It’s the end of the year, and well, 2019 was … something!

As with all years, there were ups and downs, highlights and lowlights, and a bunch of in between.

We hosted 30 podcasts, wrote 13 blog posts, grew our team, created numerous new partners and friends, set up shop at Clarksville Commons for much of the year, hosted a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and then found a permanent home in the Merriweather District, garnered new Sponsors, and based on our stats this year, gained many new Elevators!

Thank you to everyone who made 2019 Elevate’s best year yet, especially The Common Kitchen, Cured / 18th & 21st, Downtown Columbia, Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission, Roger Caplan, Anastasia MacDonald, Kerry Lenny, Patti Wecker, Jamie Latham, our Elevate Team of Web Editors & Writers, Elevate Sponsors, and each and every Elevator who supported us this year!

We are proud that the Elevate Podcast explores the policies, people, and stories that affect the state of Maryland. “Elevate” is defined as: to lift up or make higher, to raise in rank or status, to improve morally, intellectually, or culturally, and to raise the spirits of – just what we aim to do. With 78 podcasts to date, Elevate Founders and Hosts Candace Dodson Reed and Tom Coale talk to newsmakers and everyday people in order to elevate the conversation and find out what matters most in our communities. Find a full list of all our podcasts here

The occasional Elevate Blog covers the latest news from the Elevate world, what we are doing and thinking about, and what we hope you’ll read with us and discuss. Elevate Editor Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz manages the website and pulls from the podcast, our writers, and current news. Elevate Writers Candace Dodson Reed, Tom Coale, Mickey Gomez, Wendy Royalty, Sabina Taj and Elizabeth Mason Moses have inspirational and aspirational takes on what we need to do to Elevate Maryland and highlight perspectives from our guests, hosts and community. Check out our Website here and read our Blog posts here

In 2020 we are looking forward to talking to more people, asking deeper questions, engaging the community virtually and in-person, and growing our show, blog and team – stay tuned!

In the meantime, Mark Your Calendars for our upcoming Elevate Podcasts:

• January 2, 2020, 6:00 pm – Episode 79 with Delegate Shelly Hettleman
• January 6, 2020, 6:30 pm – Episode 80 with State Senator Jill Carter
• January 15, 2020, 6:30 pm – Episode 81: With HoCo Transportation Director Bruce Gartner
• January 27, 2020, 6:30 pm – Episode 82: With Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
• January 30, 2020, 6:30 pm – Episode 83: With State Senator Will Smith

And, take a moment to listen to our 30 Elevate Maryland podcasts this year:

1. Episode 78 – 2019 Year in Review: With Candace Dodson Reed & Tom Coale
2. Episode 77: With Kweisi Mfume
3. Episode 76: With Columbia Artist in Residence Ram Devineni
4. Episode 75: With Delegate Eric Luedtke
5. Episode 74: Equity in Education
6. Episode 73: With Howard Hughes Regional President Greg Fitchitt
7. Episode 72: With Lawrence Lanahan
8. Episode 71: With District 2 Howard County Council Member Opel Jones
9. Episode 70: With Busboys and Poets Founder Andy Shallal
10. Episode 69: With History-Makers C. Vernon Gray & Frank Turner
11. Episode 68: With Former Education Secretary Dr. John B. King, Jr.
12. Episode 67: With Sheila Dixon
13. Episode 66: With Just Up the Pike’s Dan Reed
14. Episode 65: With Claire Bolden McGill & Jel McGill
15. Episode 64: With HoCo Housing Commission CEO Peter Engel
16. Episode 63: With State Senator Dr. Clarence Lam
17. Episode 62: With Delegate Eric Ebersole and Saketh Sundar
18. Episode 61: With Senator Guy Guzzone
19. Episode 60: With Delegate Terri Hill
20. Episode 59: With Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr.
21. Episode 58: With Delegate Courtney Watson
22. Episode 57: Delegate Jessica Feldmark
23. Episode 56: Howard County Executive Calvin Ball
24. Episode 55: Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary
25. Episode 54: Roughly Speaking’s Mileah Kromer and Luke Broadwater
26. Episode 53: DCACC Artistic Director Darin Atwater
27. Episode 52: BoE Members Sabina Taj & Mavis Ellis
28. Episode 51: HoCo Police Chief Myers & Fire Chief Uhlhorn
29. Episode 50: District 3 County Council Member Christiana Rigby
30. Episode 49: District 2 County Council Member Opel Jones

We wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to a 2020 full of things that make our community better and help to ELEVATE the conversation!