All Episodes
Making Change with Art Agnos Former Mayor of San Francisco
This week, we listen back to our conversation with former Mayor of San Francisco Art Agnos (Season 3 Episode 04) — politician, social worker, and game-changer.
S3: Ep 9: On The Waterfront with Simon Snellgrove and Wayne Perry
Simon Snellgrove is Founder and Principal of Pacific Waterfront Partners, a development company dedicated to restoring the city’s Waterfront. Since San Francisco is such a difficult city to build in, this native Australian has shown immense resilience in facilitating a seamless transition between the old and new parts of the Embarcadero and Piers, all the while maintaining historical accuracy in his clean and tasteful restoration.
Wayne Perry is an East Bay native and CEO and Chairman of Cornerstone Concilium. Originally started in 1986 to help churches with infrastructure, Perry’s company now provides infrastructure programs with all kinds of technical and engineering solutions in the US and Asia. Even more, he is currently building a non-profit to train people from underserved communities in engineering, technology, and all aspects of infrastructure.
Our guests this week are honest, kind and hard-working men. With seagulls flying over our heads on a sunny day in March, we interviewed them about their companies, careers, and recent projects on the Waterfront.
For more information about Simon and Wayne, please visit:
https://www.pacificwaterfront.com/
https://cornerstoneconcilium.com/
Meet Simon Snellgrove and Wayne Perry!
S3: Ep 8: Oz Erickson transforming neighborhoods
Oz Erickson is the Founder and Chairman of the Emerald Fund, a San Francisco-based real estate development company dedicated to transforming entire neighborhoods. Since 1979, Erickson and his company have turned abandoned warehouses into liveable communities and commercial office buildings into residential homes, totaling over 8 thousand housing units.
Oz also sits on several non-profit boards, allowing him to approach his work from a humanitarian point of view. He understands deeply what it takes to build something in our city, and cannot imagine doing anything else in life. Though his humility and honesty have gotten him far, Erickson’s true success lies in his keen creative vision– where one sees a pile of rubble, Oz sees a thriving community. We hope you enjoy our interview with him.
For more information about Oz Erickson and the Emerald Fund, please visit: https://www.emeraldfund.com/
Meet Oz Erickson!
S3: Ep 7: Charmine Curtis and Developing Affordable housing
Charmaine Curtis is one of the first female African American developers in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s creative, driven and socially-conscious, developing affordable and below market housing to build up and better her community. From multi-family homes to urban infill projects, Curtis has overseen or participated in the development of more than seven thousand housing units.
We at Beyond the Fog Radio find Charmaine to be charming, warm and thoughtful. She describes looking at development like a puzzle, finding the best possible way to maximize opportunity for middle and lower class residents while creating lively and welcoming community spaces. We have much respect for Charmaine and her work, and we hope you enjoy learning from her as much as we did.
For more information about Charmaine Curtis, please visit:
https://www.curtis-development.com/charmaine-curtis
Meet Charmaine Curtis!
S3: Ep 6: Developing BayView Hunters Point with Michael Baines and Cathy Davis
Michael Baines is a developer and contractor for low-income housing and founded his own company, BGI Group Inc. Even more, his company is the largest employer of formerly incarcerated people in the Bay Area. Cathy Davis is the Executive Director of Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services, a nonprofit that provides services to disadvantaged seniors in San Francisco. She likewise runs the Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center, founded by
S2: Ep 3 Carl Nolte & The Waterfront
Carl Nolte & The Waterfront
This week’s guest is a walking encyclopedia for the history of San Francisco, with expertise that extends far before humans ever inhabited this area. Carl Nolte–– a 4th generation San Franciscian–– has served as both a writer and editor for the San Francisco Chronicle for 60 years. He has a weekly column called Native Son. Though he mostly scribes stories of the city and the western coast, he has also reported on larger events, such as SS Jeremiah O’Brien when it Sailed to Europe for the D-Day Anniversary, the Persian Gulf War, and the Invasion of Iraq (the latter two of which he also served as a war correspondent.)
Nolte has likewise received many accolades, including the President’s Medal for Public Service by the California Maritime Academy (2011), the Maritime Heritage Award by the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association (2010), and the Award of Merit by the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society (2012). In 2016, Nolte received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
Carl describes himself as a storyteller more than a historian and journalist, as he writes with such conviction and creativity. In return, we at Beyond the Fog Radio describe him as charming, intelligent, highly articulate, and hilarious. We are so pleased to have him share his knowledge of San Francisco and history of the Bay Area with us this week.
Meet Carl Nolte!
S2: Ep 2 Hon. John L. Burton & The Waterfront
John was kind enough to let us interview him this week to talk about San Francisco’s Waterfront, and how fitting, as he was just recently appointed to the San Francisco Port Commission! Mr. Burton was the Chairman for the Democratic Party for 8 years, as well as a twice-elected State Assemblyman for the State of California. He was also a United States Congressman and a Senator for the State of California.
