Other than the annual Kentucky Reggae Festival, Louisville doesn’t have the opportunity to experience much of the Caribbean island life. Thanks to event planner, Nia Anderson, that has changed. On Saturday August 8, 2015, Anderson’s event planning company, Orchards of Elegance, hosted the 2015 Caribbean Wine Festival at the Broad Run Vineyards in Louisville, Ky. The atmosphere surrounding the festival was outstanding. For a $15 advance ticket or $20 admission at the door, patrons were given a souvenir wine glass and four (4) event tickets. Each ticket could be used to sample a wine of the patrons choice. Broad Run Vineyards is located at 10601 Broad Run Rd in Louisville, Ky and the vineyard produces over twenty (20) signature wines on their 72 acre estate which also includes a 8000 square foot winery and tasting room. Catering was provided by the local restaurants: Roof Top Grill, which specializes in “Authentic Jamaican Cuisine”, and the Louisville Vegan Kitchen. Both catering companies provided excellent menu items featuring Caribbean cuisine for reasonable prices. Anderson chose a Caribbean theme for this particular event because her fiance is from the islands. Since residing in Louisville she discovered that the city doesn’t offer many entertainment venues for its residents of Caribbean descent, so she decided to address the void.

“My fiance is from Barbados and I have friends that are from Jamaica and Trinidad so that sparked the idea of hosting a Caribbean themed event. I was surprised at the positive response I got once I started the planning. Once I posted my advertisements online and on event sites I had someone contact me all the way from Chicago that wanted to participate…I also had a vendor from Atlanta inquiring about available space.” – Nia Anderson

On August 8, 2015, close to 200 guests visited Broad Run Vineyards to experience Anderson’s version of Caribbean life in Louisville. Party-goers from as far as St. Louis and Cincinnati converged on Louisville for the day to partake in the festivities.

Guests seemed to thoroughly enjoy the wine tasting and the multiple vendor booths that were setup throughout the venue. One of the highlights of the event was the Reggae band Zion Albert & the Yard Squad Band which hails from St. Louis, Missouri.

“I was particularly excited about the band that was coming to play because this is the last card for the lead singer before he travels to Jamaica to sign with the Marley’s” -Nia Anderson

Ronaldo Toussaint, a native of Trinidad currently living in Louisville said, “This was the best Caribbean party that I’ve attended since living in the states. The food, music and atmosphere is definitely that of the islands.” Anderson is a native of Baltimore, MD and has relocated to Louisville within the past year. She has been an event planner for the past two years and the 2015 Caribbean Festival is the second event that Orchids of Elegance has hosted since operating in Louisville. Event planning is an occupation that was somewhat forced upon Anderson. Initially she was unsure if she wanted to burden the responsibility of creating the perfect reality for potential customers but once she began planning her first event, she realized that she was a natural and quickly fell in love with the business.

“Back home I was in college and I started bartending…I was promoted to event coordinator at that establishment so that’s how I got my start planning events…I hosted a Maudi Gras themed party as well as a Mother’s Day surprise party. After planning those events, I knew that I was built for this.” – Nia Anderson

A short time later Anderson established Orchids of Elegance: Event Planning & Bartender Services, whose slogan is “Let us make your vision a vibrant reality, and your reality an unforgettable memory.” The company’s first event in Louisville was the “Derby Health and Wellness Workshop” in May 2015, which reflects her passion of healthy living. In addition to her event planning business Anderson plans to collaborate with local schools and develop programs that encourage healthy eating and exercise habits.

“I want to reach out to the schools because everything starts with kids. If you don’t have a good foundation as far as eating habits, exercise habits and things like that, you will go through life eating whatever, doing whatever and then by the time you are 21, you find out that you have diabetes and high blood pressure…So I want to honestly initiate a program, starting with elementary schools or maybe even middle schools where some type of activities like field days are established so that kids will learn what they are really supposed to have.” -Nia Anderson

Be on the lookout for future events hosted by Orchids of Elegance, as Anderson is quickly earning the reputation of becoming one of Louisville’s premier event planners. Orchids of Elegance also hosts parties for weddings, graduations, retirements, birthdays and numerous other events. Anderson can be contacted at (762) 218-2611. By email at gdjamanagement@gmail.com. Or visit the Orchids of Elegance website at http://www.orchidsofelegance.com/ and also *Like* the Orchids of Elegance Facebook page. 2015 Caribbean Wine Festival Sponsors:

Louisville’s newest Super-Show, The Turn Up Show with T-Made & Friends, is burning up the radio airwaves on Friday nights. The program airs on WLOU 104.7 FM, from 8 pm – 9 pm every Friday night. Antonio (T-Made) Taylor, Kanesha Gardner, Nitt Pitino, Audrey D., Pri-Love, De Autry and William Buckner are a close knit group of friends who bring laughter to their diverse audience on a weekly basis while discussing current events that capture the nation. Antonio (T-Made) Taylor pilots the program which has taken off like a 747 jet and the contributions from his supporting cast make listeners feel as though they are part of a friendly conversation around the office water cooler. The Turn Up Show operates on the format of revitalizing community involvement and responsibility. T-Made and Friends are committed to offering the world an “Alternative” to the negative hip-hop and radio commentary that plague the majority of the airwaves these days. The program plays positive music from local and national hip-hop and R&B artists as well as gospel based hip-hop however; the group wants to emphasize that although they operate on a Christian based radio station, the music and commentary is not all Christian based material.

