PODCAST · society
Riverside Chats
by Riverside Chats
Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling. A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.
Episodes
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261. Artist and Entrepreneur Imagine Uhlenbrock on the Power of Consistency
Uhlenbrock is native of Omaha, and her passion for nail art began when her grandmother taught her how to file her nails while they watched the wheel of fortune. This instilled a passion for nail art, and she currently owns and operates Just Imagine Nails. Her work was also featured in the...
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260. Leo Adam Biga on Journalism, Film, and the Power of Sharing Diverse Stories
Biga grew up in Omaha and received his bachelor's in journalism from the university of Nebraska Omaha. He is a freelance cultural journalist and non-fiction author, and his work has been recognized by the Omaha Press Club, the Nebraska Press Association and the American Jewish Press Association.…
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259. Singer Songwriter RIKÉ on the Connections Between Artistry and Advocacy
My guest today is RIKÉ, a singer songwriter based out of Omaha. His music is influenced by R & B, Rap, and Pop. He also works in public health and is passionate about community advocacy. His artistry and advocacy culminated in 2022 when he created Tilt, an annual arts showcase aimed at providing…
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258. Dr. Athena Ramos on Figure Skating and Community-Centered Approaches to Research
Ramos grew up in Bellevue and is the associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion of the UNMC College of Public Health and is also involved in the School of Public Health's Center for Reducing Health Disparities. Her research interests have an emphasis on Intercultural communication,...
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257. Jess Benjamin on Water Systems, Imagination, and Monumental Ceramics
Benjamin grew up on the irrigation ditches on the 100th meridian. She received her Bachelors in Arts from Hastings College in 2001 and worked as a studio assistant for Jun Kaneko until 2006. In 2008, I received my M.F.A from Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Benjamin fuses water drought data...
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256. Khenda Mustafa's Approach to Community-Centered Advocacy
My guest today is Khenda Mustafa. Mustafa was born in Iraq and grew up in Texas. She attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where she studied global studies. She is the director of community engagement at CIRA, the center for immigrant & refugee advance in Omaha. CIRA (Center for Immigrant…
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255. Bekah Jerde on The Radio Talking Book Services' Mission
Jerde was born and raised on the high plains of northwestern South Dakota. She is the director of the Radio Talking Book Service, a nonprofit serving Nebraska and southwest Iowa with a mission to connect individuals who are blind, low vision, or print impaired to news, information, arts, and...
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254. Pablo Arza on Balancing Jazz Guitar and DJ'ing
My guest today is Pablo Arza, aka DJ Arza. Arza graduated from Ralston High School and received training in jazz at the Berklee College of Music and Tribeca Jazz Institute. In Omaha, you can catch him performing at The Red Lion Lounge, The North Omaha Music and Arts (NOMA Omaha) and other venues...
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253. Natalia Alamadari on the Importance of Independent Journalism
Alamdari grew up in Texas before attending the University of Missouri-Columbia and receiving her bachelors and master's in journalism. Currently, she is the senior reporter and Secreast Greater Nebraska reporting at the Flatwater Free Press, Nebraska’s first independent nonprofit newsroom. Her...
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252.Educator Tyler Payne on Supporting the Next Generation
Payne is a native to St. Louis, and is completing a doctoral program in educational administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He works at the Metropolitan Community College and is the Director of College Success and Career Readiness partnership, in addition to the assistant director for...
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251. Buffy Bush on Community Healing
Bush grew up in North Omaha and has a master's degree in Nonprofit Administration as well as a bachelor's degree in behavioral science specializing in homicide grief support, crisis intervention, motivational interviewing & de-escalation. She created families of the stolen in 2012, a nonprofit…
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250. Ella Weber on Reimagining Artistic Conventions
My guest today is Ella Weber. Weber received a Bachelor of fine arts from the university of Nebraska Lincoln and Master of Fine Arts with distinction from the University of Kansas, with an emphasis on printmaking and print media. She has had many artistic residencies across the nation, and some…
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249. Chorus Master Barron Breland on Community and Coming Together Through Song
My guest today is Barron Breland. Breland began singing as a child in the Atlanta Boy’s Choir, and later received his undergraduate in music theory from the University of Georgia and doctorate of music in choral conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He is the artistic...
