Jack Hart interview
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.…
Jessica Covey interview
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 conversation about purpose, presence and building a community that cares for one another. Forty Under 40 honoree Jessica K. Covey on The Mosaic Project.
Taylor Noel interview
“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 what it means to help people carry one another through life’s hardest moments. It’s a conversation about loss, hope, and what it means to be fully human.
Stephanie Mamaga Avi and Josephine Kamwela interview
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 differences that have shaped their journey. Their stories remind us that belonging does not happen automatically. It is something we create together.
Michael Thomas interview
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 through suffering and why hope remains one of the most powerful forces in the human experience.
Leah Wilson interview
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.
Caitlin Becker and Brittney Ballenger interview
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. Their story is a reminder that the future of a city is shaped by people willing to create spaces where others feel welcome. If you’re interested in Springfield’s future, this is a conversation worth hearing.
Bella Szabo interview
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 a conversation about imagination, technology, downtown culture, and why the arts still matter more than ever.
Ashwin Manivannan interview
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 the idea of “home” can come to mean. Related
Brian Galecki interview
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 interview
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 reform, while actively engaging in community conversations about fairness, accountability and justice for all.
Jay Shanle interview
Jay Shanle, the new executive director of Downtown Springfield Inc., sat down with The Mosaic Project to talk vision, growth and what’s next for DSI. From bold ideas to addressing critics, this conversation dives into the future of downtown.
OJ Crowder interview
For three decades, OJ Crowder has been a familiar and friendly face in downtown Springfield. As a dedicated letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, he’s spent the last 30 years getting to know our city and its people. Now, his story is being shared in a new podcast episode that highlights his experiences, the changes he’s witnessed over the years and the relationships he’s built along his route.
Greg Kanter interview
Rabbi Greg Kanter of Temple B’rith Sholom talks with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project about his journey of faith and coming out.
Josh Sabo interview
Josh Sabo, executive director of Heartland HOUSED, sits down with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project for an extended conversation about the unhoused community in Springfield.
Karen Conn interview
Karen talks about listing her businesses for sale and why she still believes in the potential of downtown Springfield.
