The NEI Pioneer Podcast

David Geders: The Story Behind Local Music Shop with a National Audience

On this episode of The NEI Pioneer Podcast, Chief MarCom and Brand Officer Jonathan Sackett welcomes David Geders, Owner of Copper Chord Music in Huntington! David is also the owner of Japanese Guitar Company. He discusses starting the YouTube channel @GuitarsintheBank [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCiKmvoLCdHQEqyo8Yr6YIUg], touring with the band Sons, why he started his own music shop, and how he came to own the largest collection of vintage Japanese guitars in North America. To learn more about Copper Chord: https://copperchordmusic.mymusicstaff.com/home [https://copperchordmusic.mymusicstaff.com/home] The NEI Pioneer Podcast is an internationally-acclaimed bi-weekly podcast powered by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Pioneer Starts Here platform. The podcast showcases and shares the stories of resilience and perseverance from Northeast Indiana. Do you know someone in Northeast Indiana with a story to tell? Nominate them to be a guest on the NEI Pioneer Podcast! Nominate here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/] 🎙 Listen to the podcast here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/] ▶︎ Follow Us on Social LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/ [https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/] X https://twitter.com/NortheastIN [https://twitter.com/NortheastIN] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/ [https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/] Facebook https://facebook.com/neindiana.com [https://facebook.com/neindiana.com] ▶︎ Thanks to our sponsors for making this podcast possible. Barrett McNagny https://www.barrettlaw.com/ [https://www.barrettlaw.com/] Grace College https://www.grace.edu/ [https://www.grace.edu/] ▶︎ Visit https://neindiana.com/ [https://neindiana.com/] to learn more about NEI. #nei #mynei #pioneerstartshere #fortwayne #podcast #music #guitar #huntington #musiclessons #japaneseguitars #collection #collectors

Grace College & Orthoworx: Secrets of a Thriving Partnership with Drew Flamm & Ryan Christner

On this episode of The NEI Pioneer Podcast, Chief MarCom and Brand Officer Jonathan Sackett welcomes Drew Flamm, President of Grace College, and Ryan Christner, President & CEO of OrthroWorx! Drew and Ryan discuss the partnership between their two entities, including how it got started and what the future holds for both. Additionally, they talk about ALL IN Koscuisko, and how they are leaning into making their community thrive. To learn more about Grace College: https://www.grace.edu/ [https://www.grace.edu/] To learn more about OrthroWorx: https://orthoworxindiana.com/ [https://orthoworxindiana.com/] To nominate to be a guest on the show, contact Chief MarCom and Brand Officer Jonathan Sackett at jonathan@neindiana.com [jonathan@neindiana.com]. The NEI Pioneer Podcast is an internationally-acclaimed bi-weekly podcast powered by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Pioneer Starts Here platform. The podcast showcases and shares the stories of resilience and perseverance from Northeast Indiana. Do you know someone in Northeast Indiana with a story to tell? Nominate them to be a guest on the NEI Pioneer Podcast! Nominate here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/] 🎙 Listen to the podcast here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/] ▶︎ Follow Us on Social LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/ [https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/] X https://twitter.com/NortheastIN [https://twitter.com/NortheastIN] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/ [https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/] Facebook https://facebook.com/neindiana.com [https://facebook.com/neindiana.com] ▶︎ Thanks to our sponsors for making this podcast possible. Grace College https://www.grace.edu/ [https://www.grace.edu/] ▶︎ Visit https://neindiana.com/ [https://neindiana.com/] to learn more about NEI. #nei #mynei #pioneerstartshere #fortwayne #podcast #gracecollege #orthropedics #education #nonprofit #medtech

