This week's podcast is part two featuring Rafael Jimenez, President, and Kyahn Mata Secretary of Lone Star Community College organization Pizza and Politics.  We turned the tables and let them ask us the questions. Hosts Julie Kornegay, Emily Spivak, and Brent Veazey, with Rafael and Kyahn, discussed a variety of topics, including:What it looks like to have a Political Party where their ideological policies are not front and centerWhat the Forward Party of Texas is focused on and why it mattersImportance of civic engagement in local politics and why we think it’s failingAs always, feel free to drop us a line @FWD_Texas on Twitter or at texas_fwd on Instagram. All questions or feedback are welcome!Follow Pizza and Politics on Instagram @pizza.politics.iscmThanks for listening, and remember to tell us who you’d like to hear on the podcast soon.

🍕 Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as Julie and Emily sit down with Rafael Jimenez and Kyahn Mata, representatives from Lonestar Community College's Pizza and Politics Club. In this enlightening discussion, we delve into the origins of the club, exploring why it was created and the pivotal role it plays in fostering open conversations on political matters.🗣️ Discover how Rafael and Kyahn are working diligently to establish a safe space where diverse opinions are not only welcomed but encouraged. The Pizza and Politics Club at Lonestar aims to bridge gaps across the political spectrum, providing an inclusive platform for students and the community to share their perspectives.🌐 The conversation goes beyond the club's inception, delving into why having such spaces is crucial for individuals and society at large. Rafael and Kyahn shed light on the significance of engaging in political discussions with those who may hold contrasting viewpoints, emphasizing the value of constructive dialogue in today's world.🔍 Learn about the Pizza and Politics Club's overarching goal – to provide students and the community with a hub for sharing, discussing, and gaining insights into political topics, issues, and events. This dynamic club serves as more than just a meeting ground; it's an arena where knowledge is expanded, awareness is raised, and relationships are built to foster healthy thinking, information sharing, and debate.🌟 Be part of this insightful conversation that highlights the positive impact dialogue can have on our society. Subscribe now.  #PizzaAndPolitics #OpenDialogue #CommunityEngagementIf you're in Montgomery County or a surrounding area, be sure to attend this amazing event featuring Montgomery Co. Chair Brent Veazey and representatives from other parties.   Pizza, Politics and Public Policy: A talk on IdeologiesAs always, feel free to drop us a line @FWD_Texas on Twitter or at texas_fwd on Instagram. Thanks for listening.

🎙️✨ Join us for a captivating episode as Julie engages in a thought-provoking conversation with the dynamic Sarah Stogner, a devoted mom, small business owner, and passionate lawyer. Sarah is on a mission to bring justice to the residents of Ward and Reeves County by running for District Attorney of the 143rd district.🌟 Dive into the heart of Sarah's activism as she shares insights on her viral TikTok channel, ZombieWellz, where she fearlessly exposes corruption within the Texas Railroad Commission. Discover the profound impact of this corruption on the future of our drinking water supply and how Sarah is determined to be a voice for change.🔍 In this episode, Julie and Sarah delve into the incredible transformation of Sarah's career – from a seasoned 14-year oil and gas lawyer to a first-time candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission in 2022. Uncover the compelling story of how Sarah discovered and confronted the orphan wells problems in West Texas, shedding light on the daunting obstacles and the crony relationship between the Texas RRC and the oil and gas industry.🚀 Don't miss this enlightening conversation that explores Sarah Stogner's journey, activism, and her bold step into the world of politics to make a meaningful impact. Subscribe now and be part of the movement for justice and transparency! 🌐💙 #ZombieWellz #SarahStogner #JusticeForWard #ReevesCounty #TexasRailroadCommission #PodcastEpisode #Activism #PoliticalJourney

Brian sat down with Austin’s very own Paul O’Brien. O’Brien is a startup veteran and a seasoned marketer with an early career at Yahoo! and HP. From there, Paul led the early growth of startups such as Outright.com (Acquired by GoDaddy), Zvents (Acquired by eBay’s StubHub), and MicroVentures (Venture Capital). Paul works in Venture Capital Economic Development, serving investment in entrepreneurs. With a passion for media innovation and investment, Paul seeded MediaTech Ventures, a media industry venture development.On today’s episode. Brian and Paul discuss:The mindset of an entrepreneur, including How entrepreneurs might look at today’s Political Landscape and the current American gov’t as a whole as an opportunity for improvementWhat makes a city’s economy thrive and flourish Why Detroit’s economy folded when car manufacturing moved outSocial media, AI, and why you don’t want the US gov’t regulating it, but things we can do instead. If you want more from the Texas Forward Podcast, follow us on X formally Twitter @FWD_Texas or on Instagram at texas_fwd You can find Paul at https://seobrien.com/paul-obrienThank you so much for listening, and as always, don’t forget to like and subscribe.

