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Community-powered radio that powers up Montclair.

RADIO FREE MONTCLAIR

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Check out our programs!

Radio Free Montclair is a quirky experiment in listening to each other, and all the amazing things that happen when we do. We're the playful, inclusive and thought-provoking reflection looking back at our community, broadcasting an eclectic mix of topics, perspectives and playlists. Sometimes we're live, and all times, we're ready to inspire and reboot our preconceptions.

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We launched this platform in 2020 – at a critical moment when our collective ground was shifting and action was calling. We asked you to share your stories, ideas, emotions and hopes for the future, and they are now an integral part of our community's DNA. We're eager to see where you take this platform in 2021, and beyond. 

OPEN CALL!
PLEASE EXPLAIN! Episode 1

PLEASE EXPLAIN! Episode 1

In our opening installment of "Please Explain!", Montclair resident Andrea asks about the history of trolley service on Bloomfield Ave. and whether the old tracks still exist under the pavement. And Angelique wonders whether she should get solar panels on her roof. To answer those questions, we'll be joined by special guest Davey Joseph -- a citizen transit equity advocate, and co-host Krystal Persaud will share her own expertise on solar technology. Cohosts: Scott Gurian: award-winning journalist and host of "Far From Home" podcast Krystal Persaud: NYC-based product designer and "Shark Tank" winner who’s obsessed with developing products that fall in the intersection of education, technology, and society. Her design collective, Grouphug Tech, is working to make solar technology more accessible
Please Explain! Series
PLEASE EXPLAIN! Episode 1

PLEASE EXPLAIN! Episode 1

In our opening installment of "Please Explain!", Montclair resident Andrea asks about the history of trolley service on Bloomfield Ave. and whether the old tracks still exist under the pavement. And Angelique wonders whether she should get solar panels on her roof. To answer those questions, we'll be joined by special guest Davey Joseph -- a citizen transit equity advocate, and co-host Krystal Persaud will share her own expertise on solar technology. Cohosts: Scott Gurian: award-winning journalist and host of "Far From Home" podcast Krystal Persaud: NYC-based product designer and "Shark Tank" winner who’s obsessed with developing products that fall in the intersection of education, technology, and society. Her design collective, Grouphug Tech, is working to make solar technology more accessible
"Gradient" Series
"Sustainability" by GRADIENT

"Sustainability" by GRADIENT

In this episode, our host and special guests talk up all things Sustainability with our guests Andrew Kolczynski, Justin Morris-Morano, Jayna Patel and Krystal Persaud, inviting us to learn and take action, because we all have a voice within Design. Host: Renee Collins is a visual designer passionate about people storytelling, and our connection through design. Guests: Andrew Kolczynski is a fashion designer for luxury brand Adam Lippes, and founder of Andrew New York. Justin Morris-Morano is an industrial designer interested in design as research, where the technological and social aspects of emerging futures are explored. Jayna Patel is an Industrial Design student at NJIT who's passionate about environmental and social justice. Krystal Persaud is an NYC-based product designer and "Shark Tank" winner who’s obsessed with developing products that fall in the intersection of education, technology, and society. Join us for this don't-miss IGTV 3-part series called "Gradient," hosted over our LIVE Instagram account (@designshed) and Radio Free Montclair. Crossing the career spectrum from Intern to CEO, Gradient is sharing designer’s stories, asking questions, and passing the mic to imagine the future of the design industry.
"Diversity" by GRADIENT

"Diversity" by GRADIENT

In this episode, our host talk up all things Diversity in Design with our guests Freddy Ang, Chelsea Banks, Dalal Elsheikh and Melissa Nieves, inviting us to learn and take action, because we all have a voice within Design. Host: Renee Collins is a visual designer passionate about people storytelling, and our connection through design. Guests: Freddy Ang has worked in the design industry for the past 16 years. He has held a variety of positions from his own business to working for a design agency in Paris. He has worked for Rolex and is now a Digital Art Director for a footwear company called Aetrex. Dalal Elsheikh is a Transportation Design Graduate Student with a specification in space habitats. She has her undergraduate from NJIT in Industrial Design and is a UI/UX intern at Elementary Robotics. She is also a user experience and industrial design intern at Stellar Amenities. Melissa Nieves is a recent graduate from NJIT. She has her Masters in Architecture with a concentration in infrastructure. She now has a full time position at Port Authority as an Engineering and Architecture Associate. Chelsea Banks is an Interior Designer, Space Planner, and a Creator. She worked with different companies for corporate commercial interiors. She now does freelancing working with different residential spaces and is launching her own design company. Join us for this don't-miss IGTV 3-part series called "Gradient," hosted over our LIVE Instagram account (@designshed) and Radio Free Montclair. Crossing the career spectrum from Intern to CEO, Gradient is sharing designer’s stories, asking questions, and passing the mic to imagine the future of the design industry.
"Design" by GRADIENT

