Authentic Conversations with Give Impact

Liz Ward & Maya Bullock
  • 5.0 (4)
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Authentic Conversations is a safe space created to highlight the vibrant and diverse stories of Charlotte, focusing on the people and communities driving change, overcoming challenges, and celebrating triumphs.

  1. Episode 13: Hello 2026! New Year, New Energy

    4D AGO

    Episode 13: Hello 2026! New Year, New Energy

    Episode Outline Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:32 Welcome to 2026! 0:55 Maya is in the final countdown! 3:03 Maya has the table pull their first affirmation cards of the year Maya: “I am the dreamer of my dreams” The Inner Peace Police Instagram: @endangerhood Courtney: “In any moment I can surrender to the powerful presence of love through prayer, contemplation, and stillness” 7:55 Courtney drops a gem, “It’s a choice to be still” Liz: “My capacity to tune in to the energy of love gives me the words I need when I’m ready to speak up, the compassion I need when it’s time to forgive, and the power I need when I’m lost” 10:09 Liz drops a gem “When it’s time to forgive also indicates that someone has to be ready to receive” 12:08 Maya asks the ladies to share a word or phrase are they using to describe their energy in 2026 12:38 Liz shares information about the upcoming Chinese year of the Fire Horse 16:41 Liz shares her experience at her Women’s Retreat and dives into the concepts of Wholeness vs Perfection 20:20 The table reflects on what the holiday break taught them about what they needed more or less of 20:58 Maya drops a gem, “Flow has been a friend to me” 25:46 Maya pours into Courtney, “Whatever’s meant for you, has its coordinates in place. It’s just divine timing my dear” Book drop: Never Enough by Jennifer Wallace 29:24 The table explores what living with intention looks like in their everyday life 29:37 Courtney drops a gem “Living with intention is truly allowing myself to be seen by others and truly seeing myself for who I am” 32:45 Maya shares a moment of vulnerability about speaking her truth 37:41 Courtney drops a gem, “It’s almost like the people that love us unconditionally are sometimes one step ahead of us because they know our patterns and places where we may struggle” 38:09 Liz adds, “To be known and accepted is such a gift” 41:46 Liz talks about gratitude and how it’s food for the soul 43:12 Courtney, Liz, and Maya discuss the habits they’re ready to build or let go of in 2026 46:04 Liz reflects on the notion of what if we really did have enough time for everything, we’re just actually shoving too much time into the days and the hours that we have 51:01 The table shares questions that they want the listeners to ask themselves as they step further into this year 55:01 The ladies reflect on The Super Bowl Halftime Show 59:30 Liz shares information about our upcoming podcast series for this year Series 1: The Housing Ecosystem Series 2: Innovation Talks!

    1h 2m
  2. Episode 12: End of Year Reflection

    12/22/2025

    Episode 12: End of Year Reflection

    Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:33 Here we are, back with the last episode of the year! 1:29 Welcome Megan Gude to the table! 6:02 Megan pulls an Affirmation Card, “When I lean on the faith of the universe, peace becomes real” the owls on the card resonated with her 8:49 Maya summarizes that all the cards that were pulled by each person that day leaned towards letting go, finding peace, and that we are all supported 9:03 Maya asks the table to reflect on how they’ve each shown up in an Authentic Way this year 9:32 Liz speaks to the change and loss that she experienced earlier this year. She acknowledged that it’s ok to accept help and to know our limits 12:15 Megan shares that she had to lean into a similar experience to Liz when she fell and broke her ankle this year and lost her mobility for a period of time 13:48 Maya reflects that she showed up authentically by choosing herself in a different way this year 17:51 Courtney shares that she showed up by serving others, but amid putting them before herself 18:32 Courtney drops a gem “We can’t work harder than others when it comes to their life, and although we have the ability to help them, is that what they want for their lives” 19:37 Liz suggests that we all go around and share 1-2 things that we do to take care of ourselves in our routines 23:42 The tables share their favorite memories of 2025, personal or professional 30:54 Maya asks the ladies to share their favorite project that they worked on this year 36:10 Megan reflects on the themes she’s hearing, and shares that she loves working on projects with us because of our tremendous authenticity and culture of leading with joy and connection 38:50 Each person shares the soundtrack song (s) of their year in 2025 Maya- My Life by Big Sean & Long Journey by Rod Wave Liz- Lemonade by Forest Frank & Ben Rector -Brand New & Magic albums Megan- What is sounds like by K-Pop Demon Hunters Courtney- Waterfalls by TLC & Here’s my heart Lord by Casting Crows Live 48:11 Maya closes us out by asking the table to share what they’re most looking forward to in 2026 53:29 Maya thanks the listeners!

