No Pix After Dark Podcast

Aaron interviewed Quinn Collins Founder and Principal of Collins + Co. Collins + Co is a woman-owned and led public relations, marketing and creative agency with experience inspiring audiences across the world. They specialize in compelling storytelling, striking creative and smart branding. (Words from websites) We talked about starting a company from scratch and how she has learned a lot being an entrepreneur. She has been a leader from high school to college and this prepared her to start her company. Quinn walks us through her story and how the company has been around for 10 plus years doing everything from marketing, and public relations The Collins + Co brand represents many business in the Baltimore,Washington Annapolis. Northern Virginia Area https://www.collins-company.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com United Way Central Maryland https://uwcm.org Charm Craft City

Donae Burston is a luxury wine & spirits leader with over 20 years of industry experience. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Donae achieved a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University in 1998. He concurrently completed a second degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech before beginning his career in the information technology sector, initially consulting on Healthcare Systems. In 2001, Donae entered the alcohol industry, working on the promotional side of several iconic brands in the US, before joining the luxury group LVMH. During his 10+ years with the company, he worked across brands such as Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Moet & Chandon, Belvedere Vodka, and Hennessy Cognac. While with LVMH, in 2011, Donae created the first-ever luxury champagne bar in a sports arena at American Airlines Arena during the Miami Heat's championship run. In 2016, Donae became the Regional Director of the Southeast US, Caribbean, and Latin America regions of Armand de

Aaron interviewed Franklyn Baker CEO and President of United Way of Central Maryland. We discussed an array of topics such as Changemakers Challenge, Neighborhood Grants & Neighborhood Zones programs that help out in  Baltimore Communities. We discussed DEI and how the United Way of Central Maryland is always evolving. You don’t want to miss this episode! We have some surprise answers during the speed round! Franklyn Baker has been president and CEO of the United Way of Central Maryland for six years. Before joining the United Way, he worked as COO for Greenpeace USA and served as the COO and chief of staff and external affairs officer with Volunteers of America Chesapeake. https://www.uwcm.org www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com United Way Central Maryland https://uwcm.org Charm Craft City Mafia www.charmcitycraftmafia.com Siena Leigh https://www.sienaleigh.com Open Work

Aaron sat down with owners of the company Next Day Solomon Mangham and Leigh Phillips. NextDay was built by two colleagues who met at McKinsey & Company in Washington, DC. The idea was conceived during a business trip to the midwest after a long night at a networking event. The duo had a 7 am client meeting and multiple cups of coffee were no longer doing the trick hence they developed a shared goal to address hangovers. NextDay is the leading provider of all-natural productivity and recovery products. NextDay was built to help address the core issues of hangover so customers enjoy long nights out and still get things done the next day. NextDay is available in stores across the DC-metropolitan area and available online for shipping nationwide. The business was founded in 2020 by Solomon Mangham and Leigh Phillips and is headquartered in Washington D.C. For more information, visit GetANextDay.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.m

Aaron (host of NoPixAfterDark Podcast. )  sat down with the actors of "Sanctuary City", 'Hernán Angulo and María Victoria Martínez to discuss this amazing show. We talked about why they got into the acting, who inspired them growing up, Disney Villains to real sanctuary cities.  What the play means to them and what do you hope people walk way from this interview? Sanctuary City” is by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Martyna Majok  and is a co-production with Berkeley Rep in California. It’s a beautiful, profound, and topical piece about two undocumented teenagers who lean on each other.  “Sanctuary City” will run October 21-November 27. Tickets for Sanctuary City https://www.arenastage.org Thank you Hernán Angulo and María Victoria Martínez and Arena Stage Washington DC Music Intro: John Tyler produced: www.acutevisions.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com United W

Aaron and Shelby sit down for an amazing candid conversation about being entrepreneurs and how she loves being in the music industry. He love for music and how she has had the opportunity to travel to Europe for a music tour. We also learn about her other business that has taken off. Hit play to find out what the business and other amazing things she has going on!  Shelby Blondell is an international, songwriter, singer, inventor and speaker from Linthicum MD, whose determination  shows that even brain surgeries cannot get her down. Shelby has a unique sound that captivates a crowd by bringing them to their feet and hitting their heart. Shelby’s  music, story, and work have been featured on radio and multimedia internationally, with a radio hit TOP 10, "Fun In The Sun", on the European Indie Music Charts while sharing the stage with artists like Pentatonix, Howie Day and many in between.  ​ Shelby's career began with her self released debut ep (fly) in 2013 and self titled EP in 2014 inleading her to perform

Elliott Ferguson is President and CEO of Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC. A 33-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry, Ferguson leads DDC’s efforts to generate economic opportunity for the District through meetings and tourism, overseeing the organization’s convention and tourism sales, marketing, finance and business development operations. Ferguson celebrated his 20-year anniversary with DDC in December 2021. He began his tenure in December 2001 as the Vice President of Convention Sales, became Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services in 2005 and has served as President and CEO since 2009. Prior to DDC, he was Director of Sales and Vice President of Sales at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and Director of Sales at the Savannah CVB. In January 2021, he was named Board Chair of Tourism Diversity Matters, an organization focused on creating diversity, equity and inclusion opportunities at all levels of the workforce.

