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Lloyd Hopkins with Million Dollar Teacher Project E37

October 23, 2023 by Karen

Arizona Good Business

Lloyd Hopkins with Million Dollar Teacher Project E37

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Lloyd Hopkins with Million Dollar Teacher Project E37

Local First AZ is back with another epsiode of Arizona Good Business with nonprofit leader and Executive Director of Million Dollar Teacher Project, Lloyd Hopkins. Thomas and Lloyd discuss their passion and care for teachers, why businesses who care about the well-being of our teachers, and how to get more deeply involved so we can build a better Arizona.

Million Dollar Teacher Project is also bringing back the TAP Program for businesses to treat teachers “like a million dollars” this Fall. This episode is for businesses who have a care for education, and making sure we’re prioritizing the well-being of teachers in Arizona.

Million Dollar Teacher Project is a nonprofit focus on teacher retention and recruitment across the valley. We partner with Title I schools that serve marginalized communities on creating community centered programming geared towards helping them increase how their teachers are recognized, drive more support directly into classrooms and creating innovative ways to impact how their teachers are compensated.

Lloyd Hopkins is an author, philanthropist and organizational leader with extensive experience in community and nonprofit work. He has worked in and around education for 18 years.

He graduated from Arizona State University with his degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership and took his passion for ensuring quality education for all to launch the teacher recruitment and retention program, Million Dollar Teacher Project.

As a philanthropist he has been a member of Real Engagement through Active Philanthropy (R.E.A.P), which is a fund under the Arizona Community Foundation, that supports programs making positive impacts on African-American Youth, for 6 years and the Chairman for 2. He has also led taskforces with Achieve60AZ and the Department of Education on improving attainment for the African American community in Arizona.

For his efforts he was recently a finalist for the Phoenix Center of the Arts Mayor’s Arts Awards for his Million Dollar Teacher Tree program, was honored by the East Valley NAACP with the Malala Yousafzai Equity in Education Award and received the “Living the Dream” award by the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee. He is also an alum of Valley Leadership’s Class 40.

In 2023 he was recognized as one of Phoenix’s Most Admired Leaders by the Phoenix Business Journal and nominated to the Governor of Arizona’s Educator Retention Taskforce.

Follow Million Dollar Teacher Project on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Arizona Good Business

What is good business? What are local businesses doing to build a better Arizona?

Join Arizona Good Business to hear from local companies who are:

Centering purpose at the forefront of business
Creating social well-being for the community
Prioritizing sustainability and positive environmental practices
Growing strong company cultures through building authentic teams
Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are involved in all business decisions

Arizona Good Business features local business leaders that are redefining what it means to do good business.

About Your Host

Thomas Barr is the Executive Director for Local First Arizona, the largest coalition of local businesses in North America. He advocates for a strong local business community that contributes to building vibrancy, equity, and prosperity across the state. A proud Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University, Thomas leads the business coalition of Local First Arizona by advocating for the economic and cultural benefits provided by building strong local economies.

Thomas steers the strategic direction of LFA’s major programs and initiatives as well as the engagement of over 3000 businesses across Arizona. As Executive Director, Thomas guides a team of statewide senior directors overseeing the execution of LFA’s communication strategy, major initiatives and key partnerships, as well as the collaboration of over 30 staff implementing work in entrepreneurship programs, small business advocacy, local food initiatives, sustainability, urban development and community building. He frequently speaks to groups locally and nationally, presenting the impact of Local First Arizona and the importance of local economy work in building prosperity.

Outside of Local First Arizona, Thomas has participated in volunteering his time to many causes and organizations throughout the Valley including Young Nonprofit Professionals – Phoenix, Equality Arizona, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Heritage Square Foundation and Phoenix Legal Action Network. Additionally, Thomas is a 2018 Phoenix Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, alumni of Arizona Leading for Change, and current participant in Valley Leadership Institute’s 40th cohort.

Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Building the Pipeline of STEM Talent for Tomorrow’s Workforce Needs E29

August 29, 2022 by Karen

Building-the-Pipeline-of-STEM-Talent-for-Tomorrows-Workforce-Needs-E2Building-the-Pipeline-of-STEM-Talent-for-Tomorrows-Workforce-Needs-feature

AZ TechCast

Building the Pipeline of STEM Talent for Tomorrow’s Workforce Needs E29

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Building the Pipeline of STEM Talent for Tomorrow’s Workforce Needs E29

It’s no secret that Arizona is an attractive place for technology companies to call home. But with more technology companies being founded locally and relocating to Arizona from out-of-state, how can we ensure we have enough qualified technology talent to fill highly technical positions?

The August 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Julie Bonner, director of communications at FreeFall Aerospace; Claire Conway, Arizona STEM ecosystem programs manager at SciTech Institute; and Betsy Hargrove, superintendent of the Avondale Elementary School District. These leaders joined Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, and Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council and SciTech Institute, in discussing the importance of STEM education in building the pipeline of technology talent for today and tomorrow’s workforce needs.

Throughout this hour-long episode, this panel of STEM experts spoke about how the growing number of technology companies calling Arizona home is creating an intensified demand for qualified talent to fill technical roles. But to hire talent effectively, our panel of experts recommended shifting the conversation away from “developing the pipeline of STEM talent” and towards focusing on students and their career pathways.

FreeFall Aerospace is developing innovative antenna solutions for space and ground systems. Expertise derived from radio astronomy at the University of Arizona and planetary exploration research from NASA JPL provides a new perspective on the challenges of high-frequency satellite communication.

FreeFall is proud to have received the Startup Innovator of the Year Award from the Arizona Commerce Authority and Arizona Technology Council.

Julie Bonner, Director of Communications for FreeFall Aerospace, connects partners, vendors, and investors to FreeFall’s innovative antenna systems. She’s developed branding and marketing campaigns for national corporations like Mister Car Wash and Clear Channel Outdoor to more Arizona-based start-ups and non-profits.

She has been awarded the Tucson AdFed Next Generation Award for significantly impacting the advertising industry through leadership, career achievements, and personal qualities. She is the Chair of the Women in the Workforce of the Arizona Technology Council, an organizer for CreativeMornings/Tucson, and is active in Local First Arizona and Start-Up Tucson.

Julie holds a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from Drexel University and an MBA.

Follow FreeFall Aerospace on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

The Avondale Elementary School District was established in 1894. We have the highest percentage of A rated schools in the Southwest Valley. Located west of Phoenix, our district is home to nine schools ranging from preschool through eighth grade with several magnet programs.

We have been recognized at the national and state level for our passion and commitment for educational excellence. Having obtained numerous A ratings for our schools, we continue to be a leader in public education. We are proud to be the district of choice.

Dr. Betsy Hargrove has been the Superintendent of the Avondale Elementary School District (AESD) since 2012 after having served as the Assistant Superintendent since March 2009. She provides ongoing leadership in creating a positive climate of high expectations for all involved with the educational programs of the district.

She also works to engage in the continuous improvement of the Avondale educational community by implementing and monitoring the achievement of district goals and mission for every student to grow as a thinker, problem solver and communicator to pursue a future without limits. Ensuring this mission is reached, Dr. Hargrove and her team actively seek opportunities to build relationships with community stakeholders, business people and civic leaders to make connections within the district and sites.

The Avondale Elementary School District has embedded continuous improvement focus in all systems throughout the organization. Layering of high yield instructional practices, job embedded professional development, focused and collaborative accountability, and teacher and leader empowerment has demonstrated ongoing success. The result is that AESD has outperformed the state in growth in achievement four years in a row.

Dr. Hargrove has presented at the American Educational Research Association, Character Education Forum, National Staff Development Council Mega Conference, TAP National Conferences, 21st Century STEM Conference, Arizona School Administrators, National School Board Association, U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference, School Connect Summit and American Association of School Administrators to share this approach and highlight the successes of the Avondale Elementary School District. Beyond the shared professional and academic accomplishments of the entire AESD community, Dr. Hargrove is most proud of her two daughters, Morgan and Clare.