    55 min
  3. Episode 11: Neighborhood Stewardship through Mixed Income Development

    11/13/2025

    Episode 11: Neighborhood Stewardship through Mixed Income Development

    Episode Outline The Give Impact ladies sat down with thought leader James Scruggs, Founder & CEO of Kingdom Development Partners! We discussed the journey of his life and faith that led him to create impact in helping families develop accelerated generational wealth with equity through his new nonprofit Ascension. The table also touched on Neighborhood Stewardship though Mixed Income Development, Social Integration, the ‘Missing Middle’, his unique model and how it ensures that affordability and inclusion persist over time. Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:31 Welcome Back! 2:25 Intro to James Scruggs 7:24 Maya asks James to share one Authentic thing about himself: “I truly care about people” 8:38 Liz has James reflect and explain what it feels like when he gets a sign or message from God 10:54 James shares one of his favorite quotes with the table “True wealth is created not by chasing money, but by being of service and doing it at scale” 13:10 Maya invites James to share his dream of Ascension, how it came about and what makes his model unique. · His model helps create economic mobility through homeownership and education 15:32 Liz talks about Diversity of approach on how to address housing challenges and how there’s not a one size fits all 17:21 Liz and James dive into the Ascension model breakdown 15-year deed restriction · After 5 years the tenant can have access to 33% of their equity · After 10 years the tenant can have access to 66% of their equity · After 15 years the tenant can have access to 100% of their equity o All of this is couped with education on how to leverage and grow equity o Targeting: 80% AMI “The Missing Middle” target market o All of the homes, whether attainable or market rate, will have the same high-quality products 22:20 Maya asks James what a thriving mixed income community looks like to him 25:15 Maya challenges Liz and James to respond to what they would say to people who view mixed income communities as gentrification 25:52 Liz drops a gem, “what someone makes doesn’t define who they are” 29:29 The table dives into the design and policy tools that best support social integration across income levels. 33:58 Courtney and Liz dive deeper into what it looks like to support someone through the holistic housing continuum and the reality of what it looks like for people to move on from their current lifestyle 38:49 James drops a gem, “It takes a village. The village is partnerships. Both public & private” 42:47 James explains how someone could support his nonprofit Ascension and the impact they would make for homeowners. They can do so through his Wealth Path Program by providing grants and donations towards his targeted 200-300 homes coming in per year 47:05 Maya asks James how he can ensure that affordability and inclusion persist over time

