Have you ever witnessed the birth of a revolution? This week, Pana Columbus, the visionary behind Thrive Appalachia, chronicles her unexpected journey from the world of performing arts to igniting a youth empowerment movement in Western North Carolina. Our conversation weaves through the transformative programs at Thrive Appalachia, where teens are discovering their unique genius through experiential learning. From the success of a simple baking class that developed into a full-fledged pie-making business to the exhilarating Monday classes of chocolate-making and glass-blowing, the narrative is rich with stories of innovation and community impact. Pana's conviction in the power of intuition and the importance of hands-on activities shines as she recounts the joy and growth she witnesses in the program's participants.
This episode isn't just about the flavorful pies or the crafts—it's about the wealth of potential nestled within each teen that Pana and her team expertly nurture. With 60 youngsters taking part this year, the diverse curriculum reflects the eclectic interests of its students, from international cuisines on Wednesdays to choosing their classes in a student-centered selection process. A highlight is the story of how our community's contributions, including my involvement in the accounting section and the fantastic work of Treasurer Craig, play a crucial role in the educational tapestry of Thrive Appalachia. Thanks to you, our V Team listeners, for tuning into the Veronica Edwards Show, reminding you to catch the full episode and more at veronicaedwardsbuzzsprout.com.
Have you ever witnessed the birth of a revolution? This week, Pana Columbus, the visionary behind Thrive Appalachia, chronicles her unexpected journey from the world of performing arts to igniting a youth empowerment movement in Western North Carolina. Our conversation weaves through the transformative programs at Thrive Appalachia, where teens are discovering their unique genius through experiential learning. From the success of a simple baking class that developed into a full-fledged pie-making business to the exhilarating Monday classes of chocolate-making and glass-blowing, the narrative is rich with stories of innovation and community impact. Pana's conviction in the power of intuition and the importance of hands-on activities shines as she recounts the joy and growth she witnesses in the program's participants.
This episode isn't just about the flavorful pies or the crafts—it's about the wealth of potential nestled within each teen that Pana and her team expertly nurture. With 60 youngsters taking part this year, the diverse curriculum reflects the eclectic interests of its students, from international cuisines on Wednesdays to choosing their classes in a student-centered selection process. A highlight is the story of how our community's contributions, including my involvement in the accounting section and the fantastic work of Treasurer Craig, play a crucial role in the educational tapestry of Thrive Appalachia. Thanks to you, our V Team listeners, for tuning into the Veronica Edwards Show, reminding you to catch the full episode and more at veronicaedwardsbuzzsprout.com.
Be sure to visit BizRadio.US to discover hundreds more engaging conversations, local events and more.
Veronica:
Welcome to the Veronica Edwards show where we have fun financial conversations that everyone listening can apply to their personal and professional life. I'm your host, veronica Edwards, so excited to be back here. Season three on bizus Always has to shout out the V Team for supporting all of the shows and listening live. It's been an amazing journey here, season three. I can't believe it's been three years and we're approaching the end of season three and then we'll take a little break for the summer, but I'm super excited for today's guest. So today's guest is the founder and executive director of Thrive Appalachia, a nonprofit based in Burnsville, north Carolina, and also a new client of Balance Virtually. And this nonprofit cultivates a unique genius in every child within a welcoming community of support. She has created the four pathways to prosperity model, rooted in the principles that every teenager, without exception, is an enthusiastic learner when they choose what they are learning about and when the learning methodology is hands on and experiential. I love that. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce today's guest, ms Pana Kalanthas. Welcome, pana.
Veronica:
Thank you so much for having me, Veronica Just reading that I'm like, wow, this is so cool so we're going to just jump right in. So, pana, I always ask all the guests to tell the listeners about you, where you're from and your journey that led you to starting a nonprofit in Western North Carolina.
Pana:
Well, I guess it started. My professional career began in New York as an actress, so my former life was in the theater.
Veronica:
You never told me this. I'm originally from Brooklyn, New York. Were you on the soap operas Like what type of act Give it to me?
Pana:
Nothing quite so glamorous. I was interested in ensemble theater so it was a very sweet life of working with groups of actors to create theater that we loved and cared about, and it was looking back kind of, where I learned about the power of the story, how the stories that we tell ourselves are what shape our lives. So it had a really deep, deep impact on me and then that evolved into my becoming a playwright and director because I wanted I don't know- any about this.
Veronica:
That's why I'm like I'm fanning out right now kind of like, wow, this is so cool oh, veronica.
