- This month on The SPARK, our theme is "Cultivating Memphis: Food, Literacy, and Legacy".

We'll learn about a nonprofit transforming culinary workforce development with a no-cost-paid apprenticeship program.

A young lady representing our county on some of the biggest stages while volunteering to support youth literacy and a magazine celebrating 50 years of stories, culture, and voices that have shaped our city.

We'll also share a special moment from our SPARK Awards 2025.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity, and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting the positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The SPARK.

- (male announcer) Additional funding for The SPARK is provided by United Way of the Mid-South, EcOp, the Memphis Zoo, and by the Medical Education and Research Institute.

- Have you ever been excited by a new idea, inspired by watching someone lead by example?

When we talk about creating change, we start by sharing the stories of everyday heroes who are making a difference in their own way so we can learn and do the same.

I'm Jeremy Park and this is The SPARK.

They're a nonprofit transforming culinary workforce development.

We're here with the founder and CEO of the Center of Culinary Cultivation and The Sow Project, Ben Vaughn.

Let's start out, let's go ahead and dive into The Sow Project.

Ben, give us some background.

- So, Sow Project is truly about removing barriers.

We do teach culinary, but it actually ends up becoming just about removing barriers.

Education, zero cost.

Guaranteed employment, always.

What we do is we have a 470-hour or 6-month program.

We start from the very beginning, the very core of culinary, but what we do is strip away kind of the pretense and we provide each individual to be work-ready from the jump.

During the time here, they go through soup stocks, knife cuts, serve-safe certification, all of the things you might think.

And then we touch on different types of regional cuisine, and then they're kind of off to the races.

It is a really interesting model that is working.

And what we're doing is, it's barrier removal.

How can I go to school and not leave school in debt with a low-paying job?

Traditionally, food service jobs have low wages, so we need to match that education with that coming-out-of-class wage.

- Talk about the importance of this in terms of not only the job creation side, but literally, like, feeding our restaurants, feeding our citizens.

So, talk about the importance of this work overall and the ripple impact in our community.

- Yeah, I mean, community is coming together around the table, right?

It's so important.

The ripple effect is enormous.

One of the largest small businesses in our country is small restaurants.

It's operated by mom and pops, and mom and pops rely on local workforce.

The restaurant, food, and beverage industry as a whole lost an enormous amount of skilled workers post-COVID.

They just were turned off to the idea of an industry that kind of, in some ways, collapsed during COVID.

A lot of rebuilding has happened, a lot of wonderful restaurants still do wonderful work, but we have a young group of people that are the veterans of the industry.

Young in the sense of they've done it for six years, and that's not a whole lot.

So, what we're doing is really trying to reestablish what it means to be a pool of talent.

We kind of work on the whole human and we use food as the aggregate, right?

I mean, it's just part of what we do.

So, it's working really well.

We're in our third year.

We have seen ebb and flow of success and failures, but the failures have been small.

The scenario where this doesn't work is not a reality.

We operate with such a tiny overhead at The Sow Project because somebody, a very large nonprofit to remain nameless, that operates in a similar food space across the entire country, asked me if I could come talk to their board about how we succeed with our P&L versus their P&L.

And it was, literally, I don't have as much money to lose.

So, that's how we stay successful.

- Well, you have a number of success stories, including your very first student.

So, share a couple of the success stories.

- Lauren Maddox, our very first student, she was my Guinea pig for all things Sow Project, and she literally would call me and be like, "Are we doing this today?

Exactly, how does this work?"

And we started in my home kitchen and that went from one student to six students, and then we graduated to different kitchens.

And I think I've shared that story on a few platforms, but I will say she went on to become a pastry chef in Atlanta at a restaurant that I've helped operate for the last 13 years.

You know, she's a wonderful human.

She's actually returning to Memphis in August to become our full-time baking and pastry teacher.

Student number two, Kasey Hopkins, spent seven years in incarceration, came to us via Memphis Allies, which is, you know, an advocacy in Memphis.

It's a small company related to the Youth Villages.

And we've just nurtured her and she's my sous chef, and she oversees all of the student production for all of The Sow Project.

So, we have a number of success stories.

- You're working on a new project, 409 South Main.

You've got a lot of big opportunities in the works, but talk about how the community can support The Sow Project.

- We love volunteers.

One of the least recognized things that we have to deal with every day is transportation.

I mean, not everyone has a car and this is not a walkable city.

So, volunteers for transportation, we have a couple of vans, so we do that.

Donations are wonderful.

We love donations.

So, anything that can help offset our hard expenses is a huge benefit.

