Voices of OKC

Blake Raney expected aviation to be about flying. Over time, it became a way to serve people who often feel unseen. Blake, founder of SPAIRROW, joins Jed Chappell for a conversation about aviation, calling, business as service, prison ministry, fatherhood, and building a foundation before the storm. He shares how an unexpected appointment to Oklahoma’s aerospace and aeronautics work challenged his confidence, how a business relationship changed the way he thought about work, and what he saw the first time he walked into a prison. The conversation also moves into the story of Blake and Anna’s daughter Kennedy, her heart surgery, and the moments that reminded their family they were not alone. Content note: This conversation includes discussion of prison, addiction, abusive or absent fathers, infertility, and infant heart surgery. Nothing is graphic. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR - How Blake’s lifelong pull toward aviation became a business and calling - Why SPAIRROW was built around helping people feel seen and valued - What Blake saw in prison that changed his understanding of freedom - Why fatherhood, accountability, and leadership matter for breaking cycles - The story of Kennedy’s surgery and why Blake says to build your foundation before the storm CHAPTERS 00:00 Blake Raney, Oklahoma roots, and family 06:04 Aviation, entrepreneurship, and the pull to fly 08:08 The appointment that challenged Blake’s confidence 10:12 YouVersion, Scripture, and knowing God personally 13:02 A TBM opportunity and business as a tool 17:29 SPAIRROW, the God who sees, and serving with purpose 22:26 What SPAIRROW provides for aircraft owners 23:27 Prison ministry, George Medley, and unexpected confirmation 29:02 Finding freedom inside prison walls 32:43 Fathers, leadership, and breaking cycles 35:55 Small decisions that take a life off course 38:25 Kennedy’s surgery story and faith before the storm ABOUT BLAKE RANEY Blake Raney is the founder of SPAIRROW, an Oklahoma City-based aviation company focused on aircraft management, brokerage, maintenance, and pilot services. He also serves as the District 5 commissioner on the Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission. Blake and his wife, Anna, live in Oklahoma City with their daughter, Kennedy. LINKS SPAIRROW: https://www.flyspairrow.com/ SPAIRROW Services: https://www.flyspairrow.com/services Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission: https://oklahoma.gov/aerospace/about/commission.html YouVersion Bible App: https://www.youversion.com/ VOICES of OKC: https://www.voicesofokc.com/ City Center: https://okcitycenter.org/ VOICES of OKC is a student-produced civic podcast from City Center spotlighting the people, stories, and ideas shaping Oklahoma City. City Center champions youth and families in under-resourced communities by creating empowered pathways to relief and restoration. Subscribe to VOICES of OKC for thoughtful conversations with the people shaping Oklahoma City. Share this episode with someone who cares about faith, leadership, fatherhood, aviation, or the work of helping people feel seen. #VOICESofOKC #OklahomaCity #FaithAndLeadership

Chef Andrew Black, Oklahoma City restaurateur and 2023 James Beard Award winner, traces the discipline behind his work - from Saturday mornings in his grandmother's Jamaican kitchen to building restaurants in the city he now calls home. He and Jed Chappell talk about consistency, mentorship, staying present, handling roadblocks, and creating businesses that serve more than the people at the table.

Brad Carter, Oklahoma City’s Ward 1 Councilman, joins Jed Chappell to ask what the city must protect as it grows. They discuss transparent public service, listening across political divides, jobs and AI, recovery, homelessness, and the Oklahoma Standard Carter hopes will still define OKC for the next generation.

Kristina Mills did not apply for Survivor because she loved camping.

In fact, she had never been camping before.

She applied because she felt stuck. After walking through postpartum depression, losing her mother to a fentanyl overdose, and realizing her kids could see the sadness she was carrying, Kristina knew something had to change.

So she recorded a simple 60-second audition video and sent it in.

That decision eventually took her to Fiji as a contestant on Survivor 49. But the deeper story is not just about a television show. It is about grief, courage, motherhood, mental health, and choosing to move forward when staying stuck would have been easier.

In this episode, Kristina shares about her mother’s life, the pain of losing her to addiction, the healing power of telling the truth, and the hope she discovered on the other side of fear.

Episode Highlights

• Kristina’s path to Survivor 49
• Why she applied in memory of her mom
• Postpartum depression and feeling stuck
• Losing her mother to fentanyl addiction
• The importance of vulnerability
• Why addiction can affect any family
• A powerful moment in Fiji on her mom’s death anniversary
• Her work helping OU graduate business students prepare for their careers
• Why grief can be a passenger, but not the driver

Guest

Kristina Mills
Career Coach, University of Oklahoma Graduate Business Program
Contestant on Survivor 49

Links

Voices of OKC: voicesofokc.com
City Center: okcitycenter.org

Most people see after-school programs as activities, games, and homework help.

Christian Matthews sees something deeper.

As Program Coordinator at City Center, Christian spends his days helping students navigate challenges that often have nothing to do with academics. Behind many behavioral issues are stories of loneliness, bullying, family struggles, anxiety, and a longing to be understood.

In this conversation, Christian shares how God unexpectedly led him to City Center, what he's learned about loving people unconditionally, and why relationships remain the foundation of lasting transformation.

