Episodes

This week on Inside the Skev, we are joined by Dick Co and Robinson Markus from the Evanston Development Cooperative. EDC is a local cooperative that engages the Evanston community in intergenerational social progress by building high-performing, sensible housing.

This week on Inside the Skev, we are joined by Monica Rodriguez, the Director of Communications and Engagement, for the All of Us Research Program at Northwestern University. The All of Us Research Program’s mission is to speed up health research breakthroughs. To do this, they are asking one million or more people throughout the United States to volunteer their health data to help lead the way in discovering better care for all of us.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit-down with Roberta Bernstein and Judy Holstein to talk the authors of, Somewhere in Europe. The book is a compilation of letters their father sent to their mother while he was stationed in Europe during World War II and were found many years later after their father had passed away. Learn about the tremendous sacrifices our soldiers made for the common good as we commemorate Veterans Day this coming week. We were also joined by Ilene Uhlmann who is the Director of Arts and Ideas Programming for JCC Chicago. She talks about the JCC Jewish Film Festival which is taking place virtually in November.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Leslie Murphy, Economic Development Specialist for the Village of Skokie. We'll talk about what new developments are taking place in Skokie, what the Village is doing to support businesses during the pandemic, and how Skokie attracts international investment.

Julia Bunn
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Julia Bunn from the Spirited Gardner. Julia can often be heard (and seen) affirming the benefits of sustainable landscaping. After 10 years of building landscapes that often include rain gardens in the Chicago area, she has shifted her focus to consultations, design and project management. Julia's passion lies in teaching others how to responsibly manage their properties while creating beautiful gardens that can be enjoyed by homeowners and our native wildlife. Learn more about the Spirited Gardener on their website which can be found here: https://www.spiritedgardener.com/

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Matt Wechsler from the Village Farmstand. Village Farmstand is an online grocery store and micro-warehouse built for small farmers and loyal patrons looking to revolutionize our food system. Village Farmstand is a social entrepreneurship started by filmmaker Matt Wechsler and farmer Marty Travis. The two met in 2013 when Matt and his wife Annie set out to make a documentary about sustainability in agriculture. After meeting Marty, they knew they had found their main character.
The film, Sustainable, was released in 2016 and distributed worldwide, inspiring a new generation of farmers to be part of a fundamentally different food system.Village Farmstand can be found at https://villagefarmstand.com/ and is located at 810 Dempster Street, Evanston IL 60202.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Heather Collins of Heather Collins Training. Heather is a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and swim, cycle and running coach. She provides unwavering commitment and support to her clients. Heather currently works with over 200 clients a week either individually, in group settings or via the Internet. Her studio is located in Evanston and more information can be found on her website here: https://www.heathercollinstraining.com/