“Right now there is so much negative out there and so much corruption with our youth being poisoned that we want to provide a positive platform…We’ll play a J. Cole, we’ll play a Kendrick Lamar…We played Lil Boosie on our show last week. So we don’t worry about the artist, we worry about the message…As long as your message is in line with what we are trying to send out there, we’ll play you because we think everybody has something positive to say.” -T-Made

All of the crew members are Louisville natives and have extensive backgrounds in the music and entertainment industry which has allowed this program to quickly exceed expectations. The Turn Up Show debuted on 104.7 FM in Louisville on April 3, 2015, and has expanded to the So Christ-Like (http://www.sochristlike.com/christlike-radio) internet radio station based out of Indianapolis, as well as the Kingdom1.com internet radio station based out of Tyler, Tx. Additionally there are plans to launch turnupradio.com by September of this year so that fans can have direct access to videos, podcasts, live streaming and information surrounding the program. The group has also began filming a reality TV show which will air on All Nations TV (http://www.allnationstv.com/). The network will also feature the show on its Roku channel. Prior to becoming recognizable voices on Louisville’s radio airwaves, T-Made and Nitt Pitino formed a two-man R&B group named “Too Smooth” which was signed to Heavy D & the Boyz back in the mid 1990s. That experience ultimately became the foundation for creating the Turn Up Show.

“The Turn Up Show basically came together based on our backgrounds in music and entertainment. We [T-Made & Nitt Pitino] moved to New York and were signed to Heavy D & the Boyz back in the day…After we saw that the artist thing wasn’t going to work for us we decided to make some paper writing songs and producing…We started writing material and one of the A&R’s from Def Jam heard our stuff, liked us and he invited us to be a part of the “Burn Unit”. They wrote for artists like Montell Jordan, Sisqo, Dru Hill, 112 and others…At the time we worked on the remix with Montell Jordan and L.L. Cool J, “Baby It’s On Tonight”. – T-Made

Years later the pair left New York and began embarking on individual projects in the entertainment industry. Pitino relocated to Atlanta and T-Made returned to Louisville and began co-hosting a local hip-hop TV show called the “Da Show” which aired at midnight on the WB network from 2008-2011.

“Da Show is kind of like the seed to all of this because once I started working on Da Show me and Audrey D. reacquainted with each other. We put unsigned and independent artists on TV and played their videos…We interviewed every celebrity in the world…Lil Wayne was on our show, Rick Ross was on our show…It was based out of Louisville and produced by us. The show was so successful it branched out to the Lexington market and then to several markets in Missouri.” -T-Made

Following Da Show’s three year run a spin-off show called “The Show” was created and was hosted by Audrey D and Kanesha Gardner (currently of the Turn Up Show). “The Show” aired on the CW and Fox networks. Around the beginning of 2015, T-Made had an epiphany. He had become frustrated with the current state of hip-hip and decided that it was time to take a stand.

“I’m kind of bitter at the industry because they really are poisoning our kids through media and this music…Now hip-hop is good…I love hip-hop but the bad side about hip-hop nowadays is that there’s no balance… It’s all bad, it’s all negative…Now when we were growing up, if we had NWA, we had Public Enemy and X-Klan to counter that…We had Too Short but we also had Heavy D.” – T-Made

With the help of a friend T-Made decided to pitch his idea of a community based positive talk show to the program director of 104.7 WLOU. His friend encouraged the sales representative of the station (Keisha Matlock) to give him a call. After the conversation Matlock arranged a meeting with the station’s program director Bill Price. T-Made pitched his idea and Price decided to take a chance on the show. The Turn Up Show was officially born. T-Made brought Audrey D. on board and asked Nitt Pitino to return from Atlanta to join the show. The crew feels as though they were definitely brought together by a higher power.

“We all know that this is something that is bigger than us…We know that this is something that is really divine and that this is going to be something that people are going to be able to look back on and maybe have learned something or maybe have gotten something from it…For instance he [T-Made] is playing local positive music…We are creating a positive platform.” -Audrey D.

Pri-Love was already employed with 104.7 WLOU at the time. After a few conversations with T-Made she was blown away because for months she and station engineer De Autry, had discussed starting the same type of program. It was a no-brainer that she joined the crew.

“I thought that I would make a great addition to the team because we shared the same vision. I have a background in radio…I went to school for Communications and always wanted to do radio…I never wanted to do TV…I worked for B96 radio from 2008-2013 and feel as though I have an eye and an ear for music and entertainment.” – Pri-Love

Kanesha Gardner was brought in to handle marketing and PR which made the group complete. The Turn Up Show crew members feel as though they have created an unstoppable force within the music and entertainment industry. Giving back to the community is the first order of business for this talented group. They are planning to host “The Turn Up Festival” this Labor Day weekend with the goal of feeding 100 children for free.

“The Turn Up Festival is an annual event that we are going to put on every year. We are hopefully going to host it this Labor Day weekend and we are going to be having artists come in from out of town as well as local artists who will be able to perform on stage for the community. We will also be providing free food.” – Kanesha Gardner

Another issue the Turn Up Show would like to address is the high violence and homicide rate in Louisville this year. They would like to extend a friendly request to all local party and concert promoters within the city.

“Currently the homicide rate is double what it was last year…Please do not bring artists to the city that are going to create a violent atmosphere. Please don’t…Have a heart for your city. Don’t do it at a time like this…Maybe you can do it next year or the year after if the violence isn’t so high but don’t contribute to what’s going on.” – T-Made

The Turn Up Show plans to expand to a weekend show in a few months and hopes to eventually become a nationally syndicated radio show. They want to thank the program director of 104.7 WLOU, Bill Price, for taking a chance on the show and providing the city of Louisville with a much needed “Alternative” to the negative programming that currently dominates the airwaves. Tune in to the Turn Up Show every Friday night at 8pm on 104.7 FM WLOU. The station can also be accessed on the TuneIn radio app on android and iPhone devices.