One of the DC area’s best known and most respected food and wine journalists, Nycci Nellis sits atop a small, dining out/going out media empire. She is: Hailed as Greater Washington, D.C.’s “go-to” source for the latest on what’s happening across the restaurant and party and scene Founder and publisher of TheListAreYouOnIt.com, a website with more than 36,000 loyal subscribers that aggregates and always updates the latest in everything happening across the area’s food and wine scene and hailed by Washington Post as, "one of the premier resources for all things food and wine in DC and beyond" A featured, weekly presenter on WTOP 103.5 FM, the DC area’s top-rated radio station, and co- host of two, weekly radio shows. Foodie and the Beast, a one-hour, live, food and wine variety show airing weekly on the 50,000-watt 1500AM since 2008, features a lively mix of celebrities and others from the area’s and the nation’s restaurant, vineyard, farming, brewing, mixology, seafood and other scenes related to what we ea

Eze Jackson is an Emcee, Producer, and community organizer. He recently founded the record label/collective EPIC FAM. As the frontman of the hip-hop/fusion band Soul Cannon as well as a solo artist, he has toured the US and released 6 projects independently, bringing high energy and forward-thinking lyrics to almost any musical challenge. His most recent solo album, “Fool”, has been well received in Baltimore & surrounding areas with critical acclaim from Under the moniker “Ezewriter”, Eze’s prolific ability to tell stories and paint pictures has allowed him to stand out as a writer for all genres of local music, stage, tv & film projects. Eze is the Founder, Creator, and Chief Visionary Officer of EPIC FAM. EPIC FAM is a Baltimore-based Entertainment & Media company, unifying a collective of the City’s best multi-genre musical artists and arts & culture creatives   Intro music John Tyler produced: www.acutevisions.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www

Bonus Episode: Baltimore CTE Food, Beverage and Baking Competition. Live Taping at the Hyatt Regency downtown Baltimore  The first Baltimore CTE Food, Beverage and Baking Competition took place in early May 2022 during National Travel &Tourism Week  Five local high schools and over 100 students participated is a behind-the-scenes-property tour, culinary competition, and networking opportunity while learning from various professionals in the industry. Stay tuned and find out what school won the competition!  This is a partnership between Baltimore City School and Visit Baltimore.    

Bonus EP: ft Jim Peterson  Vice President, Small Business M&T Bank, Frederick Riley Executive Director Weave : The Social Fabric Project, Sonja Merchant Jones 2022 Weaver Award Winner.   The Weaver Awards, launched in Baltimore in 2021, focus on identifying and supporting Baltimore residents and organizations who prioritize their community's emotional needs for connection and belonging. The program is open exclusively to Baltimore City residents 18 and older and smaller organizations with budgets under $250,000 a year. Funded in partnership with M&T Bank the awards honor these community "weavers" and their important work.   These Baltimoreans represent a wide range of neighborhoods and mostly grassroots projects; all focused on building community trust and connection to help heal the division that exists. What these weavers all have in common is the work they've been doing to show up for their neighbors to meet the unmet needs that exist, from after-school programming for the youth to community compos

Kirby has served as the President & CEO of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore since July 1, 2020, taking over the zoo during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the Zoo is experiencing strong attendance, exceeding the three-year average, and recently released a transformative 10-year Master Plan. Previously, Kirby served as President of The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc. During his 16-year tenure, more than 70 major development projects opened in the Downtown core with the assistance of The Partnership. Also, under his leadership, The Partnership revitalized parks and plazas (Center Plaza, Preston Gardens, Hopkins Plaza, McKeldin Plaza); led the transformation of Pratt Street; launched the Charm City Circulator; oversaw planning for a new Lexington Market and renovation of Cross Street Market; created a Homeless Outreach Team; and co-authored a tax credit program to spark apartment construction throughout the City. As a result, Downtown dramatically transformed from a predominan

Caren Plummer, DC native, 200hr registered yoga instructor, podcast host and most notably, a true community builder. Caren with a C, as she reminds everyone, is a proud Washingtonian focused on how she can enable community service and awareness through fitness. Hosting monthly yoga classes in benefit of local non-profit organizations, she is dedicated to building community through the act of giving. But it doesn't stop with yoga, this DC fitness feen or queen is taking her philanthropic heart and body into the ring on October 13th to fight in her first ever boxing match for charity in partnership with Haymakers for Hope, a 501(3)(c) non-profit that organizes boxing matches up and down the east coast to raise money and awareness for cancer research, care and survivorship. Music Intro: John Tyler produced: www.acutevisions.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com United Way Central