Our guest today needs no introduction: the co-chair and the face of the Forward Party, Andrew Yang. Andrew was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries and the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Yang left the Democratic party, stating that he was "more comfortable trying to fix the system than being a part of it," and founded the Forward Party in October 2021. Prior to his career in politics, he enjoyed considerable success in the private sector before founding his nonprofit, Venture for America, in 2011. Brian and Andrew discuss:How he has developed a habit of taking on big challenges and what keeps him going when things get toughThe state of the 2024 Presidential election, including independent candidate RFK Jr and Democratic challenger Dean PhillipsReasons for optimism in Texas, the Forward Party, and America at large If you want more from the Texas Forward Podcast, follow us on X formally Twitter @FWD_Texas or on Instagram at texas_fwd

Rick Hubbard is a long-time activist, author, retired attorney, & former economic consultant. He is currently walking across the US (Walking to Fix Our Democracy) to bring attention to the much needed political reforms he is fighting for. At 82 years old, Rick continues to be as active as ever, proving you're never too old to start, and it’s never too late to work toward change.  Rick and Brian discuss:The three main reasons our Democracy isn’t working and what we can do to fix it.Why we have elected officials in the first place and how they are falling short.His activism journey and the experiences he's had along the way.

Lee Bratcher is the President and Founder of the Texas Blockchain Council. The TBC helped spearhead two pieces of blockchain legislation that were passed in the 87th Legislative session and signed into law. Lee graduated with his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Texas. Previously, he was a political science professor at Dallas Baptist University, teaching international relations and blockchain courses. Brian and Lee discussed all things blockchain, including:The pitfalls of fiat currency and how Bitcoin can play a role in addressing themHow different countries across the globe are approaching Central Bank Digital Currencies The Environmental Impact of Bitcoin Mining in Texas and the role it plays in supporting the Electric Grid

Cody Grace is a former candidate for the District 6 Texas Lege.  He has spent over 20+ years in the IT industry and is currently the President of WayPoint Digital Networks. A native of Tyler, TX, Cody continues to find ways to give back to his community. Brian and Cody discussed a variety of topics including gun violence in Texas, the current fight over public education, teacher pay, and school vouchers, and the government’s role in regulating data privacy, big tech, and AI.

This month’s volunteer spotlight features Cesar Garcia. Cesar currently serves on the Communications Committee and has played a major role in building the Texas Forward Party website. Prior to joining the Comms Committee, Cesar worked to establish local non-profit partnerships in Austin and was the top performer in our first street team event.Brian spoke with Cesar about community building within the Forward Party, how growing up as the son of first generation Venezuelan immigrants shaped his political views, and the case for applying the innovation of the private sector and ‘the startup mentality’ to our government.

William Taggart is the CEO & Founder of Cavern Energy Storage, a cutting edge startup focused on developing underground pumped storage hydroelectric technology using salt dome caverns. A Mechanical Engineer by trade, he has spent over 30 years working and consulting in the oil and gas industry and has traveled across the globe solving complex problems. He is currently heading up the Texas Forward Party Ballot Access Committee and is the Acting Committee Chair for Harris County.William spoke with Brian about clean tech, climate change and the importance of hydroelectric storage, where our politicians miss the mark around oil/natural gas production and why we need to take a more long term approach, and how the US compares with Europe, China and the rest of the world on infrastructure and fossil fuels.

Nitish Mirchandani is the Policy Chair for the Forward Party of Texas. He worked as a Public Diplomacy Intern for the US Embassy in India and has supported campaigns at both the state and federal level while earning his Masters in International & Global Studies. Nitish spoke with Brian about his experience growing up in India as an American citizen and moving to the US as a freshman in high school, the geopolitical differences between the US, India & the rest of the world and how the Texas Forward Party is approaching policy, including a sneak preview of our policy priorities.

