The Commons
Conversations featuring researchers, innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, community builders, and thought leaders who are improving the human condition in their own backyard and across the globe.
Season 5, Episode 3: Prototyping Place: How Experimentation Shapes University City: A Conversation with Nate Hommel
In this episode of The Commons, host Thomas Osha talks with Nate Hommel, Director of Planning and Design at University City District (UCD) in Philadelphia — a place where experimentation, partnership, and humility redefine what public space can do.
Season 5, Episode 2: Rewriting the Script for Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Charles Cairns
In this episode of The Commons, host Tom Osha sits down with Dr. Charles Cairns, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the Drexel University College of Medicine, to explore how medicine is being reimagined — from how students are trained to how discoveries move from the lab to the bedside.
Season 5, Episode 1: From Dreaming to Doing: Making Work Worth Coming Back For. A Conversation with Matt Homann, President and CEO of Filament
Season 5 kicks off as host Tom Osha sits down with Matt Homann, President and CEO of Filament, to explore what really brings people back to the workplace—and how to make those interactions matter. Together they unpack the elements that drive meaningful collaboration, why most meetings fail, and how Filament’s “Dream, Debate, Decide, Do” framework helps teams turn conversation into action.
Season 4: Episodes Live from BIO International 2024
- Episode 10 Schott MiniFab: A Conversation with Spencer Perry and Ben Pricer
- Episode 11 Translational Sciences Inc: A Conversation with Dr. Guy Reed
- Episode 12 AZBio: A Conversation with Joan Koerber-Walker
- Episode 13 Phoenix Is BIO: A Conversation with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
- Episode 14 A Conversation with Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington
- Episode 15 RoddyMedical: A Conversation with Pat Deno
- Episode 16 Phoenix Children’s Hospital Genomics Lab: A Conversation with Stacey Metzler
- Episode 17 Phoenix Bioscience Core: A Conversation with Scarlett Spring
- Episode 18 Heritage: How Mayo Clinic’s 160-Year Vision and Values Fuel Tomorrow’s Healthcare Innovations: A Conversation with Dr. Steven Lester and Dr. Rahul Pannala of Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Episode 19 Slamming Cancer: A Conversation with Steve Potts, CEO of SLAM BioTherapeutics
- Episode 20 Illumina Ventures: A Conversation with Mara Aspinall
Season 4, Episode 8: Brotherly Brewers: Crafting Beer & Community in West Philly One Pint at a Time: A Conversation with Mengistu & Richard Koilor – Two Locals Brewing
Richard and Mengistu Koilor are two brothers from West Philadelphia who have transformed their passion for brewing into a beacon of hope for their community. Richard and Mengistu started with a simple idea: to bring quality craft beer to their hometown. But their vision quickly expanded. They wanted to create jobs, support local suppliers, and provide a safe, welcoming space for people to gather.
