Metropolitan Breakfast Club upcoming events

Laura Laughead, PBS Austin InSight (July 08, 2026)

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Laura Laughead, Host and Producer, PBS Austin InSight

About the Program:

Austin InSight—The Power of Public Media and Hyper-Local Storytelling

In an era of rapid headlines and shifting digital landscapes, public media stands out as a critical anchor for community connection, nuance, and trusted local journalism. Leading this charge in Central Texas is award-winning TV journalist, host, and documentary filmmaker Laura Laughead, who recently returned to her roots at Austin PBS as the Host and Producer ofAustin InSight. From her early days interning for Good Morning America in New York City to anchoring newsrooms across Texas and Alabama, Laura has spent her career uncovering the compelling human stories that define a community.

Join us as Laura pulls back the curtain on the modern public broadcasting landscape. She will share insights into how Austin PBS navigates community-centered reporting, the evolving role of local media in a rapidly growing city, and what it takes to cultivate impactful, authentic narratives that inspire and inform Central Texans.

About the Speaker:

Laura Laughead has been a news reporter and anchor at network affiliate television stations in Lubbock and Birmingham, Ala. She is a graduate of the University of Texas where she was named the Gene Burd Top Scholar in the journalism program and was a winner of college awards in the Lone Star Emmys. She has reported extensively on the film and entertainment industry, including in New York City during a full-time internship for Good Morning America. Laura is from Houston and was inspired by her mother's long career as a pioneering broadcast journalist in Texas. She is thrilled to have returned to Austin PBS where she began her career as an intern.

Agenda:

6:45am - Coffee & Networking

7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

7:50am - Speaker Introduction

8:20am - Q&A

8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

J. B. Sauceda, Texas Country Reporter (July 15, 2026)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

J. B. Sauceda, Host and Executive Producer, Texas Country Reporter, Texas Monthly

About the Program:

A Mile Above Texas: My Journey to Hosting Texas Country Reporter

"How did you get the job hosting TCR?" is the number one question J.B. is asked by people he meets, and he'll describe the meandering career that led him there. We'll make stops in advertising, logistics, social media, and eventually the last several years taking on the role of hosting TCR. Hop in and join J.B. for his meandering journey to TCR.

About the Speaker:

J.B. Sauceda is the host and executive producer of Texas Country Reporter, the longest running independently produced show on television, now entering its 55th season. Each week, J.B. and his crew travel the state uncovering the stories of ordinary Texans doing extraordinary things — a job that feels less like hosting and more like a calling.

Before stepping in front of the camera, J.B. spent a decade as a commercial and editorial photographer, then built a career as a serial entrepreneur. He founded Texas Humor, a social media brand that grew into a retail clothing company, then founded and scaled Sauceda Industries, a third party logistics firm, from a startup into a 150-person third-party shipping operation before selling it to Cart.com in 2021. He's also the author of Y'all Need This Book: The Definitive Guide to Being Texan, with over 50,000 copies sold.

Agenda:

6:45am - Coffee & Networking

7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

7:50am - Speaker Introduction

8:20am - Q&A

8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

Rebecca Farrell Ewing, WiN (Women in Neuroscience) (July 22, 2026)

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Rebecca Farrell Ewing, Executive Director, WiN

About the Program:

WiN's mission is about empowering students from under-resourced and underserved communities to pursue research and leadership pathways in neuroscience fields, ultimately contributing to advancing scientific innovation and improved health outcomes.

About the speaker:

With over twenty years of experience, Rebecca Farrell Ewing, Ph.D., LPCC-S (KY), has dedicated her career to empowering individuals to thrive in their overall health and wellness while honoring their autonomy, purpose, and dignity. Her work is rooted in principles of intersectionality, inclusivity, equity, social justice, and diversity. Dr. Farrell Ewing has held leadership roles in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, alongside her teaching experience in higher education. Her dedication to mobilizing communities and resources through collaborations, partnerships, and policy reforms is highlighted by her active involvement in various multidisciplinary teams, boards of directors, task forces, and committees.

Agenda:

6:45am - Coffee & Networking

7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

7:50am - Speaker Introduction

8:20am - Q&A

8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!

Chaka Mahone, DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action) (July 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Chaka Mahone, Founder/Creative Director, DAWA

About the Program:

Community is Our Greatest Technology

Community and collaboration as infrastructure for the future we want to see. Award-winning hip hop artist, Jonathan 'Chaka' Mahone has built an innovative, culture-forward, non-profit organization in the 'Live Music Capital' that has distributed over $500,000 in 6 years.

About the Speaker:

Jonathan 'Chaka' Mahone is a visionary storyteller who believes in the power of art, and the importance of the artist as a community catalyst for social and cultural change, economic development, healing, planning, and collective conversation. As a performing artist and musician, he has traveled the world as one-half of the award-winning hip hop duo, Riders Against the Storm (RAS). As a civic leader, Mahone became the first African-American Chair of Austin's Music Commission in 2021. In 2019, he founded DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action) to provide a safety net for People of Color that are experiencing short term life crisis.

More specifically, those who are givers: musicians, artists, social workers, teachers, healing practitioners, and service industry workers. Through its mission of ‘giving to the givers,’ and its vision of centering community and culture to drive social impact, DAWA has directly invested over a half million dollars in this group over the last 6 years.

Agenda:

6:45am - Coffee & Networking

7:10am - Breakfast Buffet

7:25am - Introductions & Announcements

7:50am - Speaker Introduction

8:20am - Q&A

8:30am - Leave inspired or curious!