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Mitchell Kahn, the owner of Greenhouse, which is a recreational cannabis store that is brand new in Skokie. Mitch is also the founder and former CEO of Grassroots Cannabis and is now a board member of Curaleaf. We talk about the cannabis industry, the development of the Skokie store with its distinct architecture, the recent sale of Grassroots to Curaleaf, and marijuana in general. We talk about changing public perceptions and how to learn more about the products.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Erlene Howard and Mary Beth Schaye from Collective Resource Compost. Collective Resource Compost is a woman-owned compost and food scrap pickup service based in Evanston. They collect all food waste and compostable products from homes, businesses, and institutions and take them to a commercial composting site. The food scraps then become a nutrient-rich soil amendment instead of sitting in a landfill.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Ross Gordon. Ross is a serial entrepreneur who has taken Skevanston by storm. Ross is the founder of Catch Co, a digitally native sport-fishing brand that began as a subscription service called Mystery Tackle Box in 2012. Today Catch Co. sells millions of fishing lures every year through their Mystery Tackle Box subscription, ecommece platform, and retail partners like Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Ross also previously founded Evanston’s own CraftJack, a marketing and SaaS company for home improvement contractors.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Len Joy, the author of the new book Everyone Dies Famous. Everyone Dies Famous is a story from the heartland about the uncommon lives of everyday people—the choices they make, how they live their lives, and how they die. Len is an author of several novels, a Skevanston resident and a nationally ranked triathlete and competes internationally representing the United States as part of TEAM USA.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Kathy Tate-Bradish and Michelle Jordan, both members of the League of Women Voters of Evanston. In this episode we discuss the history of the League, its role in American Democracy and its interest in seeing the Fair Tax in Illinois passed in the November elections. The Fair Tax is a graduated income tax for the State of Illinois based on income level.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Elan Mosbacher, the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Spothero, and a Skokie resident. Spothero is the #1 downloaded parking reservation app. They provide an easy way for consumers across North America to reserve the best parking with the best rates, before heading to their destination. They also use artificial intelligence to make the parking industry more efficient, and partner with cities to improve their transportation system with partnerships with apps like Waze and the City of Chicago. In this conversation we discuss the dynamics of the parking industry and where it is headed.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Aina Gutierrez, the Executive Director of Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse, an Evanston-based non-profit organization that promotes the reduction of waste in landfills through sustainable deconstruction and renovation building practices. Reclaimed building materials are sold at their warehouse at low cost to the community and the proceeds support their education, job-training and job-development programs which foster individual, community and economic growth in Evanston and beyond.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Jill Bishop. Jill is Founder & CEO of Multilingual Connections, an Evanston-based company that helps you understand, engage and grow your multilingual audience through translation, transcription and multimedia localization in over 75 languages. They are a woman owned business (WBENC) and a member of the Association of Language Companies, GALA and the American Translators Association.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Linda Darragh. Linda is the The Larry Levy Executive Director and Clinical Professor Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative at Northwestern University. She is leading a program that is partnering Northwestern with the City of Evanston to help local businesses navigate the pandemic. To help Evanston's small businesses weather this current crisis, local Kellogg alumni and students will provide pro bono consulting to Evanston business owners in high-demand areas, including digital marketing and social media, public relations, financial planning and analysis, and human resources management. In this conversation we also speak about her background in entrepreneurship, the program at Northwestern and how businesses are adapting to the pandemic.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Lena Kim from niceLena & Friends. niceLena & Friends is a crafts shop located at 1235 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, in the Main Dempster Mile. Lena makes incredibly innovative and custom crafts including prints, candles, mugs, cards and so much more. We talk about her innovative and engaging marketing efforts including the fairy door project, crafting parties in the store and her fun social media posts. We also talk about Lena’s background as moving to America as a 10 year old from South Korea and how that has taught her to be so creative.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Lisa Degliantoni. Lisa is the Founder and Executive Director of Evanston Made, Founder and Curator of 1100 Florence and the Host and Producer of the Lisa D Show. Evanston Made is a membership-based organization whose mission it is to promote the art community in Evanston through mentorship and connecting buyers with artists. 1100 Florence is a former Polish meat shop turn art event space where Lisa lives. The Lisa D show is a podcast now Instagram Live show that showcases the artists of Evanston. Lisa is an art and media powerhouse.

Patrick Keenan-Devlin
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Patrick Keenan-Devlin. Keenan-Devlin is the Executive Director and Juvenile Justice Attorney for the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy in Evanston. In this episode we talk about the work they do, restorative justice and the effects of Covid-19 on the Center and justice work in general.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 9th District, which include the Skev. In this episode we discuss the government’s response to Covid-19, the stimulus programs, and her work to protect nursing home employees and residents. We also discuss her story in getting into politics and her encouragement for more people to get involved.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Scott Rochelle, the President and CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) which is headquartered in Downtown Chicago. In his role as President and CEO, Rochelle oversees the Retired Players Association’s day-to-day operations, including securing new cutting-edge partnerships for former players to thrive and prosper. In addition, he continues to strengthen and foster the association’s local chapters which has expanded to 12 cities during his tenure as President and CEO. Scott is an Evanston resident and former ETHS school board member.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Reavens Lee from SparkRaw Media. SparkRaw helps entrepreneurs and businesses to "videolize" the buyer's journey to close the gaps between prospects, customers, and teams without losing their authenticity. They are video experience designers. We talk about Reavens’ journey from Taiwan, her struggles with explaining the value of her work to her family and having the bravery and dedication to become a huge success. SparkRaw has also been instrumental in helping Inside the Skev with the creation of the trailer video, the video of the MWRD O’Brien Facility and the interview of TM Garret.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Michelle Friedman, a Skokie resident and fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities. Michelle is a life coach, writer, and board member of Keshet and the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), both of whom have been featured on this show. Michelle speaks to many schools and students of her experience living with blindness. We also talk about how she and the disabled community are adapting to the world of Covid. This episode can be watched on Youtube or listened to on any podcast app or Skevanston.com

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Nia Tavoularis. Nia the Director of Development for Connections for the Homeless. Connections is THE agency in the northern suburbs leading the effort to deliver essential services to people who are homeless and unstably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Connections for the Homeless partners with the community to provide comprehensive, compassionate, well-resourced, and effective programs in an exceptional workplace. They are the recognized as a leader on the causes of and solutions to homelessness in the northern suburbs. This episode can be watched on Youtube or listened to on any podcast app or Skevanston.com