Moxietalk With Kirt Jacobs

Mitch McConnell has served as U.S. Senate majority leader since 2015. He is only the second Kentuckian to serve as majority leader in the Senate; the first, Alben Barkley, led the Democrats from 1937 to 1947. McConnell has been called “the most conservative leader of either party in the history of the Senate.” He has also earned a reputation as a “master tactician” for permanently locking in critical tax relief for working families and small businesses, and putting in place the most significant spending reduction legislation in a generation. In 2015, TIME Magazine named him one of its 100 Most Influential People in the World. Since Republicans took charge of the Senate in 2015, McConnell has worked to restore the legislative process by empowering committees and individual senators. As a result, the Senate has attained a number of significant legislative accomplishments under his leadership: from replacing No Child Left Behind with the most significant K-12 education reforms in years to passing a major overhau

Ingrid Hernandez delivers high quality design while building personalized client relationships. As president and creative director at InGrid Design since 2002, Hernandez leads her business and team, while also providing expertise as a creative director and project manager. InGrid Design is an award-winning graphic design firm offering services from concept to completion, as well as Spanish translation services. The firm helps companies communicate regionally, nationally and globally with a multicultural sensibility. Hernandez grew up in Puerto Rico and attended the Instituto San Miguel de Allende with a focus on painting. She then went on to the Rhode Island School of Design for her B.F.A. in graphic design. Hernandez and InGrid Design have won many awards, including the NAWBO Woman Business Owner of the Year and the GLI Emerging Minority Business of the Year. Hernandez was named to Business First magazine’s Fast 50 and Fast Dozen lists, as well as a finalist for Leader of the Year.

Donald M. Vowels is a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor with Body, Mind, Spirit Health and Wellness in Louisville. He has an extensive resume in psychotherapy, theology and social work. While his professional life was in full swing, a December 2011 routine colonoscopy profoundly and instantly changed Vowel’s personal life when he was diagnosed with anal cancer. A May 2014, recurrence of cancer in his chest area led Vowels to creating his own Caring Bridge Blog for followers of his cancer journey. This is what ultimately led Don, or Donnie as some call him, to our program, not to mention numerous fan requests to make him a featured guest. Vowels was previously the radio show co-host of “The Art of Healthy Living” on WKJK 1080 AM Radio for two years. He also released a calming guided meditation album, “The Quiet,” in 2007.

Sterling Lapinski is an entrepreneur and angel investor. In 2012, he co-founded ClipperData, an energy market information service, where he currently serves as CEO. Lapinski is also the co-founder of Genscape, the world’s leading provider of real-time energy information. The technology and intellectual property core of the business were created and managed by Lapinski. In 2006, Lapinski and his partners sold Genscape to the Daily Mail & General Trust for almost $200 million. Lapinski has invented more than a dozen domestic and foreign patents. In 2003, Ernst and Young named Lapinski an Entrepreneur of the Year. He is currently an investor in, advisor for, or board member of many companies, including Stonestreet One, CD Funding Group, and SimPak International, to name just a few.

When Nina Moseley talks about her work helping those in poverty, her eyes light up with hope and her enthusiasm fills the room. Since 1988, Moseley has been the chief operating officer of Wayside Christian Mission. The organization helps Louisville’s homeless population “not with a hand-out, but with a hand up.” The organization has grown from an overnight shelter for the homeless, to a center for hope with education and skills training as well. Along the way, they’ve taken on the city, enlisted HUD and the Louisville community at large. Moseley traded in a career in finance and collections at local department stores to take the leap into the unknown at Wayside. She met her husband there, and has contributed to many lives turning around. Moseley earned her J.D. from U of L’s Brandeis School of Law in 1999, and is a member of the Board of the Coalition for the Homeless, a board member and past president of Metrobon Kiwanis Club, and a past board member of the Flaget Alumni Association. She has been a licensed

