Munch and Learn: August Schedule

From the Forest to Your Floor: Why Interrupting the Chain Is a Catastrophe August 5, 2026 12:00pm -1:00pm Bill Courtney, author and podcast host William Courtney (Bill) from Memphis, TN, has been married to his wife Lisa for 32 years and is the father of four children, Maggie (29), Molly (28), Will (27), and Max (26). Bill is the founder and CEO of Classic American Hardwoods, Inc., a hardwood lumber manufacturing company with a 55-acre facility in Memphis, Tennessee; four sales offices in the US; one in Shanghai, China; and one in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. His 2001 startup company now boasts 160 employees and over $85 Million in annual sales.

His company has received numerous accolades, including Business of the Year awards and the United States EXIM Bank's, "Exporter of the Year" award. Bill is currently an executive producer on two films in production, is working on his second book, has been the voice of EA Sports’ Madden Football game, serves on the Boards of Directors for numerous organizations and businesses, and continues to run the day-to-day operations at Classic American Hardwoods, Inc. Most recently, Bill has joined with the Stand Together Foundation in Washington, DC, to produce his podcast, “An Army of Normal Folks”.

Launched on iHeartRadio in 2023, it has ranked as high as the #10 podcast in the US on Apple, as it highlights amazing stories and accomplishments of average daily Americans working to better their communities. Munch and Learn | Crafting a Vision: Building a Boutique Brewery in Memphis August 12, 2026 12:00pm -1:00pm Crafting a Vision: Building a Boutique Brewery in Memphis Travis Wiseman, PhD, Owner, Cooper House Project "Coop·er /ko͝opər/ (noun): a maker or repairer of casks and barrels. Cooper House Project is dedicated to Beer & Wood, Modified Traditional Styles, Historic Beers, and Wild/Sour/Experimental ales and lagers.

We abandon the flagship brewing model to bring variety to the neighborhood in small batches. Visit our Taproom Gallery to enjoy house exclusives." Wiseman, Travis. Cooper House Project, www.cooperhouseproject.com.

Accessed 5 June 2026. Munch and Learn: The Four Codes of Creative Energy August 19, 2026 12:00pm -1:00pm The Four Codes of Creative Energy Zack Orsborn, Founder, Like Really Creative "I grew up in Amory, Mississippi, a town where creative expression was feared. While other kids played sports, I lived in worlds of my own making—dancing alone to pop songs pretending I was Britney Spears, filling journals with stories and poems, experimenting with “inventions.” My creative spirit was often met with sideways glances and whispered mockery.

I began to hide the brightest parts of me. I developed social anxiety, and the easiest way to express myself was through art. But I didn’t have a willing audience or community to share with.

I build these creative refuges for that anxious kid in Amory who danced alone, for the 20-something losing himself, for anyone who feels the call to create but doesn't know how to answer it. My vision has become my vow: to foster a world where creativity isn't just respected but recognized as essential medicine—where people instinctively know that making art heals what hurts, that expression dissolves fear, and that no creative needs to walk alone. After years of wading through fear, I now move through life as what I was always meant to be: fearless, loving, consistently creative, and—finally—whole enough to help others find their way home to themselves.

Thank you for being creative, Zack" Munch and Learn: Café Places, Café Faces August 26, 2026 12:00pm -1:00pm Café Places, Café Faces Julie Pierotti, Martha R. Robinson Curator, Dixon Gallery and Gardens A native of Memphis, Julie graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and went on to receive an MA in the History of Art from Vanderbilt University. Since joining the staff of the Dixon in 2007, she has helped organize a number of exhibitions for the museum, some highlights include "Regional Dialect: American Scene Paintings from the John and Susan Horseman Collection" (2009), and its follow-up, : Modern Dialect: American Paintings from the John and Susan Horseman Collection" (2012); "The Impressionist Revolution: Forty Years of French Art at the Dixon" (2016); "The Real Beauty: The Artistic World of Eugenia Errázuriz" (2018); "Sweet Sixteen: 16 Galleries, 16 Exhibitions" (2022); and “Cafe Society: Art and Sociability in Paris, 1855 – 1914” (2026).

Julie also oversees the Dixon’s Mallory/Wurtzburger series, which highlights contemporary art in the Memphis area, and leads the Curator’s Circle program that helps acquire new works of art for the Dixon’s collection. In 2021, she published "Dixon Gallery and Gardens: Paintings, Sculpture, Works on Paper," an updated catalogue of more than one hundred works of art in the Dixon’s collection. Wednesdays can be especially busy at Park and Cherry.

If you're attending Munch and Learn, please plan ahead and place your lunch orders early. To reduce disruptions during the lecture, guests are asked to bring their own food from the cafe to the auditorium. You may request to-go containers to make the trip to your seat easier. ▶ Pre-order by calling (901) 312-1277.

MUNCH AND LEARN IS ENDOWED BY THE LANDAU FAMILY IN MEMORY OF LESLIE MANN LANDAU FREE