Recognized as one of Baltimore’s Top 40 under 40, Dr. Tammira Lucas is a thought leader who has quickly emerged as a trailblazer among millennial professionals and a powerful voice for communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Lucas is the founder of The Cube, Cowork, the largest black women owned coworking space in the United States that provides babysitting services. Dr. Lucas is a strong advocate for women in business especially moms. With her dedication to ensure that all moms have access to resources and support to balance their careers, businesses and family, she cofounded The National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs (formally Moms As Entrepreneurs). The National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs, provides advocacy, support, and resources for mom entrepreneurs. Dr. Lucas is an Author, Speaker, Philanthropist, and Professor. Dr. Lucas has dedicated her life to focusing on building stronger and equitable communities through leadership, education, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Liz Cornish joined South Baltimore Gateway Partnership in April of 2021 as the Enhanced Services Director where she currently manages a multi-million-dollar portfolio of community development projects in South Baltimore. Liz previously served as the Executive Director of Bikemore, Baltimore City's Livable Streets Advocacy organization. Under her leadership the organization achieved significant growth and secured major policy wins including the passage of the Complete Streets Ordinance which was recognized by Smart Growth America as a top complete streets initiative in 2018. During her tenure at Bikemore she was named a Baltimore Visionary by Baltimore Magazine, and a "True American Hero" for her work on complete streets by Streetsblog USA. In 2019, Bikemore was named Bike Advocacy Organization of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists. In 2020, she served on Mayor Brandon Scott's Transition Team as Co-Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure committee. She has previously held positions with Outwa

NoPixAfterDarkPodcast on the road. Aaron interviewed Leigh and Corey from Perennial Stays at one of their short term rentals in Columbia Pennsylvania. They tell their story of how they got into the short term rental game. Their love for living in Baltimore and how they love what they do! Excited for you to watch or listen to this episode. We are your Perennial Stays hosts, Leigh & Corey. We live in Baltimore City and have been married since 2010. By day, Corey is an engineer, and Leigh is an accountant. In 2015, at the recommendation of some friends, we decided to earn a little extra money by renting out our primary residence in Baltimore while we traveled. We enjoyed it so much, we decided to branch out to our first property in West Virginia. In 2018 we purchased our second property in West Virginia – the farmhouse! Finally, in 2021 we decided to expand to beautiful Lancaster, PA – !  Leigh loves the design, hospitality, and marketing aspects, while Corey enjoys hunting for houses, renovations, and opera

Season Premiere of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast we are back! The first guest is Alex Smith is the Founder and President of Atlas Restaurant Group, a nationally-acclaimed Baltimore-based hospitality group featuring twenty-five concepts currently open with more set to open in the near future. Aaron and Alex discussed everything from the his interest in Restaurant Management, the shutdown for COVID, opening more restaurants in the Baltimore Area, over saturating the market, trials and tribulations the company has gone through . We talked about DEI training and how employees going to extensive training before they even began to work.   Smith founded the group in 2012 with the opening of Mediterranean kouzina Ouzo Bay in Baltimore, and has since grown the group in Maryland, Texas and Florida. Following five years as a professional lacrosse player and inspired to pursue a career in hospitality by his grandfather’s immense success with Baltimore’s H&S Bakery, Smith got his start operating a Häagen-Dazs franchise in Bal

NoPiXAfterDark had the honor of going to the Washington Navy Yard and interviewing NDW Commandant, Rear Adm. Nancy Lacore. Admiral Lacore shared some of her personal life stories and we discussed the upcoming @MDfleetweek taking place in Baltimore on Sept 7-13 @NavalDistWash   This episode will be available to watch/listen on August 29 on the No Pix After Dark website at https://nopixafterdark.com.    Aaron Dante is an award winning podcaster and Baltimore influencer. His podcast No Pix After Dark seeks to build a community of human experience, storytelling and conversation.    Thank you, again NavalDistWash, for the interview.

NoPixAfterDark Podcast was live at AFRAM 2022 this year. I will be releasing interviews from the festival this week and next week. This week Aaron interviewed Morgan (Union Craft Brewing) Comedian Ivan Martin (Baltimore Comedy Festival) and Chef Saon Brice (BLK SWAN).  Thank you to all the guest that helped make this a memorable experience. Thank You AFRAM! This episode will be on Youtube https://youtu.be/s9MegeW0vAI    

Aaron sat down with Adam Lindquist and Chelsea Anspach from the Waterfront Partnership to talk about Mr. Trash Wheel.Mr. Trash Wheel is a trash interceptor, a vessel that removes trash from the Jones Falls river as it empties into the Inner Harbor in Baltimore,MD. It is powered by water wheels & solar cells and places trash from the harbor onto an onboard conveyor belt which routes it into dumpsters on the vessel. We discuss after a major rain Mr. Trash Wheel is filled up very quickly. We talk about the healthy Harbor to restore Oyster Initiative, Harbor scholars and educational programs for Baltimore Youth and so much more. Thank you Adam and Chelsea for coming on the podcast IG Mrtrashwheelwheel www.mrtrashwheel.com ww.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast  Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com Charm Craft City Mafia www.charmcitycraftmafia.com Siena Leigh https://www.sienaleigh.com Open Works https://www.openworksbm