Mitzi Friedlander has spent much of her career bringing stories to life for the blind. After 50 years of recording books, Friedlander holds the record for most talking book titles narrated for the National Library Service. As a Louisville-native and former singer, Friedlander once performed in the Kentucky Opera Association. She sang and acted in many operas, musicals and plays in the 1950s. Friedlander also holds a master’s degree in theatre arts from the University of Louisville. She went on to become a celebrity in the narrated books world and recorded more than 2,200 titles. In 1993, Friedlander received the Alexander Scourby Award for her narration of nonfiction books. According to the Courier-Journal, Friedlander said her most favorite book that she ever recorded is the children’s classic, “Charlotte’s Web.”

Rebecca Eaves saves and protects animals suffering from abuse and neglect. A long-time animal rescuer and activist, Eaves is the founder and president of The Arrow Fund, a Kentucky based non-profit that provides medical treatment to animal victims of torture, abuse, or neglect, and then finds them loving homes. The organization takes legal possession of the animal and holds the abuser responsible by pursuing legal action against them. This selfless mission is truly fueled by love, as all the members of The Arrow Fund Board are volunteers and are not paid for their services. Eaves says her mission began in 2009, when a labrador mix, later named Aiden, was deliberately shot with an arrow in Pike County. She then became no stranger to the spotlight, spreading the message about animal abuse everywhere she could, drawing attention to this important cause and educating the public. Eaves has seen the worst in people in the harm inflicted to animals, and the best in those who work tirelessly to save them. The first t

Barry Denton is passionate about his hometown of Louisville. In 2003, he began work as a bomb squad commander and police sergeant. Currently, Denton serves in the police force, and in educating the next generation. He works as a patrol officer for Audubon Park Police, and serves as an adjunct professor with the American Military University, the University of Louisville, and Indiana Wesleyan University. Since 2013, he has served as the executive director of the Louisville Metro Police Foundation. Denton strives to make Louisville the best city in the nation through his work and through volunteerism with such organizations as the Louisville Downtown Rotary and the Kentucky Derby Festival Board. He is the recipient of many awards including the 1995, 1999, and 2003 Medals of Valor from the Jefferson County Police Department.

Joey Wagner, Owner of the J Wagner Group, has been putting on some of the biggest events in the city of Louisville and the midwest region for the past 10 years. J. Wagner Group, a full-service event planning, marketing, and promotions firm, serves many well-known and high-end clients. Wagner also owns DerbyVIP.com, a full-service concierge service providing rental houses, car service, fashion, security, and tickets to celebrity and charity events for Kentucky Derby Weekend. Wagner previously served as the marketing and promotions coordinator for the athletic department at Morehead State University. He holds many awards and recognitions. He was nominated as a Louisville magazine’s Most Creative Business Person, was named one of the 8 Men Changing Louisville by Today’s Man magazine, and named one of the Most Powerful People at the Kentucky Derby by Velocity Weekly in their Kentucky Derby Power issue. Wagner was also been honored as a distinguished alumnus at Morehead State University.

Gale Lively always felt her job was to help people excel in their jobs. She brought this view to her leadership position as the executive vice president of the Louisville Apartment Association. She served in this position for over 37 years prior to announcing her retirement in 2014. The non-profit represents apartment owners, vendors, and apartment communities in Louisville and advocates on behalf of the apartment industry through legislative lobbying on the local, state and national levels. Focused on bringing visibility to the association, Lively has served on several committees of the National Apartment Association. In the past, she was named executive officer of the year and chosen to be president of the association executive council. The organization also provides education certificates to those in the industry, and advocates on matters as varied as changes in building codes and rules for sprinklers and smoke detectors in apartment units.

