Content Warning: Sensitive topics discussed include physical and sexual violence.Get to know us! Join three impact leaders as we explore the “why” behind their work. We talk about what first drew us to mission-driven, justice-focused work, what continues to inspire us, and what keeps us going. Connect with us as we kick off this journey with stories of purpose, passion, and the people behind the mission.
Child and Family Charities’ Street Outreach Team Is Building More Than Services–They’re Building Community
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Every young person deserves a place where they feel safe, supported, and seen.
That’s the vision driving Child and Family Charities’ Street Outreach team as they continue expanding services throughout Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. Through relationship-building, practical resources, and a new Drop-In Center, the team is creating more opportunities for youth to connect with caring adults and access the support they need. Their mission isn’t simply to respond to challenges. It’s to remove barriers before they become roadblocks and help young people discover pathways toward stability, resilience, and hope.
As the team continues to grow, so does their presence in the community–including the launch of new social media channels that make it easier than ever for people to stay connected with upcoming events, outreach opportunities, and available resources.
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Meeting Youth Where They Are
Street outreach is about much more than showing up; it’s about building trust.
Every interaction is an opportunity to listen, understand, and help connect young people with services that can make a lasting difference. Whether someone needs immediate support, guidance toward housing or mental health resources, or simply a trusted adult willing to listen, the Street Outreach team focuses on meeting youth where they are–both literally and emotionally.
Their work reaches throughout the Tri-County region, creating relationships that extend beyond a single conversation. Instead of expecting young people to navigate complex systems on their own, the team brings resources directly into the community, creating accessible pathways to support.
That commitment is captured in one simple vision: “We want to be Lansing’s living room moving forward.”
It’s a powerful statement that reflects more than a location. It reflects an atmosphere–one where everyone feels welcome.
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A New Home Base for Connection
One of the most exciting additions to the Street Outreach program is the new Drop-In Center. While outreach will always remain an important part of the team’s work, having a permanent space creates entirely new possibilities for serving youth across the region.
The Drop-In Center gives young people a place where they can stop in, connect with staff, participate in activities, and access resources without barriers or expectations. It’s designed to feel less like an office and more like a community space.
A place where relationships grow naturally, a place where support is always available, and most importantly, it’s a place where young people know they belong.
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More Than a Building
The Drop-In Center represents far more than four walls. It creates opportunities for meaningful engagement that extend beyond crisis intervention.
Through workshops, community events, and skill-building activities, the center gives youth opportunities to learn, connect, and grow in an environment built around encouragement and respect.
Programs are designed to meet a wide variety of needs, including:
– Educational workshops
– Career exploration and guidance
– Life skills development
– Mental health support
– Counseling resources
– Community engagement activities
By creating consistent opportunities for interaction, the center helps strengthen relationships while encouraging young people to build confidence and independence.
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Strengthening Community Through Partnership
No single organization can meet every need. That’s why collaboration remains a cornerstone of Child and Family Charities’ approach.
The Street Outreach team works alongside community partners throughout the Lansing area to connect youth with additional resources and services whenever needed. These partnerships help create a stronger network of support, ensuring young people have access to everything from housing assistance and behavioral health services to educational opportunities and workforce development.
When organizations work together, communities become stronger. That’s exactly the kind of collaboration Child and Family Charities continues to foster throughout Mid-Michigan.
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Staying Connected Beyond the Streets
Another exciting step forward is the launch of the Street Outreach team’s dedicated social media presence.
The new platforms offer community members an easy way to stay informed about:
– Upcoming outreach events
– Volunteer opportunities
– Workshops and activities
– Community resources
– Program updates
– Ways to get involved
For young people, families, and community partners alike, these channels create another avenue for connection and communication.
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Building a Place Where Everyone Belongs
Perhaps the most inspiring part of Child and Family Charities’ Street Outreach initiative isn’t a building, a program, or even an event; it’s the philosophy behind it.
Every young person deserves to feel welcomed, and every young person deserves to know someone cares.