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248. Arturo Aceves Gonzalez on Establishing Equity for Immigrant Communities in Omaha
Today, I’m talking with Arturo Aceves Gonzales. Gonzalez is a native of Mexico, and received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Universidad de Guadalajara. He is the Head of Health Equity and Economic Opportunity at the Latino Economic Development Council. In our conversation…
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247. Rachel Mindrup on Artistic Approaches for Impacting Legislation
My guest today is artist Rachel Mindrup. Mindrup was raised in Omaha and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska Kearney before receiving her Master of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. She is an associate professor of drawing and painting...
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246. Jennifer Sheshko Wood on Supporting the Next Generation of Stage Performers
My guest today is Jennifer Sheshko Wood. Wood is a native to Canada, and grew up in Montreal, QB. She came to the states to pursue her MFA in Costume Design from Indiana University. As a costume designer and crafts artisan, her American credits include the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre,...
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245. Advocate Christopher McCroy on Mentorship, Faith, and Coming Together in 2025
My guest today is advocate Christopher McCroy. McCroy was born and raised in North Omaha, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Morehouse College and is completing his PhD in higher education at UCLA. He has been the executive director of 100 Black men of Omaha since the…
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244. Skate Advocate Drew Newlin on Shredding, Community, and How To Make a Skate Park in Omaha
My guest today is Drew Newlin. Newlin grew up in various parts of Omaha, where his passion for skateboarding began after playing some Tony Hawk video games. He attended the University Of Nebraska Omaha, where he received his bachelors in political science. He continued skateboarding along the…
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243. Luthier John Svatos on Guitar Repair Work, Business Ownership, and Keeping up with Musical Trends
My guest today is business owner and guitar repairman, John Svatos. Svatos grew up in the Millard area, and was a self identified ‘guitar kid’ in his neighborhood. As he got older he got more involved in the Omaha music scene, which led to guitar repair work and owning and operating Ground Floor...
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242. Artist Bart Vargas on Color Theory, Community, and Quantum Physics
My guest today is artist and educator Bart Vargas. Vargas was raised in Bellevue, where he was the youngest of four brothers. He began drawing as a young child, and eventually received his bachelor of fine arts from the University of Nebraska Omaha and then his Master’s of Fine arts from The...
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241. Leo Louis II on Hip Hop and Finding Inner Peace as a Community Advocate
My guest today is Leo Louis II. Louis has been a community advocate in a multitude of roles, including gang intervention, urban farming and entrepreneurship for over a decade. Louis began his career in advocacy while a sophomore at North Omaha High School, where he drafted a 10 point email...
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240. Vocalist Renzellous Brown on Continuing the Jazz Tradition in 2025
Today, I’m talking with Renzellous Brown, a singer, playwright and actor based out of Omaha. Brown, a native of Flint Michigan, received their Bachelor of Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management from Midland University, where they participated in multiple ensembles including the Blu Notes,...
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239. Multi-Faceted Musician JordanTheNinja's Approach to Leading Award-Winning Bands
JordantheNinja is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, actor, and dancer. He grew up in North Omaha and attended Northwest High School. He began his music career performing with his older brother, Jared, and got more involved with acting through various gigs at the Omaha Community Playhouse. As a...
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238. Yanira Garcia Talks Hustle and Humility as Member of Regional Metropolitan Transit Board
Yanira Garcia is a community advocate who serves on the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority, representing District 3. Additionally, she has over a decade of experience in communications, public relations, and advertising. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running...
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237. Sound Engineer Neal Duffy on The Science of Sound
Neal Duffy is an audio engineer, DJ, and yoga instructor. He’s an Omaha native, and received his education in sound at the School and Audio Workshop in Ohio before transferring to Iowa Western. Afterwards, he received his yoga certificate while working with Omaha acts before landing his big break...