Follow The Avondale Elementary School District on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SciTech Institute™ was established as the Arizona Technology Council Foundation as the conduit for collaboration among STEM industry, academia, civic, and non-profit organizations in Arizona. Now, rebranded and named the SciTech Institute™ the goal centers around aligning assets and resources to motivate individuals to pursue STEM-related educational and career paths or find a passion while engaged in community events during the SciTech Festival.

The Chief Science Officer program highlights the 6th-12th graders that have been selected as leaders in their schools and communities to receive training to build a world-class community of diverse STEM-literate workers and knowledgeable, engaged citizens. Science For All allows for tax credit donations to provide engaging experiences for students while RAIN (Rural Activation Innovation Network) focuses on resources for the rural areas of Arizona.

As a STEM Learning Ecosystem, SciTech Institute™ focuses on collaboration and connecting individuals with opportunities! STEM Professionals are encouraged to engage with the future workforce by serving as a mentor, leadership coach, panelist, keynote and session trainer during a variety of conferences hosted or sponsored by SciTech Institute™ and The Arizona Technology Council.

Teachers and Administrators are invited to connect with the resources available while activating a large network of STEM champions for student projects, judges at events, volunteers, exhibitors and more. SciTech Festival Event Coordinators are supported during the planning and execution of community STEM events around the state by the SciTech STREET Team Members and the growing network of volunteers. The possibilities are endless! SciTech Institute™ looks forward to connecting with you today. Visit SciTechInstitute.org today for more information.

Claire Conway serves as the Arizona STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager at SciTech Institute. In her role, she collaborates with STEM partners in industry, education, nonprofit, government, and community organizations across Arizona to develop regional STEM hubs that connect and align efforts in our local communities. She also coordinates statewide working groups on the future STEM workforce and STEM programming in Arizona libraries. As a facilitator of the Arizona STEM Ecosystem, she is a connection point between students such as the Chief Science Officers, educators, out-of-school programs, workforce opportunities, and industry experts.

Claire holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, where she conducted research in biomaterials and nanomedicine and coordinated volunteer programming for the university. An Arizona native and lifelong STEM enthusiast, she is passionate about fostering a STEM community where ALL students are able to chase their passions and access the many opportunities our state has to offer.

Follow SciTech Institute on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About AZ TechCast

AZ TechCast is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond.

Through the art of connected conversation, AZ TechCast’s guests will share their expertise, success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling the state’s growing technology ecosystem.

About Your Hosts

Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.

Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.

Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.

Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.

Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.

In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.

Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bianca Buliga is a trilingual first-generation American of Romanian ethnicity. A marketing professional with experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Bianca currently works as Director, Marketing & Communications for the Arizona Technology Council.

Previously, Bianca worked as Marketing Communications Lead at Proctorio, a learning integrity platform that offers remote proctoring software ensuring exam integrity for learners around the world.

Bianca also worked as Senior Marketing Manager at SEED SPOT, a social impact incubator that educates, accelerates, and invests in impact-driven entrepreneurs creating market-based solutions to social problems. In January of 2020, Bianca was selected as an awardee of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program and traveled to the African island of Mauritius to run entrepreneurship programming for 15 impact-driven ecopreneurs on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Bianca has also completed comprehensive consulting projects for IBM, ESAN Business School, and the Peruvian government, and interned at the Arizona House of Representatives and U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

Bianca earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. She is an avid reader, yogi, and world traveler always planning her next trip.

Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.

A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.

Follow Arizona Technology Council on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Leslie Josel, Order Out of Chaos

August 22, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Leslie Josel, Order Out of Chaos

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 501)

Leslie Josel, Founder and Principal at Order Out of Chaos, joined John Ray to explain, in her frank and feisty way, the work she does through Order Out of Chaos. They provide systems, structures, and skills for students (and parents) to help them succeed. She shared the story that led to her founding the company, a big lesson on how to grow a business, her philosophy to help students, some keys to relating to time itself, the roadblocks between parents and teachers, a grant she awarded to a Mashburn Elementary, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Order Out of Chaos

Order Out of Chaos works with high school and college students all over the world to help them develop systems, structures, and the necessary skills to achieve their personal and academic goals.

