Our Story
Disheartened by the narratives peddled by national media outlets, Ben Rangel and Kyle Hagge wanted to empower residents to make change at the local level. They founded Bridge the City in 2017, starting with monthly podcast episodes. Over time, the team has grown, and Bridge the City has become much more than a podcast.
What hasn’t changed: Bridge the City’s commitment to inspiring You to action.
You can make an impact, but we know it can be hard to know where to start.
Traditional national media outlets can overwhelm and dishearten, making you feel as though you can’t change what you see in the news.
We believe that local media is key in shifting this narrative and empowering our city to make progress.
In our content, we seek to amplify voices in Milwaukee that introduce you to movements, ideas, and parts of the city you may not have known about before. We close every radio show, podcast episode, and article with small steps you can take to bridge the city. And at our events, we create space where you can gather, learn from one another, and share solutions.
Think of us as your how-to guide for making a difference.
Our People
Ashlie is involved with Bridge the City because it's a platform to connect with and learn from the people who make the community. She loves that Milwaukee is a place where building community and social cohesion is accessible.
Favorite Action Step: Find your passion project outside work and commit to it. (Episode 47 with Anita Mogaka)
Milwaukee Must-See: The Milwaukee Art Museum
Ben is involved with Bridge the City because it gives him an opportunity to learn more about his community and tangible ways to take action. He loves Milwaukee for its resilience (and proximity to Lake Michigan).
Favorite Action Step: Find your purpose, write it down, and do small things everyday to get closer to fulfilling that purpose. (Episode 17 with Deanna Singh)
Milwaukee Must-See: The Urban Ecology Center
I am involved with Bridge the City because I believe that people need to be celebrated for their contributions to the community and while doing so we also get to be the bridge that connects constituents to those actions. I love Milwaukee for its many cultures one can experience.
Milwaukee Must-See: Walker's Point Center For The Arts
Favorite action step: Stand up for and speak about people who aren't in the room. (Episode 114 with Judge Derek Mosley)
Legacy Members
People who helped build Bridge the City.
Kyle Hagge
Co-Founder
Favorite Action Step: Get to know your neighborhood and take care of the space around you. (Episode 50 with Menomonee Valley Partners)
Elizabeth McLaren
Director of Marketing and Brand Identity
Favorite Action Step: Seek out relationships with those who challenge you. (Episode 25 with Emerald Mills)
Sam Woods
Director of Content
Favorite Action Step: Find news in your community that isn't highlighted in the media. (Episode 24 with Dale Kooyenga)
Kacee Ochalek
Executive Producer
Favorite Action Step: Ask questions about things you're not clear about. It starts conversations and sparks relationships. (Episode 42 with Oluomo Worldwide)
Ben Hoekstra
Executive Producer
Favorite Action Step: Step outside your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to attend events alone. (Episode 69 with Sober in the Brew City)
Help us create content that becomes action.
You can contact us with…
Constructive feedback → Help us fulfill our goal of creating progress in Milwaukee by letting us know how we may improve.
Content suggestions → Tell us about the people, issues, events, and ideas we should amplify.
Ideas for collaboration → Let us know how we can connect to make something awesome happen together.