Ankur Gopal’s desire to make an impact has fueled his success building a technology application company. Gopal is the founder and CEO of Interapt LLC, a Google Glass partner. Interapt is an award-winning company specializing in mobile apps and wearable technology. Interapt partners with businesses in the healthcare and long-term care industries, helping them use technology more effectively to complement their overall business strategy. Interapt was selected by Google as one of only ten global companies to be a Glass at Work Partner. It has also earned the Gartner Cool Vendor Award, an international award designated by the research giant Gartner Group. Gopal was named an emerging entrepreneur by the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and one of the 40 Business Leaders Under 40 in Business First magazine. Gopal also serves on the Speed Museum Board, the Kentucky Center for the Arts Board, and the Junior Achievement Board, and is an entrepreneur mentor. Gopal is married to Dr. Kiran Gill and they are expecting t

A competitive spirit drives Chris Morris in his pursuit for excellence as a master distiller. A Louisville native, Morris is only the seventh master distiller at the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1870, as well as its current spirits historian. He is responsible for maintaining the award-winning taste of the Woodford Reserve family of brands and serves as brand ambassador at trade and consumer functions. Morris is one of three generations in his family to work at Brown-Forman. He began as a trainee at Brown-Forman in the central lab under the master distiller in 1976. He left to work for Glenmore Distillers in 1988, and then United Distillers when it acquired Glenmore in 1991. He returned to Brown-Forman in 1997. It was at this time that he was chosen to train as a master distiller. Morris has served on the boards of the Kentucky Distillers Association and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. He has also had the honor to judge at the International Wine and Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Challenge

Since Lee W. Robinson was seven years old and constructing scale models, he has had a passion for design and building beautiful homes. After a 14-year career in banking, Robinson decided to pursue his dream to open a design company that offers drafting, remodeling and design services in one location. The Lee W. Robinson Company, now in St. Matthews, fills two floors with a beautiful collection of furniture and accessories from artisans and design houses. The collection includes Robinson’s three lifestyle lines, each named after his sons Owsley, Thurston and McDowell. Business First magazine named the Lee W. Robinson Company the #1 Full Service Remodeler in Louisville in 2008, just 9 years after opening its doors. It was also credited as a Fast 50 Top Growing Company. Robinson has been featured in several national magazines. In 2012, his company designed the Evelyn Lauder Holiday House in New York for the Hampton Designer Showcase. Robinson was born in Lexington and currently lives in Louisville.

Kevin Grangier is driven by his desire to create things that make people happy. Grangier began his career in marketing and communication locally, before heading to Los Angeles to start his own company. Carry On Communication Inc. is an award winning firm specializing in branding, public relations, and marketing. It expanded to five communication companies and offered services to some of the largest, most significant brands in the U.S. like Yahoo!, Clorox and many others. In 2010, Grangier returned to Louisville to open The Village Anchor Pub & Roost, an eclectic European “bistropub.” The restaurant received critical acclaim for its unconventional marketing strategies and practices, and he was named Restaurateur of the Year. Grangier has since opened a second restaurant in Louisville, Le Moo Fine Steakhouse, as well as creating Belle Noble Entertainment Group. He plans to develop new restaurant and entertainment concepts in various cities across the U.S. Grangier follows guidance he received early in life:

Dan McDonnell loves to compete, loves to win, and loves seeing the growth in his players as he coaches the University of Louisville baseball team. Since McDonnell’s hiring in 2006, the team has accomplished amazing statistics. In his first year, McDonnell led the team to the College World Series. Then he led the Cardinals to seven more NCAA appearances in eight years, including two more to the College World Series. Louisville is ranked 6th place nationally, with a school record of 51 wins in 2013. The Cardinals also hold six regular-season titles and two tournament championships in their conference. McDonnell was awarded National Coach of the Year by rivals.com, as well as ACC Coach of the Year. He has had 22 All-American players and 43 players who have signed professional contracts at the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. McDonnell is married to the former Julie Anne Underwood of Charlotte, N.C. The couple has two sons.