S2: Ep 1 Kimberly Brandon & The Waterfront
Kimberly Brandon is the current President of the San Francisco Port Commission. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Commission and is the initiator of the Southern Waterfront Advisory Committee through which she engages the SE waterfront communities with development planning in their neighborhoods.
Ep 18: Nina Clima and the Gang & North Beach
In the beloved Italian North Beach neighborhood, three San Francisco natives Nina Clima, Charles Farruggia, and Don Di Basilio join Susan and Jae to reminisce on the rich cultural history North Beach offers the city. Nina, Charles, and Don grew up together in North Beach and are all 2nd or 3rd generation Californians. Now 80 years young, the three friends boast healthy, independent, and active lifestyles. They remain dedicated residents of this incredible neighborhood.
Ep 14: David Lei & Chinatown Part II
David Lei is an active participant with several nonprofit organizations including The Chinese Performing Arts Foundation, the Asian Art Museum, the Chinese American Community Fund, Chung Ngai Dance Troupe, Academy of Chinese Performing Arts, World Arts West - San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the Bancroft Library, and the Center for Asian American Media.
Ep 13: Jay Xu, The Asian Art Museum & Civic Center
This week we are honored to bring you our conversation with Dr. Jay Xu, the CEO and Director of the Asian Art Museum! Dr. Xu spoke to us about the Museum, located directly across from San Francisco’s City Hall, as well as the surrounding neighborhood, Civic Center. Civic Center is in the center of the city, and host to many important arts buildings as well as civic ones. In addition to City Hall and the Asian Art Museum, the neighborhood is home to the famed Bill Graham Auditorium, San Francisco’s Superior Court, the Davis Symphony Hall, the Hearst Theater, the San Francisco Opera House, and the Norris Auditorium. We’re so pleased for Dr. Xu to share his neighborhood and his Museum with us, and to help us continue our celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
Meet Jay Xu!
Ep 12: Claudine Cheng, AAPI Heritage & Japantown
This week we are pleased to bring you our conversation with Claudine Cheng, a lawyer, community leader, community rights activist, and civil rights advocate; born in Hong Kong, Claudine Cheng is a graduate of University of Southern California and the University of California Hastings College of Law. Ms. Cheng was the first person from the West Coast elected to serve as the National President of OCA, a national advocacy and education organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with over 50 chapters across the country. In that role, Ms. Cheng was involved in coalition-building efforts amongst minority communities.
Her dedication to Asian communities is tireless, in addition to her decades of community organizing and the development of programming to support these communities, she also led a successful advocacy campaign for the issuance of United States Postal Service commemorative stamps celebrated the Lunar New Year! Currently, Ms. Cheng serves as the President of the APA Heritage Foundation and coordinates San Francisco’s annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We are so pleased to bring you our conversation with such an important advocate for San Francisco’s asian communities!
Meet Claudine Cheng!
Ep 09: Mayor Willie Lewis Brown Jr. & San Francisco Politics
The Honorable Willie Lewis Brown Jr. is the first Black and, to date, the longest running Speaker of the California State Assembly. He also was the first Black man to be Mayor of San Francisco, and has left a lasting mark on the city. Known nationally not only as a politician but also for his many groundbreaking bills, authored while he was Speaker, and for the sweeping changes that were made in San Francisco under his watch.
Ep 07: Sunny Schwartz & Treasure Island
Sunny Schwartz, author, advocate, and changemaker speaks to us about this extraordinary program she founded over 30 years ago, and the island where it is possible.
Meet Sunny Schwartz!
Ep 05: John Konstin & Union Square
John’s Grill has been an essential San Francisco restaurant since it opened in 1908. John Konstin spoke to us about his neighborhood, Union Square, and his restaurant, John’s Grill, which has been in his family since the 1960s.
Ep 04: Ellen Schumer & City Hall
Our third interview is with Ellen Schumer. She is the City Hall Historian and Head Docent. Ellen spoke to us about the History of San Francisco City Hall. We cannot wait to share this unique look inside San Francisco’s city hall.
Meet Ellen Schumer!
Ep 03: Shelley Bradford Bell & Downtown San Francisco
Shelley Bradford Bell is a writer, The former President of the San Francisco Planning Commission, the former Vice President of the Environmental Commission and the Former Executive Director of the Bay View Opera House.
She is a dedicated community activist and lives in downtown San Francisco which is French Inspired
Meet Shelley Bradford Bell
Ep 02: Rodney Fong & Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, & Chinatown
Rodney Fong is the CEO and President of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Fong is a fourth generation San Franciscan whose grandfather started the Fisherman’s Wharf Wax Museum in 1962; Rodney discusses what it was like to grow up in the Wax Museum, as well as in the neighborhoods of North Beach and Chinatown.