"Design" by GRADIENT

In this episode, our host talk up all things Design Education with our guests Kelly Bryden, Alyson Fraser Diaz, Katrina Macaro and Gretchen Von Koeing, inviting us to learn and take action, because we all have a voice within Design. Host: Renee Collins is a visual designer passionate about people storytelling, and our connection through design. Guests: Kelly Bryden is a Freelance Creative Director and specializes in environmental and pop design as well as brand identity design. Alyson Fraser Diaz is a student studying Design for Social Innovation and a practicing freelance designer. Katrina Macaro is a senior Industrial Design student at NJIT. She is also current president of the Industrial Design Societies of America chapter at NJIT. Gretchen Von Koeing is a professor of Design History at both NJIT and Kean University. She is also a historic home curator for Jersey City. Join us for this don't-miss IGTV 3-part series called "Gradient," hosted over our LIVE Instagram account (@designshed) and Radio Free Montclair. Crossing the career spectrum from Intern to CEO, Gradient is sharing designer’s stories, asking questions, and passing the mic to imagine the future of the design industry.
"AFROFUTURISM" in Montclair

"AFROFUTURISM" in Montclair

What does the future of Black Life in our region look like? The global movement of Afrofuturism combines artistic and cultural practices with technology to intentionally design Black people into the future. Our panelists will explore these practices and speculate on strategies that preserve and expand the future of our region's Black cultural community – through the lenses of urban design, housing, architecture, public art, cultural education and economic development. All ages welcome. Moderator: Marilyn LaVergne. Panelists: Nina Cooke John, Principal Architect of Cooke John Architects; Justin Garrett Moore, Urban Designer; Khari Johnson Ricks, Artist and DJ; Lynne Toye, Chief Operating Officer of Harlem School of the Arts and Founder of Unpacked.
Design, Data and Inclusion

Design, Data and Inclusion

Pecha Kucha Nights go virtual! Redesigning design starts on your doorstep and in our community. Join our presenters on an audio-visual journey focused on building inclusive data and amplifying inclusive design. These thought-provoking and engaging presentations are delivered in a rapid format—20 images, 20 seconds per image. Host: Josh Marotti: Director of Data & Analytics at KPMG Ignition and fly fishing enthusiast Presenters: Brunie Pierre: Brunie is a Haitian American architect in the making, in process of using her skills to be a voice for the community and to design for those in mind who are usually overlooked. Jennifer Nelson: Jen is a Mom, Nonprofit Leader, and Entrepreneur. Josh Marotti: Josh is a data and analytics leader, business strategist and non-profit volunteer Lu Ortiz: Executive Director of Vita-Activa.org | Mental Health Advocate | Gender Online Violence Researcher | Human Design Thinker | Non-Violent Political Action Specialist
Improbably Designed Awards Show

Improbably Designed Awards Show

This is not your typical design awards show! When most awards praise designs for their grace, their attention to detail and their overall sense of purpose, we'll be giving props to designs that veered off their intended path, and managed to come out way more radical and transformative. Most times, designs like these emerge out of completely unforeseen circumstances, blindsiding our expectations and catapulting us into new territory. Join members of SPURSE, a quirky research and design collective, as they ween us off of recent design fads, and challenge all of the sacred fish of creativity, design and human exceptionalism. Guest: SPURSE is a creative design consultancy that focuses on social, ecological and ethical transformation. They work to empower communities, institutions, infrastructures, and ecologies with tools and strategies for system-wide change.
Race and Ecology Radio

