Alabama Changed Something.

In this solo reflection, Taryell shares how visiting Alabama — walking through civil rights landmarks and standing in ancestral spaces — clarified the next chapter of RISE Urban Nation.

This episode explores:

• Why storytelling is not entertainment — it’s resistance
• How systems change when communities reclaim narrative power
• The cultural significance of aligning with the Lunar New Year
• The transition from the Year of the Snake (shedding) to the Year of the Fire Horse (bold forward movement)
• Why Season Five intentionally ended at the New Year
• The five-year anniversary evolution of RISE Urban Nation
• The launch of a new message for 2026: Our Stories Over hiStories

In a time when Black voices are being stripped from textbooks, monuments, and mainstream media, this episode reaffirms podcasting as modern-day griot work — oral tradition at scale.

🔥 What’s Coming in 2026

RISE Urban Nation will expand beyond interviews to help entrepreneurs and leaders:

1. Get featured on aligned podcasts that amplify their mission
2. Launch their own podcasts and control their narrative
3. Use media and storytelling to 10X brand visibility and impact
4. Learn from guest hosts and media experts who have scaled through podcasting

This isn’t just a podcast anymore.

It’s narrative infrastructure.

👕 Coming Soon

New 2026 apparel drop:

Our Stories Over hiStories

Because history is often told by those who won and far too often leaves out the real boots-on-the-ground stories.

We’re reclaiming the narrative.

🌅 Reflection Questions

1. What story of yours needs to be told before someone tells it for you?
2. What are you shedding as we close the Year of the Snake?
3. What bold movement are you stepping into during the Year of the Fire Horse?

🎙️ EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Host: Taryell Simmons

Podcast: RISE Urban Nation

Music: Will Maker

Production: RISE Urban Nation Media

Unite. Empower. Ignite.

Thank you for tuning into the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, where we go beyond conversation to fuel a movement of unity, empowerment, and transformation across the Black and Pan-African community. Each episode dives deep into the stories of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers shaping culture, business, and legacy.

Hosted by Taryell Simmons, a leader in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the show blends storytelling with strategy to help you amplify your voice, grow your brand, and lead with purpose.

✨ Inspiring Stories: Learn from influential Black and Pan-African leaders making an impact.
💡 Actionable Insights: Get practical tools to build, market, and monetize your mission.
🌍 Global Perspective: Connect with stories that celebrate the African diaspora.
🌟 Empowerment: Be inspired to turn challenges into opportunities and ideas into impact.

Don’t miss new episodes or updates—follow and subscribe today!
🔗 Website: RISEUrbanNation.com
📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe Here
🌐 Linktree: All Links

Together, let’s rise, empower, and ignite.

About This Episode

Recorded live at the Encanto Experience, this bonus episode captures a powerful conversation on equity, economic empowerment, and community-driven transformation. Host Taryell Simmons and co-host Zeke Corley of Same Business Different Day Podcast sit down with Shawn McClondon, founder of the Sister Cities Project, the nonprofit organization supporting the Encanto Experience.

Shawn shares how he pioneered formal partnerships between affluent and underserved communities, fostering cultural understanding and sustainable economic development. Through the Sister Cities Project ecosystem, he harmonizes workforce development, community connection, and business growth initiatives designed to uplift underserved communities of color.

He also discusses:

• The strategic vision behind (Eco)Hub, (Eco)Exchange, and (Eco)Agency
• Leading over 40 social justice, DEI, and racial equity discussions
• Building cross-sector partnerships throughout San Diego County and nationally
• Why equity must move from dialogue to structural transformation

This episode also celebrates the Encanto Experience as a culturally rooted professional development space where community, creativity, and commerce intersect.

Special thanks to Brooke Collins, the powerhouse organizer behind the Encanto Experience, and to Marathon Barbershop on Imperial Avenue for hosting this live recording in a space filled with art, culture, and legacy.

If you’re watching this episode on YouTube, take a moment to appreciate the artwork behind us. If you’re listening, we’ve included links below so you can experience Encanto next year.

