Building Connection – Details, episodes & analysis

Building Connection is a podcast from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis hosted by Memphis Habitat President & CEO Dwayne Spencer. This podcast seeks to highlight the connections between housing and issues that we all care about -- health, wealth, safety, and more. Healthy communities, intergenerational wealth, peace of mind, and the ability to focus on what matters most -- it all starts with a home. Building Connection will explore that.

In this episode:

Adriane Bond Harris, Principal and Owner of HarCo, LLC, joins Dwayne to expand the conversation on housing beyond Memphis and discuss the intersection of housing and health. Dwayne and Adriane talk about their experiences growing up in rural West Tennessee, and Adriane shares how that has informed her career path in government, the housing space, and her current consulting work that allows her to work across sectors to connect housing to other issues. They close the episode with our recurring “bring it back to home” segment – a rapid series of questions designed to get at the heart of what makes home and housing so important.

Connect with Memphis Habitat!

• Like and subscribe to Building Connection or leave us a review!
• Ideas for guests or topics? Email us at podcast@memphishabitat.com.
• Subscribe to Memphis Habitat news.
• Follow Memphis Habitat on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Adriane Harris or learn more about the organizations she mentioned:

• Learn more about Adriane's company HarCo Coaching & Consulting Services.
• Find Adriane on LinkedIn.
• Visit ThinkTennessee's website to learn about their research and resources.

About Adriane Bond Harris

With nearly 25 years of experience in urban planning and community development, Adriane Harris brings a strategic and relational approach to advancing housing opportunities and sustainable growth. She is known for building impactful partnerships, coaching and supporting leaders in housing, and aligning policy with community vision. She currently serves as an advisor with ThinkTennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health, and other mission-driven organizations across the country.

About Dwayne Spencer

Dwayne Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for 30 years. Since joining Memphis Habitat in 2001, he has grown the organization from a 9-member staff to more than 70 employees; from a $1 million budget to $25 million; and from building 15 homes per year to building 30+ new homes and serving 250+ Aging In Place repair clients annually. Today, Memphis Habitat ranks fifth in total families served among more than 900 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S. Dwayne holds a master’s degree in public administration from The University of Memphis and currently serves on Habitat International’s Advocacy Committee as well as other boards and advisory committees. In 2024, Dwayne was among the four Memphis-area leaders named ⁠CEO of the Year⁠ by Memphis Magazine.

Podcast Credits:

• Guest: Adriane Harris, Principal & Owner, HarCo, LLC
• Host: Dwayne Spencer, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Executive Producer: Jessica Hord, VP of Brand Strategy, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Production Partner: Forever Ready Productions

Building Connection Intro

Building Connection is a podcast from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis that seeks to highlight the connections between housing and issues that we all care about -- health, wealth, safety and more. Healthy communities, intergenerational wealth, peace of mind, and the ability to focus on what matters most -- it all starts with a home. Building Connection will explore that.

In this episode:

Memphis Mayor Paul Young sits down with Dwayne for the inaugural episode of Building Connection to discuss how housing is intertwined with a community’s broader success. In their conversation, Mayor Young shares why he chose to come back to and stay in Memphis, as well as the path that led him to a career in housing, community development, and public service. They discuss blight's affect on the city and what the "Era of Yes” for Memphis could mean in terms of housing. Finally, they close their conversation by "bringing it back to home," discussing what home means and what stable, affordable housing can help people and communities achieve.

Connect with Memphis Habitat!

• Like and subscribe to Building Connection or leave us a review!
• Ideas for future guests or topics? Email podcast@memphishabitat.com.
• Watch "Fighting Against Blight: The Impact on Habitat Homeowners in Memphis."
• Subscribe to Memphis Habitat news.
• Follow Memphis Habitat on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Mayor Young & the City of Memphis

• Mayor Young's weekly Building Together newsletter

• Follow the City of Memphis on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

Dwayne Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for 30 years. Since joining Memphis Habitat in 2001, he has grown the organization from a 9-member staff to more than 70 employees; from a $1 million budget to $25 million; and from building 15 homes per year to building 30+ new homes and serving 250+ Aging In Place repair clients annually. Today, Memphis Habitat ranks fifth in total families served among more than 900 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S. Dwayne holds a master’s degree in public administration from The University of Memphis and currently serves on Habitat International’s Advocacy Committee as well as other boards and advisory committees. In 2024, Dwayne was among the four Memphis-area leaders named CEO of the Year by Memphis Magazine.

Paul Young was sworn in as mayor of Memphis on Jan. 1, 2024, with a commitment to creating a stronger, safer, and thriving community for all Memphians. He is a Memphian, father of two, husband to Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, and son of Pastor Dianne Young and the late Bishop William Young. 

Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, followed by a Master of Science in urban and regional planning and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis. Young has spent the last decade improving the quality of life in Memphis by advancing housing security and fostering healthy neighborhoods where families can thrive. As the President of the Downtown Memphis Commission and the former Director of Housing and Community Development for the City, Young applied a holistic approach to unifying the city through public and private partnerships and targeted investments in our future.  

He believes moving the city forward requires strategic investments in public safety, infrastructure, and the potential of our greatest asset – our people.

