Cam Leggett, co-founder of Nomad Grills, joins us to share the story behind Oak Cliff’s own portable grill brand that’s taken off worldwide. From welding early prototypes in a driveway to shipping to over 80 countries, Cam talks about the patience, precision, and grit behind a “ten-year overnight success.” We get into product design, startup lessons, and how Nomad has stayed rooted in Oak Cliff through events like Camp Nomad—a neighborhood block party that blends BBQ, music, and community.

Jason Hayes, Senior Vice President of Brand Experience at the State Fair of Texas, joins us to talk about the energy, history, and community behind one of Dallas’s most beloved institutions. We revisit the fair’s early days—including its brief Oak Cliff roots—and how that local spirit continues to shape Fair Park today. From Big Tex’s rebirth to the fair’s “most Texan place on earth” vision, Jason shares what it takes to honor tradition while keeping the fair fresh for generations to come.

From fish farms in Israel to museum shops in Rome, Ari Lowenstein’s journey has been anything but ordinary. In this episode, Ari shares how a love for food, sparked in Italian markets and nurtured through family recipes, became the heartbeat of Ari’s Pantry. We talk about the leap from corporate strategy to catering, the role his wife Amy played in making it real, and how Oak Cliff became the perfect home for an Italian-inspired neighborhood shop.

For more than eight decades, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand has quietly served West Dallas and Oak Cliff with food, healthcare, and education. CEO Wes Keyes shares how the nonprofit’s unlikely roots trace back to a drinking partner of Bonnie and Clyde, why their “say yes” mantra drives everything from job training to free medical clinics, and how he’s seen the neighborhood rally behind neighbors in need. We get into Wes’s path from small-town Mississippi to Oak Cliff, the beer-brewing Sunday school class that first connected him to the community, and what it looks like to lead with humility in your neighborhood.