By combining outreach, relationship-building, practical support, and a welcoming community space, Child and Family Charities continues creating opportunities for youth to find encouragement, connection, and hope.
Their vision of becoming “Lansing’s living room” isn’t just about opening doors. It’s about creating an environment where young people know they can walk through those doors and be accepted exactly as they are.
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Looking Ahead
As the Street Outreach program continues expanding across the Tri-County area, the future is full of possibility. New partnerships, community events, workshops, and Drop-In Center activities will continue creating spaces where youth can connect, grow, and access the support they need to thrive.
For Child and Family Charities, every conversation matters. Every relationship matters. Every young person matters. And with every new connection, they’re helping build a stronger, more compassionate community—one where hope isn’t just something people talk about. It’s something they experience.
Mission Control Season 6: Jae Margetson on Community, Leadership, and Making Things Happen
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For five seasons, Mission Control has focused on the leaders behind nonprofits–the executive directors, changemakers, and visionaries working every day to strengthen their communities.
Season six is a little different.
As UnoDeuce Multimedia celebrates 25 years of storytelling, we’re turning the camera around. This season explores the people, relationships, and moments that shaped the company from the very beginning. Some of those stories are about mentors. Others are about clients who became lifelong friends.
Few people embody that better than Jae Margetson.
Long before UnoDeuce had decades of nonprofit experience, Jae trusted us with one of our earliest major projects. Over the years, she became more than a client. She became a collaborator, a trusted partner, and someone whose passion for community continues to inspire everyone around her.
On this episode of Mission Control, Jae reflects on a career built around one simple idea: use your talents to make your community better.
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A Career Built on Purpose
Jae’s journey didn’t begin in Michigan. Originally from the Caribbean, she eventually made her way to the Midwest, where she pursued a degree in sport management with an emphasis in public relations at Bowling Green State University.
She arrived with two goals: Graduate with honors. Land an internship with the Detroit Pistons. She accomplished both.
That internship would become the launching point for a career centered on community engagement, relationship building, and creating opportunities for others.
“It was always my intent to use the resources of a sports organization to help the community.” That mindset has remained constant throughout every chapter of her career.
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Learning by Doing
Like many great careers, Jae’s wasn’t built in a classroom alone. Her internship with the Detroit Pistons gave her hands-on experience in event planning, communications, writing, and community relations.
Instead of simply observing from the sidelines, she was trusted with meaningful work. She helped organize community events, supported neighborhood park revitalization efforts, and worked alongside organizations dedicated to improving lives throughout Detroit. Those early experiences reinforced something that continues to define her career today.
Events aren’t just about logistics–they’re about people. Every event is an opportunity to bring a community together, celebrate a mission, or create an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
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One of UnoDeuce’s First Clients
For Paul Schmidt, this conversation is also deeply personal. Jae wasn’t simply another guest on the podcast, she was one of UnoDeuce Multimedia’s earliest clients. One of their first major collaborations involved producing a video for the Detroit Police Athletic League—a project that became a defining learning experience for both teams.
Like many productions, things didn’t go exactly according to plan. Leadership changes created shifting timelines. Deadlines moved. Expectations evolved. Rather than becoming frustrated, everyone adapted.
Looking back, those challenges became valuable lessons in flexibility, communication, and trust. Those early experiences helped shape the way UnoDeuce approaches storytelling to this day. Great partnerships aren’t built when everything goes perfectly. They’re built when people solve problems together.
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Becoming the “Make Things Happenologist”
Throughout her career, Jae developed a reputation for making complex projects look effortless. Whether coordinating intimate gatherings or managing large-scale conferences, she became known as someone who could take dozens of moving pieces and turn them into seamless experiences.
Her colleagues eventually gave her a fitting nickname: “The Make Things Happenologist.” It’s a title earned through years of preparation, organization, and calm leadership.
Successful events aren’t accidental–they’re built through countless conversations, careful planning, and a willingness to solve problems before attendees ever realize they exist. That behind-the-scenes leadership has become one of Jae’s defining strengths.
