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What's Next? | Producer's Pick/Empowering The Champion In You

We revisit a stand out conversation with Holly Kirkpatrick speaking with Buffalo's Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke. And we have a special interview with Jay Moran sitting with Morgan Williams-Bryant CEO of Leadership Buffalo and founder and CEO of MWB Ignites. Morgan speaks with us about her Champion Made Empowerment Summit taking place Saturday June 29.

What's Next? 2024
Latest Episodes
  • Today, on What’s Next? we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. First, Jay Moran speaks with Dinorah Baines from the Hispanic Heritage Council of WNY Inc. about the rich heritage of Hispanic culture in Western New York and the various celebrations happening throughout the month. Later, Jay Moran is joined by Valerie Cruz and Mykia Gibson from the Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network to discuss the critical work of the organization and its impact on the Hispanic community.
  • For today’s episode, we feature two conversations. To start, Jay Moran sits down with Liv Duke, the Programs & Services Coordinator at Arts Services Inc., and Tracy Synder, the Executive Director of The Theatre of Youth. The three discuss the Arts Access Initiative, a program designed to create wider access to arts and cultural events through transportation, language, and financial assistance. For our second segment, we welcome three members of the UB Center for Information Integrity. Jay Moran is joined by David Castillo, the Co-Director of the Center, along with E. Bruce Pitman and Jasmina Tacheva, who are two speakers for the center's upcoming film screening of “Coded Bias”, a film that discusses the pitfalls of generative AI.
  • For today’s episode, we feature two conversations. To start us off, we begin with the first episode of our Project 2025 series. The series aims to go in-depth as to what the impact of the Project would look like if implemented. For the first episode of the series, Thomas O’Neil-White is joined by returning guest Wil Green, the Assistant Dean of Outreach and Community Engagement at the Graduate School of Education at UB. The two discuss the potential impact of Project 2025 on education. For our second conversation, we welcome David Castillo, E. Bruce Pitman, and Jasmina Tacheva of the UB Center for Information Integrity. Jay Moran joins the three in a conversation about how misinformation and generative AI can affect access to reputable information on elections, as well as an upcoming film screening of “Coded Bias”, a film that discusses how certain facial recognition programs are not programmed to analyze dark-skinned faces accurately.
  • Today, we speak with two influential voices in the fight against Parkinson's disease. Nancy Nealon, Director of Education and Outreach for the Northeast Region of the National Parkinson’s Foundation, and Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram, President of the Uncrowned Queens Institute and National Parkinson’s Foundation volunteer. They discuss with Jay Moran the critical challenges facing African American communities. And they also discuss the historical exclusion from healthcare and research, and how it affects our understanding of Parkinson’s within these communities.
  • For today’s episode, we feature two conversations. To start us off, Thomas O’Neil-White is joined by Kelly Wolfe and Stephanie Pepper of the SCPA serving Erie County, as well as Racheal Tarapacki of the Resource Council of WNY. The four discuss a $100,000 incubator grant awarded to the SPCA, and how both groups plan on creating better access to veterinary resources in the East Side of Buffalo. For our second segment, Thomas O’Neil-White sits down with Sheri Scavone, the CEO of the Western New York Women’s Foundation. The two analyze a report from the foundation that details some of the issues that women in WNY are facing through data-driven metrics.
  • The 6th Annual Refugee Film Festival is more than just a series of screenings—it's a powerful platform that highlights the voices, stories, and resilience of refugees from across the globe. Running from this month through April 2025, the festival brings the lived experiences of displaced people into focus, sparking conversation and understanding. On today’s show, host Jay Moran sits down with two incredible guests: Theresa DeLuca, Chief Advancement Officer at Journey’s End Refugee Services, and Andy Cammarata, Director of Outreach and Volunteers at the organization. Together, they discuss the impact of the festival, and the mission behind their work.
  • The second annual FIG Fashion Festival is this Saturday at the iconic Seneca One Tower. The event looks to build off the promising launch of the event last year. On today’s show, we welcome back Dame Powell owner of DAME, a luxury leather goods brand in Buffalo. His mission “To empower & inspire our community by creating timeless pieces that blend urban edge with sophisticated elegance. We strive to bring a touch of luxury to the everyday, and to be a beacon of pride for our city and our culture. He sits with Jay Moran to discuss his thoughts his involvement in the first show and his return to for the second event.
  • People Against Trafficking Humans (PATH) is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending human trafficking through education, prevention, and restoration. On today’s show, we’re joined by Julie Palmer, the Executive Director of PATH. Under her leadership, the organization has built a dedicated staff, established a survivor support fund, and increased public awareness of trafficking issues. Julie sits down with Jay Moran to discuss PATH’s work and the Enrichment Center, a safe space where survivors receive therapeutic support services, fostering healing and hope.
  • Recently, the Lackwanna School District implemented a cell phone ban for all its students. The ban aims to create fewer distractions and improve academic performance. On today’s show, we welcome Dr. Katheryne Leigh-Osroosh, an assistant professor of counseling, school and educational psychology at the University at Buffalo. She joins Jay Moran to talk about the pros and cons of the ban, including the psychological and social impact of the ban, particularly for students who rely on their phones or social media as key aspects of their identity.
  • Transportation inequality restricts access to jobs and key services for community members. Go Bike and the Coalition of Economic Justice are two groups that aim to change the system through their transit initiatives and legislative recommendations. On today’s show, we welcome Justin Booth, the executive director of Go Bike, Kevin Heffernan, the communications director of Go Bike, and Jamal Davis, a transit rider organizer for the Coalition of Economic Justice. The three sit down with Thomas O-Neil-White to discuss what better transportation safety looks like, and how better access to transportation can be achieved.