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Siddiq Moore and Sofia Deleon are getting us in the mood for summertime with all their talk about water ice and street food. Siddiq of the eponymously named Siddiq’s Water Ice gives us the scoop about his shop being a community hub and his journey to owning two stores. And Deleon talks about how she brought her favorite childhood eats to Philly via El Merkury, serving up lauded Central American street food, and about what’s next for her. 

Chef Kevin Cooper and DJ Diamond Kuts discuss the best of food and music. Chef Cooper is a three-time Food Network champion, winning ‘Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime,’ ‘Guy’s Grocery Games’ and ‘Cooks vs. Cons.’ He’s also launched one of Philly’s newest culinary offerings Succulent Imagination, a one-on-one cooking class, and will own and operate a Chicken Guy, a concept from Guy Fieri. DJ Diamond Kuts is a Philly-native making people dance globally. From traveling and performing on some of the biggest stages, including the Roots Picnic and the Philadelphia Flower Show, to hosting the new Yo! MTV Raps! 

Two of Philly’s sons, Larry Miller and Mykey Cooper, take to the mic to share their stories of perseverance and hard work. Miller discusses his journey from juvenile offender to president of Nike’s Jordan Brand, and his controversial book, Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom. Next, Cooper breaks down how as a teenager, he balances major acting gigs and writing for the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, all while keeping those grades up.

Which women are considered to be the most powerful voices in Philadelphia? Laurin Talese and Patty Jackson are certainly contenders for this title. First up in this episode is Talese, a classically trained jazz singer who moved to Philly to further her vocal education and is the first cultural ambassador for American Music Abroad. The vice president of the city’s Grammy chapter is also releasing her second album. Up next, Jackson is a veteran radio personality whose voice has graced the airwaves of the city for four decades. She started in country radio and ended up in Philly for a long-term residence at WDAS FM.

Two people changing the game in sports and food: Kate Scott and JL Jupiter. Scott is used to making history. She was the first woman to call a men’s basketball game at the Olympics and the first to call an NFL game on the radio. And now she comes to Philadelphia as the first female announcer for the Philadelphia 76ers. Next up is Jupiter, a first generation immigrant that celebrates mom and pop restaurants and their international cuisines. His YouTube videos give an insider's look at his favorite restaurants and drive serious business to the spots he features. 

Terrill Haigler and Jena Harris are two people who are all about love and grit. Born out of the 2020 pandemic, the West Philly Bunny Hop is a food pantry created by Harris that now feeds more than 350 families each week. Next up is Haigler, known as Ya Fav Trashman on social media. He talks about how starting a job as a sanitation worker inspired his activism and raising awareness for the sanitation industry. The fundraiser he led to purchase PPE, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies for sanitation workers soon turned into Trash2Treasure, a non-profit whose mission is to clean Philadelphia block by block.

Blew Kind and Dr. Sheena Howard are taking a creative approach to inspiring the next generation of activists in Philadelphia and beyond. Kind is the founder of Kensington-based Franny Lou’s Porch, named after Fannie Lou Hamer and Frances E.W. Harper, two influential Black women from the Civil Rights movement. The Afro-centric cafe is focused on activism, health, history, art and culture in the Black community. Next up is Howard, an award-winning author and professor at Rider University. She uses her passion for comic books and social justice to discuss representation in this space in her newly released book, “Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication.”

Love + Grit Season 3 kicks off with an all star reunion featuring Jeannine A. Cook, Chef Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate who continue to amplify their visions and make Black history as they do. First, Cook discusses growing Harriett’s Bookshop nationwide, a visit from Will Smith, calls from Oprah and a vow of silence. Then, we catch up with TIME 100Next's Chef Omar Tate and his wife Cybille, founders of Honeysuckle Projects. The husband-and-wife duo are set to open their first brick-and-mortar this spring.

Dr. Janice Johnson Dias and Ellen Yin have both been sources of inspiration for women and girls, giving them spaces to grow and develop their skills to succeed in the face of adversity. Johnson Dias, the mother of 16-year-old activist and writer Marley Dias, talks about her new book “Parent Like It Matters: How to Raise Joyful, Change-Making Girls.” Wharton graduate, Ellen Yin, who owns High Street Hospitality Group, is one of the leading forces behind the Sisterly Love Collective (an alliance of women restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs responsible for the Sisterly Love Food Fair). Her recent ghost kitchen concept, The Wonton Project, is inspired by a family recipe and benefits local non-profits combatting social issues close to her heart. 

PHILADANCO’s Dr. Joan Myers Brown is a true dance pioneer. After founding the Philadelphia Dance Company in 1970, she went on to create the International Association of Blacks in Dance and the International Conference of Black Dance Companies. As she steps down (but not away) from her role at PHILADANCO, she reflects on her achievements and the impact she has made on the dance community globally. Also on the show: Ben “BoxWon” Barnes-McGee, who will take break dancing to the 2024 Olympics for the first time ever with the help of the World Dance Sport Federation’s Breaking for Gold USA. This West Philadelphia native is a 4x World Champion Breaker and Founder of Bred2Burn, a hip-hop dance education and development mentorship program.

Khalil Munir is a performer, educator and author who has defied the odds and equips his students with the tools to do the same. His first book, The Crown is Yours, is inspired by the challenges he faced growing up with dyslexia, a disorder he turned into "his superpower." Also on this episode is Natalie Pompilio, talking about her new book, This USED to be Philadelphia. A former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News, Pompilio has harnessed her Philly knowledge to write several books, and her newest is sure to open your eyes to the city’s best-kept secrets. 

