Community & Social Impact Episodes

This week on bigcitysmalltown, host Bob Rivard sits down with Sarah Dingivan, outgoing CEO of the San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA), and Gregory Zlotnick, board member for SALSA and faculty at St. Mary’s University School of Law. Together, they discuss the organization’s mission to bridge the gap in civil legal services for San Antonians with limited means—at a time when demand has never been higher. The conversation explores SALSA’s evolution from a small volunteer initiative to...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the role of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute—better known as Texas Biomed—in San Antonio’s scientific community, the rapidly changing landscape of research funding, and the challenges of combating misinformation in an era of political division. Host Bob Rivard is joined by Dr. Larry Schlesinger, president and CEO of Texas Biomed, for a conversation that touches on Dr. Schlesinger’s personal background as the child of Holocaust survivors, his ca...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we bring you a special live-recorded conversation with world-renowned behavioral economist and ad executive Rory Sutherland, hosted at the Geekdom Event Center in downtown San Antonio. Known for his provocative ideas on creativity, design, and human behavior, Rory joins host Bob Rivard for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking dialogue about how cities like San Antonio can unlock their potential—not by copying others, but by thinking differently. They discuss: • ...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine San Antonio’s fourteen-year effort to build a more equitable early childhood education system—an undertaking rooted in the city’s fight against generational poverty. Host Bob Rivard traces the origins of Pre-K 4 SA, from its formation by a blue-ribbon task force under then-Mayor Julián Castro, to the launch of universal pre-K centers across the city, and its ongoing impact on young children and working families.

We continue our series of interviews with leading candidates for San Antonio mayor. Bob is joined by District 8 City Councilman Manny Pelaez, an attorney with deep roots in both public service and economic development, as he seeks to become the next...

In this episode, Bob continues our coverage of San Antonio’s crowded mayoral race with Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia of District 4. A professor of marketing at Our Lady of the Lake University and former president of the San Antonio Housing...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we explore the vibrant culinary landscape of San Antonio, with a spotlight on one of the city's longstanding culinary institutions, Biga on the Banks. Celebrating its 25th anniversary at its iconic location on the...

This week on bigcitysmalltown we delve into the evolving landscape of homelessness support and services in San Antonio. As Kim Jeffries, the CEO of Haven for Hope, prepares to depart her role to take on the establishment of a comprehensive homeless...

This week’s Last Word addresses a pressing local decision San Antonio faces amidst national upheaval. With jobs at risk due to political chaos in Washington, city leaders are contemplating hiring displaced federal workers. While the intention is...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, host Bob Rivard is joined by Elena Wells and Jenny Carnes from San Antonio Sports to discuss the upcoming 2025 NCAA Men's Final Four hosted in San Antonio. With the city on the brink of this prestigious event, what can...

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we take a deep dive into UTSA Honors College—one of the most unique and rapidly evolving honors programs in Texas. Unlike traditional programs, UTSA Honors College is built around real-world experience, preparing...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown takes a deep dive into the state of local journalism and its future in San Antonio. As traditional news models struggle nationwide, nonprofit newsrooms like San Antonio Report are working to reshape how...

This week’s Last Word is a special one: bigcitysmalltown has hit 100 episodes. Host Bob Rivard reflects on this milestone, the journey so far, and what’s ahead for the podcast that tells the stories of the people shaping San Antonio’s future....

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown explores how UTSA is rapidly evolving into a top public research university—and what this means for San Antonio’s future. With its confirmed merger with UT Health San Antonio now in progress, UTSA is...

This week’s Last Word commentary examines the growing demand for mental health services in Bexar County—and whether the state will provide the funding needed to meet it. Bob Rivard unpacks the county’s plan to expand in-patient mental...

This week’s Last Word commentary examines the San Antonio City Council’s failed vote on funding abortion travel, a decision that reflects both the city’s political divide and the larger struggle between state and local governance in Texas. Bob...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown dives into one of the most pressing issues facing San Antonio: the future of immigration policy and how it will impact our community.  We’re joined by Claudia Hernandez, an immigration attorney at...

This week’s Last Word commentary reflects on the enduring connections between Texas and Mexico through the Gulf of Mexico—a shared space of culture, trade, and history. As the relationship between these neighbors faces new challenges in the next...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown spotlights something new in San Antonio’s arts community: a residency program tailored to support artists who are also caregivers. We’re joined by Liz Stehl Kleberg & Meaghan Mitts, the founders...

This week’s guest is Jeff Arndt, who has served for 13 years as president and CEO of VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio and Bexar County’s public bus system. Listen as Arndt discusses his career at VIA ahead of his retirement, the challenges...

This week’s guest is Craig Garnett, the longtime publisher and owner of the Uvalde Leader-News, the daily newspaper in Uvalde, a South Texas town of 15,000 that became national news on May 24, 2022, when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire in...

This week’s guest is San Antonio artist Oscar Alvarado. There is no mistaking his distinctive sculptures, many larger than life, covered with thousands of mosaic pieces of glass and tile that are seemingly everywhere in the city: murals, sculptures,...

This week’s guest is Ronald Davis, curator of American History at the Witte Museum, a position he has held since January 2023. Davis is the co-curator of Black Cowboys: An American Story currently at the Witte Museum and running through February...

This week’s guest is Meredith Walker, executive director of the Texas Business Hall of Fame, a position she has held for nearly seven years. The TBHF was founded in 1982 to celebrate the state’s most successful and community-minded business...