The Beardstown Ladies Investment Club is an organization which gained worldwide fame after publishing a book on investing in the 1990s. The two remaining charter members Cornell Korsmeyer and Ann Brewer spoke to Community Voices about the history of the club, its rise in popularity, and their legacy of encouraging others to invest.

Jane Cutright is the owner of the Petersburg Observer, a newspaper catering to the Menard County area. Cutright spoke to Community Voices about how she joined her family’s business and the challenges her paper faces in an increasingly digitalized world.

Illinois' legalization of recreational cannabis has resulted in significant revenue and career opportunities. The University of Illinois Springfield Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE) unit now offers educational training to prepare for work in the industry through five different cannabis certificate programs. Rob Kerr, Executive Director Innovation and Opporunity, UIS; and Max Simon, CEO at Green Flower, a cannabis education company; join Community Voices to share the need to understand the complexities of the field.

Sid Stanton and Ed Gonet are the cofounders of Soil Food, a local business out of Cantrall and Petersburg, which produces natural fertilizers made from word castings. Stanton and Gonet explained how the quality of their product stands out among competitors and how their pet tortoise Erma led to the development of their organic worm farm.For more information about Soil Food visit: https://soilfoods.com/

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Dr. Mike Yao is a Professor of Digital Media and the Director of the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. He recently spoke on the panel for Unveiling AI Bias via a Multidisciplinary Lens organized by the UIS AI Campus Learning Community. He explained to Community Voices how AI bias is generated by humans and reflects back what it learns from inputs humans provide it. He also discusses how AI can be helpful when designed with human needs in mind.

Golden Bridges works with seniors and others who are overwhelmed with the task of downsizing or moving. The company serves Adams county and surrounding areas such as Springfield. Golden Bridges co-owner Suzanne Ellerbrock and the Springfield Liaison Terri Hempstead spoke to Community Voices about senior move management, empathy and the process they take in helping a person downsize. They also talk about repurposing and how senior move management helps the whole family.

Micah Bartlett recently received the 2024 UIS Alumni Achievement Award. He retired from the banking industry after a successful 33-year career. He was the President and CEO of Town and Country Bank before it merged with Heartland Bank. He spoke to Community Voices about the award, lessons he learned in his career, and what it was like running Town and Country Bank at the young age of 33.