THE INFLUENCERS
They’re actively guiding the growth of our community and culture.
When the Cranford, NJ native moved to West Chester over a decade ago, he worked at Penn’s Table with no intention of going into business. Yet, it was the diner that carved his path. Old photos on the walls inspired his idea for Time Machine Tours, a mobile app that uses GPS to display historical images where they were taken to give the illusion of looking into the past. A healthy start-up culture paired with a timely win on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? provided funding to build a prototype. When WCHE’s former general manager Bill Mason came into the restaurant for coffee, Hudson regularly bugged him for a gig. His initiative paid off, and he started producing his own radio shows. Since 2013, Hudson has produced the weekly World’s Finest Show, focused on comics, video games, and tech, and launched Love @ First Listen, a radio dating show.
THE DESIGNER-TURNED-PUBLIC SERVANT
EMILY PISANO, 27 Assistant to the Mayor and Chief of Police of West Chester Borough When it comes to career transitions, the jump from fashion to government might seem unexpected, but for Emily Pisano, a former fashion line owner and current Assistant to the Mayor and Chief of Police, the leap made sense — and she landed it with grace, and of course, style.
and the Clean & Green Initiative, among other things. Essentially, she’s the actor behind the scenes, handling operations that improve the borough and surrounding communities. When she’s not working, you can find her volunteering with the TogetHER initiative, the Chester County Young Democrats, or enjoying the hummus at Sidebar. In the fall, she'll begin pursuing her master’s in Public Administration at WCU.
While Hudson’s work in the entertainment spheres continues to generate economic impact, his political aspirations made headlines. Inspired to action after the 2016 election, Hudson ran for Mayor in 2017. Although he didn’t win, he’s currently on the Opioid Task Force and holds a position as one of the Democratic Committee People for Ward 7 He and his wife Leslie just welcomed their first daughter, Ava, to the borough.
Pisano, a Downingtown native, moved to West Chester after graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising and pursued a career working at Malena’s Vintage Boutique before becoming co-owner of Tesoro Design, a leather handbag company. It was during the 2016 election that Pisano heard a higher calling that would take her beyond handbags and into Borough Hall. She started getting more involved in politics, first as a hobby and then as a conscious commitment, attending Borough Democratic Committee meetings and courthouse rallies. Soon she was paying less attention to style trends and more to current events and decided to take the plunge into the political sphere. In her current administrative-support role, she attends meetings, prepares agendas, and plans events surrounding the Mayor’s Opioid Action Task Force
THE DIGITAL DYNAMO
KYLE HUDSON, 33 Creative Director, Crimson Planet Media | Founder, Digital Exhibition Systems | Digital Media Director/ Producer/Host - WCHE 1520 AM Kyle Hudson, West Chester’s own digital media multi-hyphenate, has successfully turned many of his creative ideas into viable businesses.
THE LEGAL EAGLE
MICHAEL GALEY, 37 Attorney/Vice President West Chester Borough Council, Third Ward Representative When Michael Galey and his wife, Rachel Kagan, were looking for a place to settle down, they wanted a community where
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