CivitasLA’s Dwayne Gathers joins the show for a discussion about his work in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors and why he launched the Los Angeles-focused podcast to uplift civic discourse and elevate emerging community voices.

Born and raised in New York, Dwayne worked at both the US State Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development before serving the state of California by building connections with South Africa. Since the summer of 2020, he has hosted the CivitasLA podcast to bring people together to discuss some of the most pressing issues we face and the opportunities to work together to build a stronger and more diverse Los Angeles.

Semolina Artisanal Pasta’s Leah Ferrazzani joins the show to share how her love of food took her on a journey from drying pasta in her home’s laundry room to producing some of the finest US-grown organic fresh and dry pasta around.

Originally from New York, Leah left behind her career as a food and wine writer to launch Semolina Artisanal Pasta in 2014. Since then, she has expanded their wonderful pasta selections and are now featuring inspired sandwiches at their shop and “pasta lab” at 1976-1978 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena.