Discover #HamOnt Podcast With Brian Hogg

In addition to volunteering for the Children's International Learning Centre, Chelsea is also Case Manager at Good Shepherd helping those in transition move forward. We chat about what CILC is and where they're going, and some thoughts on ways to move Hamilton forward for those in need.

Shilo is the founder and owner of SHINE, a beautiful shop on James Street North that opened their doors in September 2014!

Marcio Novelli is all the things: dad, husband, singer, songwriter, podcaster, and even accidental documentary filmmaker. Highlights - The challenges making it as an independent singer/songwriter - How to balance choosing to work on projects vs. family - Structuring the day to reduce stress and anxiety - What you may find in the sleeve of his next acoustic EP...

Stephanie is the current Executive Director of the Hamilton Arts Council, an organization and charitable not-for-profit whose mission is to communicate, advocate and mediate for the arts and the role of the arts in Hamilton.

Nick is behind Orbital, the digital-only agency based in Hamilton. He's had an interesting journey to where he is now, and we have a great chat about the creative process, comedy, Pokemon Go, tech... oh, and Hamilton.

Lena is the founder and executive director for Food4Kids, a local non-profit that provides quality, healthy meals to kids who wouldn't otherwise may not have anything to eat over the entire weekend away from school. They've also expanded into a summer program, providing hand-delivered baskets for the entire week. She shares the heartbreaking story that pushed her to start the program from the ground up and how they've been able to grow to feed over 1,300 kids every single week!

Randy is behind Social Impact Enterprises, a company that supports nonprofits and social enterprises in the Hamilton area with projects like the Impact Store. We chat about how he went from studying civil engineering to priesthood, and how running a church provided a lot of the tools and experience needed to run a non-profit!

Chris is the co-founder and creative director for Kitestring, but really he's known for his amazing positivity, personality and support of the community in Hamilton. We have a super fun chat, from chatting about some wine and parking anywhere for free...

Kristen is now territory manager for both Hamilton and Burlington with Canadian Blood Services. We chat about her view of Hamilton, the process of donating for those who have never done it before and why its so important.

Corey is heavily involved in Hamilton, whether it be keeping people informed with his e-publication The Gist or empowering young professionals through Hamilton HIVE and the HiveX conference. Hear how Corey made his way to the city and got so involved!

Jesslyn shifted from wine to coffee when she opened her beautiful café, Vintage Coffee Roasters. In an area of Hamilton not known for high end cafes and roasters, she has become a staple of the community since they've opened. Hear the story of how she got started and how she's making Hamilton her home. See show notes and other episodes on discoverhamont.ca

Joey is one of Canada's few crowd-funded journalists. After several national positions he decided to make the move back to covering local news in Hamilton, which can be found on thepublicrecord.ca and on The Public Record YouTube channel. The actions of city counsellors nearly forced him to leave the city for good, but I'm glad he's back and I was able to catch up with him for a great chat on all things Hamilton. Find show notes and more at discoverhamont.ca

Jay Higgins has seen first hand the ongoing transformation of Hamilton and its core. He's also seen the impression of Hamilton from those outside the city change, in no small part from events like the Hamilton Food & Drink Fest his company Beau Monde Productions puts out to shine a light on the local Hamilton restaurant scene. Hear how his events started and how his career has evolved and morphed over the years, from events, to working at the Hamilton Spectator (when the Internet became a thing), to tech startups like WikiDOMO - including the Obituaries Today startup story that was supposed to be on Dragon's Den but unfortunately never had a chance to share! Beau Monde ProductionsHamilton Food & Drink Fest Restaurant Harvest Moon (aka Tim's Restaurant)My ThaiBronziesThe Other Bird Café Democracy (with the kids)Brown Dog (meetings)St James (good food and a great chai)Cafe Oranje Shop Pure Home CoutureDiscount Emporium Event Concerts at Hamilton Place, First Ontario CentreFestival of Friends Natural Feature Cycling

As a formal candidate for city council (Ward 2),Martinus saw a lack of coverage for the downtown core that was just turning the corner from existing media.  So few years ago he unwittingly started a broadsheet publication with a distribution of 10,000 copies, and has been purposefully continuing it every month ever since. Hear how the publication that echo's the pulse of Hamilton's core got started, and how it has evolved over the years.

After seeing the negative effects of traditional products on her grand children, Mary Lou started Mrs. Greenway, a new shop in downtown Dundas.  They not only carry all natural products, but even their flooring was milled locally and harvested from Ash trees that the city took down and their lighting in store is very low-energy LED lighting.  Their mission statement "Let's protect our children and our children's children" says it all!

Something as simple as asking for help if lost can be difficult for a child with autism, as developing communication skills can be a challenge.  Using Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) techniques, Special Appucations has developed two mobile apps - ABA Find It! and Street Smarts - to help kids with autism, their families and educators teach practical skills and improve quality of life in an accessible way. Learn about some of the challenges involved with autism, the long waiting lists for in-person training, and how Sarah is working to get the help kids need as early as possible.

If you live in Hamilton and have not heard of Erin Dunham you may have been living under a rock with your fingers in your ears.  Erin has spearheaded the opening of four new restaurants in the city under the wing of The Other Bird, along with the upcoming crowdfunded project The Mule.  We chat about what it's like to open a restaurant, the process they're using to open new ones, and her dream of opening a boutique hotel the city deserves.

Funeral Alternatives is a project let by Rochelle Martin, providing advice and education on the options available to care for their loved ones before and after death.  Learn more about the alternatives that are available and some of the ways we used to fulfill our obligations only a couple generations ago, and what natural options areas like the UK are using in order to benefit generations to come.

Madeline has been a part of the music industry in one way or another all her life, and has seen the effects of not having adequate healthcare services for members of the music community.  We chat about her career and her passion project Revival Hamilton, putting the health of our music community on centre stage.

Ashley started the campaign Ditching Prom for Nepal, where she gave up all the money she saved for her prom to the Nepal relief efforts.  Hear her story!