Laura Wheat was the Mayor of West Lake and President of the West Lake Academy for 16+ years, has sat on countless boards including the Gladney Center for Adoption, currently serves on the Forward Party Executive Committee and the Co-CEO of Joanna Czech Skincare. Laura sat down with Emily to discuss the power of local politics and how the two major parties are working against it, how beating breast cancer three times led her to the Nonprofit world and the challenges facing the Foster Care & Adoption system in Texas.

This month’s Volunteer Spotlight features Mitul Gouni. Mitul is a Junior in High School from Allen, TX and has been actively volunteering for the Texas Foward Party Communications Committee & Immigration subcommittee, working on research, social media, and policy. Mitul and Brian covered how Gen Z looks at American politics and the future ahead, what it was like being a student during the COVID Pandemic and the impact of social media has on the modern day high school student.

Trent Newell is a member of the Texas Forward Party Executive Committee and Project & Developer Coordinator for the National Forward Party. Trent spent 7 years in the US Navy as an Intelligence Officer before transitioning to a career in Finance.Trent sat down with Julie to discuss bringing back competition in politics and changing the political incentive structure, what a Grassroots strategy really means and why local politics matter, and how to break the stigma around ‘third parties’ and focus on solving real problems.

Toni Wing-Jenkins spent 30+ years as a teacher in Texas & Louisiana public schools, 3+ years at a private Christian pre-school, and has taught at DoD schools in Germany. Currently, Toni is serving on the Texas Forward Party Executive Committee and  she continues to be a passionate advocate for teachers and improving public education in Texas.Today's discussion included her insights on standardized testing and the negative impact it has on teachers and students, the fight over school vouchers and funding public education in Texas, and her experience working on Forward Party policy related to the 2023 Texas Legislature.

As the 2023 Texas Legislature Session comes to a close, our podcast team Brian Lee, Julie Kornegay, and Emily Spivak looked into several notable bills that made headlines this session.The topics covered include: The fight over School Vouchers and Teacher pay (SB100)Addressing the deficiencies in the Electric Grid (SB6)New fees for Electric Vehicle owners (SB505)Imposing harsher penalties for Gun Crimes (SB23)Increasing funding for Mental Health programs (SB26 & SB30)Book Bans in School Libraries (HB900)Please note that this episode was recorded before the close of the session. See the links below for updates on the bills discussed in episode:SB100 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB100/2023SB6 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB6/2023SB505 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB505/2023SB 23 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB23/2023SB26 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB26/2023SB30 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB30/2023HB900 - https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB900/2023

Dylan MacInerney is the Vice President of The Mach1 Group, an award-winning, Austin-based public relations firm, specializing in public affairs, crisis management and media training. Dylan spent 4+ years working as a staffer on Capital Hill and has worked in variety of public sector roles.We discussed how social media has changed communication, how the Forward Party can hone our messaging and separate ourselves from the two major parties, and what he's learned from a decade in the public sector & working in Washington DC.

This Week's Volunteer Spotlight features Alex Paluch. He has canvassed with our Austin-based Street Teams, currently serves as the Admin of our Discord Server and spent several years working for a large political consulting firm before getting involved with the Forward Party. We spoke with Alex about his experience knocking on doors canvassing for political campaigns, how the two major parties utilize voter data and the infrastructure necessary to build a political party like Forward.

Lucie Repova is the host of the Think with Lucie podcast, a State Lead for the Forward Party of California, and the Founder of Iris, an AI-driven community engagement platform used by Braver Angels and several other independent minded organizations.Born in the Czech Republic, Lucie shared her unique insights on the importance of Free Speech and Democracy, her journey as an entrepreneur and how she is working to reduce polarization and get people talking to each other again.

In Part Two of our podcast series from the 5th Annual Ally Energy Workforce of the Future Summit, Brian sat down with Governor Christine Todd Whitman & Katie Mehnert. Both Governor Whitman and Katie are deeply knowledgeable about the Energy sector, and shared their insights on current and future job opportunities in CleanTech, how the US can overcome competition from China to lead the world in Green Energy, and how the recent legislation in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure bill will impact the American economy.