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236. Holland Community Opera Fellow Alejandra Sandoval-Montañez on Creating Opportunities for Aspiring Singers
Alejandra Sandoval-Montañez is a mezzo-soprano and Holland Community Opera Fellow. The fellowship brings community-focused artists to live and work in Omaha. Sandoval-Montañez grew up in Mexico and received her Masters in Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois. Her stage...
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235. Film Streams Executive Director Maggie Wood on Dundee Theater's 100th Anniversary
Maggie Wood is executive director of the nonprofit, arthouse cinema Film Streams. This year, Film Streams is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Dundee Theater with the Dundee Hundee series. The yearlong program includes 10 films, one for each decade of the theater’s history. The next...
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233. Hana Baba on New Podcast Series 'Folktales From Sudan'
Hana Baba is creator of the new audio series “Folktales From Sudan.” The series is a passion project inspired by the stories Baba grew up hearing when visiting relatives in Sudan. Each episode is a single story narrated by Baba with music and sound effects. Baba says the series marks the first…
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232. Mayor Jean Stothert Makes Her Pitch for a Fourth Term
Mayor Jean Stothert is running for reelection against John Ewing. The election is Tuesday, May 13. We spoke to Ewing on last week’s show, and you can find that episode wherever you get your podcasts. This is Stothert’s fourth campaign for mayor. Before she entered politics, Stothert was head…
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231. John Ewing Makes His Pitch to be Mayor of Omaha
It’s election season in Omaha, and today's guest is John Ewing, who’s running for mayor against incumbent Jean Stothert. We’ll hear from Stothert in next week’s episode. Ewing spent 25 years as a police officer before assuming office in 2007 as Douglas County Treasurer. He holds a bachelor's…
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230. The Mensch Group's Phillip McClain on Why Now is 'Best Time Ever' for Development in North Omaha
Phillip McClain is founder of the real estate company the Mensch Group. Through the Mensch Group, McClain spearheads affordable housing developments in North Omaha. The company broke ground on its first project last year: nine single-family homes at 49th and Curtis Streets, an area known as…
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229. Spielbound Board Game Cafe Founder Kaleb Michaud on Research Funding, Healthcare and Tabletop Gaming
Kaleb Michaud is a professor of rheumatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the director of Spielbound Board Game Cafe. Michaud grew up in Kansas, where he developed a passion for music and astrophysics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Rochester…
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228. Karen Russel on New Novel 'The Antidote'
Karen Russell's “The Antidote” follows five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their fictional small town of Uz, Nebraska. Together, the group of outcasts join forces to reveal the town’s secrets and show the importance of remembering and acknowledging injustices to...
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227. Joel Damon on Getting Uncomfortable with Art
Joel Damon is an artist, curator and co-founder of the Project Project gallery space in South Omaha. Damon was previously on the show in 2022, in conversation with Tom Knoblauch. Damon is a painter and designer who gained recognition for organizing independent visual art exhibitions for local...
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226. Perfumer Christopher German on the Science of Scent
Christopher German founded the Omaha-based fragrance company Evodia in 2020. With the tagline, “where memories make scents,” Evodia comes from German’s lifelong fascination with fragrance. The company sells bottles of unisex perfume and offers clients the opportunity to create custom scents with...
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225. Quinn Metal Corbin on Great Plains Theatre Commons and Nurturing the 'Local and National Exchange'
Quinn Metal Corbin is manager of the Great Plains Theater Commons. Corbin has spent more than two decades in the performing arts. She’s worked as a casting intern in New York, a script production assistant on a Broadway musical, an assistant to a powerful entertainment agency executive, and an...
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224. Shaq Jones on Dance, DJing and Curation
Shaq Jones, aka Scottie Pigeon, is a dancer and DJ. Jones uses his platform to center the experience of Black men in the arts. He grew up in North Omaha and attended Lincoln University of Missouri, a historically Black college, where he led the school’s dance troupe before graduating in 2017. He...
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223. Professor Kevin Clouther on Why Fiction Readers Make Good Citizens
Kevin Clouther is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha Writer’s Workshop, where he serves as program coordinator of the Master of Fine Arts in Writing. Clouther is also the author of the story collections “Maximum Speed” and “We Were Flying to Chicago.” His stories have...