Tom Jurich cites his motivation to do things right and see results as he leads athletic programs at the University of Louisville. Since 1997, Jurich has made a permanent mark at the University of Louisville by leading an athletic department that has enjoyed tremendous athletic and academic accomplishments. In 2003, Jurich began his run as vice president at U of L. Under Jurich, the Cardinal athletic teams have produced unparalleled success in multiple sports. Louisville’s 2012 – 2013 year marked the first time any university has ever won a BCS level bowl game, placed both its men’s and women’s basketball teams in the NCAA Final 4, and reached the baseball College World Series in the same season. CBS Sports ranked Cardinals Athletics among the top three nationally for the past three years. Jurich and his wife share U of L’s prestigious Hickman-Camp Award and he was named Louisville magazine’s Person of the Year in 2007. He resides in Louisville with his wife, Terrilynn. They have four children and several gran

Jeff Walz has a passion for excellence that drives him as the head coach of the University of Louisville Women’s basketball team. Walz was hired as the head coach in 2007. Since then, he has helped the Cardinals burst into national prominence as one of the most competitive and successful teams. In his eight seasons with the team, the women Cardinals have gone to the NCAA Sweet 16 six times, had two NCAA Runner Up finishes, two All-Americans, 18 All-Conference selections, and five WNBA draft picks. His team has averaged 26 victories per season with a record 34 victories in the 2008 – 2009 season. Prior to Louisville, Walz coached in Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Western Kentucky. As a student, he earned a basketball scholarship to Northern Kentucky University, where he studied secondary education and acquired a master’s degree in education. In 2008, Walz was named the WBCA Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year. Walz and his wife, Lauren, reside in Louisville, Ky., with their four children.

Heather Howell’s desire to inspire her children and fear of failure power her in selecting her projects and in growing beverage brands. As director of innovation for Brown-Forman Corporation, Howell is responsible for developing the global portfolio expansion strategy and acts as brand leader for Collingwood, a premium blended Canadian whiskey. Howell joined Brown-Forman in 2015. She previously worked for Rooibee Red Tea, where she served as chief tea officer, CEO and, board member, helping take the organic tea brand from the farmers market to the national market. Howell has been recognized numerous times, including Ernst & Young’s 2013 E.D.G.E. Award, a 2014 Enterprising Woman to Watch Award from Business First, and a 2013 finalist for the Business Leader of the Year Award. She is also president emeritus of the National Association of Women MBAs and serves on the board of Republic Bank. She resides in Louisville with her husband, Dr. Steven Howell, a pediatric eye surgeon, and their two children: son,Tea

Driven by conscience and seeing challenges as possibilities drive Jackie Ford as she leads the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. Tennessee-native Ford brings over 25 years of non-profit experience to the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. Previously, Ford served as the executive director of Literacy Volunteers of America in Connecticut for 10 years. In 1988, she began her career with the Girl Scouts as director of membership and marketing in southwest Connecticut and moved on to COO in 2002. A few years later, Ford was named CEO for the Girl Scout Council of Savannah, Ga, and moved on to Girl Scouts services officer in historic Georgia. Ford was then elected as COO for Girl Scouts of North East Ohio in 2012, where she was responsible for all operations. In 2015, she came to The Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, where she was named CEO. In this position, Ford helps provide strategic direction and leadership. Ford has two sons, Sean and Ryan, who live in the metro New York area.

Emily Cleveland has a passion for helping children see past disability through friendship. Cleveland is the Kentucky state director of Best Buddies International, providing direct support for the state’s school-based programs. These programs create opportunities for youth and adults, with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities and disorders, though friendship pairings. Best Buddies of Kentucky has seen significant growth since Cleveland has been with the organization. The number of school-based programs has doubled. She helped secure a $100,000 gift from the NASCAR Foundation, and revenue increased by 27% for the annual Friendship Walk. Her goal is to grow to 30 school-based chapters by June 2016 and she aims to increase private revenue and increase operational efficiency and effectiveness for the anticipated growth. Cleveland was recognized as the 2014 Best Buddies International Program Manager of the Year. She resides with her husband, Ryan, in Louisville, Ky.