Pride & Prosperity Podcast

Out in the Open

The Pride & Prosperity Podcast is a celebration of LGBTQ+ businesses in Vermont. Through conversations with founders and business leaders across the state, we explore the impact of identity on entrepreneurship and demonstrate the necessity of LGBTQ+-run businesses in building a world that works for all of us. Created and produced by Out in the Open & The Pride & Prosperity Network.

Episodes

  1. HELM Construction Solutions

    12/03/2025

    HELM Construction Solutions

    In this episode we connect with Mel Baiser of HELM Construction Solutions, a 7th generation Vermonter who is driven to create impact and inclusion in the construction industry. Mel takes us into entrepreneurship as community building, doing less better and remembering that our collective fear and anger is directly correlated to how much we love one another.

    1h 3m
  2. Vermont Queer Craft Fair

    12/02/2025

    Vermont Queer Craft Fair

    In this episode we talk about making and selling queer art as one way to survive capitalism with Eliza and Lee of the Queer Arts Fest, a biannual fair that celebrates queer makers and artists. Eliza and Lee talk about what it means to make queer art, being a less s****y boss by being self-employed, and using consensus-based decision-making to create a vibrant, inclusive, and incredibly popular event that moves and multiplies queer dollars. Catch the Arts Fest in-person this weekend, December 6th from 10 am to 3 pm – with a fully masked access hour from 10-11am at the Old Labor Hall & Up End This on Granite Street in Barre. More about VT Queer Craft Fair here: https://linktr.ee/vtqueercrafts and @vtqueercrafts on Instagram. This episode was produced and edited by HB Lozito, with advisory and project support from Claire Wheeler, and features original music by This Could Be It.

    40 min
  3. Episode 4 - Ace, Najat, & HB

    08/27/2025

    Episode 4 - Ace, Najat, & HB

    More about New Frameworks here: https://www.newframeworks.com/ and @newframeworks on Instagram. This episode was produced and edited by HB Lozito, with advisory and project support from Claire Wheeler, and features original music by This Could Be It.

    32 min
  4. Episode 3 - Red Durkin & Everyone's Books | Pride & Prosperity Podcast

    08/27/2025

    Episode 3 - Red Durkin & Everyone's Books | Pride & Prosperity Podcast

    More about Everyone’s Books here: https://www.everyonesbooks.com/ This episode was produced and edited by HB Lozito, with advisory and project support from Claire Wheeler, and features original music by This Could Be It.

    38 min

  5. 06/28/2025

    Episode 2 - Raph Draws & HB Lozito

    In this episode we dive into the 5 dimensional reality of Raph Draws, a Haitian-American self-taught digital illustrator and muralist who sees Vermont as a blank canvas. Raph takes us into the divine feminine, identity as a dance, and making consciousness and liberation digestible through creative expression.

    27 min

  6. 06/28/2025

    Episode 1 - Isora Lithgow - Pride & Prosperity Podcast

    In this episode we talk about queering business and industries with Isora Lithgow, a wedding and branding photographer and owner of Isora Lithgow Creations. Isora takes us into the ever-changing nature of business ownership, the value of mentorship, and how her intersecting identities shaped her value proposition, clarified her audience, and elevated her brand.

    27 min

  7. 06/28/2025

    Episode 0 - Introducing the Pride & Prosperity Podcast

    In this episode, HB Lozito and Claire Wheeler talk about the Pride & Prosperity Network and the two of us introduce some themes you’ll hear about throughout the season. We talk about visibility and power, tools for surviving capitalism, the utility of joy and shaking your butt, and how great LGBTQ people are. Take a listen and share in our excitement for all the conversations to come this season.

    22 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

The Pride & Prosperity Podcast is a celebration of LGBTQ+ businesses in Vermont. Through conversations with founders and business leaders across the state, we explore the impact of identity on entrepreneurship and demonstrate the necessity of LGBTQ+-run businesses in building a world that works for all of us. Created and produced by Out in the Open & The Pride & Prosperity Network.

Information

  • Creator
    Out in the Open
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2025 Out in the Open. No part of this media or its associated transcripts may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner. Without limiting the creator's exclusive rights, any unauthorized use of this publication to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expressly prohibited.
  • Show Website
    Pride & Prosperity Podcast