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A Front-Row Seat to History
One career highlight stands above many others. While working on the Ford Freedom Awards, Jae had the opportunity to serve as journalist Robin Roberts’ personal videographer during the event.
High-profile productions require precision. Every detail matters. Schedules shift. Expectations remain high.
Jae navigated the experience with the same professionalism that has defined her career, balancing vendor relationships, production logistics, and the needs of a nationally recognized guest.
Moments like these don’t happen by chance, they’re earned through years of preparation and a reputation built on trust.
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A New Chapter with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan
Today, Jae continues creating impact in her role as Vice President of Special Events and Projects with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. Her work now focuses on creating meaningful experiences that invest directly in young people throughout the Detroit region.
One exciting initiative is the continued evolution of Metro Detroit Youth Day. Rather than a single-day celebration, the event is growing into a broader experience that reaches more neighborhoods, engages more partners, and creates more opportunities for youth across the community.
It’s another example of Jae doing what she’s always done best–bringing people together around a common purpose.
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The Power of Relationships
One of the themes that runs throughout this conversation is something we’ve talked about often on Mission Control: relationships matter.
For 25 years, UnoDeuce Multimedia has been fortunate to work with organizations that became much more than clients. They became collaborators. Friends. Partners. People we’ve learned from.
Jae is one of those people. Her story reminds us that careers aren’t measured only by titles or awards. They’re measured by the people you serve, the partnerships you build, and the impact you leave behind.
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Looking Back–and Forward
As Mission Control celebrates UnoDeuce Multimedia’s 25th anniversary, conversations like this help tell the story behind the story. The cameras, the productions, the events…They’ve always been about something bigger. They’re about people who dedicate their lives to strengthening communities.
Jae Margetson has spent her career doing exactly that. From internships with professional sports organizations to community revitalization projects, from award-winning events to youth programming, she has consistently found ways to connect people, create memorable experiences, and leave every community stronger than she found it.
In this episode of the Warfighters United Podcast, we continue our conversation with Jon Sofronas surrounding TBI, PTSD, and the growing discussion around Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as a potential treatment option for veterans battling invisible wounds. We also talk about Corpsman Compass and the work being done to support and guide those who have served. Join us for an honest conversation focused on awareness, advocacy, and making a difference for the veteran community.
More Than a Job: Exploring STEMM Opportunities at Consumers Credit Union
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When people think about financial institutions, they often think about loans, checking accounts, and transactions. But behind every branch, every member interaction, and every financial solution is a team of people working to make a difference in their communities.
At Consumers Credit Union, that mission extends far beyond banking.
Since 1951, Consumers Credit Union has grown into a thriving organization with 33 branches and continued expansion across Michigan. Along the way, they’ve built a reputation not only for serving members but also for investing in the people who make that service possible. For job seekers looking for more than just a paycheck, Consumers Credit Union offers something increasingly valuable: a workplace focused on growth, opportunity, and belonging.
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A Legacy of Service and Growth
For more than seven decades, Consumers Credit Union has been helping individuals, families, and businesses navigate their financial journeys. As the organization continues to expand, so does its impact. New branches, evolving technologies, and changing member needs create opportunities for innovation and career development across nearly every department.
But growth at Consumers isn’t measured solely by the number of locations they operate. It’s measured by the people they develop.
The organization has built its culture around the idea that success happens when employees have opportunities to learn, grow, and pursue meaningful careers. That philosophy is evident throughout the organization, from entry-level positions to leadership roles.
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Opportunities Across the Organization
One of the biggest misconceptions about working at a credit union is that every role revolves around traditional banking. The reality is much broader.
Consumers Credit Union offers opportunities in a wide range of disciplines, including:
– Information Technology
– Data Analytics
– Accounting
– Loan Servicing
– Operations
– Member Services
– Leadership and Management
– Project Management
– Marketing and Communications
As financial services continue to evolve, so do the skills needed to support them. Technology, data, and innovation play increasingly important roles, creating career paths that appeal to professionals from many different backgrounds. Whether someone is beginning their career or looking for their next professional challenge, Consumers provides multiple entry points into the organization.
