High Point's Voices Discovered

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Aug 2026

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Ready to hear from the voices of the people transforming the city of High Point, North Carolina? Then you’ve come to the right place! Introducing, High Point’s Voices Discovered, a podcast presented by High Point Discovered and The Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation. Join co-hosts, Hannah Ray and Joe Blosser, as they meet and share stories with the leaders, movers, shakers, and changemakers making the city of High Point better and brighter for all!

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24 recent

August 26, 20269 min

A Canvas for the Community: Studio 136

What does it take to build a creative economy in a mid-sized city? Sometimes, it starts with one teacher deciding the gap she kept seeing was hers to fill. Page Gleeson, a longtime High Point art educator, spent years watching talented local artists drive to Winston-Salem or Greensboro just to find studio space or a place to show their work. Interior designers and showrooms weren't looking at local art — not because it wasn't good, but because there was nowhere for them to see it. So Page went through the Artful Business Cohort with the High Point Arts Council, earned her LLC, and opened Studio 136: a hybrid gallery and working studio space that now houses four in-house artists, each with a dedicated room to create and exhibit. It's a model built on a simple belief: art doesn't have to be competitive to be sustainable. Artists supporting artists — sharing space, technique, and visibility — is what builds a creative economy that can actually hold a city's talent instead of losing it to bigger markets. Studio 136 is one more example of High Point's creative and small business community investing in the infrastructure that keeps local talent local. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about Studio 136, visit: https://www.studio136gallery.com/ This story is brought to you by TowneBank. To learn more about TowneBank, visit: https://www.townebank.com/ About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

August 19, 20267 min

Grilling Up Gratitude: Dawn's Cafe

For 26 years, Dawn's Cafe on Baker Road has opened its doors at 4 A.M. to serve High Point's early risers — police officers, firefighters, city workers, and news anchors starting their day before the sun comes up. Her legacy is a reminder that longevity in small business isn't just about the food — it's about the relationships! To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about Dawn's Cafe, visit: https://www.facebook.com/dawnscafehpnc/ About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

August 13, 20266 min

Community & University Camaraderie: Lyndsey Ayers

For Lyndsey Ayers, High Point has always been home. As a proud T. W. Andrews High School graduate, Lyndsey has fond memories of her years growing up in High Point. From cheering the Red Raiders onto a 2003 basketball championship victory, to attending the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Lyndsey never had the urge to venture far from the Triad. "The trend for all of our friends at that time was, 'Let's get out of High Point,'" she says, recalling classmates and friends who wanted to spread their wings and fly. But for Lyndsey, one distinct aspect of High Point caught her interest and gave her a new curiosity about her hometown. "In 2005, when Dr. Qubein came, he was blazing a trail," she says. High Point University, under Dr. Nido Qubein's leadership, was in a pivotal and pioneering phase. Dr. Qubein's appointment to the role of president at the university ushered in a new era of growth for HPU and ultimately the city of High Point itself. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about HPU's Community Events, visit: https://www.highpoint.edu/community/engagement/ About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

August 5, 20269 min

His & Hers Success: Chase & Leah Hazelwood

Meet Chase & Leah Hazelwood — the power couple behind the "Go-Forth Galaxy." It started with two lifeguards in 2002, both determined, both driven, both dreaming of a life they'd build on their own terms. Today, Chase leads Go-Forth Home Services (Go-Forth — pest control turned home services empire), and Leah runs Go Forth Marketing, the storytelling agency helping businesses find their voice. But the real story isn't just the businesses — it's the "why." Four kids. A shared belief that hard work and heart can go hand in hand. And a mission to pour back into High Point through CCFC Academy, Carolina Core Professional Center, and support for women's health and small business growth across our city. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about Go-Forth Home Services, visit: https://www.go-forth.com/ To learn more about Go Forth Marketing, visit: https://goforthmarketing.com/ About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

July 15, 20267 min

A Sweet Taste of Town: Miso's Ice Cream

When life hands you a pandemic two days after your grand opening... you build an ice cream cart and bring the joy to people's front yards! That's exactly what Rana Arafa and her husband did in 2020 when Miso's Ice Cream had to shut its doors just 48 hours after opening. Instead of waiting it out, they hit the neighborhoods — masks on, sanitizer ready — and turned a crisis into a story of family, friendship, neighbors, and smiles. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about Miso's Ice Cream, visit: https://www.misosicecream.com/ About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ This story brought to you by TowneBank. To learn more about TowneBank, visit: https://www.townebank.com/campaigns/regional-pages/townebank-greensboro/?utm_source=highpointdiscovered&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=featured+small+business&utm_id=sponsorship Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