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222. Matthew Moseley, Dan Whalen on Dirty Birds and the Restaurant Industry
Dirty Birds, located in the Flatiron building at 17th and St. Mary’s Avenue, is known for its fried chicken and cocktail menu. Matthew Moseley and Dan Whalen opened the restaurant in early 2021 with a goal of serving quality food in a community-oriented space. Business partner Mike West joined…
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221. Brenton Gomez on Rap, Skating and DIY in Omaha
Brenton Gomez is a fixture of Omaha’s rap and skateboarding scenes. You may know him as Conny Franko, the name under which he’s been releasing music for the better part of two decades. He’s half of the hip-hop duo M34N STR33T with producer Adam Haug. Skateboarding was Gomez’s first love. His...
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220. Xavier Jackson on Local Art Plug
Xavier Jackson is founder and CEO of Local Art Plug. An Omaha native, Jackson started the business in 2017 to connect artists with art lovers. Musicians and artists can find audiences through the organization’s website, which has pieces for sale, and a gallery space in the Flatiron Building...
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219. Artist Carmen Winant on "The last safe abortion"
Carmen Winant is an artist, photographer, writer, and art professor at The Ohio State University. Her work involves installation and collage work to examine survival and revolt through a feminist lens. Her traveling exhibition “The last safe abortion” opens Jan. 18 at Bemis Center for…
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218. An Inside Look at the Show With Courtney Bierman
It's our 200th episode, and we're doing something a little different this week. In this episode, Michael Griffin is in conversation with producer Courtney Bierman. A quick note on episode numbers: if you’re listening to the podcast version of this show, you’ll notice it lists this episode as…
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217. Todd Lemke on the History and Future of Omaha Magazine
Todd Lemke is the founder and publisher of Omaha Magazine, a 42-year-old regional publication covering the arts, lifestyle, entertainment, food and more. Lemke grew up in Papillion and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1981 with a degree in journalism. In 1983, he started a…
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216. Joshua Brown on Why Art Is Vital for a Healthy Democracy
Joshua Brown is the program coordinator at the Nebraska Arts Council, a state organization whose mission is to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts through programming, grants and opportunities to foster creative innovation statewide. At the Arts Council, Brown manages grants related to arts...
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215. Hot Shops' Jahmai Brown on the Inspiration Behind His Bold, Colorful Paintings
Jahmai Brown is a painter, photographer and Hot Shops Art Center resident. An Omaha native, Brown attended North High School and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute. His paintings are often works of bright colors, bold patterns and less traditional materials like glitter and magazine...
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214. Erin Feichtinger on the State of Nebraska Politics
Erin Feichtinger is policy director of the Women's Fund of Omaha. In this episode, she's in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about history (in which she has a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago) and politics, including Governor Pillen's vision for Nebraska and how it's panning out after a...
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213. Aspen Monet Laboy on the 'Duality' of Glass Artistry
Working in poetry, glass and installation, Aspen Monet Laboy’s art explores concepts of environmentalism and identity. In the summer of 2022, they implemented and co-hosted Corner’s Space at KANEKO, a public program exploring poetry through creative experimentation and collaboration. Laboy has...
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212. Sean Kelly Makes His Pitch for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5
Sean Kelly is a candidate for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Brian Fahey. An Omaha native and Dundee resident, Kelly attended Creighton Prep and went on to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business....
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211. Brian Fahey Makes His Pitch for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5
Brian Fahey is a local attorney running for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Sean Kelly. An Omaha native and nephew of former mayor Mike Fahey, Brian Fahey attended Central High School and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. Fahey is also…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling. A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.
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Riverside Chats
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Riverside Chats have?
Riverside Chats currently has 246 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Riverside Chats about?
Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling. A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by...
How often does Riverside Chats release new episodes?
Riverside Chats publishes regularly with 246 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Riverside Chats?
You can listen to Riverside Chats on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Riverside Chats?
Riverside Chats is created and hosted by Riverside Chats.
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