Signature Required with Spencer Patton
We talk with Tennessee leaders—business owners, policy experts, educators, and residents—who champion the entrepreneurial spirit and transform once-small ideas into big impact.
Episodes
19 episodes
Brian Hicks, Harvest Hands & Humphreys Street Coffee Company | Signature Required
Brian Hicks is the CEO of Harvest Hands CDC and Humphreys Street Coffee Company, an enterprise that began as an after-school program to foster positive behavior in Nashville’s underserved youth. With a mission of using the stunning growth of Na...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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59:03
Gino Bulso, Tennessee State Representative, District 61 | Signature Required
House Representative Gino Bulso knew as a teenager that something didn’t sit right with him about the United States’ rising national debt. From writing a letter to then-President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s to now pushing for the Supreme Court to...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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58:21
Honorable Sheila Calloway, Davidson County Juvenile Court | Signature Required
Judge Sheila Calloway graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she earned both her undergraduate and law degrees. After law school, she served as a public defender in Nashville until 2004, when she transitioned into the role of Juvenile Cour...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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55:09
JT Olson & Jared Delong, Both Hands | Signature Required
JT Olson founded Both Hands in 2008 to support adoption funding through service projects for widows, having been orphaned as a child himself. The average project raises $22,000. helping over 1300 families nationwide. In this episode, JT Olson a...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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58:51
Rachel Freeman, Sexual Assault Center | Signature Required
Rachel Freeman is the President and CEO of Nashville’s Sexual Assault Center (SAC). She leads the SAC in creating a safe, compassionate environment for survivors to begin their healing journey. In this episode, Freeman discusses the SAC's role ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:00:02
Will Acuff, Corner to Corner | Signature Required
Will Acuff is a born and raised pastor’s kid and has long had a servant’s heart. More than a decade ago while on a mission trip to Kenya, Will felt called to return home to Nashville and think critically about how to best love his neighbors. Wi...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:00:57
Steven Gentile, TN Higher Education Commission | Signature Required
Steven Gentile is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and also teaches education policy at Vanderbilt University. THEC plays a crucial role in advocating for an increase in the number of Tennesseans who ob...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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58:31
Jennifer Turner, TPAC | Signature Required
Jennifer Turner joined TPAC in 2019, bringing over 20 years of nonprofit arts experience to the role of CEO. In her five years, she's guided TPAC through the pandemic, an aging facility, and a business model re-evaluation. In this episode, she ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:00:37
Diana Beach Batarseh, King's Academy | Signature Required
Diana Beach Batarseh is an accomplished educator, trainer, and presenter with experience working with students from preschool to high school. Currently, she serves as the Head of School at King's Academy, which offers a Christ-centered classica...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:01:21
John Hoomes, Nashville Opera | Signature Required
John Hoomes is the CEO and Artistic Director of Nashville Opera. Since 1995, he has guided the organization from a budget of $340,000 to over $3.4 million annually in 2024. Under his leadership, Nashville Opera has staged more than 200 producti...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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1:05:55
Katie Marchetti, Community Foundation & Voices for a Safer TN | Signature Required
Katie Marchetti connects people with resources with those in need. A deep believer that a rising tide should lift all ships, she's committed to nonprofit work in Middle Tennessee. She is also co-founder of Voices for a Safer Tennessee and a boa...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:08:17
Sondra Noble, Hip Hues | Signature Required
Sondra Noble is a Nashville-based entrepreneur who co-founder Hip Hues, a custom event swag business with her sister. In this episode she talks with Carli and Spencer about building a business with a sibling, scaling a business as you grow your...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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59:10
Jason Dukes, Love Justice International | Signature Required
Spencer and Annalee speak with futurist and nonprofit leader Jason Dukes. In his role at Love Justice International, Jason is at the forefront of using technology to combat the human trafficking crisis at its source. The conversation also cover...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:16:32
James Evans, Benchmark Ministries | Signature Required
With Benchmark Adventure Ministries, James Evans offers those with military backgrounds a chance to reflect on their lives and future goals. In this episode, Evans discusses the genesis of Benchmark, its goals, and its transformative impact wit...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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58:48
John Staubitz, Director of Behavioral Analysis at Vanderbuilt, TRIAD | Signature Required
John Staubitz, Director of Behavior Analysis at TRIAD, Vanderbilt University, has spent decades helping children with autism and behavior disorders. In a discussion with Spencer and Annalee, he explores how educators and parents can support aut...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:04:11
Jim Ward, Matthew 25 | Signature Required
In this episode of Signature Required, Jim Ward shares insights from running the 49-bed homeless shelter in Nashville's Vine Hill area for the past four years. He discusses the challenges of helping veterans navigate poverty, addiction, PTSD, a...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:12:36
Jim Bartoo, Nashville Zoo | Signature Required
Jim Bartoo, Marketing and Public Relations Director at the Nashville Zoo for the past 25 years, talks with Spencer and Annalee about the zoo's rich history. He shares insights on its founding, conservation efforts, and the sourcing of animals, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:16:31
Dr. Maria Cronley, APSU | Signature Required
Dr. Maria Cronley, Provost of Austin Peay State University, talks with Spencer and Annalee about higher education in America. She discusses the university's efforts to provide flexibility for students, particularly military-affiliated students....
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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1:08:35
Tommy Rhodes, Barefoot Republic | Signature Required
Tommy Rhodes, founder of Barefoot Republic summer camp, joins us to talk about his mission to build a summer camp population that reflects the diversity of heaven. This Christian camp aims to foster shared experiences among kids of diverse back...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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1:29:57