Race and Ecology Radio

How did the modern environmental movement in the west emerge, and what relation does this have to race? Helping us to unpack these questions is Prakash Kashwan, a leading voice in the field of political economy of institutions, environmental politics, and global climate governance. We'll take a close look at environmental movements, what they were designed to address and how they measure up to their intended outcomes. We'll get to the central question: how do we get to an anti-racist environmentalism? Join us for a lively discussion connecting a local and global context towards new ecologies. Guest: Prakash Kashwan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He is the author of Democracy in the Woods: Environmental Conservation and Social Justice in India, Tanzania, and Mexico (Oxford University Press, 2017).
MDW20 Events
"Montclair Mondays" Series
Montclair Mondays, April 6, 2020 – “Understanding Federal and State Aid Together”

Montclair Mondays, April 6, 2020 – “Understanding Federal and State Aid Together”

“Understanding Federal and State Aid Together” Montclairians & Friends Melanie Willoughby, Exec Director, NJ Business Action Center Carley Graham Garcia, Exec Director, MSU’s Feliciano Ctr Entrepreneurship & Innovation Kimberly Weisul, Editor-at-Large, Inc. Magazine Jen Bobal, Owner, Pure Energy Hair Studio, Montclair Center BID member (SBA applicant) Thomas J Owens, CPA (accountant perspective for small and medium businesses) Jon Schnur, Chairman/Chief Exec, America Achieves (nonprofit perspective) Pre-Read / Watch Materials NJ State Resources WEBSITE: COVID-19 Information for New Jersey Businesses from NJEDA WEBSITE: 3 NJEDA Programs Highlighted by MSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship, specifically for Main Street Business & Entrepreneurs Federal Resources WEBSITE: US Small Business Assoc. Disaster Loan Assistance VIDEO: US Chamber of Commerce National Small Business Town Hall, facilitated by Montclair’s own Kimberly Weisul, Editor at Large, Inc Magazine. _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, April 13, 2020 – “Rent & Overhead Relief During the Pandemic”

Montclair Mondays, April 13, 2020 – “Rent & Overhead Relief During the Pandemic”

“Rent & Overhead Relief During the Pandemic" Montclairians & Friends: Kacy Erdelyi, Founder/Owner, Joyist, an organic functional foods cafe in Upper Montclair David Placek, Managing Partner, Community Investments Carley Graham Garcia, Exec Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Montclair State University Some pre-reading: NJ Landlord Cancels 3-months of Rent for Tenants Timberlake Introduces Rent Relief and Mortgage Forbearance Bill (some commercial properties included) _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, April 20, 2020 – "Rethinking Business as Usual”

Montclair Mondays, April 20, 2020 – "Rethinking Business as Usual”

"Rethinking Business as Usual” Montclairians & Friends Brad Finkel, Founder, Hoboken Farms & HoJo Home Delivery Steve Prato, President, The Joe Tea & Chips Company & HoJo Home Delivery Carley Graham Garcia, Exec Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Luck Sarabhayavanija, Founder/Owner, Ani Ramen (now a nonprofit) Dan Rivas, Founder/Owner, Montclair Vegan (now a cooperative partnership) Jason Gleason, Exec Director, Montclair Center BID Pre-Read / Thought Starters Montclair’s Joe’s T and Hoboken Farms Team Up to Create HoJo Delivery Ani Ramen to Relaunch as Nonprofit to Help Employees During Coronavirus _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, April 27, 2020 – "The New Face of Main Street”

Montclair Mondays, April 27, 2020 – "The New Face of Main Street”

“The New Face of Main Street” Join us to learn how local businesses and organizations are reimagining the look and feel of our business districts – during this crisis, and beyond. Hosted live at Montclair Innovation Lab in downtown Montclair! Montclairians & Friends PART 1: Montclair’s current ordinances restrict storefront businesses to retail only. With more and more retail establishments closing, how can we rethink what it means to be a storefront? Carley Graham Garcia, Exec Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Iain Kerr, Co-Director, MIXLAB at Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Facilitator: Petia Morozov, DesignShed (parent org of Montclair Design Week) PART 2: Main Street has been evolving for years, ever since Bigbox stores and online commerce have gripped brick and mortar. With the advent of COVID, how will our storefronts, sidewalks and public spaces adapt? Jen Bobal, Owner, Pure Energy Hair Studio, Montclair Center BID member Jaime Izurieta, Founder, Storefront Mastery Laura Torchio, Planner and Director of Education, Project for Public Spaces Co-facilitator: Jason Gleason, Exec Director, Montclair Center BID Co-facilitator: Petia Morozov, DesignShed PART 3: Let's experiment with our format! This Monday, we'll make time to gather participants in breakout rooms to dive more deeply into topics that are on your mind, from how to rework your business model to ideas to redesign your storefront. To become a breakout-room facilitator, please describe your topic in the registration form and we’ll contact you Sunday night if your topic is selected. Pre-Read / Thought Starters Racing Against Time: Montclair State’s MIX Lab is innovating to deliver thousands of face shields to COVID-19 front line workers Building Strong Towns, One Storefront at a Time _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, May 4, 2020 – "Marketing and Outreach Through the Pandemic"

