Episodes
55. Garrett T. Capps: Honky-Tonk in San Antone and Beyond
We have Garrett T. Capps in the studio this week with guest hosts Kory Cook of KTRU 91.7 and Nicholas Frank of the San Antonio Report. Garrett T. Capps tours internationally with his band, Nasa Country, and has been a longtime curator of unique...
54. Liz Tullis and Dr. Peter Fox on the Conrad Smiles Foundation
Liz Tullis never gave up advocating for her son Conrad after his near-drowning and anoxic brain injury as an infant. Neither did Dr. Peter Fox, the founder and head of the University of Texas Health Science Center's Research Imaging Institute in San...
53. Bonnie Prosser Elder and David Zammiello, San Antonio Charter Rev…
Today's guests are Bonnie Prosser Elder and David Zammiello, the volunteer co-chairs of Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s 15-member Charter Review Commission, formed last November to explore amendments to the city charter for voters to consider on the Nov. 5...
52. Joe Holley on Power: How the Electric Co-Op Movement Energized th…
This week’s guest is Joe Holley, a longtime Texas journalist and the author of a new book titled “Power: How the Electric Co-Op Movement Energized the Lone Star State.” Power is a book that anyone who cares about Texas history and the state’s...
51. Cat Dizon at the Helm of San Antonio’s Accredited Investor Commun…
San Antonio entrepreneurs and startups often find themselves meeting with Cat Dizon, the chief operating officer at venture capital firm Active Capital and the chairwoman of the Geekdom board. The former senior Rackspace executive is the gatekeeper to...
50. Asia Ciaravino: Rediscovering the San Pedro Playhouse
Innovative interpretations of theatrical classics are creating a buzz in San Antonio at the San Pedro Playhouse under this week's guest, returning CEO Asia Ciaravino, who continues to re-energize the city's oldest performing arts organization. April's...
49. Mark Carmona Addresses San Antonio’s Housing Affordability Needs
Why is affordable housing in San Antonio everyone's problem? This week’s guest is Mark Carmona, the city of San Antonio’s first Chief Housing Officer, a position created by City Council in 2018 when council members first approved Mayor Ron...
48. Farm to Table Food Sustainability with Mitch Hagney and Elizabeth…
A special episode on food sustainability in San Antonio from farm to table that revisits two of the first episodes of bigcitysmalltown. Look back with us as food systems activist Mitch Hagney and Chef Elizabeth Johnson discuss the sustainability of...
47. Ileana Gonzalez, Next Generation Leader of Tech Bloc
How is San Antonio perfectly positioned to blend LatAm culture with an American mindset to attract and retain talent? This week’s guest is Ileana Gonzales, the CEO of Tech Bloc, a position she assumed in 2023. Like a storm in 2015, Tech Bloc’s...
46. Maura Bobbitt Aims to Deliver Affordable, Green Burial Services t…
Can you afford to die? This week’s guest is Maura Bobbitt, a death rights advocate focused on envisioning a future where our death and grief practices can be individually- and community-focused, radically accepting, environmentally-friendly, and...
45. Dr. Jaime Aquino, “Teacher of Teachers,” Uses Inspiration to Lead…
Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature failed to improve public school funding, despite a $33 billion surplus and the high cost of inflation. Listen as this week’s guest, Dr. Jaime Aquino, shares his vision for...
44. Veronica Salazar on UTSA and the Future of the Institute of Texan…
This week’s guest is Veronica Salazar, Executive Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Enterprise Development Officer at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Could UTSA's Institutute of Texan Cultures become the future site of a new...
43. Humberto G. Garcia and the 'Mustang Miracle'
This week’s guest is Humberto G. Garcia, a San Antonio attorney, avid golfer, and author of "Mustang Miracle," a book chronicling the inspiring small-town Texas story of five Mexican-American caddies in segregated Del Rio who overcame seemingly...
42. Basura Bash: River Aid takes the lead in San Antonio’s annual ant…
This week’s guest is Charles Blank, co-founder of the local nonprofit River Aid San Antonio (RASA), the volunteer organization that leads monthly cleanups of litter and dumped materials that perpetually clog and deface San Antonio’s watershed, its...
41. A Conversation with Juan Tejeda
On this episode of bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard, Bob is joined by Nicholas Frank, senior arts reporter for the San Antonio Report. as they speak with Juan Tejeda, founder of the San Antonio Conjunto Festival. He has published a family memoir...
40. Laura Terrill - President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Tex…
This week’s guest is Laura Terrill, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, a position she assumed last year following the retirement of longtime CEO Jeffrey Hons. Laura joined Planned Parenthood in 2012 as executive director of Planned...
39. Carlos Contreras: How Goodwill San Antonio is Fighting Poverty th…
This week on the bigcitysmalltown podcast, host Bob Rivard welcomes Carlos Contreras, CEO and President of Goodwill Industries in San Antonio. As Carlos shares insights about San Antonio’s economic challenges—with nearly half its population...
38. Rene Dominguez, TRTF/Velocity TX CEO, Envisions Ambitious Expansi…
The setting is Velocity TX, once a cold storage complex now reimagined by Rene Dominguez and his team at the Texas Research and Technology Foundation (TRTF). They're igniting growth in the city's near East side with a focus on bioscience and...
37. 23 and me: the year in review and a look ahead to 2024
bigcitysmalltown will return on January 8th, 2024 with a brand new episode. We extend heartfelt thanks to Graham Weston and his company Western Urban, alongside Geekdom for their unwavering support throughout the year. Our journey has been enriched by...
36. Uvalde native Fr. Eddy Morales: honored by the US Surgeon General…
On this episode of bigcitysmalltown, host Bob Rivard welcomes Fr. Eddy Morales. On May 24th, 2022, Uvalde was shaken by Texas' deadliest school shooting at Robb Elementary School - 19 students and two teachers perished. In grief's shadow, Father Eddy...
35. Centro San Antonio Envisions Downtown Revival with Trish DeBerry
In this episode, host Bob Rivard converses with special guest Trish DeBerry, CEO and President of Centro San Antonio. They discuss the evolution and revitalization of downtown San Antonio, its challenges amid corporate departures and COVID-19 impacts,...
34. Shaping San Antonio's Future: UP Partnership's Dr. Ryan Lugalia-H…
In this episode of bigcitysmalltown, host Bob Rivard welcomes  Dr. Ryan Lugalia-Hollon - CEO of UP Partnership, a non-profit education advocacy organization in San Antonio. Lugalia-Hollon shares his journey from Chicago to San Antonio, his family...
33. Rebuilding Lives Beyond Bars: The FREED Project's Impact in San A…
Here's a brief show note for the "Big City Small Town" podcast episode: This week's episode of bigcitysmall town" dives into the impactful work of Bria Woods and Iris Dimmick, who collaborated on the FREED project, highlighting the challenges...
32. Beto Altamirano's Journey from Life on the Border to Startup Co-F…
In this episode with , host Bob Rivard welcomes Beto Altamirano, a renowned innovator and entrepreneur hailing from San Antonio, South Texas. Altamirano, widely recognized for his influential role in tech and civic engagement, shares his...