Toni Freeman Knows that Mentoring Makes the Difference
Today, we’re introducing a new series of podcasts called “Who Built Me.” Our goal with this series is to explore social capital and show the profound effects it has on our community. We’re asking Charlotteans to talk about the people that helped shape them into who they are today. There’s no better Charlottean to launch this series than Toni Freeman. In a long career filled with leadership positions at the Arts & Science Council, Mint Museum, MeckEd, Duke Endowment, Junior League, Women’s Impact Fund and more, Toni has demonstrated what it means to give and receive guidance. That’s because it was given to her. One of her mentors was a math teacher named Sister Edith Feltner who took an active interest in Toni that made a world of difference in her life. It’s also the reason Toni works to make that kind of difference in the lives of others. Press the button below to hear Toni’s “Who Built Me” story. What’s yours? 
Biscuit Blitz: 5 Minutes with Michelle Guobadia
Michelle Guobadia is awesome. If you don’t know it already, you will after just 30 seconds of watching her Biscuit Blitz chat with Matt Olin. A national speaker on issues of bullying and hazing, Michelle is also the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UNC Charlotte. Secretly an introvert, Michelle has been faring well during the COVID-19 outbreak, hanging with her dog, Paschal, and helping the university and students transition new ways to engage online for college students, faculty and staff. Listen to Michelle and Matt Olin discuss the future of live events and keeping students engaged in an online world. Plus, they laugh together … a lot.
John Howard Issues a Monthly Design Challenge … to HimselfJohn Howard is the man. Okay, well, he is A man. But, when it comes to graphic design, he is THE MAN … specifically, an EnglishMAN who’s made Charlotte his home for 20 years. Senior Art Director at HMH, John is also the president of the Queen City chapter of AAF. To keep his edge and stay inspired, John challenged himself to create a graphic based on a movie he loves every day in May. We especially love “The Descendants,” written by Charlottean and UNC Charlotte graduate, Jim Rash. See a gallery of John’s movie designs and watch a Biscuit Blitz conversation about staying creative during COVID-19 between John and Tim Miner.
Men Needed to Share their Social Mobility ExperiencesCALLING ALL MEN! The Brookings Institute is conducting interviews for their “How We Rise – Charlotte” project. They want to know more about how Charlotte residents gain awareness and access to opportunities that can improve their lives. They’ve had strong interest from women, but are lacking the male perspective. They need men of all ages and backgrounds to lend their voices to the project and they’re willing to give participants a $50 Visa Gift Card as a “thank you.” You’ll be asked questions about how you use your personal connections to access opportunities and who you discuss important matters with (such as child care, education, college and career readiness, jobs, and housing). To participate in a virtual one-on-one interview, visit HowWeRise.org
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3 Immediate Tweaks to Make to Your Web DesignWith a large percentage of the local, national and global population staying home, individual creatives and businesses are having to innovate and reimagine services and experiences they used to offer in-person as digital endeavors. If you’re not technically savvy already or don’t have the budget to rebuild your Web site, there are still plenty of strategies you can employ to prepare for increased traffic. We asked the technical guru behind Charlotte Is Creative, Michael Sammut of Four Eyes Web Design, for some pointers and he shared three simple things all of us can do to improve our Web site’s user experience. Best of all, you don’t have to be “techy” to employ them. Read Michael’s three recommendations. Four Eyes Web Design is a sponsor of Charlotte Is Creative and The Biscuit.
BROKEN NEWS! Space Flight Succeeds Despite … RufusYesterday, history was made with the successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon. We still have no official confirmation from Elon Musk or NASA that the original Thursday launch date was truly scrubbed due to weather. It seems interested parties wanted to stop the flight’s top-secret mission: firing all unsold Charlotte Bobcat’s merchandise into the sun. Here is an undoctored crew photo entering the Dragon on Thursday that we uncovered on the dark web. Was Rufus to blame for the delay? You tell us.
We’re collecting links to creative events and resources happening all over the Queen City. If you’re ready to press “pause” on Netflix, check out our calendar of creative online events. Here are a few we’re really excited about.