Learn More

Sister Cities Project: HERE

Encanto Experience: HERE

Marathon Barbershop – Imperial Avenue

Episode Contributors

Host: Taryell Simmons

Co-Host: Zeke Corley (Same Business Different Day Podcast)

Guest: Shawn McClondon

Music: Will Maker

Production: RISE Urban Nation Media

Special Acknowledgment:

Brooke Collins – Encanto Experience Organizer

Marathon Barbershop – Venue Host

Unite. Empower. Ignite.

Thank you for tuning into the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, where we go beyond conversation to fuel a movement of unity, empowerment, and transformation across the Black and Pan-African community. Each episode dives deep into the stories of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers shaping culture, business, and legacy.

Hosted by Taryell Simmons, a leader in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the show blends storytelling with strategy to help you amplify your voice, grow your brand, and lead with purpose.

✨ Inspiring Stories: Learn from influential Black and Pan-African leaders making an impact.
💡 Actionable Insights: Get practical tools to build, market, and monetize your mission.
🌍 Global Perspective: Connect with stories that celebrate the African diaspora.
🌟 Empowerment: Be inspired to turn challenges into opportunities and ideas into impact.

Don’t miss new episodes or updates—follow and subscribe today!
🔗 Website: RISEUrbanNation.com
📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe Here
🌐 Linktree: All Links

Together, let’s rise, empower, and ignite.

Recorded live at the Encanto Experience inside Marathon Barbershop on Imperial Avenue, this bonus episode brings together culture, community, and corporate transformation. Taryell Simmons and Zeke Corley host a powerful conversation with Idara Ogunsaju about rebuilding confidence in women within enterprise systems and shifting organizational structures that silently erode leadership potential.

Idara, founder of The Antorge Group, explains how her Confidence Ecosystem Framework™ examines how structure, culture, and growth systems either sustain or diminish confidence over time. Through system-level transformation and change management expertise, her firm partners with enterprise leaders to eliminate systemic barriers, fuel sustainable advancement, and strengthen leadership pipelines.

This episode also explores the significance of the Encanto Experience as a culturally rooted professional development space that centers creators, community leaders, and changemakers. Special thanks to Brooke Collins for organizing Encanto and to Marathon Barbershop for hosting this live recording in a space rich with culture and art.

If you’re watching on YouTube, take a moment to notice the artwork behind us. If you’re listening, links to Encanto and The Antorge Group are included below so you can experience the movement next year.

• The Antorge Group: https://theantorgegroup.com
• Instagram: @anthorgegroup
• Encanto Experience: https://www.kpbs.org/events/2025/10/17/experience-encanto-two-day-art-stroll-and-artisan-market
• Marathon Barbershop – Imperial Avenue

Listen to Idara’s previous feature on RISE Urban Nation to hear more of her personal leadership journey.

• Host: Taryell Simmons
• Co-Host: Zeke Corley (Same Business Different Day Podcast)
• Guest: Idara Ogunsaju
• Music: Will Maker
• Production: RISE Urban Nation Media

Special Acknowledgment: Brooke Collins (Encanto Experience Organizer)

Venue Host: Marathon Barbershop, Imperial Avenue

Unite. Empower. Ignite.

Thank you for tuning into the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, where we go beyond conversation to fuel a movement of unity, empowerment, and transformation across the Black and Pan-African community. Each episode dives deep into the stories of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers shaping culture, business, and legacy.

Hosted by Taryell Simmons, a leader in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the show blends storytelling with strategy to help you amplify your voice, grow your brand, and lead with purpose.

✨ Inspiring Stories: Learn from influential Black and Pan-African leaders making an impact.
💡 Actionable Insights: Get practical tools to build, market, and monetize your mission.
🌍 Global Perspective: Connect with stories that celebrate the African diaspora.
🌟 Empowerment: Be inspired to turn challenges into opportunities and ideas into impact.

Don’t miss new episodes or updates—follow and subscribe today!
🔗 Website: RISEUrbanNation.com
📲 Instagram: @RiseUrbanNation
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe Here
🌐 Linktree: All Links

Together, let’s rise, empower, and ignite.