The lack of affordable recreation available in Louisville’s predominately black West End is an issue that many local activists believe contribute to the high crime rate amongst young people in that area. In recent years the area has experienced the closing of several Boys and Girls Clubs as well as other community centers that specifically provide programs for the youth. Lack of funding and volunteers are often the primary factors that lead to the closing of most community centers within Louisville’s West End. Many of the children that rely on the facilities come from low-income households and are not able to financially support its overhead. Growing up in the West End, 29 year-old, James Haymon, knows this scenario all-too-well and decided that he would try to make a difference. Haymon operates a “Low Cost” performing arts studio called West Louisville Talent Development Center located at 3050 West Broadway.

“It’s a development center based on trying to give back in a positive way and trying to get the kids to reach their highest potential in the fields of dance, cheer, gymnastics and modeling. In addition to the physical instruction, we do whatever we can do to boost their confidence and self-esteem.” – James Haymon

The studio provides dance, cheer, modeling and ballet lessons for children ages three (3) and up. Classes are in session on Mon, Wed & Fri from 6 pm to 8 pm and on Saturday’s from 1 pm to 3 pm.

“We work on fundamentals, so we have a beginners, intermediate and advanced level dance program…If a child is 3 years-old we automatically place them in the beginners program and allow them to work their way up.” -James Haymon

Haymon realizes that many children from low-income households aren’t able to afford the high cost of performing arts lessons, which typically average over $100 per month for four (4) one-hour classes. To address this issue, tuition at the West Louisville Talent Development Center is only $50 per month for sixteen (16) two-hour classes.

“Pricing is $50 per month and an additional $25 to become a member. What’s good about becoming a member is that they [children] have access to private lessons which include private tumbling lessons, private motions, private jumps and they have access to the studio for birthday parties and other private events.”– James Haymon

Performing arts aren’t the only courses on the curriculum for students enrolled at the West Louisville Talent Development Center. Education and healthy eating habits are also encouraged by staff members. Students are required to bring books, paper and homework every Monday and Wednesday for an hour long tutoring session prior to beginning their performing arts lessons.

“Not only do I work with the kids on dance. I work with them on tutoring and give them health seminars because we are very big on healthy eating. We are trying to educate them on the dangers of obesity and not eating healthy.” -James Haymon

Haymon began taking performing arts classes at Kennedy Elementary School and enrolled in classes with the Louisville Ballet at six years-old. He continued studying dance and performing arts at Frost Middle and at Manual High School’s Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). At YPAS he majored in dance which consists of courses in ballet, modern jazz, dance compostion and dance improv. Following high school he majored in dance at Western Kentucky University, coached dance and cheer for JFK, King and Byck Elementary School’s, as well as several little league programs throughout the city of Louisville. Haymon is currently studying Elementary Education at Kentucky State University and is a member of the school’s cheerleading squad. The long term goal for the West Louisville Talent Development Center is to become the first premier Urban performing arts center in West Louisville. Haymon hopes to produce Louisville’s first black Ms. Prima Ballerina and also win national titles in dance and cheer competitions.

“This eventually will be a performing arts center for youth rather than just a studio. I would like to develop all the students that are planning to take performing arts classes in high school so that they will have a certain level of experience when they enter those programs.” – James Haymon

Haymon has developed a dance and cheer team named Top Notch Elite Cheerndance Allstars which he plans to enter into the cheer and dance exhibition at the Kentucky State Fair on August 29, 2015, providing enough money is raised to cover the cost of the team’s uniforms. His students are well trained and Haymon feels as though the experience gained from performing in a professional dance exhibition will further motivate his young team. Uniforms for the entire team are approximately $4,000 and Haymon is desperately seeking sponsors and donations. Haymond can be reached for enrollment or donations at (502) 656-1304 or at (866) 623-8609. He can also be contacted on Facebook at James Fatdaddy or on the TopNotch Elite Cheerndance Allstars Facebook page.

With violence and the murder rate skyrocketing in Louisville, KY, three citizens formed an anti-violence group dubbed #LOUNITY, which focuses on community involvement to restore the peace in the streets.

#LOUNITY is an organization founded by husband and wife, Evan & Evette Clemons, and friend Marcus Mahan. The #LOUNITY movement represents unity amongst all Louisville communities.

The organization was established out of concern and frustration with the rapid rise in violence throughout the city of Louisville as of late.

“For a while we’ve always been the people that were talking and saying that it was time for a change but we never really did anything. We finally got tired and decided that we were about to do something, so we started with this Peace Walk that my man [Evan Clemons] came up with and that was the birth of #LOUNITY.” -Marcus Mahan

The organization intends to promote ‘Peace Walks’, throughout the city of Louisville, to raise awareness of the necessity for community involvement in ending the violent culture that exists in certain segments of society today.

The first Peace Walk took place on Sunday July 12, 2015. The 5.5 mile walk began at Phoenix Hill, in Louisville’s East End and ended at Shawnee Park in the city’s West End. A group of about 40 volunteers walked west on Broadway street holding signs and chanting, “What do we want?…Peace…When do we want it?…Now.”

“We plan to cover the entire city…We want to cover every neighborhood in the city with the walks so that way we are bringing White, Black, Chinese, everybody out to do it…When we walked from Phoenix Hill to Shawnee Park there were people joining us as we walked down the street, so that’s ultimately what we want to happen on the walks as well…Feel free to join us, you don’t have to start with us to join us along the way. We want people to get involved before they’re directly affected by the violence.  -Evette Clemons

#LOUNITY also plans to establish mentoring programs and free events for the youth that will hopefully provide them with positive alternatives to crime and violence.