July 8, 20267 min

Diving Deep: High Point Swim Club

Tucked on Whitehall Street is a pool that's been changing lives since 1962! High Point Swim Club started with a handful of competitive swimmers and grew into so much more — a nonprofit built on the belief that swimming isn't a luxury; it's a lifeline. Today, HPSC offers free swim safety lessons to local second-graders through their "Swim for Life" program, has sent swimmers to the Olympic Trials, provides space for the fire department dive rescue teams, helps Scouts earn badges, and more! This story brought to you by TowneBank. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about High Point Swim Club, visit: https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/cmncpba/page/home About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

July 1, 20266 min

The Uncle Sam Jam: Celebrating the Fourth of July in High Point

This July 4th, America celebrates 250 years — and High Point has been practicing for decades. The Uncle Sam Jam at Oak Hollow Lake has been a community tradition for over 50 years, drawing thousands of families together every Independence Day for live music, food, and fireworks over the water. That kind of sustained community investment is something worth celebrating in its own right. Here's to 250 years of the American spirit, and to the people who keep High Point's piece of it alive. Read the full story on High Point Discovered! Want to enjoy all the star-spangled fun for yourself this year? Head out to the Uncle Sam Jam on July 4 at Oak Hollow Lake! Festivities start at 4:30 p.m. and the fireworks go off at 9:15 p.m. Parking is $10/car and locations include: Oak Hollow Festival Park, 1841 Eastchester Dr. North Overlook, 1917 Eastchester Dr. Oak Hollow Golf Course, 3400 North Centennial St. 1829 Eastchester Dr. 1912 Eastchester Dr. 1925 Eastchester Dr. Learn more: https://www.highpointnc.gov/1380/Uncle-Sam-Jam About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

June 24, 202611 min

Rolling into Wonder: HPU's Mobile Science Lab

What does it mean for a university to truly invest in its community? At High Point University, one answer rolls on four wheels. The HPU Mobile Lab has been bringing hands-on science to K–8 students across High Point since 2016 — visiting schools, the High Point Public Library, the YWCA, and the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children's Museum. Discover how the HPU students and faculty are helping to inspire lifelong STEM learners for the kids of High Point! To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To get tickets for SciQuest, visit: https://www.qubeinchildrensmuseum.org/buy-tickets About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/ Each High Point Discovered story is made possible and accessible through our community like you. We’d love for you to partner with us in this work by donating at thttps://www.highpointdiscovered.org/give/

June 17, 20269 min

Putting High Point Center Stage: Dana East

What do you get when you combine decades of large-scale event experience with a deep love for your community? You get Dana East, Director of Events Strategy for Visit High Point — and you get events that leave people talking. Dana's career has taken her from New Jersey to Atlanta, from finance boardrooms to backstage with Grammy-winning artists like John Legend, Maroon 5, and Usher. But it's here in High Point where she's doing some of her most meaningful work, building an events culture rooted in genuine hospitality and community pride! To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about R&B Soul Picnic, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jon-b-live-rnb-soul-picnic-returns-to-high-point-sat-june-27-tickets-1981947135234 About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/

June 10, 20269 min

A Recipe for Second Chances: Smash & Sizzle

The best burgers in High Point come with something extra — a story worth savoring. Chef Vanessa Lanier and her staff at Smash & Sizzle aren't just serving up incredible smashburgers; they're opening doors for people who deserve a second chance. Through Second Harvest's Providence Culinary Training Program, graduates are finding community, building careers, and rewriting their stories — one shift at a time. To read this story, visit: https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/stories/ To learn more about Smash & Sizzle, visit: https://www.stockandgrainhp.com/merchant/smash-and-sizzle About High Point Discovered: High Point Discovered is a 501(c)3, a grass-roots non-profit dedicated to communicating the stories of High Point, NC, to connect citizens and catalyze economic growth. To discover more stories about High Point, visit https://www.highpointdiscovered.org/