Montclair Mondays, May 4, 2020 – "Marketing and Outreach Through the Pandemic"

“Marketing and Outreach Through the Pandemic” Montclairians & Friends Robert Genovese, Owner, Local Coffee https://www.localcoffeemontclair.com/ Jessica Maarek, Founder and Owner, Red Root Marketing https://www.redrootmarketing.com/ Arlinda Mcintosh, Owner and Designer of Sofistafunk, The Skirt Company and Social Media Influencer https://www.instagram.com/sofistafunktheskirtco/?hl=en with hosts Petia Morozov, Founder, Montclair Design Week www.montclairdesignweek.org Jason Gleason, Director, Montclair Center BID, www.montclaircenter.com Ann Marie Sekeres, Deputy Director, Montclair Center BID Some helpful marketing tools from Red Root: Free content calendar download: www.redrootmarketing.com/contentcalendar Red Root Marketing newsletter and tips: https://mailchi.mp/bce825d311ad/redrootmarketingtips Free 15 minute mini-marketing sessions: https://calendly.com/redrootmarketing/15-minute-free-social-media-consulting?month=2020-05 _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, May 11, 2020 – "NJ Governor’s Restart & Recovery Commission"

Montclair Mondays, May 11, 2020 – "NJ Governor’s Restart & Recovery Commission"

NJ Governor’s Restart & Recovery Commission: Actionable Feedback from Businesses Montclairians & Friends Jessica Gonzalez, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of InCharged, VendX, and Lux-UVC and NJ Restart and Recovery Commission member Carley Graham Garcia, Exec Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Panelists including: Risa Magid Boyer, Chef/Owner, Vanillamore Wendy Lacey, Founder/Executive Director, Cornerstone Montclair January Levy, Owner, January’s Barber Shop _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
Montclair Mondays, June 22 – "Black Businesses Matter"

Montclair Mondays, June 22 – "Black Businesses Matter"

"Black Businesses Matter: Building a More Equitable Entrepreneurial Future" Join us in celebrating our vibrant black-owned business community, and holding vital and uplifting conversations about the state of black entrepreneurship in the Montclair area. Montclairians & Friends Esi and Peter Gillo, Co-Founders of Diffvelopment (https://www.diffvelopment.org), a local organization with educational programs that empower black college students to overcome socioeconomic barriers and build generational wealth. Zina Floyd, Co-owner, Café Moso https://www.cafemoso.com Denise Ford Sawabogo, Co-founder, Montclair Brewery https://www.montclairbrewery.com Devon Warren, Owner, Devon Warren Foto https://www.devonwarrenfoto.com with hosts Petia Morozov, Founder, Montclair Design Week www.montclairdesignweek.org Jason Gleason, Director, Montclair Center BID, www.montclaircenter.com Pre-Read / Thought Starters Why Brands' Black Lives Matter Statements Can So Easily Go Wrong https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/brands-how-support-black-lives-matter.html Passion, Design and Black Entrepreneurship Panel https://www.google.com/url?q=https://patch.com/new-jersey/montclair/montclair-nonprofit-passion-design-black-entrepreneur-panel Wealth Gap Continues to Plague Blacks https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtoninformer.com/wealth-gap-continues-to-plague-blacks _______________________ When we saw how crippling the economic grip this pandemic has had on our business community, we decided to partner with Montclair Center BID and Montclair State's Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on this weekly series to support and pull our business community together. Learn more about Montclair Mondays and how to register for our next session by going to https://www.montclairdesignweek.org/post/montclair-mondays
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