    52 min
  4. Episode 10: Impact through Philanthropy

    11/03/2025

    Episode 10: Impact through Philanthropy

    Episode Outline The Give Impact ladies sat down with Andy Mermans, President of The Merancas Foundation to talk all things Philanthropy! Philanthropy is a powerful tool for creating positive changes in society, addressing pressing social issues, and empowering communities. The impact of philanthropy can be profound, reaching across so many different sectors. Listen to see how Andy impacts the community through philanthropic capital. Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:34 Welcome Back! 2:38 Intro to Andy Mermans & the different places he’s lived 4:11 Maya invites Andy to share one authentic thing about himself, he shares that he’s a pragmatic person! 5:12 Liz shares how Give Impact is engaged with the Merancas Foundation as a client 5:44 Maya invites Andy to pull an affirmation card. He shares, “I am willing to see my sameness with others, this opens my awareness to oneness” 8:07 Liz and Andy school Maya on the different forms of Philanthropy 10:01 Andy explains what inspired him to get involved in Philanthropy and how his past and family led him to become the leader of the Foundation 20:48 Maya asks Andy to share what causes are closest to his heart Personal: Women’s reproductive rights, local museums, schools, public radio Professional: Affordable Housing, Education, Well-Being (Health, Safety, Food) 24:27 Andy shares how the Foundation chooses which projects and organizations to support · Confidence in leadership · The ability to articulate how the initiative will move the needle or be additive to a program that they already support 27:00 Andy talks about the Foundations two-stage process on how to inquire about funding · Are we a match program -open year-round/ short online process · Grant requests- Invite only 28:35 Andy shares who the Foundations long standing grantees are! Shout out to: · Habitat for Humanity · Roof Above · Planned Parenthood 33:03 Andy drops a gem, “We take risks, so the community can benefit from those risks” 34:56 Liz asks Andy to share a story or experience that has filled his cup with his impact 38:52 Courtney thanks Andy and shares her experience of how she’s seen the men at Roof Above (fka: Urban Ministries Center) be impacted from his support 40:18 Andy shares about the tagline, “Making a difference one at a time” 42:24 Maya asks Andy what kind of legacy he hopes to leave behind 43:35 Andy expresses gratitude for Give Impact 47:10 Liz asks if there are any listeners who are interested in the land banking concept, to message us at Give Impact to inquire! 50:00 Andy gives advice to emerging philanthropists or people looking to make an impact through their dollars. “Go with your gut, don’t overstudy a problem” “Don’t ask for permission from others, if it’s right for you, it’s right for you”

    57 min
  5. Episode 9: Give Impact's 5-Year Anniversary

    09/25/2025

    Episode 9: Give Impact's 5-Year Anniversary

    It’s our special 5-Year Anniversary Episode! Yes, that’s right, Give Impact just turned 5 & we are gearing up to celebrate in October. But before we do, we sat down at the table to reflect on our favorite moments, our hopes for the future of Charlotte, changes we’d like to see in the community, the journey ahead, and more! Plus, someone at the table shares a big secret. Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:29 Welcome Back! 1:03 The table acknowledges turning 5 years old. Only 50% of small businesses make it to 5 years! 2:50 Courtney is asking the questions this time, and she takes a moment to share her gratitude for Give Impact 4:03 Liz explains what Give Impact does and how we work 9:33 Liz and Maya describe the specialties that they both bring to the table and the team dynamics 11:17 Maya shares “It is both important to get excited, but it also has to make sense so, I try to bring a balance of both” 12:15 Maya drops a gem “It’s so important just to check in with self often, and not get lost in the mission and end goal” 15:29 Courtney invites Liz and Maya to share a favorite story, moment, or experience from the past 5 years 16:23 Liz expands on Maya’s memory and tells the story of having her with her at the North Carolina Affordable Housing conference for the first time 19:40 Liz shares one of her favorite memories of working on the Plaza Presbyterian and Arts+ project 24:12 Courtney asks, what advice would you give to someone who wants to make a real meaningful difference in the community. Maya and Liz dive in. The key is involving the community! 26:00 Maya and Liz touch on history of the city and mistrust between the community and developers 29:21 Courtney reflects on her work in the community; “They needed a space to work on themselves. When a person is given that opportunity it’s incredible to what they can not only decide but what they can provide for themselves” 31:17 Liz shares, “learn to love yourself, learn to heal yourself; know that you’re worthy to focus on putting your oxygen mask on and taking what you need for yourself; and investing in your own physical and mental health so you can pour into others and be there for others” 32:59 Liz and Maya reflect on their hopes for the future of Affordable Housing in Charlotte 44:40 Courtney reflects on an experience when she and her grandfather gave to the community. Maya follows up on a story when Give Impact volunteered for Beds for Kids 49:35 Courtney asks Maya & Liz what their hope for Give Impact is for the next 5 years 51:53 The big secret of the table is dropped!!!! But you’ll have to listen to know what it is and from who 😊 55:07 Liz and Maya talk about their upcoming Dorton project!! The first development under the Give Impact brand 58:36 Thank you for our event sponsors: MECA Real Estate (Gantt Howell + Rob Pressley), Harmon Construction (Ty Harmon), and Redstone Equity Partners (Darren Swanson) 1:02:36 Liz closes us out with a quote, If I had to live my life over by Erma Bombeck

