Stories

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Paint the town: Community invited to join professional artists at this year’s Paint Memphis Festival

“We want the public to be part of this artistic endeavor, to meet the artists and take part in enhancing the neighborhood, during a day of work (for us), art appreciation, learning, and entertainment,” says Karen B. Golightly, Executive Director and Founder of Paint Memphis.

Development News X

Historic Collins Chapel Church receives more than $500K in grants for renovations and upgrades

“It is only by God’s grace, mercy and blessings that Collins Chapel continues to thrive by receiving these wonderful grants for example and has survived here for nearly 181 years,” says Rev. Bethel L. Harris, pastor of Collins Chapel Church.

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PHOTOS: International Park(ing) Day transforms Memphis parking spaces into parks and public spaces

We all waved the same banner on International Park(ing) Day, writes Reginald Johnson, Sr. “This is how we want our empty spaces and streets to look and feel: safe and beautiful.”

Development News X

New initiative launches to help solve issues of economic and social mobility for all Memphians

“What we’re doing at More For Memphis will not only tackle the barriers of today, but pave a clear path forward for the next generation of dreamers and doers here,” says Teshanda Middleton, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Program Officer at Communities In Schools of Memphis.

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A safer, more comfortable corridor: City proposes changes for Watkins-Cleveland-Bellevue corridor

“This is a corridor that touches very diverse neighborhoods,” says Nicholas Oyler, Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager for the City of Memphis. “You travel through here and you’re passing through all walks of life in Memphis.”

Development News X

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis commits nearly $1.5M in grants to 34 local organizations

“These grants will expand the reach and presence of community-based solutions – generating impact aligned with the Foundation’s strategic priorities,” says WFGM President and CEO Ruby Bright.

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Entrepreneurship residency program gives Memphis youth a leg up on path to starting a business

“We came up with this residency where we work with two to three students each semester, giving them studio space and stipends to purchase materials to make their goods,” says Abby Phillips, executive director and co-founder of Arrow Creative.

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How this unique partnership is bringing American Sign Language interpreters to Overton Park Shell

“We all have a responsibility to think through the lens of access — and, for the Shell’s mission, specifically access to the performing arts,” says Natalie Wilson, executive director of Overton Park Shell.

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Environmental Justice: Why access to reliable public transportation matters

It’s hoped that the nation’s successful transit systems will continue to inspire Memphis to evolve. Maybe one day Memphis will become an inspiration for other cities to evolve, too. Here’s how we’re getting there.

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PHOTOS: The Orange Mound Awareness Shoe and the people behind it

“We are here to eradicate homelessness through the SoGiv Orange Mound Awareness Shoe, in partnership with JUICE Orange Mound,” says SoGiv founder and CEO Edward Bogard. Find out the story behind his latest design.

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How this nonprofit is hoping to eradicate homelessness one shoe at a time

“It's definitely more than a shoe. It's a movement,” says Britney Thornton, founder and executive director of JUICE Orange Mound.

Development News “We know the work we do creates lasting impact,” says Audrey Willis, LITE Memphis Board President.

LITE Memphis receives $450K grant to expand entrepreneur program for Memphis youth

“We know the work we do creates lasting impact,” says Audrey Willis, LITE Memphis Board President.

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Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign: Behind one man’s quest to remove illegal signs from his neighborhood

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I knew there were 20 signs out there,” says Chris Collier, a resident and “the Leslie Knope” of Berclair.

Development News The unveiling of the new Book Vending Machine at Scenic Hills Elementary.

New literacy efforts find innovative ways to get books in the hands of readers: Vending machines

“Literacy affects everything in your life -- from schooling, to understanding an over-the-counter drug label, to filling out a job application,” says Sam O’Bryant, Executive Director of Literacy Mid-South and head of Read901.

Development News “Some of this stuff has traveled with me from Little Rock to Malta and back again,” says Mike Rodieck, world traveler and owner of Cordova’s new vintage store: That 70s Shoppe.

Vinyl records, art, and home decor: New vintage shop opens in Cordova

“Some of this stuff has traveled with me from Little Rock to Malta and back again,” says Mike Rodieck, world traveler and owner of Cordova’s new vintage store: That 70s Shoppe.

Feature Story The inaugural Level Up: The MidSouth Leadership Summit is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 26, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Memphis.

Level up: Inaugural leadership conference aims to motivate and inspire Memphis

“We want people to leave motivated and inspired to be better leaders within their circle of influence. And so maybe that's at work, maybe that's you leading in a civic organization, or even you being within the nucleus of your family,” says Kaylon Bradford, Director of Leadership Programs for New Memphis.

Development News “This TDEC partnership with Memphis Tire Recyclers comes at a critical time for our state as tire dumping has hit levels we've never seen before,” says Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis.

State awards Memphis Tire Recyclers $460K grant to help company recycle 420K scrap tires each year

“This TDEC partnership with Memphis Tire Recyclers comes at a critical time for our state as tire dumping has hit levels we've never seen before,” says Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis.

Development News “Community input was crucial for us during the naming process, because Northside Square is a place for the community, plain and simple,” says Roshun Austin, president and CEO of The Works, Inc.

Construction set to begin at newly named Northside Square, a multi-use development in Klondike

“Community input was crucial for us during the naming process, because Northside Square is a place for the community, plain and simple,” says Roshun Austin, president and CEO of The Works, Inc.

Feature Story The latest cohort of Epicenter’s CO.STARTERS: Frayser Connect, a small business program for Frayser-based entrepreneurs, begins Wednesday, Aug. 3.

Small business program helps Frayser entrepreneurs reach their full potential

“CO.STARTERS impacted my business by giving me tools and resources that would help me sustain the company for years to come. As a developer working in the Frayser area, I was also able to connect with other business owners and learn about their need for spaces for their operations,” says Charia Jackson, founder of Real Urban Concepts.

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Women Working It: This woman-led publishing house is poised to make a splash in Memphis — and beyond

“I want RiverHouse to leave a legacy of hope for this city that I love. Memphis has given me so much. It’s my home, and I love it,” says president and CEO Latrivia Welch. “Hopefully, with these new changes to the company, I can give more back to city that has propped me up and taken such good care of me over my adult life.”