Culture Shock with Grayson Cupit

October 5, 2026

Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev

Grayson Cupit is exactly the kind of person Cookeville says it wants to attract. He’s a Senior Software Engineer at Disney Streaming, a professional musician, a community organizer and the newly elected Board President of Culture Shock Collective, a nonprofit arts and music space opening in downtown Cookeville.

He’s also a Millennial, the generation least likely to move to Putnam County. On this episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev, the Cookeville podcast about the people shaping our community, Grayson explains why that is, what it would take to change it, and why a “third place” for local artists is part of the answer.

In This Episode

Many Millennials haven’t been able to move here yet. Grayson says the 2008 financial crisis delayed a generation’s move to smaller towns, and that delay is only now easing.
Cookeville needs 35-year-olds. They open businesses and raise families, and on the West Side they already run some of the city’s best-loved local spots.
Surveillance needs accountability. Grayson questions a recent city council vote on Flock license plate cameras and argues it matters who holds the data.
AI could make local government more transparent. As a former AI researcher, he wants it used to put public data in more residents’ hands.
Culture Shock Collective is coming to Spring and Cedar. The nonprofit arts and music space plans a stage, rentable studios and rehearsal space, and aims to open by the end of 2026.

Episode Chapters

Jump to any part of the conversation:

1:24 Meet Grayson Cupit
2:01 Why don’t Millennials move to Putnam County?
2:43 Dowell Myers’ “bathtub” theory and the 2008 financial crisis
7:17 Generational change, billionaire wealth and health care
15:38 AI, data centers and digital security: is local leadership ready?
16:07 The Flock camera vote and “the Panopticon”
18:12 Is there a middle ground on surveillance?
22:38 Sponsor break: Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy
24:56 “Have I Been Flocked?” and who holds police accountable
30:49 Anxiety about the future, UBI and AI
33:35 Using AI to open up local government data
34:54 What is Culture Shock Collective?
36:03 Building a “third place”
37:31 Location, opening date, studios and rehearsal space
38:22 Making Spring and Cedar walkable
40:54 How to bring more Millennials to Cookeville

What Is Culture Shock Collective?

Culture Shock Collective is a nonprofit arts and music space opening at the corner of Spring Street and Cedar Avenue in Cookeville, next door to Gene’s Pizza and Vertical Coffee. Grayson says demolition is done and the build-out is underway. The goal is to open in November 2026, though he calls December the realistic bet.

Plans for the space include:

A stage and venue for live performances
Visual art
Two studio spaces that artists can rent
Rehearsal space for bands, something Grayson says Cookeville has long been missing
All-ages programming, with any 18-and-up events clearly marked

A “third place” for Cookeville’s creative community

The bigger idea is the “third place,” sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s term for the places that are neither home nor work. Grayson calls them the social infrastructure of a community, and says they’re something we increasingly lack.

“It has to be comfortable and inviting. It has to be non-transactional. It needs to be the kind of place that somebody would go just to see what’s going on that night… I truly believe that when you get a lot of cool, interesting people together and you give them some skin in the game and no real agenda, then cool and interesting things happen as a result.”

Culture Shock will curate its programming, but Grayson wants the community to help build it out. So when Kosta asks what Culture Shock is, Grayson turns the question around: “What do you want it to be?” Kosta’s answer is a mix of SLC Punk and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rocky Horror screenings have, in fact, already come up.

How Cookeville Can Attract More Millennials

Grayson’s answer covers both groups: the Millennials who don’t want to come and those who haven’t been able to.

Walkable neighborhoods. Research shows Millennials value walkability. Grayson says the stretch from Spring and Cedar to Father Tom’s Pub and the West Side “wouldn’t take much to put it over the edge.” Kosta’s worry is the speed of traffic on Spring Street.
Affordable starter homes. Grayson says that, comparing median income to median home price, Putnam County is one of the least affordable counties in Tennessee. He sees community land trusts as a proven way to deliver homes below market value. They were a major topic at an affordable housing summit at the Upper Cumberland Development District earlier this year.
A reason to visit. “Very few people are gonna move to a place sight unseen.” Grayson first came here for Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s, the music festival just outside town, and met the artists, musicians, organizers and teachers who made him want to stay.

“I really think that some of those people are gonna fall in love with it, like I did.”

Why This Conversation Matters for Cookeville

Cookeville is going to keep growing. The open questions are who that growth brings and what we build for them.

Putnam County had an estimated 86,612 residents in July 2025, up 8.4% since 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber has pointed to forecasts of 100,000 residents by 2035, per UCNow.

The data center debate is already next door. In June 2026, McMinnville paused new data centers for 18 months after nearly 3,000 residents petitioned against a proposed 25-megawatt AI facility, as the Cookeville Cardinal reported. Statewide, trackers count 62 operating data centers and 16 more proposed, according to the Tennessee Lookout.

Cookeville is also updating its 2050 Comprehensive Plan, the blueprint for where homes, roads, parks and large industrial uses can go. Conversations like this one help residents show up to those decisions informed.

Grayson’s own story makes the case for the arts in that conversation. He came for a music festival and stayed for the people. A third place like Culture Shock gives the next newcomer the same chance to fall for Cookeville.

Mentioned in This Episode

Culture Shock Collective: sign up for updates, volunteer or donate
Grayson Cupit on LinkedIn
Dowell Myers, USC Price School: The millennial migration begins
Have I Been Flocked?: check whether a license plate has been searched in Flock’s system

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Culture Shock Collective?

Culture Shock Collective is a nonprofit, community-driven arts and music space in Cookeville, Tennessee. It’s designed as a “third place” where local artists, musicians and residents can gather, perform, show work and rehearse.

Where is Culture Shock Collective located?

At the corner of Spring Street and Cedar Avenue in Cookeville, next door to Gene’s Pizza and Vertical Coffee.

When does Culture Shock Collective open?

Board President Grayson Cupit says the goal is November 2026, with December more likely.

How can I get involved with Culture Shock Collective?

What is a “third place”?

It’s sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s term for a gathering place that isn’t home or work, like a coffee shop, pub or community space. Grayson calls third places the social infrastructure of a community.

Where can I listen to Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev?

The Cookeville podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and our podcast website.

Listen, Subscribe and Get Involved

Hear the full conversation with Grayson Cupit on the episode page or wherever you get your podcasts:

If this episode got you thinking about Cookeville’s future, share it with a friend who should hear it. A rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps more of our neighbors find the show.

Want to help build Culture Shock? Sign up at cultureshocktn.com to attend events, show your work, volunteer or donate.

More Episodes to Explore

This episode is presented by our partners at Aspire Barber and Beauty Academy, an Aveda concept school. Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and is recorded in Cookeville, TN.