    1h 6m
  6. Episode 8: Changing the Landscape of Housing in Concord

    08/25/2025

    Episode 8: Changing the Landscape of Housing in Concord

    Episode Outline The Give Impact ladies sat down with the smart, innovative, thought-leader Patrick Graham, Ph.D., Chief Executive Director of WeBuild Concord. Not only did we learn so many new things about our friend Patrick; we talked about the tools, strategies, and partnerships that are a benefit to affordable housing in North Carolina. Ways to combat gentrification, community-informed development, land trusts, priority-leasing models, and so much more! Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:28 Welcome Back! 0:36 Intro to Dr. Patrick Graham & how he grew up on hip-hop and grits! 8:01 Reflecting on his time at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Patrick reflected, “I came from more of a background of grace, but also in believing that people were human assets given the opportunity” 17:00 Patrick shares one thing people may not know about him, “I pride myself on being a dad” 18:12 Patrick drops a gem, “I still see that notion of resilience of grace is important in the work that we do, because we may miss opportunities and people if we don’t have that” 18:29 Liz pours into our listeners and reminds them that they are an asset 21:53 Maya invites Patrick to pull an Affirmation Card. “I let go of the shadow of the past by seeing someone for the first time with the eyes of love” affirmed! 25:52 Patrick shares his lens on today’s housing crisis and the important work he’s doing at WeBuild Concord to combat it · ARPA Funds: money distributed to state and local governments, counties, and municipalities through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to aid in COVID-19 recovery 33:19 Patrick discusses WeBuild’s partnership with Downhome Carolina to create a revolving construction fund, as a gap funding program to help Concord and its surrounding communities 36:00 Liz expresses, “Diversification is so important” 36:52 Maya asks Patrick which partnerships have been the most critical to his work 40:30 Patrick discusses how community engagement and input has influenced success in his housing projects, specifically in the Logan Community 43:03 Liz asks Patrick about the tools that they use to help encourage diversification of neighborhoods 45:07 Patrick drops another gem, “Build orgs that can still pivot when needed.” “We pride ourselves on being flexible, especially when it makes sense” 47:09 Liz and Patrick discuss WeBuild’s Land Trust model 51:28 Liz mentions WeBuild Concord’s prioritization measure as an anti-gentrification tool in communities Check it out here: https://webuildconcord.org/priority-measure-for-home-purchase-or-rental-agreement/ 52:56 Patrick ends by telling the listeners about the exciting projects they are working on like the Kerr Street Baptist Church conversion project into mixed use development, a Tiny Home village in Downtown Concord, & several single-family projects on donated land You can donate at: https://webuildconcord.org/donate/

    1h 2m
  7. Episode 7: Strengthening the local food system for the community

    06/30/2025

    Episode 7: Strengthening the local food system for the community

    Episode Outline Zack Wyatt joined the table his amazing organization that is trying to empower community and strengthen the local food systems! Full Episode Show Notes are Available on our website at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast- 0:29 Welcome Back! 2:30 Intro to Zack Wyatt 9:33 Zack shares how he met his wife Abby and how he got into farming 13:11 Zack mentions that “There’s a big motto we have within the organization, once you know, you can’t unknow” 14:09 Zack expresses his lens on the propaganda around the food system · We get 50-60% of produce from Mexico · We get 30% of produce from Canada 17:09 Zack shares one Authentic thing about himself, “You get what I am, there’s no other version” 19:40 Maya invites Zack to pull an Affirmation Card. “I celebrate all the greatness in my life” 20:25 Zack shares one of his favorite phrases, “there’s tons of opportunity in chaos” 21:53 Liz and Zack reflect on the challenges of owning and growing business 23:27 Zack drops a gem, “growing doesn’t have to be just up, it can be out. It can be understanding and building capacity before taking the next leap or you can take the next leap and hope that the capacity comes. The only thing that’s going to win is perseverance” 23:23 Zack expresses “We need the big system players on some levels because if we can get them to change their supply chain a bit, we can change the world fast” 26:03 Maya asks Zack to dive more into the mission and origin story of the Carolina Farm Trust 28:35 Zack drops another gem “It’s a system thing; you’re never going to solve food insecurity by focusing on food insecurity. The amount of food insecure people is always going to be more than what you have available” 31:06 Liz shares her lens on capitalism & philanthropy 35:04 Zack shares a nugget of what scientists are saying, “we have about enough topsoil for another 34 years” 35:15 Liz and Zack discuss the importance of composting and gives information about Crown town Compost · https://www.crowntowncompost.com/ 37:14 Liz asks Zack to talk about what a Regional Food Economy is. He breaks down the ecosystem and logical solutions to how it can be improved and the things that people can do every day to make a difference. 44:43 Maya asks Zack, where do you see the future of our food system going? 48:31 Liz asks Zack to share information about the current programs that he has in Charlotte that are making an impact on the community · Phase I: CFT Market in West Charlotte · Phase II: Retail grocery store, teaching kitchen, and processing center, and a mobile grocery store · Fundraising: $1.5 MM short-term for operations o Total Capital Spend: $8.2MM You can donate at: https://carolinafarmtrust.org/