Pana:
So, yeah, that was that was my trajectory, and and becoming a playwright and director became the focus of well, what, what is the bigger story and how do the stories about our communities impact and transform and shape our communities? So that's how I kind of began getting interested in community transformation. And then I moved to North Carolina. I moved to Asheville in 2013. And I started working with kids in foster care.
Pana:
Actually, they were my initiators and you know, just teaching workshops in theater, theater, games and they touched my life and changed my life so profoundly. And they touched my life and changed my life so profoundly. And part of what they taught me is how vulnerable teenagers are, and they taught me the conditions that teenagers need to transition into healthy and prosperous adults. So they were my great teachers and after five years of working in the nonprofit world, I decided that this was the population that I wanted to focus on. I ended up moving to Burnsville and that's where I founded, in 2023, thrive Appalachia, to focus on making sure that teenagers had what they need to fully realize their potential.
Veronica:
Oh, I love that we were just discussing at church this past weekend how we need to put more focus in that teenage group, because you know how it is we focus on the babies and the young kids and we focus on the older people or married couples, but then you have this bucket, you know, from like 13, even into like your early 20s, where I feel like that group almost gets forgotten. It's almost like, well, they know how to brush their teeth, they know how to cook. It's like they still need guidance. Yeah, hugely.
Veronica:
I just remember being 18, going to college. I had no idea what I wanted to be. Yeah, and that pressure is on you. Not only are you supposed to know, you got to get it done in four years and you got to make over a 3.0 if you want to get a good job and all of these things. So I love that your focus is on young people, so they know that they have time, but they just need to be guided. Try all the things. You don't have to be limited to just this one thing at 18 years old.
Pana:
That's it. That's it. Well, that that is the absolute baseline premise is for a teenager to have to cultivate an authentic sense of self. An authentic sense of this is who I am, this is what my gifts are, this is what I'm good at, this is what I want to do. They have to try stuff. Yes, they need, you know, a structure where they can follow their intuition about you know what? I think I might be good at this, or I think I might be like to try that. So, all the classes that we teach our kids and we teach 12 classes in Yancey County a year and 12 in Avery County a year the kids pick them, they tell us what they want us to teach and then we go and find the teachers and pay for the materials and the supplies and create the venue and we teach, they guide it. They guide what the classes are that we're teaching and they're all, without exception, hands-on and experiential. They are learning by doing.
Veronica:
So, pauna, who can participate? What's the ages? How would a young person hear about Thrive, appalachia?
Pana:
Well, we are bursting at the seams and it has all been basically by word of mouth. I mean, we have some articles in the newspaper, but basically friends are telling their friends and their friends are telling their friends. And we've had kids from Asheville drive up here. We have kids currently enrolled from Marion, from Mills River, from Weaverville. I mean they drive a distance and we welcome anybody who wants to participate. There's no barriers to participation. They don't have hoops to go through. All they need to do go on our website and there's a very simple enrollment page. You know what are your allergies. It's very simple and they can start coming and they're wonderful.
Pana:
They leap right in, start coming and they're wonderful, they leap right in. We've got things going on five days a week and they choose what they want to participate in and they get to shape and and direct. As soon as they're part of the tribe of it, they get to help direct. Um, the entrepreneurship projects we create, the classes that we teach, uh, we follow, they become part of the, the teen leadership, the collaborative leadership that that we are.
Veronica:
I love that. And is there an age requirement? If I'm six years old, I'm like I want to be a part of this, or it's like no, no, no, you have to at least be 13.
Pana:
focus, then they're, they're welcome to it's very self, uh, uh, selecting. I mean, they know if they, if they just want to come and play, it's not, they're not ready for what we're doing, um, but if they come and they, they dive right in. Um, there's no, there's no hard and fast, uh cutoff, it's. It's really, it's really clear when kids are are of the age to really want to explore different subjects in this way.
Veronica:
And you mentioned, this is 100% free for the young people participating in Thrive Appalachia.
Pana:
Yeah, I mean it's actually, they make money, and Not only is it free, but I mean we don't pay them, but their entrepreneurship projects are really successful. So yeah, they're making some money. I love it.
Veronica:
Let's talk about those entrepreneurship programs, because on Biz Radio we're all about entrepreneurship, so I'm just smiling ear to ear hearing that there could be children as young as eight years old. They making this money also thought, while your taxes young people, once you get some money, you've got to pay your taxes. But tell us about some of the flagship programs that you guys have. I know you mentioned that there's 12 classes five days a week. It's about to be summertime. What are some of these programs that you feel like, yes, if, if you can make that drive burnsville's about an hour away from the Asheville inner city area, but there's so many people in Western North that's nothing you know. Like that commute is like we could do that in no time. So what are some of those programs?
