Little Local Conversations

Matt Hanna
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

  1. Sep 29

    Local Government Update, September 2026

    Discover the latest Watertown government moments, stories, and numbers in this relaxed but informative conversation with Tyler Cote, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV.  See links to things mentioned in this episode at LittleLocalConversations.com.  Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Local Government Update, September 2026

  2. Sep 25

    Watertown's Open: Activating Local Independent Retailers

    This episode is from a Watertown's Open event that happened on September 16th, 2026 at the WCA-TV studios. The theme of the panel conversation was Activating Local Independent Retailers. Listen for insights as a small business person, as an interested resident, or just out of curiosity! There's lots of good information shared throughout the discussion. Panelists: Liz Helfer, City of Watertown, Senior Planner for Public Arts & Culture   Erin Rathe, City of Watertown, Senior Planner for Economic Development Allison Yee, UpNext, Founder and CEO Independent Retailer Guest: Anthony Eyring, Ampersand Glassworks Watertown's Open are live podcast events for small businesses, and it's a place to get local business owners together to discuss topics such as this.  The project is a collaboration between the City of Watertown’s Economic Development Planner, the Little Local Conversations podcast, WCA-TV, and the Watertown Business Coalition. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Watertown's Open: Activating Local Independent Retailers

  3. Sep 10

    Creative Chats With Zachariah Hickman (Building a Second Act)

    To kick off season 3 of the live podcast Creative Chats event series, I sat down at the Mosesian Center for the Arts for a conversation with musician, producer, impresario, and good-natured mischief lover Zachariah Hickman to talk about how he's continuing to build his second act. His first act? Touring as a bassist, musical director, and more with acts such as Josh Ritter and Ray LaMontagne (sprinkling in some gigs with The Who and Bob Weir), playing venues such as Carnegie Hall (which included the single scariest moment of his performing career), Red Rocks, and the Royal Albert Hall, performing on the David Letterman show six times. He was on the road 280+ days a year, filling in the gaps flying overnight to play shows back in Boston then fly back to the tour right after. In short, it was awesome...and exhausting. The second act? Building things locally, for a community, sustainably. This included becoming the pandemic-era "Tuba Guy" to spread joy in the streets, building a recording studio in his Watertown home where musicians can stay for a few days and make a record in a supportive environment, running a music camp and mentoring budding musicians, and putting together unique showcases of local talent. Listen to hear his journey, philosophy, and add a splash of mischief to your day.  Keep up with Zachariah on Instagram or Facebook Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Creative Chats With Zachariah Hickman (Building a Second Act)

  4. Sep 3

    Get to Know Your Local: Watertown Cultural Council

    How does one local group of volunteers hand out $34,000 to arts and culture projects in Watertown? I sat down with Elektra Newman and Greg Papazian to demystify how the Watertown Cultural Council funds arts and culture across the city, and chat a bit about the history of the council, some of their favorite projects funded recently, and more. The Watertown Cultural Council's 2026-2027 grant season is open now through October 15th, 2026. Have an idea? Apply here! More info at: WatertownCulturalCouncil.org Facebook | Instagram | Podcast  Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Get to Know Your Local: Watertown Cultural Council

  5. Aug 25

    Episode 79: Pia Owens (Library Trustee / Negotiation Coach / Tech Lawyer)

    Meet Pia Owens! She's done many things in Watertown from having served as a Library Trustee, Co-President of the Watertown Community Foundation, a facilitator for Watertown Community Conversations, and a board member of the Mosesian Center for the Arts. She works as a negotiation coach, tech lawyer, ombudsperson for a writer's collective, among other things. In short, we talk about a lot! Take a listen to learn about her journey through these topics and roles and the lessons and perspectives she's gained from them all. Find out more about Pia at piaowens.com Pia's Substack - Let's Have It Out Pia's monthly column in Psychology Today - Getting Comfortable With Conflict Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Episode 79: Pia Owens (Library Trustee / Negotiation Coach / Tech Lawyer)

  6. Aug 14

    Local Government Update, August 2026

    Discover the latest Watertown government moments, stories, and numbers in this relaxed but informative conversation with Tyler Cote, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the City of Watertown, and Victoria Weichel from WCA-TV. See links to things mentioned in this episode at LittleLocalConversations.com. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Local Government Update, August 2026

  7. Jul 31

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 2: Organizations & Systems

    How do we support a healthy local arts ecosystem? This was the question that drove the first Creative Chats Conference that happened at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on June 4th, 2026. This recording is from the second panel of the event that focused on shaping local arts organization and systems. The interactive panel featured 3 panelists and their questions: Allie Fry (Programming Librarian, Watertown Free Public Library) - How do we make it easier for artists to pitch their ideas (in the right way to the right places)? DeWitt Henry(Writer and Watertown Lit Squad Organizer) -How do we garner attention for forms of art beyond the most popular local mediums?  Jan Taylor (Fundraising Strategist & Consultant) - What does it mean to be creative if you’re not the one making the art? The conversation was also aided by Sheri Kennedy, a local artist and graphic facilitator, who graphically notated the panel discussions to provide us with some visual overviews and notes to see as we went along. The episode image features the drawing she did while listening to this panel. Find the first panel discussion on Art & Money here. Find all the Creative Chats episodes here. Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    Creative Chats Conference, Panel 2: Organizations & Systems

  8. Jul 22

    The Helping Hand Roundtable, July 2026

    Welcome to The Helping Hand Roundtable! In this episode you'll hear stories of some of the amazing work being done in Watertown to help those in need in our community along with some of the great resources you might not be aware of. The discussion featured 6 local leaders: Bevin Croft, Chair, World in Watertown Gary Beatty, Executive Director, Watertown Boys and Girls Club Janet Saied, Program Director, Project Literacy Sophia Suarez-Friedman, Program Director, Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Stephanie Venizelos, Assistant Director of Human Services, City of Watertown Tia Tilson, Executive Director, Watertown Community Foundation Links for more info and to get involved: Safe Space Project, Unity Breakfast, Yard Signs and other projects at World in Watertown Info on all programs at Watertown Boys and Girls Club Info on all programs and volunteering at Project Literacy Info on all programs at Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Info for Live Well Watertown, Farmers' Market, Food Assistance Programs, and Human Services Department Info for grants and more at Watertown Community Foundation Support the show Head on over to www.littlelocalconversations.com to check out all the episodes, events, and everything else going on.  Sign up for the Little Local Conversations email newsletter Follow on Instagram: @littlelocalconversations Upcoming events! Click here to see upcoming live podcast events.

    The Helping Hand Roundtable, July 2026
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About

Discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown, MA. Visit littlelocalconversations.com to see all episodes, upcoming events, and more. Join Matt Hanna as he has conversations with various businesses owners, community leaders, creatives, and other interesting folks in Watertown to learn about what they do and get to know a bit about the people behind the work.Sign up for the email newsletter to know when new episodes are out: https://mailchi.mp/1ffcb9f6801e/newsletter-signup

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Hanna
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    149
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Little Local Conversations
  • Show Website
    Little Local Conversations

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