    1 hr
  8. Episode 6: Igniting Hope & Sparking Change

    06/19/2025

    Episode 6: Igniting Hope & Sparking Change

    Maya & Liz sits down with Adrienne & Emmanuel Threatt from Hope Vibes to discuss their journey that led to the creation of serving the homeless community. Full episode show notes can be found at https://www.giveimpact.org/podcast Episode Outline 0:49 Welcome Back! 2:26 Intro to Adrienne & Emmanuel Threatt 8:25 Adrienne and Emmanuel share their separate backgrounds before starting Hope Vibes 18:00 Maya invites Adrienne and Emmanuel to share one Authentic thing about themselves · Adrienne: “I make it a practice to embrace pain and purpose simultaneously “ o “If I can make my pain purposeful, then it won’t hurt as bad” · Emmanuel: “I like to learn random things that can have no baring on anything, just random information” 22:06 Emmanuel shares how he’s recently been on a coffee journey of becoming a ‘coffee snob’, and shares some of his favorite spots in the city with the listeners · Night Swim Coffee, Enderly Coffee, Indigo Coffee, Lotties Café,The Percantile and Creamery and Finca Coffee 26:41 Emmanuel shares a quote that both he and Adrienne live by, “Do what you can with what you have until you can do more” 29:17 Adrienne takes us on the journey of how Hope Vibes started 32:40 Emmanuel tells us about the dream he had about a truck that turned into the innovative Hope Tank and the research that he did to make it come to life · https://www.hopevibes.org/hopetank https://www.seed20.org/ 37:39 Liz invites Emmanuel to share what it’s like for a homeless neighbor to experience the Hope Tank · Artist: Frankie Zombie https://www.frankiezombie.com/ 41:21 Emmanuel drops a gem “We feel like dignity is wrapped up into everything that we do” 45:14 Emmanuel discusses his thoughts on what organizations are doing in the community and how it has to go a step deeper. His thoughts on shelters and how family dynamics are affected by them 51:49 Liz invites our listeners who are landlords to work with organizations whose mission is for placement of families and individuals: · Charlotte Family Housing, The Housing Collaborative, & The Lotus Campaign 52:46 Maya asks The Threatts to share their impact in numbers so far in their journey and the goals that they have for the future 54:32 Emmanuel drops a gem “Sometimes we feel as individuals like we need to be fully the solution, but really you might just be an ingredient to the solution” 59:58 Emmanuel shares how the listeners can support their mission · Donate money, time, and hygiene items · Follow them on social media and share content! @hopevibesclt · Visit their website at https://www.hopevibes.org/ 1:01:35 Adrienne shares the need for of how monthly partners can best support the Hope Vibes mission, what the money is allocated towards, and why giving is so critical! 1:02:55 Liz sets a challenge to get 100 new monthly givers! Give Impact is a monthly partner! Join us in supporting this incredible organization. Anybody can be a philanthropist!

    1h 7m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

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Authentic Conversations is a safe space created to highlight the vibrant and diverse stories of Charlotte, focusing on the people and communities driving change, overcoming challenges, and celebrating triumphs.

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