The July 12th Peace Walk was attended by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and plans are currently being made between #LOUNITY organizers and the mayor’s office to organize more events.

“These walks aren’t the end of it…We are going to do some door knocking…In October we are having an event at the Waterfront, so we are just putting things together to bring community back because if you don’t have that unity within your family unit then you can’t have any unity within your community.” – Evan Clemons

The second walk focused on canvassing the Newburg area. Volunteers walked for 3.8 miles from the corner of Indian Trail & Preston Hwy to Newburg Park. The walkers traveled down Ilex and Silverleaf streets, which at one period were ‘hot spots’ for violence in the area.

Neighbors noticed the walkers and many came out and stood on their porches as an expression of their solidarity. Newburg resident, Whitney Dunn said, “Violence prevention is something that is needed in certain parts of this neighborhood and other parts of the city as well.”

The #LOUNITY movement also inspired platinum rap recording artist, R. Prophet, (formerly of the Nappy Roots) to participate in the second Peace Walk.

“I just wanted to be part of a positive movement…It’s the #LOUNITY movement which is all about the people of Louisville standing united together, trying to fight for some change and perhaps try to save some lives out here. Also to show that there are people in the community that are positive that are trying to do some right things and pass a positive message…I just felt like a march is something that I definitely  would like to be a part of because I love the community.” – R. Prophet

#Lounity organizers provided water stations along the walk in addition to towels soaked in cold water to combat the 95 degree heat. Once walkers arrived at Newburg park, the organizers showed their gratitude by hosting a complimentary ‘Cook Out’ with musical entertainment provided by Dj El Dawg.

“I got a call from Evan yesterday afternoon…I caught wind of what he was doing from the previous week about the #LOUNITY Peace Walks, so when he hit me up yesterday, it was nothing for me to come out and help him out…That’s my dude from way back…Especially when you’re doing something positive…It’s all about the love. I support my people especially when they’re on some positive things.” -Dj El Dawg

#LOUNITY organizers emphasize that all citizens of Louisville have the opportunity to participate in their events. Volunteers and donations are needed for the group to continue to provide these events for the public.

Half of the proceeds from all donations are directly attributed to financing future events. Additional funds are being put aside to finance a bus trip to the Million Man March on October 10, 2015, in Washington DC. #LOUNITY hopes to finance the trip for several local citizens that are experiencing financial difficulties.Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

The group plans to continue its summer Peace Walks and invites the entire community out to support their cause.

“The Phoenix Hill walk was our inaugural one and it will also be the last one of the series for the year when we do it…Hopefully by then there will be more than 40 [people]…Maybe we can get a couple hundred out there so they can shut Broadway down and let us just walk.” -Evan Clemons

For future #LOUNITY events or t-shirt purchases follow the official #LOUNITY Facebook page or contact Evan Clemons, Evette Clemons, or Marcus Mahan on Facebook.

Dj El Dawg can be reached for booking on Instagram @djeldawg.

R. Prophet can be reached for booking on Instagram @iamrprophet or on Twitter @rprophet. Additionally R. Prophet said:

“I just shot an episode on MTV which is airing this Wednesday July 22nd at 10:00 pm. It’s a show called Catfish…It’s pretty much a reality show but it’s a lot of fun.” (link listed below)

http://www.mtv.com/shows/catfish/catfish-the-tv-show-season-4-ep-13-prophets-email/1220152/video/#id=1736895

Health is something that many people take for granted, especially young people. Most don’t realize that their health or the health of their loved ones could drastically decline at any moment without notice. Typically in these situations the ailing loved one requires around the clock care which forces someone in the family to become the designated caregiver. Louisville author and scholar Janice Baldon-Gutter found herself in this very situation when her parents became terminally ill years ago. After experiencing sudden illness her mother was unable to care for herself so Baldon-Gutter had no choice but to put her life on hold and become her caregiver. A number of years later, while still caring for her mother, her father became bedridden due to lung cancer complications and moved into her home as well.

“With my mom it was 15 years of caregiving. With my dad it was a shorter period of time. At one point I cared for them both at the same time…They both died within two months of each other.” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

Considering that the lives of most people are consumed with work, family and responsibilities; the tedious task of caregiving is something that many family members aren’t willing to take on.

“It’s very rare someone else will step up in the family and say. ‘Oh it’s my turn.’…Normally when you are it, you are on your own.” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

Throughout the process of caring for her parents, Baldon-Gutter lost friends, became estranged from several family members, experienced pressure from her employer and at times felt as though the stress would be the death of her.

“During that period of time I prayed and said, ‘Lord you’re taking away so much from me here at one time, send me something back…Lottery, good companion, or something’…Yeah I went there. Two weeks after I made that prayer, I met my husband…That was 14 years ago and we’ve been married ten years so God answered that prayer.” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

Her strong mentality allowed her to persevere through adversity but unfortunately after 15 years of caring for her parents, they both succumbed to their illnesses. Throughout her journey Baldon-Gutter gained valuable information that she feels will assist others that may find themselves in this situation so she decided to author a book entitled, Caregiving: A Daughter’s Story.

“This is more like a guidebook or handbook for all caregivers. It talks about general tips for all caregivers…How to approach the conversation with the family…How to talk to healthcare professionals about your love ones and also legal professionals…How to gather resources and where to gather resources.” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

Many people associate caregiving with only the elderly but its parameters expand to disabled children, and spouses as well. Being that depression and anger can possibly consume the caregiver, Baldon-Gutter’s book offers detailed insight on the caregiving process and how to return to a normal lifestyle once caregiving is over. Workplace relationships is another topic that Baldon-Gutter addresses in her book. Employers can often be unsympathetic to the needs of their employees who suddenly are forced to assume the responsibility of caring for their loved ones.