CreativeMornings/Charlotte June Virtual Gathering
Friday, June 5 – 8:15-10am“You were the chosen one! You were supposed to bring creativity to the Zoom, not leave your camera in darkness!” That is what Matt and Tim will say if you turn your camera off during June’s CreativeMornings/Charlotte event … Zoomapalooza Episode III: Revenge of the Fifth. In addition to live music, a dance-off, some laughs, a few inspirational stories and multiple gifted grants, you’ll hear from José Alvarez, the North Carolina VP of Prospera, speak on the global theme “Insecure.” And, you’ll have an opportunity to join in on the conversation, too! Registration for the Friday, June 5 event goes live on Monday, June 1 at 9am. At that time, click here to register! 
QC: Quarantine Concerts
Saturday, May 30 – 7:30pm
Sunday, May 31 – 2:30pmFor the past ten weeks, QC: Quarantine Concerts has kept us movin’ and groovin’ from the comfort of our own couch. This weekend marked the end of the series and they are finishing on a high note with a performance from Janeta Jackson this afternoon at 2:30pm. You can tune into the show on Facebook Live and watch recordings of all 36 episodes here. 
WFAE’s Amplifier presents Songversations
Every Tuesday and Thursday – 12:00pm“Hey, you got live music in my interview!” “Well, you got an interview in my live music!” Just like peanut butter and chocolate, some things are a match made in heaven. Songversations, a video series produced by WFAE’s Amplifier podcast, is part performance, part conversation, and 100% a great way to get plugged into Charlotte’s music scene. Each episode features stories and music from a Queen City musician. This week, host Joni Deutsch will be joined by Americana rocker and Tribute to Benefit concert organizer Justin Fedor on June 2 and jazz duo Maria Howell & Noel Freidline on June 4. Watch live at noon on Tuesday and Thursday over on WFAE’s Facebook page.
Today is the national day celebrating macarons, those colorful and slightly crispy discs on the outside, but chewy and creamy goodness on the inside. While many think they originated in France, it is believed that Catherine di Medici, a noblewoman who married Henri II, brought them to France from Italy in 1533. The word “macaron” comes from the Italian word “maccherone” which means ”fine dough.” Made primarily with almond flour, sugar and egg whites, these meringue-based cookies are definitely not for the faint of heart. They take time and have many steps. There is a lot of food processing, sifting, and whipping, and each step takes patience. Fill them with buttercream, ganache or any other type of deliciousness, and you will be highly rewarded for your time in the kitchen. Get some macarons in your mouth by heading out to a Charlotte bakery (like Amelie’s — pictured above), or try your hand at making your own by following this step-by-step video. And, one more!This was National Italian Beef Week and we found a reverse-engineered recipe for Portilio’s Italian Beef … which is basically Tim’s favorite food item on the planet.
The Queen City recently overcame San Fransisco as the 15th largest city in the United States, with no signs of slowing down. With more people comes newer and bigger buildings. The landscape of our city is changing on a daily basis as we continue to experience this whirlwind of growth. After taking a quick look into our crystal ball, we think it’s a safe bet that the 2020s will be a huge decade for Crown Town. But for now, let’s rewind the clock a century to another period of rapid growth in the QC — the 1920s. The buildings above are some of the oldest in Uptown. They were necessary additions in the 1920s as the city’s central business district was beginning to blossom. The Gateway Building (limestone on the right) was added in 1925 and the Century Building (green on the left) followed shortly after in 1926. Over the years, the Gateway Building has housed a bookstore, a grocery store, different offices for various small businesses and even a piano store. Notable tenants of the Century Building were the Victory Barber Shop and the King’s Business College. The Century was also home to a Union Bus Terminal, allowing for these two buildings to serve as an early port of entry for Center City. Fun Fact: The buildings were designed by Charles Christian Hook, an architect responsible for many recognizable structures in Charlotte and North Carolina. He also designed the old Charlotte City Hall, the Charlotte Woman’s Club, the Duke Mansion, and the Belk Mansion, just to name a few. This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina. Directions: 402-412 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 | The Biscuit is proudly sponsored by: |  |
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