In this episode, Rosa sits down with CTRL Group co-founders Deshawndra' "Dray" Ray and Ann Hardin, two members of a bold founding team behind Louisville's newest creative agency and marketing collective. CTRL Group is redefining brand visibility through event curation, experiential media, and influencer marketing, connecting local brands, creators, and communities through experiences that are authentic, cultural, and community driven.

Dray and Ann share the story behind this Louisville startup, how their community building approach is changing brand strategy for Black owned businesses and women entrepreneurs, and what the city's rising creative scene looks like from the inside.

In this episode:

• What makes CTRL Group different from a traditional creative agency
• Building influencer partnerships and creator storytelling that actually converts
• Why community driven marketing is the future of brand activation
• Supporting Louisville women in business and young professionals through intentional partnership
• The March 27 launch event at Goodwood Whiskey Row

Catch CTRL Group - The Launch:

RSVP here📅 March 27 | 6–9 PM📍 Goodwood Whiskey Row, 121 W Main St, Louisville, KY

Connect with CTRL group on social media:InstagramFacebookTikTokAbout The Lou Review nonprofit:The Lou Review Foundation Inc. amplifies Louisville voices, stories, and changemakers, bringing together community leaders, innovators, and culture builders for honest, inspiring conversations about what it means to build something meaningful in this city.Follow host Rosa Hart @RosaRaves

Subscribe to The Lou Review podcast for more conversations with Louisville entrepreneurs, culture builders, and community leaders who are changing the game.

What if the key to improving health outcomes, graduation rates, and long-term economic mobility in Louisville starts with something simple: helping a child feel safe enough to read?

In this episode of The Lou Review, Rosa Hart sits down with Ashley Dearinger, co-founder of I Would Rather Be Reading, a Louisville-based nonprofit advancing literacy through trauma-informed care, relationship-building, and intentional community partnerships.

Born out of firsthand classroom experience, the organization began as a small summer camp designed to support children who were falling behind — not because they lacked intelligence, but because they lacked stability and consistent support. What followed was rapid, community-driven growth rooted in a powerful understanding: academic success cannot happen until emotional needs are addressed.

Ashley shares how trauma-informed educational practices are reshaping literacy intervention in Louisville and why health literacy is an essential — and often overlooked — component of long-term community wellness.

The conversation explores:

- The link between literacy, health outcomes, and generational opportunity
- Why relationship-centered education drives measurable impact
- How innovative partnerships expand nonprofit reach

- Smart, sustainable fundraising strategies that fuel growth

- Plans to expand services into middle and high school programming

- A long-term vision for community hubs that connect education to career pathways

At its core, I Would Rather Be Reading represents a shift in how Louisville approaches children’s education — from remediation to empowerment.

This episode is a powerful reminder that when a city invests in literacy, it invests in its own future.

Learn more and connect with IWRBR at:

iWouldRatherBeReading.org

🎧 Listen now to learn how this Louisville nonprofit is turning pages - and turning the tide - for children across our community.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation at LouReview.com

Follow host Rosa Hart on social media @RosaRaves and @NurseRosaSpeaks

What if feeding people with dignity could also build a sustainable and stronger local food system?In this episode of The Lou Review Podcast, we sit down with Rhona Bowles Kamar, founder and executive director of Feed Louisville, to explore how one Louisville-based nonprofit is redefining hunger relief with creativity, dignity, and long-term vision.Born out of the food insecurity crisis revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Feed Louisville rescues surplus food and transforms it into nourishing, chef-prepared meals for unhoused and food-insecure neighbors. What started as an urgent response has grown into a vital community force—powered by former restaurant professionals who believe good food is a human right, not a luxury.Rhona also shares how Feed Louisville is thinking beyond traditional nonprofit models through its social enterprise, ZEST—a plant-forward, grab-and-go meal line created by chefs and sold locally. Available at Value Market, Rainbow Blossom, Fante’s Coffee Shop, Billion Cup Coffee, and more locations coming soon, every ZEST purchase directly supports Feed Louisville’s hunger relief work.A former chef and co-owner of the beloved Ramsi’s Café on the World, and founder of Raising Hope Organic Farm, Rhona brings decades of culinary, agricultural, and community leadership to her mission. Her work has earned widespread recognition, including being named a 2025 Partners in Philanthropy Nonprofit Visionary Leader and a Today’s Woman Magazine Most Admired Woman.This conversation dives into food rescue, nonprofit innovation, social enterprise, and what it really takes to feed people with dignity—while strengthening Louisville from the inside out.In this episode, you’ll learn:How Feed Louisville turns rescued surplus food into chef-prepared mealsWhy dignity and access matter in hunger reliefHow ZEST supports nonprofit sustainability through local retail partnershipsThe role former restaurant professionals play in community careWhat it takes to build a mission-driven organization that lasts🎧 Subscribe to The Lou Review Podcast on Spotify and YouTube for more stories spotlighting the people and organizations shaping Louisville for the better.Connect with Feed Louisville:https://www.feedlouisville.orgOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedlouisvi...Connect with host Rosa Hart:https://www.instagram.com/rosaraves/Learn more about The Lou Review Foundationhttps://loureview.com/