ADHD or not. Mainstream or Learning Differences. Quiet or Explosive. Middle School or College. Disorganized or No Time Sense.

It doesn’t matter. They’ve seen it all. At Order Out of Chaos, you’ll find a wide variety of resources curated by an award-winning expert and used by thousands of parents & their students aimed to improve the well-being of those you love most — and yourself too!

Order Out of Chaos’ mission is to provide hands-on education, guidance, and coaching to parents and their students through our customized products and programs, so all children – both mainstream and with learning difficulties – can develop the necessary skills needed to experience success in learning and in life.

Knowing how to help your child develop the skills they need doesn’t come naturally for everyone. Order Out of Chaos is built on the philosophy that the coaching process is a journey that begins and ends with YOU. Their process is organic – it evolves as they figure out TOGETHER what needs changing and what works best for you. The end results are tailor-made to fit your needs. They will focus you and help you, but YOU set the pace and the tone.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Leslie Josel, Founder and Principal, Order Out of Chaos

Leslie Josel, an ADHD-academic and parenting coach, is an award-winning entrepreneur, having founded Order Out of Chaos – a virtual company whose mission is to help parents guide their students to success in learning and in life – when her son was first diagnosed with ADHD.

She is also the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®, a planner that helps students develop time management skills, and the award-winning author of 3 books including the recently published, “How to Do it Now Because it’s Not Going Away: An Expert Guide to Getting Stuff Done.” (Lerner Publishing)

A respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning, Leslie writes the weekly “Dear ADHD Family Coach®” column for ADDitude Magazine, the premiere magazine for adults and children with ADHD. She speaks to audiences all over the world helping them utilize their resources to best navigate the task-driven world in which they live. Last year, Leslie’s line of student organizing products – a collaboration with Samsill Corp – was released.

And for the last six years, Leslie has been named by Global Gurus as one of the top 20 Time Management experts in the world.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

What’s your story and background?
How did you come to build your company, Order Out of Chaos?
What types of resources does Order Out of Chaos provide to parents and students?
How do your books and resources make a difference for students that have been diagnosed with ADHD?
Why is time management so important for students and parents? What are some tips to help your student succeed?
Time is a precious commodity for everyone, and particularly for people that are leaders of businesses. Can you share some time management tips for these leaders?
Order Out of Chaos gives back to the community. Recently you gave a grant to Mashburn Elementary. What did that entail?
What plans do you have in the future with Order Out of Chaos?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

August 1, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

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Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

Stardust Non-Profit Building Supplies provides quality reclaimed materials for reuse. Founded in 1997, Stardust was created when a local philanthropist and founding Board member was about to undertake a complete home remodeling project. As with any major remodeling project, the first step is to remove everything from the home, essentially gutting the structure in preparation for rebuilding.

On the weekend before the demolition was to begin, the Founder told several friends to take whatever they wanted out of the house. When the Founder and his wife returned to inspect the property prior to demolition they were surprised to discover every usable material had been removed from the house including cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting and electrical supplies and flooring. The Founder’s friends used the materials to remodel their own homes, sold items to those who could not afford the prices of large retail stores or donated items to others in need. It is from this humble beginning that Stardust was born.

Over the past 25 years, Stardust has increased its focus on diverting usable building materials from local landfills while providing a resource for low income homeowners who are interested in remodeling their homes. Stardust operates retail warehouse stores selling building supplies donated by manufacturers, distributors, contractors and individuals. This process diverts over 5.0 million tons of reusable building materials from local landfills every year making new and nearly-new materials available to our community at 50-80% off retail prices.

Proceeds generated by Stardust Reuse Centers are used to support Deconstruction and Gifts In Kind programs. Stardust Deconstruction services offer removal and pick-up of materials to further encourage recycling and environmental stewardship. Stardust Deconstruction crews remove useable building materials from homes and businesses in return for donation of the items removed. Gifts In Kind, operated in partnership with Valley of the Sun United Way, annually distributes over $22 million in usable materials donated by local retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to nonprofit organizations for use by their clients or to support their operations.

