Introducing ElevatePolk: A Community Podcast
Sep 02, 2026
ElevatePolk Podcast S3 E12 #78 | "Polk is the Land of Opportunity"
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid joins Chrissanne Long and Dan Thumberg to talk about education, workforce development, career pathways, and the growing connection between schools and local businesses. From 3DE and skilled trades to mentorship and entrepreneurship, the conversation explores how Polk County can create more opportunities for students by helping them see what’s possible right here at home.
For us, Polk is more than just a county in Central Florida. It’s the place where we live, work and play. In celebrating our uniqueness among the hustle and bustle of neighboring communities, the ElevatePolk Podcast was born.
The ElevatePolk Podcast is the brainchild of experienced local podcaster Rob Arturi, founder of Viden Media. Rob and BRIDGE Local founder Chrissanne Long met after months of Facebook stalking one another, ultimately culminating in Chrissanne asking Rob if he’d like to join in on the conversation that was the Lakeland Business Leaders (now BRIDGE Local). He accepted the invitation and began to learn more about the plates Chrissanne spins to build up our local entrepreneurs and business community.
After meeting for the first time, the two established an instant rapport, with Rob introducing the idea that Chrissanne should start podcasting. Amid laughs and lighthearted chuckles, she disregarded the idea as out of reach and impossible. “What would we talk about, and who would listen?”
Yet, Rob persisted, insisting that the conversations they had would serve as great fodder for a podcast. He assured Chrissanne that he would “take care of everything.”
“He basically took every excuse I threw at him away,” Chrissanne shared. “The number one comment I get about the podcast is how well we interact on the show. I thought it would be awkward, but Rob has made it easy for me to overcome every single fear I had about the idea, and now, I am having a blast! I am grateful to him for seeing my potential and encouraging me to go for it!”
“Podcast listeners want to laugh, they want to learn and they want to be exposed to new ideas that make them think,” Rob explained. “Chrissanne and I were already doing some of these things in our daily lives. After talking for hours about our passion for Polk, I knew we needed to share it and bring others into the conversation as well.”
The focus of the Podcast is fluid. Their goal is to explore topics that are relevant and interesting to the general listener, but to also expose the audience to the “roads less travelled” in the Polk County area. Bringing attention to and telling the story of the things that are going on in and around the community that might not be on everyone’s radar.
How do we “Elevate Polk”?
ElevatePolk covers real issues affecting our community and shares the awesome things that are happening throughout the county. Hosts Rob and Chrissanne speak with the people that dedicate themselves to making the community stronger. Every community has its challenges, but as two people who love where they live, the hosts of ElevatePolk commit themselves to bettering our state of affairs, one conversation at a time.
If you’re not currently an avid podcast listener, you can tune in to the show via ElevatePolk.com but if you ARE someone who listens to Podcasts, you can find the show on all of the regular podcast platforms – links – Stitcher, I Heart Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts.
