Graham Thomas
Co-Host of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
Graham Thomas has hosted 18 Episodes.
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Rural Opportunity Grows in West Tennessee with Lindsey Theobald & Dr. Yancy Freeman
November 3rd, 2025 | 38 mins 39 secs
college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development
At tnAchieves, we believe that Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce begins with ensuring that every community—especially our rural ones—as a seat at the table. That means making a commitment to making sure students are skilled, educated and prepared to meet the needs of businesses once they graduate and enter the workforce. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with the CEO of Obion County’s Joint Economic Development Corporation (JEDC), Lindsay Theobald, and UT Martin’s Chancellor, Dr. Yancy Freeman. They talk about their deep love for living and working in rural West Tennessee and ensuring this part of our state is thriving.
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2025 Chamber of the Year with Greater Memphis Chamber's Ted Townsend
October 20th, 2025 | 39 mins 47 secs
college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development
Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce means having strong relationships with the chambers of commerce across the state. We often sit down with their leaders who wake up each day thinking about the best ways to drive a thriving economy, hire a diverse and talented workforce and attract the best businesses to their area. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with Greater Memphis Chamber President & CEO, Ted Townsend to discuss how to make sure students are ready for the workforce and jobs of tomorrow.
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Policy in Action: Partnering for Tennessee’s Future Workforce with Michael Hendrix
September 22nd, 2025 | 38 mins 12 secs
college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development
Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce isn’t something that tnAchieves does alone. It takes support and partnership from a variety of partners. That includes our state’s government.
In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Policy Director Michael Hendrix. He talks about the governor’s priorities while in office, which include a strong workforce, economic development and quality education. Hendrix explains why these were chosen to be focused on and how tnAchieves is uniquely suited to help push our state forward in these areas. -
An Idea On A Whiteboard with tnAchieves Chairman Randy Boyd
September 8th, 2025 | 35 mins 59 secs
college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development
Ever wondered how tnAchieves began? We started in 2008 as knoxAchieves. It began as a conversation…and an idea on a whiteboard. That brainstorming idea grew into a workforce development initiative in Knox County. From there it continued to grow and scale (hence our podcast name) before becoming the statewide and nationally recognized organization it is today. In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, we take a trip down memory lane with Randy Boyd. It’s a reminder of how we began, the lessons we’ve learned along the way and where we’re headed.
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Building a Better Future For All of Austin's Youth with Austin 2030 Network
August 25th, 2025 | 40 mins 28 secs
austin, austin texas, college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, texas, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development
Austin 2030 describes itself as a network of school, higher education, non-profit, business, civic and community leaders who are committed to improving education outcomes for children and youth in Austin, Texas. Their current focus: establish a college promise for Austin’s youth. In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, tnAchieves sits down with Stacey Oliver and Geronimo Rodriguez to talk about the work it takes to make this pathway to an Austin Promise and why it will take a community-wide effort.
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On a Mission with Graham Thomas and Krissy DeAlejandro
March 23rd, 2020 | 40 mins 47 secs
college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive
More than a decade has passed since knoxAchieves was launched from a whiteboard in the Knox County Mayor's office, but Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro's commitment to student success has not wavered. Since 2008, tnAchieves has grown, innovated and paved pathways for all students, including those that are the first in their families to pursue college. The seventh installment of our podcast dives into the beginnings of tnAchieves, why it was founded and how we have stayed true to our mission. Graham Thomas steals Krissy's mic for an engaging interview!