Podcast Credits:

• Guest: The Honorable Paul Young, Mayor of the City of Memphis
• Host: Dwayne Spencer, MPA, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Executive Producer: Jessica Hord, VP of Brand Strategy, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Production Partner: Forever Ready Productions

Building Connection is a podcast from ⁠Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis⁠ hosted by Memphis Habitat President & CEO Dwayne Spencer. This podcast seeks to highlight the connections between housing and issues that we all care about -- health, wealth, safety, and more. Healthy communities, intergenerational wealth, peace of mind, and the ability to focus on what matters most -- it all starts with a home. Building Connection explores that.

In this episode:

For this special episode, Dwayne Spencer, Memphis Habitat’s President & CEO, is our guest! Dwayne sits down with Jessica Hord, VP of Brand Strategy at Memphis Habitat, to share his story, his path to Habitat, and why he wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. Dwayne and Jessica also discuss Memphis Habitat’s history and growth, our homebuying and repair programs, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

More about Dwayne and Memphis Habitat

• Learn more about Memphis Habitat’s Framing the Futurefundraising campaign.
• Dwayne’s TEDx Memphis Talk, 2023
• NBC Nightly News Feature on Dwayne, 2016

Connect with Memphis Habitat!

• Like and subscribe to Building Connection or leave us a review!
• Ideas for future guests or topics? Email podcast@memphishabitat.com.
• Subscribe to Memphis Habitat news.
• Follow Memphis Habitat on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Podcast Credits:

• Guest: Dwayne Spencer, MPA, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Host and Executive Producer: Jessica Hord, VP of Brand Strategy, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Production Partner: Forever Ready Productions

Dwayne Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for 30 years. Since joining Memphis Habitat in 2001, he has grown the organization from a 9-member staff to more than 70 employees; from a $1 million budget to $25 million; and from building 15 homes per year to building 30+ new homes and serving 250+ Aging In Place repair clients annually. Today, Memphis Habitat ranks 25th out of more than 900 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the U.S. in new home production. Through studies developed in partnership with local economists, Memphis Habitat is now able to demonstrate its impressive local impact – more than $366 million in cumulative impact since 1983. Dwayne holds a master’s degree in public administration from The University of Memphis and currently serves on Habitat International’s Advocacy Committee as well as other boards and advisory committees. In 2024, Dwayne was among the four Memphis-area leaders named CEO of the Year by Memphis Magazine.

Jessica Hord was named VP of Brand Strategy at Memphis Habitat in 2024 and leads thought leadership efforts and events, public relations, Memphis Habitat’s CEO Build, and other special projects. With 20-plus years of public relations, marketing, and nonprofit strategy experience, she has spent nearly 15 years managing the Memphis Habitat brand. In 2016, she led the local team for Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Prior to Habitat, she worked at Obsidian PR and Baptist Memorial Health Care and has a B.S. in Communications from The University of Tennessee.

Building Connection is a podcast from ⁠Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis⁠ hosted by Memphis Habitat President & CEO Dwayne Spencer. This podcast seeks to highlight the connections between housing and issues that we all care about -- health, wealth, safety, and more. Healthy communities, intergenerational wealth, peace of mind, and the ability to focus on what matters most -- it all starts with a home. Building Connection will explore that.

In this episode:

Jonathan T.M. Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, joins Dwayne to talk about Habitat’s work in the U.S. and around the world. They discuss and dispel a few common myths about Habitat, explore advocacy and Habitat’s role in the global conversation around affordable housing, and look ahead to Habitat for Humanity’s 50th anniversary in 2026. Dwayne and Jonathan also reflect on Habitat’s history with President Jimmy Carter and the legacy that lives on through the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. And, as always, the episode closes with our recurring “bring it back to home” segment.

Connect with Memphis Habitat!

• Like and subscribe to Building Connection or leave us a review!
• Ideas for future guests or topics? Email podcast@memphishabitat.com.
• Subscribe to Memphis Habitat news.
• Follow Memphis Habitat on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Habitat for Humanity International

• Visit Habitat.org to learn more about Habitat's work in the U.S. and around the world.
• Read more about Habitat for Humanity's approach to advocacy.
• Learn more about Habitat's MicroBuild Fund.
• See how a street in NYC was renamed Jimmy Carter Way for 2025 World Habitat Day.

Podcast Credits:

• Guest: Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International
• Host: Dwayne Spencer, MPA, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Executive Producer: Jessica Hord, VP of Brand Strategy, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
• Production Partner: Forever Ready Productions

About Jonathan Reckford

Jonathan T.M. Reckford is the chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, a global Christian housing organization that has helped more than 62 million people access safe housing.

Since he joined Habitat in 2005, Habitat affiliates in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries have grown from serving more than 125,000 individuals annually to helping more than 3 million people in 2024.

Jonathan is the chair of Leadership 18, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Global Future Council on the Future of Cities for the World Economic Forum.

Named the most influential nonprofit leader in America in 2017 by The NonProfit Times, Jonathan is the author of Our Better Angels: Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World.

About Dwayne Spencer

Dwayne Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for 30 years. Since joining Memphis Habitat in 2001, he has grown the organization from a 9-member staff to more than 70 employees; from a $1 million budget to $25 million; and from building 15 homes per year to building 30+ new homes and serving 250+ Aging In Place repair clients annually. Today, Memphis Habitat ranks fifth in total families served among more than 900 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S. Dwayne holds a master’s degree in public administration from The University of Memphis and currently serves on Habitat International’s Advocacy Committee as well as other boards and advisory committees. In 2024, Dwayne was among the four Memphis-area leaders named ⁠⁠CEO of the Year⁠⁠ by Memphis Magazine.