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Education Matters, But Potential Matters Too
One aspect that stands out about Consumers Credit Union is its approach to hiring and professional development. While some positions may prefer specialized education or advanced degrees, the organization understands that talent comes in many forms.
Instead of focusing exclusively on credentials, Consumers looks for people who demonstrate potential, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. That means opportunities exist for individuals entering the workforce, making career transitions, or seeking advancement.
The organization values a combination of technical skills, communication abilities, leadership potential, and a commitment to serving others. Most importantly, they recognize that not every skill needs to be present on day one.
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A Culture Built on Learning
Ask almost any successful professional how they advanced in their career, and chances are they’ll mention mentorship, training, or opportunities to learn from others. Consumers Credit Union has intentionally built those opportunities into its culture.
Professional development is not treated as a one-time event. It’s woven into the employee experience. The organization offers training programs, growth initiatives, internal education opportunities, and leadership development resources designed to help employees continue building their skills.
Promoting from within remains a major priority. By investing in existing employees, Consumers creates clear pathways for advancement while strengthening its team from the inside out. Employees are encouraged to explore different areas of the organization, expand their knowledge, and discover career opportunities they may not have initially considered.
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The Power of Mentorship
Growth rarely happens in isolation. That’s why mentorship plays such an important role at Consumers Credit Union.
Employees have opportunities to participate in shadowing experiences, collaborate across departments, and learn directly from colleagues with different areas of expertise. These experiences help team members better understand the organization while identifying potential career paths that align with their strengths and interests.
The result is a workplace where people are encouraged to ask questions, pursue new challenges, and continue evolving professionally.
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Creating an Inclusive Workplace
A strong culture starts with making people feel welcome. Consumers Credit Union places significant emphasis on creating an environment where employees can bring their authentic selves to work.
“We really pride ourselves on this really inclusive culture that we have created at Consumers Credit Union.”
That commitment shows up in both everyday interactions and formal initiatives designed to foster connection and belonging. The organization supports employee-led programs, engagement activities, and wellness initiatives that help create a positive workplace experience.
One example is Unite, a self-led employee team focused on inclusion and engagement. Consumers also invests in employee wellness through partnerships like Be Nice, which promotes mental health awareness and support.
Together, these efforts help create a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and connected.
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Finding the Right People
When hiring, Consumers Credit Union looks beyond resumes and technical qualifications. While skills and experience matter, character matters too.
As their team explains:
“We say we can teach you a lot of the things that you need to know on the day-to-day, but really we’re looking for good, kind, solution-oriented people that like to work hard.”
It’s a philosophy that reflects the credit union’s broader mission of serving members and communities with care and integrity.
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More Than a Career
At its core, Consumers Credit Union is about people. It’s about helping members achieve financial success. It’s about creating opportunities for employees to build meaningful careers. And it’s about fostering a culture where learning, growth, and inclusion are part of everyday life.
As the organization continues to expand, so do the opportunities for individuals looking to make an impact. For those searching for a workplace that values development as much as performance, Consumers Credit Union offers more than a job title. It offers a place to grow.
And sometimes, that’s where the most rewarding careers begin.
Positive Somebody Wins Most Inspirational Video of the Year at the 14th Annual Deucey Awards
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Some stories start with a business plan. Others start with a personal experience that sparks a mission. For Jenny, founder of Positive Somebody, that mission grew out of her own childhood.
At the 14th Annual Deucey Awards, Positive Somebody was recognized with the Most Inspirational Video of the Year Award, a reflection of both the organization’s impact and the story behind it. But the award is only part of the story. The real story is about helping children understand their emotions, build healthy coping skills, and discover that their feelings matter.
It’s a mission rooted in experience, fueled by compassion, and growing across Michigan.
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Turning Personal Challenges Into Purpose
Jenny openly shares that growing up wasn’t always easy. As a child, she struggled with emotional regulation and undiagnosed ADHD. School was often difficult, and many of the tools available today simply weren’t part of the conversation.
“I struggled in school. I had ADHD and I struggled with that and I was undiagnosed ADHD as a child,” Jenny explained.
Like many children, she wasn’t taught how to identify emotions or develop healthy coping skills. Looking back, she realized how much of a difference those lessons could have made.
When she became a parent, she made a decision. She wanted her children to have the tools she never had. As she taught her children about emotional regulation, she found herself learning alongside them.
“I wanted to make sure that I taught them how to regulate their emotions, and I kind of learned alongside them.”
That experience eventually grew into Positive Somebody, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children develop emotional awareness, resilience, and positive coping strategies.
What started around one family’s kitchen table has now expanded into classrooms and communities across Michigan.
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Teaching Emotional Skills Before They’re Needed
The work Positive Somebody does is simple in concept but powerful in practice. The organization helps children understand what they’re feeling, why they’re feeling it, and what they can do when emotions become overwhelming.
Rather than waiting until a child is in crisis, Positive Somebody focuses on prevention and education. Their programs equip children with practical tools they can use every day—whether they’re experiencing anxiety, frustration, sadness, excitement, or uncertainty.
In a world where mental health conversations are becoming increasingly important, Positive Somebody is helping young people build skills that can serve them for a lifetime.
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The Award-Winning Video
When Positive Somebody earned the opportunity to create a professional video, the goal wasn’t simply to make something that looked good.
The goal was to tell the story. As a smaller nonprofit, communicating their mission quickly and effectively can often be a challenge. The finished video became a powerful tool that helps supporters, sponsors, educators, and community members understand exactly why the work matters.
Today, the video is featured on their website, shared through social media, and included in sponsorship outreach efforts.
“Having that video just explains to people what we do, and then they get more excited, and we get more sponsorships because of it.”
The impact has been tangible. Businesses and supporters who watch the video gain a clearer understanding of the organization’s mission, often leading to additional sponsorships and support for Positive Somebody programs.
The video didn’t just win an award. It became a tool that helps fuel the organization’s future.
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A Collaborative Effort
Like many nonprofit success stories, the video was the result of teamwork. Jenny credits the entire production process for creating an environment where everyone felt comfortable sharing their stories. One standout contributor was Harper, a Michigan State University psychology student who interned with Positive Somebody.
While stepping in front of the camera can be intimidating, Harper embraced the challenge and grew throughout the process. The experience became more than a video shoot. It became an opportunity to build confidence, develop new skills, and contribute to a project with lasting impact.
For Jenny, one of the biggest takeaways was seeing how supportive collaboration can transform an intimidating process into an empowering one.
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Growing Across Michigan
While the award is exciting, Positive Somebody’s focus remains on the future. The organization continues to expand programs designed to help children build emotional resilience and healthy coping skills.
One of those initiatives is the Positive Pack Program, which has now reached dozens of schools across Michigan. The program provides resources and tools that help students develop emotional awareness and practical coping strategies.
Another growing initiative is the Weather Within Program, a social-emotional learning curriculum that helps children connect emotions to weather patterns. Sunny might represent happiness. Rainy could represent sadness. Windy might represent anxiety. Stormy could represent frustration or anger. Using familiar concepts helps children identify emotions and understand that feelings naturally change over time.
“You don’t want to be upset, like stormy or anxious, like windy or sad, like rainy all the time. So we really do teach tools to make sure that they’re feeling sunny.” The approach is relatable, accessible, and effective—meeting children where they are and giving them language to describe what they’re experiencing.
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More Than an Award
Winning the Most Inspirational Video of the Year Award is an incredible accomplishment, but the recognition reflects something larger. It highlights a nonprofit that is helping children navigate life’s challenges with confidence and resilience. It recognizes a founder who transformed personal struggles into meaningful action. And it celebrates a growing movement focused on emotional wellness, positive coping skills, and creating brighter futures for young people.
Positive Somebody’s story is proof that when people share authentic experiences, powerful things happen. Communities rally behind important work. Children gain access to resources they need. And a mission that began with one person’s determination can grow into something that impacts thousands.
That’s what makes this award special. It’s not just recognition for a video.
In this episode, guest Johanna Kononen (Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence) explores the critical link between domestic abuse and sexual assault and the disproportionate rates of homelessness among women and children.
She discusses how unsafe home environments often force individuals to flee with little to no resources, leaving them vulnerable to housing instability. The conversation highlights the systemic gaps in support services, the challenges survivors face in securing safe and stable housing, and the importance of trauma-informed approaches.
Johanna also underscores the need for stronger community responses and policy solutions to prevent homelessness before it begins.
Heart-Centered Advocacy: How Shontia Young Is Making a Difference at Detroit Merit Academy
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Some of the most important people in a school building aren’t always standing at the front of a classroom. They’re the people who notice when a student seems different. The people who ask questions before making assumptions. The people who understand that behind every challenge, there’s often a story waiting to be heard.
At Detroit Merit Academy, that person is Shontia Young. As the school’s attendance liaison, Shontia’s job title only tells part of the story. While attendance is certainly part of her work, her real impact comes from something much deeper: building relationships, advocating for students, and helping ensure every child feels seen, heard, and supported.
Her dedication to students recently earned her a nomination for Advocate of the Year, a recognition that reflects not only the work she does every day, but the heart she brings to it.
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Looking Beyond the Surface
In schools across the country, educators and support staff face the challenge of helping students navigate obstacles that extend far beyond academics.
A student who is struggling in class may be dealing with challenges at home. A child acting out may be carrying emotional burdens that others can’t see. Frequent absences might be tied to circumstances far more complicated than simply missing school.
Shontia understands that reality. Rather than focusing only on the behavior she sees, she looks for the reason behind it. As she explains, what appears to be a behavioral issue is often rooted in an unmet need.
Sometimes a student is hungry. Sometimes they’re overwhelmed. Sometimes they simply need someone to listen.
By taking the time to understand the whole story, Shontia helps create solutions that address the actual problem—not just the symptoms. It’s an approach rooted in compassion, and it’s one that has made a lasting impact on countless students.
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The Hard Work of Caring
Advocacy isn’t always easy. In fact, Shontia is the first to acknowledge that the work can be difficult. Supporting students means carrying concerns, solving problems, and often stepping into situations where answers aren’t immediately clear. It requires patience, empathy, and a willingness to meet people where they are.
But it’s also work she deeply loves. Every day presents opportunities to help a student overcome a challenge, reconnect with school, or simply feel valued.
For Shontia, those moments matter. Whether she’s helping address attendance barriers, connecting families with resources, or offering encouragement to a student who’s having a difficult day, her focus remains the same: making sure children have what they need to succeed.
That commitment doesn’t go unnoticed. Students know they can trust her. Teachers know they can count on her. Families know she genuinely cares. Those relationships are built one conversation, one act of kindness, and one moment of support at a time.
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More Than a School Employee
What makes Shontia’s work so impactful is that it doesn’t stop when the school day begins or ends. Her influence reaches beyond attendance records and office walls. She serves as a connector between students, families, educators, and community resources. When needs arise, she’s often one of the first people working to find solutions.
That ability to build bridges has made her an essential part of the Detroit Merit Academy community.
Ask colleagues about Shontia, and you’ll hear a common theme: she shows up. She shows up for students who need encouragement. She shows up for families navigating challenges. She shows up for staff members working to help children succeed. And she does it all with authenticity and compassion.
In many ways, her role represents what advocacy is truly about—not speaking for people, but standing alongside them.
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What Advocacy Really Means
The word “advocate” gets used often, but Shontia gives it meaning through action. For her, advocacy means standing in the gap.
It means speaking up when a student needs support. It means recognizing potential before someone sees it in themselves. It means helping children understand that they matter.
Advocacy is not always a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s a conversation in a hallway. Sometimes it’s a phone call home. Sometimes it’s making sure a student has access to resources they didn’t know existed.
The impact of those moments can be enormous. When children know someone believes in them, they begin to believe in themselves. When they feel supported, they’re more willing to engage. When they feel valued, they’re more likely to thrive.
That’s the ripple effect of advocacy.
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Recognition for a Purpose-Driven Career
Being nominated for Advocate of the Year was an exciting moment for Shontia, but recognition isn’t what motivates her. Like many people working in education and youth development, she sees helping students as part of who she is.
The nomination simply shines a light on what so many people already know: her work matters. The students she supports matter. And the relationships she builds are helping create a stronger, more supportive school community.
Awards celebrate achievements, but the real measure of Shontia’s impact can be found in the students whose lives have been changed because someone took the time to care.
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Creating a Brighter Future
At its core, education is about more than academics. It’s about helping young people discover their potential, overcome obstacles, and build a future filled with opportunity. That work requires teachers, administrators, families, and advocates working together.
It requires people like Shontia Young. Her willingness to look beyond the surface, address root causes, and support students with empathy and understanding demonstrates the kind of leadership that strengthens schools and communities alike.
Detroit Merit Academy is better because of her dedication. More importantly, countless students are better because of her belief in them. And that’s exactly what advocacy looks like.
Mission Control Season 6: The Mentor Behind the Mission – Dave Ellingson and the Roots of UnoDeuce Multimedia
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Twenty-five years is a long time to do anything.
For UnoDeuce Multimedia, it represents 25 years of helping nonprofits, community organizations, and businesses tell stories that matter. It represents thousands of interviews, countless hours of editing, and a commitment to amplifying missions that make communities stronger.
As Mission Control enters its sixth season, we’re taking a different approach.
For the first five seasons, the podcast focused primarily on nonprofit leaders, executive directors, and changemakers. We explored the journeys behind the organizations serving communities every day. This season, however, we’re turning the camera around and looking inward, exploring the people, experiences, and moments that helped shape UnoDeuce Multimedia into what it is today.
There’s no better place to start than with one of the most influential people in that journey: Dave Ellingson.
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The Person Who Helped Start It All
Ask Paul Schmidt where his passion for storytelling began, and you’ll eventually hear Dave’s name.
Mentor. Instructor. Boss. Friend.
Over the years, Dave has worn all of those titles. Long before UnoDeuce Multimedia existed, Dave was helping young storytellers discover the power of video, connection, and community. The impact of that mentorship is still visible today.
When Dave joined Mission Control, the conversation wasn’t simply a reunion between former colleagues. It was an opportunity to trace the roots of an idea that would eventually grow into a company dedicated to nonprofit storytelling.
The stories UnoDeuce tells today can be connected directly to lessons learned decades ago.
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A Different Kind of Retirement
Dave doesn’t really believe in retirement. Instead, he describes this stage of life as his “third act.”
These days, he calls himself the Paddle Pilgrim, a title earned through years of kayaking adventures across the globe. From Norway’s fjords to waterways around the world, Dave continues to combine exploration with storytelling. His travels have led to books, films, and speaking opportunities, including his award-winning film Coming Home: Kayaking the Fjords of Norway.
While the locations may have changed, the mission remains familiar.
Find a story. Connect with people. Share something meaningful. It’s the same philosophy that shaped a generation of storytellers.
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Evergreen Youth TV: Where It Began
Long before YouTube, smartphones, and social media made video accessible to everyone, producing quality video content required significant resources and specialized knowledge.
Dave saw an opportunity. As technology began shifting from analog to digital, he envisioned a program that would teach young people how to use video as a tool for storytelling and service.
That vision became Evergreen Youth TV. The program brought together talented young videographers from around the country and immersed them in hands-on production training. But the goal wasn’t simply learning how to operate cameras or edit footage.
The goal was to tell stories that mattered. Participants worked directly with nonprofit organizations, helping them communicate their missions through video. They learned that powerful storytelling isn’t about flashy graphics or expensive equipment. It’s about people.
For Paul, it was a life-changing experience.
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Learning to Tell Stories Visually
One of the biggest lessons Dave taught was simple: Video is a visual medium.
