A Practically Real Podcast
About the Show
A podcast rooted in Ithaca, NY, about how business gets done differently here.
The Mission
Economics That Starts at Home
Ithaca Local Economy Lab is a conversation about how business gets done differently, right here in Ithaca, NY. It starts with the businesses people build and the money that stays local.
Each episode, host Dia sits down with the people running these experiments: shop owners, farmers, health care providers, and organizers. They talk about what’s working, what isn’t, and what it takes to keep it going.
Your Host
Meet Dia
Dia has spent a career making complicated things clear, and that’s what she does as host of Ithaca Local Economy Lab. With a master’s in financial management, 25 years of marketing strategy and copywriting, and a playwright’s instinct for character, she brings an uncommon mix of business fluency and narrative craft to every conversation — on mic and off.
Beyond the show, Dia is a messaging and communications strategist for organizations doing complex, useful work — the kind where people know the service matters but struggle to understand what it does or what to do next. If that sounds like your organization, she’d love to hear from you.
The Team
The People Behind the Lab
Every show has a team. Here’s ours.
Cover & Show Art
Yen Ospina
The mic over Cayuga Lake and everything it stands on is the work of Ithaca artist Yen Ospina. A Colombian-American self-taught artist working in traditional and digital media, Yen is inspired by folklore and cultural narratives, creating work with vibrant earth tones and a blend of introspection and storytelling.
She’s also the founder of Orozco Gallery, a nomadic space curating exhibitions to uplift BIPOC & queer artists, and President of the Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County. Since 2022, Yen has embraced full-time artistry, blending cultural exploration with personal reflection, fostering creativity, and building connections through art.
Technical Support
Jake Gribschaw
Full stack engineering from front end to architecting agentic optimization, Jake does it all. He’s even got a couple of cutting edge code-based patents pending.
LinkedIn
Associate Producer
Stacey Cornelius
Wicked smart and oh-so-organized, Stacey’s skill set runs from copy to design to tech with nary a seam between.
agencyofwords.com
Content Strategist
Sonia Simone
Co-founder of two wildly successful marketing businesses and highly skilled in everything from podcasting to product marketing, Sonia is the real deal.
remarkable-communication.com
Creative Advisor
Erin O’Shaughnessy
A licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over four decades of experience, Erin brings a transpersonal perspective to the Lab, drawing on art therapy, mindfulness, and archetypal studies to inform how we think about community and connection.
Psychology Today
Photography
Forest Floor Creatives
Portraits and field photography for the Lab by Natalie Curry and Mackenzie Torelli of Forest Floor Creatives of Ithaca.
forestfloorcreatives.com© 2026 Practically Real Enterprises, LLC