“Work relationships are a lot better now than they were 14-15 years ago. Now they [employers] are realizing that caregiving is right up there with childcare. I had one boss that told me to come in the day my mother had open heart surgery but luckily I had another boss that was over her who understood and he said, ‘No…No she’s not.'” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

The nursing home experience is also discussed in her book. Many families aren’t emotionally, physically or financially equipped to care for their loved ones 24/7 therefore; admitting them into a nursing home becomes their best option. Baldon-Gutter feels as though nursing homes are often excellent choices as long as the family researches the facility and checks up on their loved one daily.

“I want to emphasize to people that nursing homes are just that. They are nursing homes, not human grave yards where you put people in and leave them, and a lot of families do that.” -Janice Baldon-Gutter

In addition to the information provided in her book, Baldon-Gutter also hosts workshops and seminars for organizations which provide more in-depth information about the different aspects of caregiving.

“I also do workshops on this very topic for any organization that wants one.. Sometimes if I have enough notice, I come with an attorney or healthcare professional, because there are wills and trusts and things of that nature that need to be done.” – Janice Baldon-Gutter

Baldon-Gutter is a Louisville native and grew up in the Beecher Terrace housing projects in Louisville’s predominately black West End area. She graduated second in her class from Central High School and furthered her education by earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Louisville. She was employed as a Human Resource Specialist at the Dupont Chemical Plant for 15 years while simultaneously furthering her education by earning two additional Masters degrees. In addition to her employment at Dupont, Baldon-Gutter taught Business and Marketing courses at Jefferson Community College for two years and Micro and Macro Economics for 18 years at the University of Louisville. Her resume also includes teaching Business courses at Indiana Wesleyan University, Devry University and online courses for Kaplan University. This fall she will begin teaching at least one course at Simmons University, which is Louisville’s only HBCU (Historically Black College and University). Caregiving: A Daughter’s Story is available for purchase online at Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com and Authorhouse.com. Additionally, the book can be ordered from any other bookstore upon request. Janice Baldon-Gutter can be reached for information regarding workshops and seminars at jcbald22@aol.com.

Louisville, KY is positioning itself to become a major player in the global technology industry and a city sponsored organization called ‘Code Louisville’ has assisted in making entrepreneurs out of seven local teenagers.

In an attempt to stay ahead of the technology curve, a collaboration between the Metro Louisville Department of Economic Growth and Innovation, Greater Louisville Inc, EnterpriseCorp, the Louisville Free Public Library, KentuckianaWorks and local employers was established to create the technology growth program known as Code Louisville.

The program consists of a series of twelve-week sessions which uses the Treehouse coding program to train future software developers. According to the Code Louisville website, between 2010 and 2020, Louisville is projected to have a net increase of nearly 2000 new programmer and software developer jobs.

In 2015, Code Louisville decided to expand its training program to include high school students from Louisville’s predominately black Russell Neighborhood, so it created a pilot program called Code Louisville After School. Classes for the the program would be held at the city owned learning center in the Russell Neighborhood known as The Beech.Watch Brothers (2015) Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

In 2005, The Beech was established within the Beecher Terrace housing projects to address the lack of adequate learning centers located in Louisville’s Russell Neighborhood.

Its construction was a joint-venture between Ballard High School and the Metro Louisville Housing Authority. To create the state of the art facility, the walls of two adjoining apartments units were torn down. The newly constructed unit was then equipped with WiFi, computers and furniture.

In the Spring of 2015, Code Louisville partnered with Ballard High School and created a pilot program called Coding at the Beech. It was designed to teach qualified students that maintained at least a 3.0 GPA, how to become software developers.

Ballard High School supplied the students for the program and Code Louisville brought in Kevin Johnson, a recent University of Louisville graduate with a Master’s degree in Education, and MBA student Diana Duran from Bellarmine University to assist and supervise the students.

Initially, twenty-five students were enrolled in Coding at the Beech but due to personal obligations only seven were able to complete the program. The students were given free city bus passes and met twice a week at The Beech, for two hour sessions over a twelve week period.

The program taught the students how to code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Once they mastered the techniques, they designed the website for Coding at the Beech (atthebeech.com) and were then able to create their own website development company called Beech Technologies (Beechtech.org).

Their newly founded company creates custom websites complete with a personalized internet domain, tech support, social media presence, software updates and frequent analysis reports to track the success of the client’s web presence. The websites are currently being offered at a discounted rate of $99 per month. Comparable services with their competitors generally range around $250 per month.

Grants and funding for the program were provided by Access Ventures and the James Graham Brown Foundation. These grants allow the students to earn minimum wages until the company becomes profitable. Course instructor Kevin Johnson explains,

“They are making minimum wage and anything past our break-even point, they’re doing profit sharing. So if we are super successful and we get a bunch of accounts…Any cream on the top of that, they’re going to split amongst themselves.” 

In addition to designing and creating custom websites, the students are also responsible for sales and marketing. Sales representative, Direese Breckenridge, faces the tedious task of seeking out potential customers and presenting them with possible website options to allow their business to run more efficiently.

Operating a business is challenging for the youths but fortunately they have developed an amazing bond which allows them to persevere through adversity. In addition, the student’s family members have shown a great deal of support throughout the course of the program. Breckenridge was full of excitement when she said,

“My parents were the first people that said yes to us. They were our first customers to buy a website.”

The group of seven insist that they are thoroughly enjoying the program and that it has played a huge part in keeping the teenagers out of mischief. They also stress that they are learning a lot about technology and that the experience has been life changing.

“I love this job…When I was in middle school my teacher told us to build a website and we used a basic software program, so I was happy to finally be able to use more sophisticated technology.” – Terryion Ashby-Brown

President Obama recognized the efforts of Code Louisville, particularly Coding at the Beech, during his April 2, 2015, visit to Louisville to discuss technological advancement. Justin Jones, was congratulated by the President personally for his participation in the program.

“This has definitely been a maturing experience for all of us. It’s rewarding to learn new skills to help better ourselves and know that we are leading the world in its technology state, but it’s also equally rewarding to learn how to interact with human beings in a workplace society.” – Justin Jones

Anticipating that Beech Technologies excels as a business, city officials plan to bring the Coding at the Beech program back next year and recruit additional students. Instructor Kevin Johnson said, “It’s a long term commitment for us and our clients.”

Some people are born with the natural ability to be leaders and Louisville, KY native, Lee Streatz, is definitely cut from that cloth. Since opening his first barber shop at 18 years-old, Streatz has compiled an impressive portfolio of businesses that earn revenue nationwide.

Lee Streatz, born Lee Streater, currently owns two barber shops and one beauty salon in Louisville, KY, all named Fresh n Clean Hairstylez. However; his fourth business, Streatway Entertainment, is the company that is making its presence felt nationally.Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Under the Streatway Entertainment umbrella is an impressive collection of 17 comedians, 6 music artists, and 3 poets. With all four businesses combined, there are over 60 individuals representing the Streatway brand in multiple states.

Life wasn’t always as comfortable for Streatz as it is today. At age 12, his family fell upon hard times and as a result, he was forced to mature at a faster rate than most kids his age.

“Between the ages 12-16, I was basically homeless. When I was 11 or 12 years-old we got evicted, so that’s when I became a man… I was the middle child of five kids and my two older sisters were living in Compton at the time. My mother and my younger siblings moved in with my grandmother and I would jump around from house to house staying with different relatives and friends… I even slept in a car a couple of times.” – Lee Streatz

Miraculously, he was able to graduate from high school and enroll into Kentucky College of Barbering, becoming a licensed barber at 18 years-old. After completing college he became employed at, Mark’s Culture Cuts, and within six months he opened his first barber shop called Fresh n Clean Hairstylez. By age 21, Streatz opened a second shop under the same name.

The success of the barber shops allowed Streatz to venture out into other areas of business. He developed a rap group and dabbled in comedy before eventually founding Streatway Entertainment in 1997.

Streatz realized that the city of Louisville concealed a great deal of talent that was being overlooked because the city wasn’t on the radar of the major entertainment industries. With that realization his plan was to become the largest independent promoter of local and national talent within the region.

“I seen things from an angle that the talent in Louisville, regardless of the genre, had no promotion behind it. It also had no outlet so I wanted to be one of the main promoters to ever come out of the city… The first celebrity I brought to Louisville was comedian Michael Blackson, about 8 or 9 years ago and we’ve been good friends ever since… Reginald Ballard, who played ‘Bruh Man from the 5th Floor’ on the Martin Lawrence show was the second big act that I brought to town.”  – Lee Streatz

Also being an avid writer, Streatz began writing scripts for movies that would later become straight to DVD releases. He has written, funded and produced three movies under the Streatway imprint, with the most successful being Tha Store, starring Reginald ‘Bruh Man’ Ballard.

Tha Store was released in 2014, and was originally sold in selected Walmart locations throughout Atlanta. To date it has sold over 4,000 copies independently.

Upcoming movie projects for Streatway Entertainment include Tha Store 2, starring Michael Blackson and a heist movie entitled The Lyck. The music division of the imprint is currently working on the compilation, Take the Streatway Vol. 2.

Streatz emphasizes that the secret to his success is that he prides himself with providing the best service or product possible.

“I always care more about the show than the money. Money comes and goes and can be replaced. A show can be an epic one night event that can’t be replaced so I always want to have a good event rather than make a lot of money, because the reputation from a good event can go a long way.” – Lee Streatz

The future is looking very bright for Streatz. He is in the process of opening barber shops and beauty salons in Atlanta and Nashville and plans on expanding to several other states. However; his ultimate goal is to open a Black comedy club in Louisville.

“What I see in the future for Streatway is being a promotional hub. In the next 5-10 years imagine 50 artists, whether they are comedians, music artists or whatever…One living in each state pushing Streatway Entertainment…That’s how big Streatway Entertainment is going to be without a major deal.” – Lee Streatz

Streatway Entertainment comedians are currently in rotation at comedy clubs in Louisville, Atlanta, Nashville, Lexington KY, Huntsville, AL, and Clarksville TN.

Streatway also handles road promotion for national comedians such as Reginald Ballard, Tommy Chunn, Michael Blackson and occasionally Gary Owen.

Physical Fitness is often neglected within the African-American community and personal trainer, “Larr Bino,” is on a mission to “get the hood in shape.” After being overweight for most of his adult life, Bino has now discovered how much healthier he is after losing over 40 pounds. Bino was raised in Louisville’s crime ridden East End and became involved in the drug trade at a young age.

“Being young and dumb, I got my first felony conviction as soon as I turned 18. I wish back then somebody would have told me what a felony really was and how damaging it would be throughout my entire life.” – Larry Bino

After witnessing the death and incarceration of several close friends, he realized that the street life has more cons than pros. Desiring a more productive life, he decided to educate himself and become a role model for his two children. His journey began with enrolling at Brown Mackie College in 2010, and earning an Associates degree in Applied Business/Business Management. Bino believed that obtaining a college degree was his passage to a new life but was quickly confronted with the harsh reality that many others face when attempting rehabilitation. Despite not being involved in the criminal justice system for several years, his prior drug felonies prevented him from being hired at every place he applied. Frustration began to set in but he remained resilient and decided to return to school and seek a degree in a skilled trade field. Determining that his best option was to become self-employed, Bino enrolled in Daymar College’s Physical Fitness program in 2012, and pursued a career as a personal trainer.