Too often, storytellers rely on words to carry the narrative. Dave challenged students to think differently. How do you show a story instead of simply talking about it? How do you create emotion through imagery, action, and authentic moments? Those lessons remain foundational to the work UnoDeuce does today.
When we’re filming a nonprofit event, interviewing a community leader, or producing a fundraising video, the goal isn’t to manufacture emotion. The goal is to capture real moments and allow those moments to speak for themselves.
That’s a philosophy that traces directly back to Evergreen Youth TV.
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Building Something Sustainable
As the program grew, so did its ambitions. Equipment upgrades were expensive. Opportunities for participants were expanding. There was a growing desire to create pathways for young storytellers to continue developing their skills beyond the summer program.
A nonprofit structure provided a way forward. The organization evolved into a year-round operation where participants could gain real-world experience while continuing to serve community organizations.
It became more than a training program. It became a launching pad. Many alumni went on to careers in filmmaking, writing, communications, education, and nonprofit work.
For Paul, it became something even bigger.
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An Unexpected Leadership Lesson
At one point, Dave stepped away on sabbatical. Suddenly, responsibilities shifted.
Paul found himself leading staff meetings, preparing for board meetings, and helping guide the organization’s daily operations. It wasn’t part of some grand career plan. It was simply the next thing that needed to be done.
Looking back, those experiences provided an invaluable education in leadership, management, and organizational development. Without realizing it, the foundation for UnoDeuce Multimedia was already being built.
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Discovering a Calling
When Paul eventually returned to Michigan, he found something familiar: a thriving nonprofit community. Organizations filled with passionate people working every day to make lives better. The same type of stories he had encountered through Evergreen Youth TV were everywhere.
The mission became clear: help nonprofits tell those stories. Help communities understand the impact happening around them. Help organizations connect with the people who believe in their work.
Twenty-five years later, that mission remains unchanged.
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The Power of Mentorship
One of the recurring themes throughout this Mission Control conversation was mentorship.
The truth is that none of us arrive where we are alone. Someone teaches us. Someone encourages us. Someone opens a door.
For Paul, Dave was one of those people. His vision for storytelling, his commitment to community, and his belief in the power of relationships helped shape not only a career but an entire company. The ripple effects continue today through every project, every nonprofit partner, and every story shared.
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Looking Back—and Forward
Season six of Mission Control is ultimately about reflection. It’s about recognizing the people who helped make the journey possible.
As UnoDeuce Multimedia celebrates 25 years, the conversation with Dave Ellingson serves as a reminder that meaningful work rarely happens in isolation. It happens through mentorship. It happens through collaboration. It happens when people invest in one another.
Twenty-five years ago, a young storyteller learned that stories have the power to change how people see the world. Today, that lesson still guides everything we do.
And it all started with someone who believed in the power of a story and the people willing to tell it.
Welcome back, friends! If you caught Tammy Hannah on this month’s episode of Hope in Action, host Sheri Jones couldn’t let her go after just one segment. So grab your headphones, because this episode settles in for the deeper conversation.
Tammy is the founder and executive director of Origami Rehabilitation, and in this episode, she opens up about the personal story behind it all: growing up as the little sister of her brother Jeff, who was born with cerebral palsy, and watching firsthand how family, perseverance, and the right support can help someone exceed every expectation. That’s the story that planted the seed for what would become nearly 30 years of transforming lives.
Sheri and Tammy talk about the marathon, not the sprint, of recovery from a young mother who defied the odds after a catastrophic car accident, to a veterinarian who returned to the operating room after a stroke, to the nearly 200 children now served at Origami’s Greenlawn location, learning to speak, to move, to believe in themselves for the very first time. Tammy also shares beautiful, practical wisdom on etiquette and kindness how we can all show up better for the people in our lives who are navigating a disability, seen or unseen.
This one is full of heart, hope, and just genuinely good humans doing good work. Listeners will leave this conversation with a little more grace for the people around them.
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📩 Have a story or event to share? Email hopeinactionsj@gmail.com
Thanks for listening in — see you next time.