Pana:
So the context for those programs is everything big starts small. That's our motto. So, for example, one of our flagship programs started with a three-week baking class. All our classes are three weeks long, the 12-class series that goes from March to November. They're each three weeks long. So it started with a baking class. Kids wanted to take a baking class and at the end of the baking class they did not want to stop, they wanted to keep baking. So we cooked up an idea that we were going to get some grant money and buy local fruit, fruit from local farmers, and the kids would learn how to make pies. So they made hundreds of pies.
Veronica:
Yes, I reconcile the books. I'm like this is all from Pie Sales Bona. Look what's going on in Burnsville.
Pana:
Their pie program exploded. And every week, every Wednesday from 3.30 to 7, we were in the commercial kitchen at the Reconciliation House and we partnered with Tractor Food and Farm. They're this amazing food hub. Wednesday from three 37, we were in the commercial kitchen at the reconciliation house and they we partnered with tractor food and farm. They're this amazing food hub and they advertised on their weekly CSA Okay, thrive, appalachia, kids are making blackberry pies this week, or raspberry pies or pumpkin pies or whatever fruit was in season, and then they would tell us how many pies to make every week. And then we would tell us how many pies to make every week, and then we would fill those orders and the kids got all the money from the sales of the pies.
Veronica:
Wow, and you mentioned that with this three weeks for each class over the 12 weeks, is it just once a week?
Pana:
So Mondays is the class series. So every Monday we'll have, like, chocolate making series, or we'll have glass blowing series or whatever it is. On Tuesdays we have another one of our flagship entrepreneurship programs that we call Viva Appalachia, and on Tuesdays is when they make and sell homemade tortillas and when they, once a month, they cater for the Yancey Public Library. They have something called Spanish Cafe, which gives our local residents an opportunity to either practice their Spanish or practice their English, and they have our kiddos cook for them, so we make a lovely feast for them. And then on Wednesdays is our general cooking program and many things are coming out of that one. That's where we make our pies, that's where we have once a month where we call kids cafe, where we serve the public. We create a cafe and the kids make international cuisine. That's what they want.
Veronica:
Ooh International cuisine.
Pana:
So right now we're learning how to make crepes for the next one, so that's super fun.
Pana:
And then that's also our newest program that's happening on Wednesday as part of under the umbrella of our cooking program is the kids said they wanted to make and sell ice cream and so we had a ice cream class and a local tea shop in town, tulsi Rose Tea. They decided to expand their tea shop and create an ice cream parlor and our kids have a reputation up here now. So they called us up and said would your kids make all of our ice cream?
Pana:
And we said yes, we had a meeting. There were 17 kids. We talked, we discussed and they said yes, so it's 10 flavors of ice cream, three gallons each, and so, yeah, so that they should be open this summer. They're hoping to open by June and we'll be providing.
Veronica:
Wow, like you said, everything big starts small. From you just telling the story, it sounds like your community is just like supporting you guys. Hand over fist. I just love hearing that. That they're like, hey, these young people want to learn, they want to work, they want to be entrepreneurs. Let's support our community kids right here, versus a lot of times, you know, we're always wanting to say, oh, these kids aren't doing this or they're not doing that, or we want to pick the bad things. I love that these businesses and different volunteers and folks are really supporting Thrive Appalachia.
Pana:
The community has been amazing. They get it. They get the model that you can from a philanthropic model. You can spend your whole time putting out fires. You can constantly be putting out, oh I can't pay my utility bill, or oh, I can't afford food, or oh, my car broke down. Or you can spend your life focusing on that kind of philanthropy, or you can fundamentally transform the problem and create a prosperous community where everybody can pay their way.
Pana:
And that doesn't mean that I have anything against philanthropy that helps with the crises. We need that too. So it's not against that in any way. But if we don't spend some of our philanthropic focus on creating wealth, you can't end poverty without building wealth. So we're focusing on building wealth. And you see these teenagers I mean, if you ever need to feel hope about the future, come to one of our kids' cafes or come to our kitchen on a Wednesday or a Tuesday, or the classes on a Monday. Your heart will be blown away by the enthusiasm, the hard work these kids work so hard because they're choosing it. They're blown away by the enthusiasm, the hard work these kids work so hard because they're choosing it. They're choosing. This is what we want to do. This is what we want to create. I mean, you should have seen the meeting last week. We had a meeting where we picked what the 10 flavors were of the ice cream.