“The program was appealing to me because I was one those guys that was in the gym for 8 months and then out of the gym 3-4 months. The program provided a way for me to constantly be in the gym whether it be for me or for somebody else.” – Larry Bino

After earning an Associates degree in Physical Fitness in 2014, Bino began his quest to seek financial freedom while helping others become physically fit. He started his own personal training business called G.I.T. Fitness, which is an acronym for Get It Together. “My motto is, if you can’t get it yourself, then we can Get It Together…I work out with my clients if they need that,” said Bino. Coming from a poverty stricken neighborhood, Bino understands that income restraints are often the reason why many people in the Urban community do not seek to hire personal trainers. To address that issue, his rates are often half the cost of what his local competitors charge. Earning less income requires him to work longer hours but he sympathizes with the reality that many of his clients depend on him for spiritual strength as well as physical.

“Once I started getting into it [physical fitness] I realized that I mean more to my clients than just someone to help them work out. A lot of these people have things on their minds and that’s the reason why they are obese or not in shape. I’m cool with doing it because it’s bigger than me. If I were to stop doing this [being a personal trainer] there would be a few people that I deal with that would be devastated because this is their only form of release.” – Larry Bino

Bino currently trains his clients at the gym of their choice or an alternate location if necessary. He also established the B.I.N.O. (Big Is Not An Option) Bridge Boot Camp which takes place at Louisville’s Big Four Bridge. The boot camp consists of walking across the 2 mile bridge while implementing a vigorous exercise regimen along the way. He cautions that the boot camp is challenging and is not for everyone. The camp takes place on Tues & Thurs at 6pm and Saturdays at noon. In addition to physical exercise, Bino also recommends that his clients dedicate themselves to a complete lifestyle change. He insists that a proper diet and a stress free lifestyle are essential when trying to obtain maximum results.

“You can’t out exercise a bad diet… I know people that go to the gym all week and as soon as they leave from the gym they’ll go get some crap to eat just because they worked out…You can work out all you want, but that bad meal is going to set you back three workouts.” – Larry Bino

Bino also stresses that simple lifestyle changes are what helped him drop from 280 pounds to 240 pounds in just four months. In addition to working out, he stopped eating fast food, processed foods and limits his sugar intake. He also says that instead of taking an elevator, he opts for the stairs when available, or instead of driving to the grocery store, he’ll walk on a nice day. According to Bino, these small sacrifices pay off huge over time. Bino loves his career and says that his most fulfilling moments are when he looks at his old pictures and notices the change in his appearance. Bino said, “I couldn’t help anybody until I helped myself first.” For information on personal training sessions, access Larr Bino through messaging on Facebook and Instagram.

Louisville KY, has an emerging underground comedy scene that is shaping up to be a legitimate contender to its underground hip-hop scene and comedian, Justin Tabb, is positioning himself to be the next national breakout comic. Tabb is a member of Louisville’s Streatway Entertainment team and has been a professional comedian for three years. He was born in the Allentown, PA, but his stepfather was enlisted in the military so he spent the majority of his childhood relocating from state to state. That relocation process began to manifest into behavioral problems for Tabb during his younger years.

“Being a military child was kind of rough…moving around and all. I was a bad kid. I was always fighting in school and getting suspended. Being the new kid, I was always getting in trouble…I always felt that I had something to prove and always wanted to be the class clown, that was my thing.” – Justin Tabb

The unfortunate circumstance of not feeling like he ‘fit in’ anyplace essentially forced him to develop his comedic skills as a coping mechanism for his pain. In 1999, the family moved to Louisville, KY which would be their final destination. Tabb’s professional comic debut began with the untimely death of his aunt in 2012. The two were very close and he was hurting deeply inside but relying on the coping mechanism he developed at a young age, he disguised his pain with humor.

“After my aunts funeral we’re all sitting in the back and I’m sitting there being the comedian trying to cheer everybody up…We were on my aunts back deck and me and my uncle were telling jokes, then everybody said you should really do stand-up comedy, your aunt would love for you to do that…Two months later, I got the courage up to go to an open mic at the Comedy Caravan and the rest is history.” – Justin Tabb

Following that open-mic debut Tabb became acquainted with entertainment manager, Lee Streatz, of Streatway Entertainment and the two forged a lucrative partnership deal.

“When we first met he [Streatz] said, ‘I’m going to make you somebody’. I did my first show with him…It was a comedy competition at Comedy Caravan called, the Best of  the Best of Comedy, and I won it. The next weekend he took me to St.Louis. It was only my fourth show ever and I was headlining in St. Louis.” – Justin Tabb

After receiving a good response from the crowd in St. Louis, Streatz placed Tabb on a multi-city comedy tour which was headlined by Reginald Ballard (Bruh Man from the Martin Lawerence show). The tour featured shows in Chicago, Cincinnati, St.Louis, Alabama and Tennessee. In addition, Tabb, Ballard (Bruh Man) and other comics from Streatway Entertainment filmed a ‘straight to DVD movie’ called “The Store” which sold out of the local Louisville Walmart stores on its first day of release. When not touring on the comedy circuit Tabb focuses on expanding Louisville’s comedy scene. He headlined Kaotic Comedy at Club Legends for two months, and currently performs bi-weekly at the Gaslite Tavern, the Barasti Bar & Grill and the Comedy Lounge.