Huey's stepped up in a big way and they helped us put uniforms on the backs of everyone that works here and everyone that's a student here.

So, for a whole year.

I mean, that was an enormous... I felt bad asking, but Alex Boggs came through with a huge thing for The Sow Project, and it just adds one more layer of professionalism for each student and each employee to feel like they really belong in this commercial kitchen and they look the part.

- Wrap that up with where we can go to learn more and get involved.

- Yeah, I would love for everyone to just go to our website, it's sowproject, s-o-w-project.org, "sow" like a seed, not "sow" like a pig, and look through it.

I mean, spend some time on the site.

There's a lot of information.

We try to answer as many questions on the homepage as humanly possible so if you get lost in the minutiae, you don't get bored.

But I think it's worth learning about.

And we throw parties every so often as fundraisers.

And we have one coming up July 19th, which is going to be a great party in downtown Memphis, barbecue and wine, and it'll be fun.

It's a back-to-school kind of thing.

So, yeah, get to know us.

- Well, Ben, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you so much for having me.

[uplifting music] - She is Miss Shelby County 2026.

She's a financial advisor with First Horizon Advisors.

And she gives back and volunteers with Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South.

We're talking with Cecily Berry.

And Cecily, this starts with inspiration from your mom.

So, give us a little background on what led you to compete for Miss Shelby County 2026.

- Well, thank you, Jeremy, for that introduction.

Yes, my mother competed for Miss Tennessee thirty years ago to the date.

So I've been watching this organization since I was a little girl, and I always knew that I wanted to be on that stage as well.

And it started with Miss Shelby County and maybe will end with Miss Tennessee, but I'm so excited for this year.

- Give us an idea of what that entails.

So, when you talk about the competition and the different elements, what goes into the competition?

- Yes.

So first we have our interview portion.

You know, they want to make sure that we are professional and polished young women.

Then, of course, we advocate for fitness and heart health awareness, so there's a portion about that.

Poise and elegance with our evening gown.

There's a talent portion.

And onstage conversation, which challenges us in the area of maybe political or world views, and just super, super fun competition.

- How has competing and, obviously, having the crown for Miss Shelby County 2026, how has that helped you already grow?

- So much.

I knew that when I entered the professional world, I was going to grow.

But through this organization, I have been able to experience events and just things that have sped that process up, meeting other business owners, networking, even sales experience in this organization.

It's been fantastic.

- One of the other things is you have a chance to meet the other young women and get to know their platforms.

Talk about the relational side, the community-building side of this.

- Yes, so we say that we have four points of our crown, but the base of it is sisterhood.

And these 45 other young ladies competing for Miss Tennessee are incredible.

We each have something that we care about, and to learn about those different elements is so special.

And to see other professional young women wanting to grow together, I mean, that is amazing, just incredible.

- Talk about the importance of financial literacy and how that plays a role in what you do on the give-back side.

- Yes.

So, as a financial advisor, I've seen there has been a gap in our financial literacy from early education, and Junior Achievement fills that gap.

From the 3rd grade to the 12th grade, these students go through experiential learning simulations, teaching them how to budget, teaching them about investing, how to even start their own business so when they graduate high school, they are ready for the real world.

It's called real-world preparedness for them.

And to be able to step into a classroom and teach children about those skills is so special to the point where one day they're going to sit in front of me at my desk and they are going to be ready to have that conversation about retirement.

- What's been one of your favorite experiences when you look at that volunteerism?

What's been a favorite experience?

- I love their ability, the children's ability to just soak in what you're learning and then ask questions.

So I taught a 3rd-grade class one time, and by the end of the hour, y'all, we had Yahoo Finance pulled up and we were evaluating the volatility of the stock market, cheering if McDonald's stock went up that day or not.

So, just to see them ask questions and understand complicated financial topics made me realize it's not that difficult to understand.

You just need somebody to teach it to you.

- Well, when you talk about financial literacy, scholarships also play a role in Miss Shelby County 2026, Miss Tennessee, Miss America.

Talk about that aspect, and ultimately what you are competing for and how that kind of pours back into your success.

- Yes, so not just is this organization about developing us professionally, but it opens doors through scholarships.

So, scholarships are what got me through college.

I earned my master's degree because of scholarships.

And the Miss America organization is the number one scholarship provider for women in our nation.

And it truly propels us in our future, in opening those doors and those opportunities.

So, when I stand on the Miss Tennessee stage tomorrow even, I will be competing for my further education as an advisor and potentially a PhD candidate.

- I know one of the other cool aspects is you have a chance to wear your crown and sash out in the community and you yourself attend other events and volunteer in so many other places.

