Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Ed Doyle, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region, who highlights the Covington, Tennessee-based nonprofit and their efforts to transform the lives and outcomes of youth. During the interview, Ed discusses his background in the automotive industry and how running a street ministry as an ordained minister with his wife led to his current role at the Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region. He talks about their summer camp serving 176 children and year-round programming for children and young adults, aged 5-18, which offers much more than just after-school care, including STEM programs, robotics, coding, and a recording studio. Ed also highlights the unique challenges faced by Covington's youth due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a recent tornado, which has created significant academic gaps for the children in the area.

Ed outlines three key programs including a Reading Success Academy to address the academic gaps, along with mental health support, and workforce development initiatives, highlighting the club's partnerships with local employers and educational institutions. The Reading Success Academy, launching in August, will employ two reading specialists to assess children, design custom curricula, and provide one-on-one and small group instruction to improve reading skills. The mental health initiative, called "Healthy Minds Equal Great Futures," will have two licensed mental health professionals available at the club to support children dealing with trauma or other mental health issues. Ed describes the Boys & Girls Club's partnerships with local employers like Unilever and Ford, which provide tours and exposure to career opportunities for the children. The Club also collaborates with TCAT for dual enrollment opportunities in high school. Ed emphasizes the importance of these experiences in changing outcomes for the children, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. He highlights the impact of their programs, including STEM activities and the Ford-sponsored Reading Success Academy, on the children's learning and aspirations.

Ed discusses how the Boys & Girls Club's programs are tied to core areas of growth for youth, which include character development, leadership, personal responsibility, community service, and exploration and fun with activities like robotics and drones. He emphasizes the importance of community involvement, sharing a heartwarming story about a child's interaction with a local business owner during a Club event. Ed outlines three ways to support the club: praying for the kids, spending time with them, and providing financial support, mentioning a matching grant opportunity. He also provides contact information, including social media handles, website, and his personal phone number for those interested in learning more or getting involved.

Visit https://www.bgchrr.com to learn more or call 901-800-6186 to reach Ed Doyle and get involved with Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Joshua Conley, Executive Director of Foster Village Memphis, who highlights the nonprofit organization's mission, efforts, and impact. Foster Village Memphis, established in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2019, aims to support foster families and caregivers and those who want to help by meeting practical needs and providing resources and holistic support beyond the system. Joshua explains that the organization works to address the gap between children in need of foster care and the available homes, offering support to families and creating opportunities for community involvement. He highlights the organization's expansion across multiple counties and its initiatives, including support groups, Welcome Packs, meal deliveries, and advocacy events. Joshua also shares statistics on the number of children in foster care and the current home deficit, emphasizing the need for more foster and kinship families in the region.

Joshua discusses the challenges and rewards of foster care. He shares personal experiences as a foster and adoptive parent, emphasizing the reciprocal benefits and the importance of supporting both foster children and their biological families. He introduces a campaign called "2025 Growing the Village is Sweet" and talks about the role of lemonade in this context, symbolizing turning lemons (difficult situations) into something positive through resilience and support. The campaign launched in June and runs until August 23rd, with proceeds supporting foster and adoptive families. He explains that the campaign aims to involve children in meaningful service activities, with various ways for individuals and organizations to get involved year-round, including drives for back-to-school items, Christmas events, mentoring, and packing Welcome Packs for families. Joshua encourages listeners to visit the website fostervillagememphis.org, follow them on social media, and sign up for their newsletter to learn more and get involved.

Visit https://www.fostervillagememphis.org to learn more and to get involved with Foster Village Memphis.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Matt Lloyd, CEO and Co-Founder of Magic Apple Technology, who highlights the cityCURRENT Nashville partner company focused on providing internet telephone services with an emphasis on phone systems and customer service for businesses. Matt explains their commitment to excellent service and strong company culture through their core values, while also detailing their national geographic reach and technical capabilities.

Matt discusses the importance of phone systems for businesses, emphasizing that phone communication remains crucial, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises. He highlights the benefits of cloud-based phone systems, including redundancy, enhanced integration with AI and other technologies, and improved accessibility. Matt notes that businesses are sometimes hesitant to transition their phone systems to the cloud due to a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, but he emphasizes the advantages of cloud systems, such as reliability during power outages or natural disasters.

Matt discusses Magic Apple Technology's commitment to providing excellent service and maintaining strong company culture. He outlines five core values that guide the company, including John Wayne integrity, love for what they do, awesomeness, and not pointing fingers. Matt emphasizes that these values are ingrained in the company's DNA and are taken seriously, with new employees required to sign a core value oath.

Matt explains that his company provides comprehensive IT support, handling both hardware and telecommunications issues. He describes their geographic reach, noting that while 75% of their business is centered in Middle Tennessee, they can serve customers nationwide through remote support and pre-tested equipment. Matt highlights two key industry trends: the use of AI to automate routine tasks and improve backend operations, and the deployment of AI agents for customer service interactions.

Matt shares his experience as a CEO, highlighting the importance of implementing a structured business process using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and ensuring cultural alignment when onboarding new team members. He emphasizes the value of running a 100% remote operation to promote work-life balance and talks about being selective when adopting new trends, especially in the phone industry. Matt also recommends conducting annual business reviews with customers to explore underutilized phone system features and regularly reviewing phone contracts every 2-3 years to optimize costs and benefits.

Matt wraps up discussing the importance of community engagement for Magic Apple Technology, highlighting their partnerships with nonprofits and their partnership in cityCURRENT to facilitate community involvement. Matt explains that Magic Apple Technology, a small team of 12, focuses on providing low-cost solutions and maintains a strong commitment to community service. He encourages viewers to visit their website, magicapple.com, for more information about their products, services, and team.

Visit https://magicapple.com to learn more about Magic Apple Technology.
https://www.facebook.com/magicappletech/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/magic-apple-technology/