Listen Up! – Details, episodes & analysis

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Greg Vann of the JCPS Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department. He is the Executive Administrator of External Equity, which is to say his job is to make sure that students feel supported regardless of ethnicity, race, color, national origin, age, different abilities, religion, marital or parental status, political affiliations or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

The duo discusses the fallout from the 2024 election, the importance of Black Student Unions, how the school district is working to support students outside of the classroom, and the state of education in Kentucky.

Vann graduated from the University of Memphis with a BS in Professional Studies. He has dedicated his career to working with youth, starting in a residential treatment facility, then Job Corps, before landing at Jefferson County Public Schools. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Lamont Chandler of Chandler Insurance Group. He is an insurance broker specializing in Medicare education and the senior community.

The duo discuss the importance of insurance, navigating health benefits, and the effects of politics in healthcare.

Chandler is a Louisville native and graduate of Louisville Male High School and the University of Louisville. He began his career in the automotive industry, where he spent 25 years before pivoting to insurance and following in his grandfather's footsteps.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is again joined by Councilman, Professor, and artist Jecorey Arthur. Arthur shares insight as to why he chose not to run for re-election as District 4 Councilperson, the history behind Louisville Freedom Summer, and community issues. Jecorey Arthur is a West Louisville native and UofL graduate. He has performed around the world as a classically trained percussionist and hip-hop artist. In 2020 he was elected to Louisville's Metro Council to represent District 4.

Read Frederick Douglass's keynote, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” and hear it spoken by his descendants. Link

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Louisville Sports Commission President Greg Fante. The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) is tasked with attracting, hosting, and creating sporting events and activities in the community to promote the economy while also fostering healthy and active lifestyles through sport.

The duo discusses Louisville's evolution, the role that sports have played in this city's development, how sport evokes change, and the possibility of a pro sports team.

Fante is a Louisville native and UofL graduate. He has been with the LSC for 16 years and previously worked in hospitality and tourism.

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Jennie Jean Davidson & Dana Jackson, former Directors of Network Center for Community Change (NC3). NC3 was an organization centering on social relationships, displacement, accountability, and resistance that developed a network of change agents within the affected community.

The trio talks about the power of networking, the dirty work of organizing, the changes to the community, and the 'why' that keeps them going in this work.

Jennie Jean Davidson is Executive Director at Neighborhood House Louisville, a modern community hub for Louisville's West End. Dana Jackson is CEO of Dana Jackson Consulting, a firm that specializes in results-based leadership, urban engagement strategies, and comprehensive community change work. 

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by the creators behind Black Future Fest: Shauntrice Martin and SteVon Edwards. Black Future Fest aims to celebrate Black excellence, achievement, and possibility in Louisville with a long term goal of building a Black arts district in the West End.

The trio talks about the fearlessness of Gen Z, how Louisville has changed over the last 30+ years, the arts community, and their hopes for the community.

Check out the upcoming Black Future Fest, Saturday 8/3, 1-6 PM at the California Community Center, 1600 St Catherine Street. This free event includes an outdoor art museum, a children's art show, a community mural by Jaylin Stewart, a mini film fest, and more.

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Jerald Henry Smith aka the S.T.E.A.M. Chemist. He combines science, technology, engineering, and the culinary arts to create an unforgettable learning experience for students.

The pair talk about Jerald's early influences that guided him into science, working as a Chemist at Beam Suntory, and his foray into entrepreneurship.

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Jerald Henry Smith always knew that he would become a scientist. He found a passion for Chemistry as a youth from a science kit he purchased at a thrift store. In 2005, he was admitted on a full scholarship to the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering as a Chemical Engineering student. As a recipient of the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship (UNCF) and Woodford R. Porter Scholarship, he remained committed to academic excellence and community service. During his college career, he served as an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Vice President of Collegiate 100 and the C.O.N.E.C.T. Peer Mentoring Program.

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by the ⁠Ronyale Smith, Owner Blak Koffee. Blak Koffee is a Black-owned cafe in the Russell neighborhood of West Louisville, 1219 West Jefferson Street at the Molo Village.

The pair talk about Ronyale's entrepreneurship journey from nail tech to small business owner, the new store opening in the Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center, and the importance of creating space in West Louisville for the community to network. Ronyale Smith is a life-long Louisvillian from the Newburg area with a heart for community and a deep-rooted passion for connecting and empowering others. Professionally, Ronyale is experienced in Project Management, Real Estate and Economic Development.

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by the LISC Executive Director Scott Love⁠. LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides financial capital to help improve historically disinvested neighborhoods. LISC provides both business investment and affordable housing strategies to west Louisville.

The pair talk about the current housing shortage, how businesses can connect to improve their community, the role CDFI's play in community lending, and the impact they have already made like the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Complex.

Love has worked in the banking industry for many years, as well as for city government. A native of Milwaukee, he has called Louisville home for over 20 years. Love is a graduate of Florida A&M University.

Our host LUL President & CEO, Lyndon Pryor, is joined by the Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, Rebecca Fleischaker⁠. The pair talk about the current state of downtown Louisville, how changes impact the city as a whole, the role of business in politics, and what they can do to make a difference.

Fleischaker is a Louisville native who served 2 decades in city government before joining LDP. Her background includes Public Relations and Economic Development.