Talk about that aspect of the public being able to see you, and when we see you out in the community, the ability to come say hi.

- Please do.

Y'all, it is so much fun being able to put on a sparkly crown and a sash.

What girl does not love that?

But sometimes when I put it on, you get these weird looks like, "What is she wearing?

Who is she?"

Come up and say hey, because I'm probably going to come up and say hey to you.

So, don't be afraid to talk to me.

Ask me about this crown.

Ask me about what I'm doing, why I'm doing it.

I love meeting new people.

- Talk about what your words of encouragement would be for the community to support you and ultimately to give back.

- Yes.

Y'all go follow social media.

That is the best way.

So my personal handle is @MissShelbyCountyTN.

You can follow that.

Follow our organization, the Miss Tennessee org.

Follow the Miss America organization.

And just note ways to get involved and support with likes, comments, just interactions.

Tell us that we're doing a great job, that you see us.

And don't be afraid to sign up and volunteer yourself.

You can go to Junior Achievement anywhere in the Mid-South and volunteer with them.

They're always willing to accept volunteers.

- And one last question.

For young girls, what would your words of encouragement be for them to pursue their dreams like you're doing?

- If you are afraid, do it in spite of your fear.

It took me the longest time to get involved with this organization because I was afraid to even try.

I was so afraid.

And then I decided, "You know what?

I'm going to do it anyways."

And I did.

It's been the most incredible seven months of my life.

I've loved it.

I've learned a lot, I've grown a lot.

And if you wait, the opportunity will pass you by.

So, do it.

Just go for it.

- Well, Cecily Berry, congratulations.

Best of luck on the adventure ahead.

Thank you for all you do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you all so much for having me.

[uplifting music] - The SPARK Awards annually recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the community.

The 2025 Education School Award went to Christian Brothers University.

[bright piano music] - My name is Amy Ware.

I'm the Assistant Vice President of Career Services at Christian Brothers University.

CBU considers itself to be Memphis' University.

We've been here over 150 years in the heart of our city.

Over 80% of our students stay in the Memphis area upon graduation.

Our students have a 98% placement rate, so all of our students are employed and/or in graduate school within 6 to 12 months after graduation.

The national average is around 64%.

So we're doing everything that we need to be doing to make sure that our students are employed and giving back to our great city once they graduate.

We have undergraduate student population and we also have three graduate programs.

We are very proud of our student-to-faculty ratio.

Our faculty-to-student ratio is 10 to 1, so our students get one-on-one attention from our faculty members.

And I really believe that that's why our students fare so well after graduation.

At the Nonprofit Internship Community Experience program, better known as NICE, was created nine years ago to be able to provide our Memphis nonprofit partners with interns to be able to serve the Memphis community.

And the NICE program was created for three reasons.

The first was to really allow students to obtain worthwhile career-related experience at a nonprofit to help them accomplish their career goals upon graduation.

The second was to really help our Memphis nonprofit partners accomplish their organizational goals and help them really move forward in making their mission happen.

And then the third was to really connect students to Memphis, to introduce them to our great city through the nonprofit sector, further endearing them to our city and its people.

It's sad that our city sometimes gets a bad rap, especially now, but we all know who live here in Memphis how amazing the city is.

And by serving our nonprofits within the Memphis community, you can see the good in our city.

You can see the good work that our nonprofits are doing to better our city and to move our city forward.

We are a city that is unlike any other city in the world.

The diversity, the concern for others.

We all come together.

And I love our city, and our students love our city.

And so being able to go out and see our city firsthand, giving back, making a difference, we're unlike any other city in the world.

And I'm really proud that NICE has been able to really connect students with the greatness of our city and the nonprofits that we have there.

[bright orchestral music] [bright orchestral music continues] - There are magazines celebrating 50 years of stories, culture, and voices that have defined our city.

We're here with the CEO of Contemporary Media and the editor-in-chief of Memphis Magazine, Anna Traverse.

And let's start out.

Before we dive into the 50th anniversary, give us some background on Contemporary Media.

- Sure.

Well, first of all, Jeremy, thank you so much for having me today.

I'm so appreciative of this opportunity.

Contemporary Media was founded in 1985, and we're the parent company of Memphis Magazine as well as the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, and assorted other projects that we take on.

So, we are a small committed team of local Memphians who have been thinking about creative storytelling for people and brands around the city for a lot of years now.

- Well, Memphis Magazine celebrating 50 years.

So, give us some highlights around the 50th anniversary for Memphis Magazine.

- Sure.

So, we started thinking about the fact that our 50th anniversary was coming up several years ago, and just really thought about how best to mark this moment.

