Reinvention Stories

Daniel Kinney works third shift at UTC Aerospace Systems, a company that makes wheels and breaks for airplanes. He’s been an electrician for over twenty-five years. He and his wife Keshia own and operate Caribbacanas, a Caribbean food truck. They are part of a group of people reinventing dining. Kinney saw that the food truck movement has potential, and recognized the instability in manufacturing - so he decided to make the leap.

This week on ReInvention Stories we meet Shane Anderson, owner of Ghostlight Coffee on Wayne Avenue in South Park.

Growing up, Anderson was a band kid. In high school, he dreamed of becoming a band director, which, he did. Anderson was a band director and music teacher for fourteen years. Most of that time was spent at Miami East High School and Vandalia-Butler High School. But he had another dream, of one day running a coffee shop. And he wanted to quit teaching before getting too burnt out.   

Barbara Caveda’s mother was ill and couldn’t work while she was growing up on Staten Island, New York. At age twelve, Caveda left school to go to work and take care of her mom. She says the only thing that made her mother happy was baked goods – cakes, pastries, and especially chocolates.

Today, Caveda is pursuing that passion with a small home business called Barbara’s Chocolates, which she runs out of her own kitchen.

She chose Dayton at random, by pointing her finger on a map. And came here looking for a fresh start.

This week on ReInvention Stories, Briana Ballard, a Dayton native who’s been interested in religion and different forms spirituality from a young age.  Ballard owns Anything Under the Moon One Stop Pagan Co-Op in the Belmont business district. She took over the business in March of 2012.

This ReInvention Story was produced by Liz Cambron, Julia Reichert and Sarah Buckingham.

Valerie and DeMarcus Calhoun moved to Dayton from Montgomery, Alabama in August of 2011 and rented a home in South Park. Valerie is a civilian working for the Air Force at Wright Patterson.   She went to Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama - and while studying there, she joined a student fellowship program - working and training at the local air force base. After graduation, the Air Force offered her a job. She could move to Boston, or to Dayton. All she had to do was convince her husband, Demarcus.