Brittany Scott: Quipping Women to Grow and Thrive

On this episode of The NEI Pioneer Podcast, Marketing Content Producer Callie Herring and Videographer Hannah Hanagan welcome GROW WIWO Founder Brittany Scott! Brittany found that resources for women were lacking, and she wanted to change that. She discusses her background and how it shaped a powerful business that helps women connect and grow. Then she talks about how she defines success, offers career advice, and discusses the future of GROW. To learn more about Brittany and her work: https://growwiwo.com/ [https://growwiwo.com/] To register for The GROW Conference Fort Wayne 2026: https://events.humanitix.com/the2026growconferencefortwayne [https://events.humanitix.com/the2026growconferencefortwayne] Special promo code for $50 of your ticket: NEIPOD To nominate to be a guest on the show, contact Vice President of Marketing and Communication Jonathan Sackett at jonathan@neindiana.com [jonathan@neindiana.com]. ▶︎ Follow Us on Social LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/ [https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/] X https://twitter.com/NortheastIN [https://twitter.com/NortheastIN] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/ [https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/] Facebook https://facebook.com/neindiana.com [https://facebook.com/neindiana.com] ▶︎ Visit https://neindiana.com/ [https://neindiana.com/] to learn more about NEI. #nei #mynei #pioneerstartshere #fortwayne #podcast #women #conference #growth

Mayor Sharon Tucker: Get to Know the Woman Making Fort Wayne History

On this episode of The NEI Pioneer Podcast, Head of MarCom Jonathan Sackett welcomes Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker! NEI is not affiliated with any political party, and wherever you may fall, we feel you will still enjoy this conversation. Mayor Tucker has been the mayor of Fort Wayne since April 2024. She gives her thoughts on the potential casino coming to the region, how she got into politics, and what impact she has made on the city during her time as mayor. To learn more about Tucker and her work for the City of Fort Wayne, visit https://www.cityoffortwayne.in.gov/ [https://www.cityoffortwayne.in.gov/] To nominate to be a guest on the show, contact Vice President of Marketing and Communication Jonathan Sackett at jonathan@neindiana.com [jonathan@neindiana.com]. The NEI Pioneer Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast powered by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Pioneer Starts Here platform. The podcast showcases and shares the stories of resilience and perseverance from Northeast Indiana. Do you know someone in Northeast Indiana with a story to tell? Nominate them to be a guest on the NEI Pioneer Podcast! Nominate here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/] 🎙 Listen to the podcast here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/] ▶︎ Follow Us on Social LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/ [https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/] X https://twitter.com/NortheastIN [https://twitter.com/NortheastIN] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/ [https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/] Facebook https://facebook.com/neindiana.com [https://facebook.com/neindiana.com] ▶︎ Visit https://neindiana.com/ [https://neindiana.com/] to learn more about NEI. #nei #mynei #pioneerstartshere #fortwayne #podcast #mayor #politics #unhoused #casino #tomhenry

Edmond O'Neal: Opportunities to Thrive Here

On this episode of The NEI Pioneer Podcast, Head of MarCom Jonathan Sackett and Senior Director of Regional Initiatives Jacob Ihrie welcome President of Northeast Indiana Works Edmond O'Neal to the show! Edmond talks about his leadership style and the different parts of NEI Works, and how each impacts different areas of the population. He also discusses his journey, which took him from Flint, Michigan, to Stanford, to Texas, and finally to Fort Wayne. To learn more about Northeast Indiana Works, visit https://neinworks.org/ [https://neinworks.org/] To nominate to be a guest on the show, contact Vice President of Marketing and Communication Jonathan Sackett at jonathan@neindiana.com [jonathan@neindiana.com]. The NEI Pioneer Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast powered by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Pioneer Starts Here platform. The podcast showcases and shares the stories of resilience and perseverance from Northeast Indiana. Do you know someone in Northeast Indiana with a story to tell? Nominate them to be a guest on the NEI Pioneer Podcast! Nominate here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/nominate/] 🎙 Listen to the podcast here: https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/ [https://pioneerstartshere.com/podcast/] ▶︎ Follow Us on Social LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/ [https://linkedin.com/company/neindiana/] X https://twitter.com/NortheastIN [https://twitter.com/NortheastIN] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/ [https://www.instagram.com/northeast_in/] Facebook https://facebook.com/neindiana.com [https://facebook.com/neindiana.com] ▶︎ Visit https://neindiana.com/ [https://neindiana.com/] to learn more about NEI. #nei #mynei #pioneerstartshere #fortwayne #podcast #workforce #jobs #workforcedevelopment #career