And I think that what we decided on was an idea that we should, instead of just celebrating ourselves, celebrate the city and the people who've made this magazine possible for the past 50 years.

And we are just so excited to think about the things that have stayed the same and the things that have changed.

So, we started by going through our own archives, just to look through those hundreds and hundreds of magazines going back through all of these decades of really dynamic and transitional moments for our city.

Of course, Memphis has been through a lot of change, a lot of turmoil, a lot of expansion and evolution over the past 50 years.

And I think that what we have an opportunity to do in Memphis Magazine is just to shine a light on all of those moments.

And what I find the most just compelling about our archives is that we've been a mirror of the city for the last 50 years.

And so we just are so excited to look back and also to look outwards.

- Talk about storytelling, collaboration, working with the community to build community.

- There's no way to tell the stories of a city without working really closely with all sorts of different constituent groups in that city.

So, it really gives us this opportunity and window into so many different creative spaces, entrepreneurial spaces, culinary spaces, and the list goes on and on and on.

Because the stories of Memphis are not something that any one person can get across.

It's the story of close to a million people who are each contributing their own part.

So, I see us as being just at the center of this whole collaborative network of people who often come to us and pitch stories.

Or we'll stumble across a story when my colleagues and I are just going through the general course of living in Memphis.

And I mean, it is so inherently a partnership and a collaboration with pretty much everybody that we've ever met here.

So, it's kind of the opposite of a lonely, like, ivory tower-type of profession.

We are down there with everyone just thinking about what's going on in all the parts of our city.

- Well, supporting local journalism is a piece of this.

Obviously, reading is a piece of this as well, subscribing.

Talk about the many ways that the public can support Contemporary Media and Memphis Magazine.

- For Memphis Magazine, our biggest audience group is actually people who get the magazine delivered to their homes.

So, it's very easy and relatively inexpensive to subscribe.

And if you are someone who still enjoys having print magazines on your coffee table in the living room, I know that I do, not just ours, I hope that people will subscribe.

It's a nice way to kind of show your love of Memphis in a subtle and tasteful way.

And people can do that at memphismagazine.com.

And as I mentioned, we also publish the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, and others.

And I hope that people will just continue to read and follow along with whichever of our publications speak to them.

And yeah, just keep reading.

I think it's so interesting, you know, people think that no one reads anymore, but I think actually people are reading all the time, they're just reading in different contexts.

So, if people prefer to read us online, read us online.

So, yeah, I mean, there's so many ways to follow us along, and I just can't emphasize enough how wonderful our team is, how dedicated my colleagues are, and how many years of their lives they've put into this.

We are so fortunate to work with some of the most talented writers, editors, photographers, visual artists, salespeople, business development people that you could ever hope to meet here.

And these are all people who are so deeply rooted in Memphis and so insightful about it.

So, I think that's really, to me, what sets apart the team that I'm so lucky to work with, is just that these are people who have really put their whole heart and their whole brain into it for a lot of years.

And I think the result of that shows.

- Well wrap up with where we can go to learn more and to connect with Contemporary Media and Memphis Magazine.

- Yeah.

So, people can check us out at memphismagazine.com.

We're on all of the social networks as @MemphisMagazine.

And the same goes for the Memphis Flyer, memphisflyer.com, @MemphisFlyer.

So, yeah, just follow along and let us know what ideas you have.

- I love it.

Well, Anna, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you so much, Jeremy.

[uplifting music] - On this month's episode of The SPARK, we've seen that cultivating a stronger Memphis takes many forms.

It's providing a no-cost paid apprenticeship program that combines on-the-job training, mentorship, and job placement to help individuals launch their culinary careers, staff our restaurants, and literally feed our communities.

It's investing in young minds through literacy and mentorship while stepping out on the biggest stages to represent our community.

And it's both preserving and sharing the stories, culture, and voices that define us.

What connects each of this month's guests is a shared belief that lasting change begins when people choose to invest something meaningful back into others to create opportunities, knowledge and confidence, and community.

The future of Memphis will not be shaped by one organization or one individual alone.

It will grow through all of us, through volunteering, mentoring, supporting local nonprofits, uplifting local journalism, and finding ways to serve where we live.

Because when we cultivate Memphis together, we create a city where every person has the chance to thrive.

So, where will you help power the good and become a spark?

To learn more about each of the guests, to watch past episodes, and to share your stories of others leading by example, visit wkno.org and click on the link for The SPARK.

We look forward to seeing you next month.

We hope that you'll continue joining with us to create a spark for the Mid-South.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity, and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting the positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The SPARK.

[uplifting music] [acoustic guitar chords]