“Louisville has one of the biggest comedy scenes but because of the market that we’re in, it’s not being seen…Louisville should be where Atlanta is with their comedy scene…Atlanta has comedy seven day a week at different places and every show is sold out.” – Justin Tabb

Realizing that comedy is the gift that enabled him to channel his frustrations, Tabb takes time out of his busy schedule to speak to children at elementary schools and offer words of encouragement. One of his proudest moments was hosting ‘Joke Day’ at his daughter’s school. 

“I speak at schools now. I hosted Joke Day at my daughter’s school so I got to go there and whole lot of kids were throwing knock-knock jokes at me…It’s definitely a good feeling to be able to go to schools and community centers and encourage kids.” – Justin Tabb

Up next for Tabb is a six city comedy tour which will bring shows to Columbus and Cincinatti, OH, Detroit MI, Evansville, IN, Nashville and Clarksville TN. Tabb encourages residents of the city of Louisville to come out and support the Streatway comedy family at the Gaslite Tavern and Barasti Bar & Grill on alternating Wednesday nights, the Comedy Lounge on the first and third Friday’s of each month, and “Comedy Nights” on Saturday nights at the Barasti Bar & Grill. He will also be performing at the “Stop the Violence” show on July 11, 2015, at St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church located at 3112 West Broadway street Louisville, KY 40211. All proceeds from the show will go to a foundation to help stop the violence in Louisville. This show is dedicated to all citizens that have been affected by violence in Louisville.

Shacole Henderson is a trailblazer and pioneer for both African-Americans and women of Louisville KY. At just 25 years of age she has become Louisville’s youngest Black bakery owner. Coco’s Cakes is located at 501 West Oak Street in Louisville and operates,Tues-Sat, from 7am-6pm. The menu consists of cakes (sheet & specialty), cheesecakes, turnovers, donuts and much more. Although amazing, this feat did not come overnight. Henderson persevered through sacrifice and frustration for over five years to make her dream a reality. A strong family support system and her utilization of a city sponsored small business program, ultimately allowed her to open Coco’s Cakes. Henderson is a graduate of Central High School and is a product of the city’s predominately black West End. Initially she enrolled in college with aspirations of becoming a fashion designer but that quickly changed after she became employed at a local Kroger grocery store.

“I wanted to be a cashier but my friend who was a baker asked me to come to the kitchen to be a cake decorator. I wasn’t going to go because I had never decorated cakes before but my friend said, ‘Girl you can do it…You know how to draw so you’ll be okay plus you get paid more if you are a cake decorator’, so I said okay…Two weeks into it, I fell in love.” – Shacole Henderson

Henderson’s grandfather, Claude Mitchell, is a retired culinary chef so she immediately contacted him to obtain any useful advice about decorating cakes. “I went to my granddaddy and he started showing me how to pipe borders and make roses,” said Henderson. She quickly earned a reputation as the top cake designer at her Kroger location and began posting pictures of her cakes on her Facebook page for fun. Immediately she began receiving requests for her services from her friends but she politely referred them to the Kroger bakery that she was employed at. Henderson’s defining moment came when her father asked her to bake a cake for her mother’s 45th birthday party. Based on the party’s Luau theme, she created an amazing cake equipped with handmade coconut cups, handmade umbrellas, a tiki bar and benches.

“I made the cake and posted it on Facebook and got 100 and something likes on it…I took my next paycheck and brought cake pans and all kinds of other stuff. I went to my granddaddy and told him that people wanted me to make cakes for them and he told me to take whatever jobs I can but not to overwhelm myself.” – Shacole Henderson

Henderson remained employed at Kroger but began baking cakes at home as a source of additional income. Her grandfather assisted by teaching her techniques and educating her about pricing scales. After six months of selling cakes from home she expressed to her grandfather that she wanted to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, income restraints prevented that from becoming a reality until three years later. In 2014, a friend informed her about a Micro Enterprises program sponsored by the city of Louisville, which provides loans for aspiring business owners.

“I called and set up an appointment. I went through eight weeks of business classes. I had to write out a business plan, I went through money management courses in which they showed me how to design my own logo and touched base on a lot of areas of business.” – Shacole Henderson

After completing the program, Henderson was given a $5,000 low interest loan which allowed her to rent a storefront, pay for insurance and licencing fees, and buy a few pieces of necessary equipment to get her business started. Initially the storefront was only used to prepare cakes and not as a full service bakery. Prior to opening day Henderson and her grandfather discussed potential names for the bakery.

“I wanted to name it something real fancy because I was in French class at the time but he [Granddaddy] said, ‘You don’t need anything fancy, just keep it real simple. Everybody knows you as Coco, so just call it Coco’s Cakes.'” – Shacole Henderson

Henderson paid back the $5,000 loan on-time and early so she qualified for a $15,000 low interest loan. With that capital she was able to completely furnish and equip her establishment as a full service bakery. The Grand Opening of Coco’s Cake was on May 23, 2015, and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was in attendance for the ribbon cutting. Henderson set up booths at the Grand Opening ceremony for local black business owners to display their products and services. Additionally, Coco’s Cakes currently has a designated display counter to showcase business cards and brochures for local business owners. When speaking of the future of Coco’s Cakes.

“We want to eventually open a second location…We plan on staying family based…We are focused on renting out the space for parties in the near future and would like to have an open mic night.” – Shacole Henderson

Visit Coco’s Cakes for all your bakery needs at 501 West Oak Street, Louisville, KY 40203. Or call (502) 836-1707. Follow Cocos Cakes on Facebook and Instagram or access the website at http://www.cocos-cakes.weebly.com/