Grassroots to City Hall: Jesse Watson on Coffee, Community & Local Leadership | Solo Spotlight Ep.37

14/06/2025 53 min Temporada 2 Episodio 43
Grassroots to City Hall: Jesse Watson on Coffee, Community & Local Leadership | Solo Spotlight Ep.37

Listen "Grassroots to City Hall: Jesse Watson on Coffee, Community & Local Leadership | Solo Spotlight Ep.37"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode of Solo Spotlight, host Ryan MacDougall sits down with Jesse Watson—the owner of Boxcar Coffee, long-time Calder local, and candidate for Edmonton City Council. It’s a wide-ranging, candid conversation about what it takes to turn a “rough” neighborhood into a thriving community, the realities of small business ownership, and why grassroots leadership matters more than ever.From the inspiration behind Boxcar Coffee’s iconic design, to the quirks and challenges of running a coffee shop in Calder, Jesse shares what it’s really like to be a connector, a builder, and a champion for the north side. The discussion dives into city politics, municipal headaches, and the bold ideas Jesse hopes to bring to City Hall—including how local businesses can anchor real change and why transparent, practical leadership is so needed right now.If you’re passionate about community, love a good small business underdog story, or want an inside look at Edmonton’s city-building scene, this one’s for you.🎧 Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.📢 If you enjoyed this episode, hit like, subscribe, and share it with a friend in Edmonton—especially if they love coffee or care about the future of our city!☕️ Check out Boxcar Coffee in Calder, and follow Jesse’s journey at jessewatson.ca and @jesseforyeg on Instagram.📲 Follow @spare_bedroom_studios for behind-the-scenes, future episodes, and more local stories!

More episodes of the podcast The Conversationalist with Ryan MacDougall & Richard Lubin