He also opens up about his personal faith journey, his work as an artist and musician, and the difficult decision to step away from growing opportunities in music in order to pursue deeper obedience and spiritual growth.

If you're a parent, mentor, teacher, coach, or community leader, this episode offers valuable insight into what young people need most from the adults around them.

Episode Highlights

• How Christian discovered his calling to work with youth
• Why emotional safety matters for young people
• Helping students process difficult situations at home
• The connection between self-awareness and personal growth
• Lessons learned through mentorship and service
• Christian's journey from rapper to faith-driven artist
• Why self-love and identity matter for the next generation
• What gives him hope for Oklahoma City's youth

Connect with Christian

Instagram: @hecallsmechristian

Learn More About City Center

🌐 City Center

City Center champions youth and families in under-resourced communities by creating empowered pathways to relief and restoration.

Brooke Freeman never planned to become a farmer.

After years working as a NICU nurse, she found herself wrestling with a simple question: How do we truly help people become healthier?

That question eventually led to the creation of Natural Freedom Farm, a nonprofit farm dedicated to growing fresh, nutrient-dense produce for families who might not otherwise have access to it.

In this conversation, Brooke shares the story behind the farm, the vision that launched it, and why education is just as important as the food itself.

She also explains regenerative farming, food insecurity, and how healthy food can become a pathway to better health outcomes for children and families.

Natural Freedom Farm has become an important partner to City Center, helping provide fresh produce that goes directly into meals served to youth and families throughout Oklahoma City.

Guest Information

Brooke Freeman
Founder, Natural Freedom Farm

Website:
Natural Freedom Farm

Connect with City Center

City Center

There’s a line Daniel Haynes says in this conversation that quietly captures the entire heart of the episode:

“When something is led by love, no one gets left behind.”

Daniel is the founder of Skyward Financial Solutions, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and co-founder of Live Full alongside his wife, Raven. But more than titles, Daniel is someone deeply committed to stewardship, integrity, family, and serving people well.

In this episode, Daniel shares the story of growing up in rural Oklahoma, collapsing during a basketball game because of an enlarged heart, losing a close friend, and eventually discovering accounting as a calling at just 16 years old.

Jed and Daniel also discuss the rapid growth of Oklahoma City, why exposure changes lives, how families need community around them, and why leadership rooted in love creates stronger cities.

This conversation feels deeply Oklahoma City.

Thoughtful. Honest. Hopeful.

It’s a reminder that the future of a city is shaped not only by development projects and arenas, but by people quietly choosing integrity, generosity, and stewardship every single day.

Resources & Links:

• City Center
• Live Full
• Skyward Financial Solutions

Some students are carrying pain they do not yet have words for.

They may not know if they are angry, sad, scared, overwhelmed, or simply tired. They just know something feels off. And too often, the adults around them rush to correct behavior before they understand what is underneath it.

In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed Chappell sits down with Jordan Miller and Stuart Bennett from Generation Why, a mental health advocacy team serving students through school assemblies, creative arts, mentorship, media, internships, and purpose-driven programming.

Generation Why speaks in schools about mental health, anti-bullying, and suicide prevention. But what makes their work powerful is not only the message. It is the way they deliver it.

They use rap, spoken word, dance, live painting, DJing, photography, videography, and storytelling to create an environment where heavy conversations can become a little easier to enter.

Jordan shares why vulnerability is central to the work. Stuart talks about the importance of asking better questions and giving students time to answer. Together, they describe what it means to meet young people where they are, help them name what they are feeling, and show them that there are more options than the obstacles in front of them.

This conversation is about mental health.
It is about purpose.
It is about mentorship.
And it is about the kind of adults young people need in the room.

Not perfect adults.
Present adults.

In This Episode

Jed, Jordan, and Stuart talk about:

• Generation Why’s mission and school-based work
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• Anti-bullying and suicide prevention
• Why creative arts help open up hard conversations
• The power of asking students “why” and waiting for the answer
• Healthy vulnerability in mentorship
• The WHY Lead program at John Marshall
• How people can volunteer, sponsor schools, pray, give, and share the work
• Why students need mentors who help them see more options for their future

Links Mentioned

Generation Why:
https://www.pursueyourwhy.org/

Donate to Generation Why:
https://www.pursueyourwhy.org/

Generation Why Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gnwy.co/

Generation Why Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/gnwy.co/

Generation Why YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@GNWYCO

Generation Why Podcast / Mental Health Breakthroughs for Young Adults & Families:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-health-breakthroughs-for-young-adults-families/id1653016005

Urban Bridge:
https://www.urbanbridge.org/

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County:
https://www.bgcokc.org/

John Marshall High School / OKCPS:
https://www.okcps.org/

Chicken N Pickle OKC:
https://chickennpickle.com/oklahoma-city/

City Center:
https://okcitycenter.org

About Voices of OKC

Voices of OKC is a podcast from City Center featuring thoughtful conversations with people helping shape Oklahoma City through leadership, service, creativity, restoration, and hope.

Learn more about City Center:
https://okcitycenter.org