Episodes
44
Feb. 19, 2024
44. Veronica Salazar on UTSA and the Future of the Institute of Texan Cultures
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
Feb. 12, 2024
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...
Guests: Humberto G. Garcia , Nicholas Frank
Feb. 5, 2024
42. Basura Bash: River Aid takes the lead in San Antonio’s annual anti-litter cleanup
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...
Jan. 29, 2024
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...
Jan. 22, 2024
40. Laura Terrill - President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas Protecting Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights
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...
Jan. 15, 2024
39. Carlos Contreras: How Goodwill San Antonio is Fighting Poverty throughout South Texas
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...
Jan. 8, 2024
38. Rene Dominguez, TRTF/Velocity TX CEO, Envisions Ambitious Expansion on the Near-East Side in 2024
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...
Dec. 25, 2023
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...
Dec. 18, 2023
36. Uvalde native Fr. Eddy Morales: honored by the US Surgeon General for his extraordinary service to community after the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.
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...
Dec. 11, 2023
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,...
Dec. 4, 2023
34. Shaping San Antonio's Future: UP Partnership's Dr. Ryan Lugalia-Hollon on SA Higher Education Initative
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...
Nov. 27, 2023
33. Rebuilding Lives Beyond Bars: The FREED Project's Impact in San Antonio with Bria Woods & Iris Dimmick
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...
Nov. 13, 2023
32. Beto Altamirano's Journey from Life on the Border to Startup Co-Founder and the Call for Public Service
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...
Nov. 6, 2023
31. Artful Transformations: Revitalizing San Antonio's Cultural Landscape with Emily Neff, Kelso Director at San Antonio Museum of Art
In this episode of bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard, the conversation delves into the fascinating world of art, culture, and city revitalization with our special guest, Emily Neff, the Kelso director at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Emily's extensive...
Oct. 30, 2023
30. San Antonio's Growth and Economic Prospects with Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, CEO and President of greater: SATX
On this episode of bigcitysmall town with Bob Rivard, Bob welcomes Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, the leader of the Greater San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.  Jenna Saucedo-Herrera is the CEO and president of greater: SATX, a...
Oct. 23, 2023
29. Henry Cisnero's Vision of San Antonio is One of Unprecedented Economic Growth
On this epsode ofbigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard, my guest Henry Cisneros shares the remarkable economic growth and transformation happening in San Antonio, driven by diverse industries and fueled by favorable factors like tax...
Oct. 16, 2023
28. Crafting Change: Creating Southside Craft Soda and Organizing Social Progress wiith Andrew Anguiano
Andrew Anguiano is this week's guest on Bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard. He is the founder of Southside Craft Soda and the founding executive director of Southside First Economic Development Council. With a background in craft beer and marketing,...
Oct. 9, 2023
27. The Legacy of Mariachi in San Antonio Culture: A Conversation with Michael Acevedo, Director of Mariachi Los Paisanos
This week’s guest on bigcitysmalltown is Michael Acevedo, an educator, musician and associate professor in UTSA’s School of Music. Of particular interest is Michael’s work as director of Mariachi Los Paisanos. Anyone who has attended a home game...
Sept. 25, 2023
26. Preserving the Essence of San Antonio Through Photography: A Conversation with Al Rendon
This week on bigcitysmalltown, host Bob Rivard welcomes acclaimed San Antonio photographer Al Rendon, whose 50-year career documenting Latino life and culture is celebrated in a one-person exhibition at the Witte Museum that opened Sept. 2 and...
Sept. 11, 2023
24. Andrés Andujar and Hemisfair's Civic Park
This week’s guest is Andrés Andujar, CEO of the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation, commonly known as HPARC, a position he has held since 2011. Andujar, an architectural engineer, is the driving force behind the community vision for the...
Sept. 4, 2023
23. Managing the Cost of Higher Education With UIW’s Cristen Alicea and UTSA’s Erika Cox
In this episode of big city small town with Bob Rivard, Cristen Alicea, and Erica Cox discuss the range of higher education options available, such as trade schools, two-year colleges, and private universities. They also discussed the Alamo Promise...
Aug. 28, 2023
22. Virtual Dreams to Real Life Achievement: Alberto Piña's Visionary Approach to Affordable Housing
This episode of big city small town with Bo Rivard dives deep into the visionary world of Alberto Piña, the dynamic founder, and CEO of Braustin Homes. Launched right out of Geekdom in 2017, Braustin Homes stands as the nation's premier virtual...
Aug. 21, 2023
21. Collaborating for Cultural Preservation: Colleen Swain on Achieving World Heritage Status
My guest this week is Colleen Swain, a proud native of San Antonio who has poured her heart into preserving and amplifying the city's rich history and culture. Her current role as the director of the City of San Antonio's World Heritage Office...