This episode features 15-year-old—yes 15-year-old —Trey Brown. The founder of SPERGO, a trendsetting streetwear and lifestyle brand, turned his passion for design and community into a six-figure company in only three years. One of the most sought-after youth speakers in the country, Brown has been featured on a billboard in Times Square, opened up two stores, received a key to the city and just received a deal on ABC’s Shark Tank. Also on this episode is Mz. Icar, the woman behind a dope (and anonymous) art collective creating works that celebrate women, global Blackness and play. Comprised primarily of Black women artists specializing in different media, this collective's work has been recognized by the art community’s most elite and is part of the Love + Grit Storefronts Project.

When it comes to visual arts in Philadelphia, Michelle Angela Ortiz is a local legend. Her work has been presented in all forms — on canvas, lightboxes, building walls and now TV screens with her first documentary, “Las Madres de Berks.” The New York Times recently shouted out the Moore College of Art grad with South Philly roots for her work in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s New Grit exhibition. Also featured in The New York Times and on this episode of the podcast is Kensington-born Roberto Lugo, known as “The Ghetto Potter.” Roberto is reinventing the idea of fine China and will install a mural in honor of The Roots’ Black Thought on the Clay Studio building opening in Olde Kensington in spring 2022. 

Jennifer Zavala kicked off Philadelphia’s birria taco craze with a graffiti truck and a pop-up shop at Underground Arts. Tune in to hear from the South Philly-based owner of Juana Tamale as she prepares for her brick-and-mortar opening later this year on Passyunk Ave. In Kensington, Nicholas Ducos and Francesca Galarus have opened the city's first independently owned urban winery with the goal of making wine more affordable and accessible. Hear about how Nicholas’ sommelier skills and Francesca's eye for arts and love of community has helped Mural City Cellars bloom into a welcoming destination for good wine and chill vibes. 

Contributing to Philadelphia’s business community is a conscious effort for the two women featured on this episode. Tess Hart brought her mission to life in the Spring Arts District when she co-founded Triple Bottom Brewing, dedicated to putting people, the planet and profit on equal footing. In Centro de Oro’s Business District, Maria Gonzalez manages a $100 million budget for commercial and housing development. As president of the Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises (HACE), she’s charged with making sure the district's Good Lands 2025 plan, aimed at providing a road map for the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods, is executed. 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a salsa song dedicated to Philly’s Latinx neighborhoods and a sip of the city's first Latinx-distilled whiskey. Strivers’ Row Distillery, based in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, is owned and operated by Brooklyn ex-pat and the Al Día 40-Under-40-nominated Francisco Garcia. Also on the episode: Alba Martínez, who after a 12-year run at a top financial firm and 23 years dedicated to law, human services and government, is ready to use her expertise to fuel two of her passions: the financial wellness of women and minorities and Latinx arts. Her new salsa song “La Gua Gua 47” pays homage to SEPTA’s 47 bus route. 

David and Aaron Cabello were delivering for Uber Eats and Caviar in Center City when they saw a hole in the market. They created Black and Mobile and became the first delivery service based in Philadelphia to partner with and highlight Black-Owned Businesses. Live music is back and the Vice President of Business Development and Operations at Live Nation Urban, Brandon Pankey, is working to build the industry back in the most inclusive way. From his Meet the Execs series on BlackStream Live to launching his own network, APEX, and not to mention producing Philly’s favorite picnic (yes -- the Roots one), Brandon is on a mission and he’s not slowing down anytime soon. 

This episode’s guests are two women inspired by their children to build thriving Philadelphia businesses. Charisse McGill combined her farmers market expertise and inspiration from her daughter to launch Lokal Artisan Foods. As the first Black woman to vend at Spruce Street Harbor Park and the first Black woman in Pennsylvania with her own craft beer, she’s just getting started. When Tina Dixon Spence could not find a baby store that matched her son’s burgeoning style, she created Buddha Babe, a luxury design studio focusing on accessories for babies, toddlers and the home (and kids parties). She fearlessly launched her Mt. Airy brick-and-mortar amidst a pandemic and aims to make the shop a staple in neighborhoods across the city.

The BlackStar Film Festival, also known as “Black Sundance,” is the nation’s premier fest for Black, Brown and Indigenous filmmakers. And it’s centered in Philly! On this episode of Love + Grit, hear from local directors screening their work at the 2021 festival. West Philly neighbors and respected filmmakers Raishad M. Hardnett and Aidan M. Un teamed up to produce a short film about Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown for the 10th annual festival’s “Stories in Place” series about small businesses. And Nasya Jenkins discusses her short documentary From Digital Divide to Digital Equity about Philly activists leading the fight for digital equity in education. 

You can’t talk about Philly’s hip-hop scene without mentioning Lady B and Bri Steves. These two women are essential to the city’s place in the music industry. One of the first female rappers, Lady B recorded her first single, To the Beat, Y’all, in 1979. The “Godmother of Hip-Hop” has been blazing trails ever since as a performer, DJ and podcaster, paving the way for stars like Bri Steves. East Falls native and Temple University grad Steves has opened for H.E.R., Mary J. Blige, Pharrell and Kendrick Lamar, and landed a BET nomination for her song ANTI QUEEN. Her debut album drops July 30, 2021.