Stardust’s Gifts In Kind program supports over 400 non-profit agencies in Maricopa County and touches the lives of over 200,000 individuals and their families every year. It is through these community service programs and partnerships that Stardust is able to serve a wide range of individuals from young to elderly, all living at or below the poverty level.

Chief Executive Officer, Karen Jayne has over 30 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit leadership, management, program design, and fund development.

In 2011, Jayne was appointed to CEO of Stardust and in her tenure she has increased diversion rates of usable building materials and launched the Gifts In Kind program which has distributed more than $75 million worth of reusable household items to fellow nonprofit organizations.

She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She has served in leadership capacities on the board of the Organization of Nonprofit Executives as well as the national Building Materials Reuse Association and Social Enterprise Alliance Arizona Chapter.

Currently she serves as a board member for the Arizona Recycling Coalition and a member of USGBC AZ Market Leadership Advisory Board and the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Policy Council.

Follow Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

With an average of more than $700 annually coming from their own pockets, educators are struggling to get their students the essential supplies they need to be successful learners.

Treasures 4 Teachers (T4T) has found a way to support educators with those needs by collaborating with community businesses, other non-profit agencies, and individual donors to collect new and re-usable resources and make them available for low or no cost to educators in our community.

Barbara Blalock is the Founder and Executive Director or Treasures 4 Teachers.

She has been in education and nonprofit roles throughout her career which led her to start Treasures 4 Teachers.

Barbara has been recognized in the community for awards and grants to support her mission of providing free and low cost supplies to teachers across Arizona.

Connect with Barbara on LinkedIn and follow Treasures 4 Teachers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

AZ StRUT is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports Arizona’s technical education and a community effort towards a more sustainable future.

Tom Mehlert has over thirty five years in technology and education.

He’s still excited to be with AZ StRUT, an organization that combines computer electronic reuse with technical education.

Follow AZ StRUT on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

July 28, 2022 by Karen

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Phoenix Business Radio

Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

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Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

Another great LIVE show in the books! It was great to have Randy and Lloyd on the show together. Not only was there alignment in the conversation around conscious business, community focus, and education improvement, there is also a new relationship built between the two of them in the Phoenix Business Community. This is another beautiful example of how we can make change in the community- one relationship at a time.

These two are making amazing change in the Phoenix community and showcasing the importance of building strong communities. Along with the discussions of culture and community, there were some great tidbits and takeaways from the conversation that can be acted on immediately.

What were some of the takeaway tidbits?

Never discount anyone
Articulate who you are
Everyone wants to make a difference. Just find what is meaningful to you

Just because the recording is over, doesn’t mean the involvement stops there. There were some great discussions that include some actions that you can take to get involved.

Time to Take Action!

September 12th Event at Grand Canyon University- Beyond Zero Movie Screening Event

After a life changing epiphany, the CEO of a global public company embarks on a high stakes quest to eliminate all negative environmental impacts by 2020. To succeed they must overcome deep skepticism, abandon the status quo and ignite a new industrial revolution.

The full event will include snacks and drinks, networking, movie screening, and an on stage conversation with the film’s producer. You can find more details by emailing Randy.gibb@gcu.edu and let him know that you heard about it on the Culture Crush Business Podcast.

Classroom Supply Drive and Annual Fundraiser for the Million Dollar Teacher Project

The Million Dollar Teacher Project could use your support. They are doing their best to support students by supporting teachers and can use a little more help in doing so. There is an annual fundraiser and a classroom drive going on right now.

Email lloyd@mdtproject.org to learn more and let him know that you heard about it through the Culture Crush Business Podcast.

Million Dollar Teacher Project is a nonprofit organization that partners with Title I Schools, in marginalized communities, on creating community-centered strategies to help them increase how their teachers are recognized, drive more support directly into their classrooms and create innovative ways to impact how their teachers are compensated.

