Tony Stang

Julio Barrenzuela joins The Mosaic Project to explore how Latin music and dance can become powerful tools for connection, healing and self-discovery. Drawing from his experiences as a Navy veteran, educator and motivational speaker, he shares how culture has the power to build stronger communities. It’s a conversation about identity, belonging and the rhythms that bring people […]

Jack Hart, founder of ILSportsWire and one of this year’s Springfield Business Journal Forty Under 40 honorees, shares with The Mosaic Project how he’s changing local sports coverage by giving overlooked schools, communities, and student athletes a platform. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, purpose driven leadership, and the power of telling stories that often go unheard. […]

Forty Under 40 honoree Jessica K. Covey serves as a regional hospice care coordinator, supporting families through some of life’s most sacred and difficult moments. On this episode of The Mosaic Project, she reflects on leadership, compassion and what working so closely with the end of life has taught her about how to live. It’s a […]

“Death has a way of teaching us about life.” This week on The Mosaic Project, Tony Stang sits down with Taylor Noël, a young funeral director navigating one of the most tradition-bound, male-centered professions. They talk about what working around death has revealed about grief, how younger generations are mourning differently, why funerals are changing, and […]

Leaving home to study in a new country is about more than academics. It is about navigating loneliness, building community, and finding your place between cultures. Stephanie Mamaga Avi and Josephine Kamwela, international studies students at UIS, share their experiences adjusting to life in Springfield, the challenges of being far from family, and the cultural […]

Michael Thomas was incarcerated five different times but sobriety and faith have changed his life. His story is one of brokenness, consequences, grace and the kind of hope that refuses to give up. But this episode is more than a testimony. He discusses the complex family dynamics that often fuel substance abuse, how faith evolves […]

As executive director of the Kidzeum, Leah Wilson recently helped secure a National Science Foundation grant to create a new community-designed STEAM Center, an investment not just in science education, but in imagination itself. This conversation explores curiosity, leadership, play and why children’s dreams might be one of the most important resources a city possesses.

This week on The Mosaic Project, Tony Stang sat down with Bloom Wine Bar & Florals founders Caitlin Becker and Brittney Ballenger, two young entrepreneurs who are investing their creativity, energy and future in downtown Springfield. Through Bloom, they are creating more than a business; they are cultivating beauty, connection, and a sense of belonging. […]

Bella Szabo, executive director of the Springfield Area Arts Council, joins The Mosaic Project for a conversation about creativity in a changing world. From the rise of AI-generated art to the community impact of the Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series, Bella explores what it means to keep art human, accessible, and rooted in connection. It’s […]

From India to American citizenship, Ashwin Manivannan shares his deeply personal journey through the immigration and naturalization process. In this episode, he talks about what it meant to leave home, navigate the long road to citizenship, and face the challenges, uncertainties and sacrifices along the way. It’s a conversation about identity, perseverance, belonging and what […]

Brian Galecki is the co-owner of Dumb Records. This episode begins with some rapid-fire hot takes, explores how Dumb Records began, and discuss why community matters more than ever.

Kena Bere is a young attorney working in downtown Springfield who is dedicating her career to building a more just and equitable legal system. She serves as a SAFE-T Act lawyer for the Illinois Office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor. A 2020 University of Illinois Springfield graduate, Kena focuses on criminal justice and system […]