A culture & community podcast created by Aaron Dante to record the fascinating life stories of his friends, family and people that have stories that need to be told! Come along on this journey with Human Interest Stories
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Aaron interviewed Kari Dern the CEO of Become Spellbound. We talked about her journey from corporate America to entrepreneur selling jewelry! She worked in the beverage industry and was one of top reps but decided she needed a change. Kari was making jewelry as a hobby living in Manhattan and she decided to start to sell some of her jewelry on instagram. From there the demand went up and and she has not looked back! She now resides in Baltimore
Kari has been featured in magazines from Los Angeles to Baltimore. You don’t want to miss this episode!
Sponsors of the Show
United Way of Central Maryland
Zekes Coffee
For All Seasons Inc.
WSI Marylandhttps://www.wsiworld.com/katheryne-womack?utm_campaign=gmb
Baltimore Peninsula
https://baltimorepeninsula.com/
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Aaron interviewed Aaron C. Jones CEO of Bushelers of Baltimore a custom alteration shop. In this interview we learn about Aaron’s journey from an athlete to Savannah College of Art And Design. He talked about how he has worked with people all across the US. You learn about his business and how he takes care of his customers like family. You don’t want to miss this episode!
Busheler (Bushelman) A person who alters or repairs garments. (not to be confused with a 'tailor'; who specializes in the making, mending, and altering of clothes, especially suits)
https://www.bushelersofbmore.com
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Aaron and Jaz sat down for a spirited conversation about her journey in the art world!Her murals are all around Baltimore. She talked about Brush-Mural festival that will be happening this week! We also discussed doing Murals at the Enoch Pratt Library and how her work was highlighted in Artscape 2023! You don’t want to miss this episode!
BRUSH Mural Fest is Baltimore's hyper-local mural festival created for artists, by artists. BRUSH is proud to present five of Baltimore’s most talented female and non-binary teams made up of nine Pro muralists and four Rising Stars (emerging artists mentored by the Pros) joining together to paint, educate, and inspire through five murals installed across the city. BRUSH Mural Fest culminates in a day of outdoor festivities at Lexington Market Plaza on Saturday, October 21st from 11 am to 5pm.
AfroLatina artist, Jaz Erenberg painted her first mural in 2017 and immediately knew that if she could find a way to engage the community around her, the mural could be that much more impactful! Over the last 6 years, her practice has grown through collaboration with communities to build creative ways to make them feel seen and heard throughout the process. Using workshops and events, communities have become an integral part of how she creates public artwork. When a community is involved in how their space can be transformed, their sense of ownership and pride is reignited and they become a stronger, more connected community. “I love working in public, my favorite thing to do is pull people off the street and put a brush in their hand. Some are hesitant, but once that mural is finished, there is such a sense of pride and renewed ownership within that community. People who walk past it every day get to say, I did that!” From her website.
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Aaron interviewed Sonjie DeCaires the CEO of Sonjè Productions. Her production company has produced for AFRAM, Congressional Black Congress, CIAA to Star Island South Beach Miami. She has a successful business that has been around for 17 years! We discuss how she wanted to be a entertainment lawyer but had a passion for production and event planning. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Sonjie DeCaires, CEO of Sonjé Productions. I started my career in Television and Radio before making the transition to entrepreneurship. My first client was the Simmons Lathan Group, which was launching a new channel called "Hip Hop on Demand" , on this new technology called "on demand" with Comcast, and they needed content for their channel. Because I worked in radio, we had access to artists' interviews, so we were able to form a partnership. After working as the on air talent and morning show producer for the #1 morning show in Baltimore, I ventured out on my own and never looked back.
My company, Sonjé Productions, is a full service events, promotions, and marketing company. 15+ years in business and it keeps getting better. www.sonjieproductions.com
Sponsors of the Show
United Way of Central Maryland
Zekes Coffee
For All Seasons Inc.
WSI Maryland
https://www.wsiworld.com/katheryne-womack?
Baltimore Peninsula
https://baltimorepeninsula.com/
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Thank you Maryland's Sports Commission for having the NoPixAfterDark podcast live on location at the Maryland Cycling Classic this year. We had an amazing time interviewing stakeholders, cycling enthusiasts, Olympians, fans and families.
Thank you digitalempathstudios team for all the work you did that day recording interviews. Thank you Terry Hasseltine, STS, CTA & Graham Whaples
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
This year’s MACo Summer Conference featured a live recording of the No Pix After Dark Podcast with host Aaron Dante and US Senator Chris Van Hollen. The interview had an update on federal policy and politics, insight on how counties can make the most of unprecedented federal investments, term limits for senate and Baltimore Redline! We also learned about blue catfish.
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Aaron’s first guest for Season 5 of NoPixAfter Dark is MaryAnne Gilmartin. MaryAnne Gilmartin is the Founder and CEO of MAG Partners, the urban real estate company behind the transformation of Baltimore Peninsula into a thriving neighborhood. We discuss the secrets that make Baltimore so special and the keys of building a close-knit community. We also discuss why she loves Baltimore and what is in store for the Baltimore Peninsula. She does a deep dive into why she wanted to work in Baltimore and how important it is to involve the community with this new project. We conclude the interview by talking about the upcoming community events that will take place at the Baltimore Peninsula. Learn more about MaryAnnne in this dynamic first episode of season 5.
Sponsors
Zekes coffee
www.zekes coffee.com
United Way Central Maryland
Four All Seasons
WSI Digital Marketing
https://www.wsiworld.com/katheryne-womack
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
In this episode, Chris talks with Nick Schauman of The Local Oyster and True Chesapeake as they perform bivalve ASMR, discuss the importance of conservation and the recycling of oyster shells in the Chesapeake Bay, and reminisce about old family recipes that appear on the menu today.
Special thanks to Aaron Dante (@nopixafterdark) for the opportunity and platform!
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
I interviewed Chef Kareem aka Mr. Bake Sweets Queeman. We discussed how he get involved into culinary world and who inspired him! How did a guy from NYC make his way to the DMV? He was 2023 James Beard semifinalist. He has been on Food Network, Netflix Discovery and has a ghost kitchen outside of Washington DC.
Kareem Queeman, aka Mr. Bake, is a Black, LGBTQ+ baker based in DC promoting representation in food media while selling his delicious cakes and famous treats across the DC area. A 2023 James Beard semifinalist, Kareem has competed and judged on shows like Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, Netflix’s Sugar Rush, and Bake It Like Buddy on Discovery. In his role as Mr. Bake, Kareem is focused on advocacy through his “Sweet for the Community” initiative, in which he spearheads mentorship events, speaking opportunities, fundraising, and a Queer dinner series that focuses on community building to help others feel included in the culinary world.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
In this podcast, Chris talks with Sarah Simington of Blue Moon Cafe and we discuss the creation of her iconic Cap’n Crunch French Toast, how she caught her staff member making out with a local food truck owner during a black out, and the difficulties in running a restaurant out of a 950 square foot space.
Special thanks to Aaron Dante (@nopixafterdark) for the opportunity and platform!
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
In his very first podcast, Chris Franzoni, founder and “Eater-in-Chief” of @EatMoreBeMore, talks with Steve Chu, co-owner of Ekiben. They discuss the importance of family, becoming a James Beard semi-finalist, and how Baltimore’s food scene rivals (and surpasses) that of DC.
Special thanks to Aaron Dante for the opportunity and platform to launch this mini-series!
Sflowproductions