Lloyd Hopkins is the Executive Director/Founder of Million Dollar Teacher Project. Lloyd is an organizational leader with extensive experience in community and nonprofit work. He has worked in and around education for 18 years.

In addition to being a Founder and Executive Director he is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. As a philanthropist he is the Chair of Real Engagement through Active Philanthropy (R.E.A.P) which is a fund under the Arizona Community Foundation the supports programs making positive impacts on African-American Youth and is currently working with an Achieve60AZ Taskforce on improving attainment for the African American community in Arizona.

For his efforts he was recently a finalist for the Phoenix Center of the Arts Mayor’s Arts Awards for his Million Dollar Teacher Tree program and was honored by the East Valley NAACP with the Malala Yousafzai Equity in Education Award. He is also an alum of Valley Leadership’s Class 40.

Connect with Lloyd on LinkedIn and follow Million Dollar Teach Project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Randy Gibb, PhD, joined GCU in July 2014 and served as the dean of the Colangelo College of Business until 2022. His team grew the college based the pillars of servant leadership, ethics, and entrepreneurism and promoted the ideals/concepts of free market capitalism and business as a form of ministry.

In July 2022, he stepped into the role as Provost. Dr. Gibb served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and commanded two Air Force flying units and retired as a Colonel and Command Pilot.

He also has academic leadership experience and taught as Department Chair of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Behavioral Science and Leadership Department, helped lead the human systems integration program at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, OH, as a Senior Military Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering and Management Department, and served at Arizona State University as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Human and Environmental Systems Department.

Dr. Gibb has extensive experience in aviation safety, human factors, visual perception and spatial disorientation, as well as leadership development. Dr. Gibb, originally from Wisconsin, earned his PhD and MS in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University. He also has an MA from the U.S. Naval Command and Staff College in Newport, RI, and was a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986.

Dr. Gibb served on the Governor’s Workforce Arizona Council, Canyon Angels founding board, WESTMARC board of directors, and Arizona’s board of Conscious Capitalism.

Connect with Randy on LinkedIn, and follow Grand Canyon University on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About Culture Crush

Culture is not just a tag word to be thrown around. It is not something you throw in job descriptions to draw people to applying for jobs within a company.

According to Marcus Buckingham and Ashely Goodall in their book Nine Lies About Work, “Culture is the tenants of how we behave. It’s like a family creed. This is how we operate and treat each other in the family.”

As a growing company- Culture Crush Business Podcast is THE culture improvement resource that supports companies and leaders. Our Mission is to improve company cultures so people WANT to go to work. Employees and leaders should like where they work and we think this is possible.

Within the company: Culture Crush has Vetted Resources and Partnerships with the right people and resources that can help improve your company culture.

On this podcast: We focus on everything surrounding businesses with good company culture. We will talk with company leaders to learn about real-life experiences, tips, and best practices for creating a healthy work environment where employees are finding joy and satisfaction in their work while also striving and growing within the company. We also find the companies that offer resources to help improve company culture and showcase them on the show to share their tips and tricks for growing culture.

About the Host

Kindra Maples is spartan racer, past animal trainer, previous magician’s assistant, and has a weakness for Oreo cookie shakes. Her journey working with people actually started working with animals as a teenager (don’t worry we won’t go that far back for her bio).

She worked for over 15 years in the zoo industry working with animals and the public. Her passion of working with animals shifted into working with people in education, operations and leadership roles. From there her passion of leadership and helping people develop has continued to grow.

Then came the opportunity for leading the Culture Crush Business Podcast and she jumped on it. Leadership, growth, and strong company cultures are all areas that Kindra is interested in diving into further.

Shout Outs

We want to thank a few people for their behind the scenes effort in helping this relaunch to come to life. James Johnson with Tailored Penguin Media Company LLC.– It is a small, but powerful video production company with a goal to deliver the very best by articulating the vision of your brand in a visually creative way. Gordon Murray with Flash PhotoVideo, LLC. -Flash Gordon has been photographing since high school and evolving since then with new products that will equip, encourage, engage, and enable. Renee Blundon with Renee Blundon Design – She is not only one of the best free divers (that’s not how she helped with the podcast) but she is great with graphics design and taking the direction for the vision that you have while also adding creative ideas to bring to your vision to life.