Veronica:
It was.
Pana:
It was uh. Exhilarating is not too big a word to describe um how excited the kids were to and they did. They picked the 10 flavors.
Veronica:
And so, ponna, tell me again how many um young people are participating in Thrive Appalachia right now.
Pana:
Ah, let's see, we have probably 60 so far this year. Last year we started at 80. This year we've got about 60. And you know, some come to the classes, some come to the Tuesday class, some come to the Wednesday. Thursday we have our sewing program. That's where kids are. This is the one class that meets year round. Most of our classes go March through November. But the Thursday program is that. The kids are into fashion. Yes, they are. They created a custom fashion line where they are making clothing out of local sheep and alpaca fleeces. Wow, right now we buy local wool from local farmers and they we send it to a mill. They transform it into yarn. We send it to another mill, they turn it into fabric, our custom fabric made from sheep that we know their names.
Veronica:
Wow, so you guys really can say this was made in North Carolina.
Pana:
This was made in North Carolina and these pipelines have all but disappeared. I mean, it's really hard to find local fabric.
Veronica:
Absolutely and our kids. We have our local fabrics, so yes, oh, wow, that really makes me smile. And then, ponda, before we go, you know we always like to ask the guests for different tips and jewels for the listeners and I would love if you can share. You know, you, I meanc3 nonprofit, or they're just getting started and they're kind of struggling. What is something now you're like, ah, I wish I would have did this, or I'm glad I did do that.
Pana:
Well, the, I think, the most important thing is authentic relationships. Yes, authentic relationships is um, and that goes with the kids and that goes with the parents of the kids, and that goes with your funders and that goes with your community partners that what you are doing is building a family and these kids are. They become your family and their parents become your family and the funders become your family and your community partners become your family.
Veronica:
Your accountant becomes your family.
Pana:
Oh Veronica, you've become our family, I mean absolutely.
Veronica:
I'm proud to be a part of your family.
Pana:
Well we're, we're delighted to have you steering, helping us steer our ship towards managing all this money that the kids are making. I was going to say I'm like we're going to be loaded.
Veronica:
But no, I'm just teasing, but I just want to thank you so much for starting this nonprofit. There's so many nonprofits in Western North Carolina and I'm sure people like, well, do we still need things like this? We absolutely do. You're the first nonprofit that I'm aware of outside of Umoja Health and Wellness another client of mine that is really focused on that teenage, preteen, young adult group.
Veronica:
And we're really losing the youth if it's with social media, you know, like if it's incarceration or all of these other things. So it's just great to hear that these young people are not on a device, they're making things with their hands and they're making money.
Pana:
They are our greatest resource and they are our future. So, and if you, if we listen to them and create structures that they're enthusiastic about, we have a great future ahead of us. They're amazingly wise.
Veronica:
So, pana, we're already to the end of the show. I would love if you can share the website, social media any way that we can support Thrive Appalachia, and we'll make sure all of this is in the notes of the podcast as well.
Pana:
Oh, thanks, we are at thriveappalachiaorg and you can find us on Facebook, thrive Appalachia on Instagram and, yeah, give us a call. The first thing to do is fill out the enrollment form or just reach out and say you want to grab a coffee, and we do. We're all about relationship building. That's how it all starts. How to weave yourself in.
Veronica:
And I'm sure you're always looking for volunteers to help with teaching the classes as well too.
Pana:
Yeah, we pay our teachers unless they want to volunteer, and then we're happy to have them as volunteers. But yes, if you have some amazing skill, we are especially looking for blacksmiths. Right now. Our kids want to learn blacksmithing. Yes, feel free to give us a call. The kids, again, choose the classes. So just because you're a genius doesn't mean we can say, oh, we're going to teach this class. The kids choose the classes. But if we know who you are and what you do one way or another, we'll weave you in.
Veronica:
Oh, that's wonderful. Well, Ponna, thank you again for the amazing work that you're doing at Western North Carolina and allowing me to be a piece of that in that accounting piece. But again, I'm just like bowing down to you and shout out to.
Veronica:
Craig Also, craig, our treasure. We love Craig. But thank you and I just want to thank the listeners, the V Team, for tuning in to bizradious for the Veronica Edwards Show on Wednesdays across all platforms, and if you missed the live airing of this show or any other prior shows, you can go to veronicaedwardsbuzzsproutcom.
