Buzz4Good! Nonprofits + Marketing Michael Hemphill, Creator of Buzz

Today we’re buzzing about cats and caps:Cats as in the overpopulation of feral cats. BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill talks to a Salem, Virginia, nonprofit that works to trap and neuter feral cats and then find homes where their rodent control expertise can be put to good use.And caps as in those worn by high school graduates. Helping them afford the next step in their education journey is a New River Valley nonprofit that provides free community college in exchange for community service. We'll ...

Buzz4Good creator Michael Hemphill introduces perhaps the most famous Roanoke, Virginia, citizen you’ve never heard of: Edward Dudley, a pioneering civil rights lawyer who became the first African-American ambassador in United States history. So unknown is Ambassador Dudley’s remarkable life that even Roanoke’s preeminent historian, former mayor Nelson Harris, wasn’t aware of it until he began researching an unrelated book about Roanoke in the 1940s. Here's Michael's conversation with Harris ...

In addition to BUZZ, creator Michael Hemphill also works for the nonprofit Friends of the Blue Ridge, which recently introduced him to the multi-talented Addie Levy.Addie headlined Friends of the Blue Ridge’s’ ON THE RISE concerts featuring up-and-coming Bluegrass sensations. After one concert, Addie shared that she’d formed a Nashville-based trio called Domino, and hoped to find a place to perform in Roanoke, Va., on April 14.Well, Michael couldn’t pass up the opportunity to provide some buz...

There’s a lot of debate surrounding the legacy of slavery and segregation. Some may even question whether there’s still active racism. But if you happen to buzz down to Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Art or Harrison Museum of African American Culture, you can see how discriminatory real estate practices from the past continue to impact Black Americans today. And that is due to a remarkable exhibit that both nonprofit museums are co-hosting: David Ramey: Gainsboro Road and Beyond. Buzz4Good creat...

We’re often told that time is money. And in our economy, we value some people’s time more than others. Try paying an attorney or pro athlete the same as a teacher or artist.But in the New River Valley of Virginia, there’s a nonprofit that values everyone’s time equally, regardless of their skills or education or expertise, as a way of building community and fostering human connection. The hour it takes John Smith to chop up a tree can earn him a hour of social media training from Julia Thomas...

For Roanoke, Virginia entrepreneur and philanthropist Ed Walker, economic development is as much about building community as it is building business. Walker's latest project is his most ambitious ... and the most transformative in Roanoke's recent history: revitalizing an old 100-acre site comprising 20+ buildings totaling a million square feet just 1.5 miles from downtown into Riverdale.On today's Buzz4Good, creator Michael Hemphill talks to Amy McGinnis, who is part of Walker's team working...