These are just a few of the folks that supported the relaunch of the podcast. If you would like to be part of the Culture Crush team or would like to support underwriting the show- please reach out: info@culturecrushbusiness.com

Aviva Leebow with Pacesetter Steel Service, Kathy Colbenson with CHRIS Kids and Vanessa Anderson with Covenant Christian Ministries Academy

July 30, 2014 by Mike

Silver Lining in the Cloud

Aviva Leebow with Pacesetter Steel Service, Kathy Colbenson with CHRIS Kids and Vanessa Anderson with Covenant Christian Ministries Academy

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Aviva Leebow, Kathy Colbenson, Vanessa Anderson, Dom Rainey

Aviva Leebow/Pacesetter Steel Service

Pacesetter Steel Service, headquartered in Kennesaw, GA, is an industry leader in flat rolled carbon steel. Pacesetter processes and distributes coated steel products through its own service centers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston as well as partnerships with other processors nationwide. Pacesetter is a privately held company founded by its current President and CEO, Steve Leebow.

Many associates who helped build Pacesetter from its early beginnings are still with the company today. The tenured workforce talent offers invaluable leadership and expertise to their newer associates.

Since humble beginnings, Pacesetter has added equipment, locations, and capabilities to their organization to best serve the needs of customers. Pacesetter continues to expand its offerings outside of just their products, but also into their creative, value enhancing services. They continuously look for ways to help make their customers more profitable by offering and implementing ideas on increasing customer plant throughput, innovative pricing and inventory management strategies, early engineering involvement, and alternate products

Kathy Colbenson/CHRIS Kids

Since 1981, CHRIS Kids has transformed the lives of over 20,000 children, youth and families. Their mission is to heal children, strengthen families and build community. CHRIS is an acronym that stands for their core values: Creativity, Honor, Respect, Integrity and Safety. They offer services for children, youth and families that helps individuals overcome trauma and move to resiliency and self-sufficiency. Their goal is that all children, adults and families receive the hand they need to lead fulfilling lives and to demonstrate responsible citizenship. The CHRIS Kids vision is to improve the community by providing high-quality, trauma-informed behavioral health services and support systems. Everyone deserves to be a part of a safe, vibrant community. For more information or to help make a difference, visit www.chriskids.org.

Vanessa Anderson/Covenant Christian Ministries Academy

Covenant Christian Ministries Academy, a ministry of Covenant Christian Ministries Church, is a fully accredited school (ACSI and SACS CASI – AdvancEd) established in 1994 which provides educational services to students both foreign and domestic. Excellent learning opportunities are available at CCMA! Class sizes are moderate to allow individual needs to be addressed.

Various activities are available to students in addition to the academic rigor – basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, chorus, yearbook, spelling bee, and more. Their basketball program produces true student-athletes, several recruited to NCAA Division I colleges.

The mission of Covenant Christian Ministries Academy is to prioritize the wisdom of God first and include Him in every aspect of our lives as we provide a quality academic program, equipping students for higher learning and guiding them to a productive life in society.

Does Your Child Suffer From BackPack Induced Back Pain?

August 13, 2009 by angishields

Dr. Fitness & the Fat Guy

Does Your Child Suffer From BackPack Induced Back Pain?

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In today’s Wellness Minute Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy explain how to choose the right backpack. Six out of ten students complain of some sort of back pain caused by their improper backpack use. Make sure the backpack is fitting your child properly. Adjust the straps for a snug comfortable fit. Have your child avoid carrying the backpack over just one shoulder. Find a backpack that has cushioned straps – remember it must be durable and functional. Listen right now to hear Dr Fitness’ tips. Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy’s Wellness Minutes improve your health in 3 minutes a day or less. iTunes Follow me on Twitter @FatGuy