV in 2015 to tour and install their now-famous postcard style public art throughout the country.

When Covid hit, his family decided to park the RV and make Pasadena their new home and they have already made their mark on our community. They have murals in Pasadena (Highlight Coffee at 2071 Lincoln Avenue) and Altadena (Altadena Hardware at 849 East Mariposa Street), just closed a successful campaign for a new installation in Altadena, and are on the hunt for the perfect wall in our beloved city.

For more information and to support Greetings Tour, please visit them at www.greetingstour.com and follow them on all social media platforms.

Brandon Lamar joins the podcast for a great conversation about youth engagement, serving the community and his decision to run for Pasadena City Council.

We also talk about the most important issues impacting his neighborhood, his service as Chair of Pasadena’s Human Relations Commission and his vision for one Pasadena.

For more information and to support Brandon, please visit him at www.BrandonforPasadena.com or www.bdlamar.org and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Hood Liberation’s Nadia Elhawary joins the podcast to talk about her experience growing up in Pasadena, why she became an educator and counselor, and how the social justice movement of 2020 inspired her to further get involved in her community.

In a far-reaching conversation, we talk about race and inequality and how we need to have these important conversations with open minds and love.

Believing that we need support and lift up businesses of color, Nadia has been especially focused on economic opportunity and equality through events like 626 Dena Day in June and Black Friday Market, which will be held on November 26th.

For more information and support her and Hood Liberation’s work, please visit www.hoodliberation.com and follow them on Instagram.

Pasadena Picnic Co. Co-Owner Lena Kelly joins the show to talk about creating unique locally inspired outdoor experiences for her clients, entrepreneurialism, and Mama Made, the non-profit she founded to support fellow mother-lead businesses or organizations.

Lena is a native of Texas but has embraced living in the Pasadena and Altadena areas. She has put her experience in communications and event planning to incredible use launching two impactful projects.

During the conversation, Lena shares some of the best advice she has received as well as what is in the future for Pasadena’s most unique event planners.

For more information and to book your next event with Pasadena Picnic Co., please visit www.pasadenapicnicco.com, and to support Mama Made, please visit them at www.mama-made.org.

Justin Chapman joins the show to talk about how his journey of covering the news started when he made some himself when he was elected to the Altadena Town Council at just 19 years old.

A native of Altadena, Justin was a child actor and was featured in commercials, television shows, and movies.

These varied experiences prepared him for a career covering local news. He was a contributing writer and reporter for the Pasadena Weekly before joining Pasadena Now in 2019.

In 2020, he launched the television program Well Read with Justin Chapman, and in April 2021, NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman. The monthly show, which is available on Pasadena Media’s TV channel and streaming apps (and YouTube), is a hyper-local news talk show that features noteworthy stories and a featured guest.

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin joins the show to discuss how a trip to his local fire station as a young child would inspire him to pursue a career in helping others. He would go on to become a firefighter paramedic, a helicopter flight paramedic, and an accomplished department administrator.

Before coming to Pasadena, Chief Augustin was the Deputy Fire Chief for the Sacramento Fire Department, a position that put him in charge of 720 sworn and civilian employees, the daily operations of 24 fire stations, and an annual budget of more than $135 million.

Not knowing a single person in our city, Chief Augustin embraced the challenge and opportunity to lead the Pasadena Fire Department with an enthusiastic leadership style built around a passion for serving his community.

Rick Cole, the Executive Director of the Congress for the New Urbanism joins the show to discuss his work in addressing housing challenges, the importance of knowing and understanding our past, and how we need to create a foundation for a stronger Pasadena.

Rick served as a member of the Pasadena City Council for twelve years and was Vice Mayor from 1990-1992 and Mayor from 1992-1994. He is a recognized city administrator and executive that was the City Manager of Azusa, Ventura, and Santa Monica. In addition, he served as Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation.

Trevon Sailor, Founder and CEO of Sailor’s Brew Coffee, joins the show to discuss his voyage and the origins of his family-owned single-origin coffee business.

Like Sailor’s Brew Coffee, Trevon has navigated an unconventional course. He is a Pasadena native that grew up in the Altadena area. Following years of service as an Airborne Ranger and Police Officer, Trevon is now dedicated to creating a business around quality coffee and an experience that can motivate and inspire his customers.

Max Levine, Co-Founder and CEO of Nico joins the show to talk about his journey into real estate investment, the problem with our current approach to housing, and how Nico helps build equity for its residents and community.

Nico Echo Park is a public benefit real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in rent-stabilized multifamily and mixed-use property. Considered to be the world’s first neighborhood real estate investment trust, Nico Echo Park offers local and non-local investors the ability to become shareholders in the properties it owns.

Melissa Woolf-Heger, Founder and Principal Instructor at Gold Line Pilates, joins the show to share her approach to serving her clients, how creativity and determination got her through the pandemic, and the incredible story of why she became an instructor (it involves sailing around the world).

Passionate about small businesses and supporting our community, Melissa also shares some advice to young entrepreneurs and lessons learned from a life well-lived.

Blair Miller joins the show to talk about her journey in urban planning and affordable housing and lessons she learned from serving on several of the most important city commissions in Pasadena.

We also discuss some challenges and opportunities Pasadena faces, what makes our city so special, and the most effective ways to create meaningful change in our community.