Listen, Ladies

World-renowned street artist Andrea von Bujdoss, AKA Queen Andrea joins the podcast to discuss creative expression in challenging times, how she got her start in the world of graffiti, what inspires her, and what it takes to create a professional mural from start to finish. 

Missouri State Representative Yolanda Young represents Jackson County, which includes Kansas City, Missouri. On this episode of Listen, Ladies, Rep. Young discusses the impact of Covid-19 from the perspective of her constituents of all ages, as well as the potential for positive change for people of color as advocates push for police reform. 

New York Times journalist Dionne Searcey joins Listen, Ladies to discuss her new book, In Pursuit of Disobedient Women: A Memoir of Love, Rebellion, and Family, Far Away. The book is a fascinating inside look at what it was like to take on the role of West Africa Bureau Chief for the New York Times. Searcey recounts her conversations with young women who escapes from Boko Haram, her observations of women's advocating for their rights, and the personal challenges of moving with her family to take on the opportunity. 

Nedra Deadwyler is the founder of Civil Bikes. She joins to the podcast to discuss her awesome organization that gets people on the road to learn and discuss the history and contributions of incredible individuals who may not have made their way into the history books. Her focus on how people of color and women shaped the city of Atlanta is eye-opening, and highly important to the way the city operates today. Her message is relevant and meaningful for the country as a whole. 

If you hear "community organizer," and know that it was President Obama's first step into bringing people together, but still feel unclear on what the job entails, this is the episode for you. Esther Beard is a community organizer and joins the podcast to discuss her role in helping people learn how they can bring about real and meaningful change in their own communities. She also talks about how those who want to make a difference can make sure they are having a positive impact.

Rakmi Shaiza is the founder of Stitching Change, a social enterprise designed to empower refugee women in the Kansas City area. Shaiza discusses the program's mission to teach valuable skills in creating unique items and developing the financial knowledge to sell the creations. More broadly, Shaiza shares her insights on the challenges facing the women involved in the program, and the incredible potential they have to contribute to their communities. 

Beth Shott is a criminal investigator with the Investigative Services Branch of the National Parks Service. She joins the podcast amid the government shutdown to discuss the impact on a professional and personal level. In addition, Shott shares her winding path into law enforcement, and views whether women in her field face unique challenges.

Come one, come all! Whether you know every team in major sports, or none of them, you'll want to hear from WFAN's Maggie Gray. On this episode, Maggie joins to discuss her career path, navigating the male-dominated world of sports broadcasting, and what drives her to get out of bed in the morning. 

One year after first joining the podcast, international relations scholar Mayesha Alam returns to discuss her latest reporting on the crisis facing the Rohingya community in Myanmar. While global awareness has wained, the United Nations reports that forced displacement and violence against the Rohingya has led to a refugee population of close to one million people. Women and girls are in particular danger of trafficking, even after they reach refugee camps.

Mandy Manning was recently honored as the National Teacher of the Year recipient for 2018. During her career as an educator, she has made an incredible impact on young people, many of whom were new to the United States as refugees and immigrants. Manning joins the podcast to discuss what brought her to teaching, what she has learned from her students, and how she made sure her students had a voice when she was honored at the White House.

Author Susan Quinn joins the podcast to discuss her fascinating book, Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady. Quinn's immense research highlights Roosevelt's relationship with Lorena Hickok, whom she initially encountered when Hickok was working as a reporter. Their relationship has been somewhat lost to history, but Quinn brings their romance and friendship to life in our interview and in the book. Her text is also set to become a TV series.

Hillary Peckham is the co-founder and COO of Etain Health, the first and only all-women founded medical marijuana business in New York. Peckham talks to Listen, Ladies about misconceptions about marijuana, the conditions it can be used to address, and the challenges of running a business focused on a product that is not legal on the federal level. 

Journalist Emma Margolin joins the podcast to discuss her reporting on the surge in female candidates for local, state, and national political offices. While the expertise and enthusiasm they bring is essential, Emma's feature article for Politico Magazine delves into the often unexpected challenges they confront. This includes threats and intimidation both in-person and on social media. We discuss how training and recruitment organizations are approaching this issue in the #MeToo era.

Merritt Moore, is a trailblazer in two extremely demanding fields: ballet and quantum physics. On the podcast, she talks to Maryalice about the challenges of pursuing both dreams, why she tried to quit ballet but kept coming back, and how she is working to inspire young girls to think big and outside the box. And an added bonus, Merritt is also committed to making it to outer space and doing the legwork to make it happen.

Washington Post journalist Jessica Contrera joins the podcast to discuss her investigative report into hundreds of untested and newly tested rape kits in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Contrera uncovers the emotional and legal confusion surrounding the data as officials grapple with when and how to contact survivors of sexual violence. 

Julie Greene, co-founder and co-director of The Women's Bakery joins the podcast to discuss her organization's approach to providing women in East Africa with the resources and tools to develop small businesses in their communities. By prioritizing health, education, and the economy, The Women's Bakery looks to engage women to independently operate bakeries once they have received the training to do so. On the podcast, Julie shares how the mission came together, the challenges her team has faced along the way, and what how they collaborate with the local community.

Journalist and friend of the pod, Emma Margolin, joins Maryalice to guest co-host this week's edition. The ladies chat with self-described "natural-born extrovert," Whitnie Narcisse, about her role at First Round, an innovative venture capital firm with a key focus on developing meaningful mentor-mentee relationships. Whitnie shares what she's learned about what makes a good match, why you might want more than one mentor, and how listeners can look for mentors to help their own careers thrive.

Luisa Kislinger is a former career diplomat of the Venezuelan Foreign Services, and the founder and director of the women's NGO "Mujeres en Linea." Luisa joins the podcast to discuss the current economic and political situation unfolding in Venezuela, and how the lives of everyday citizens are affected. Former UN Ambassador Samantha Power tweeted that the situation in Venezuela is "flying under the radar in the US." Tune in to understand why the international community should pay attention.    

The New York Times' West Africa bureau chief joins the podcast for an insightful interview centered on her reporting in Nigeria. Dionne Searcey has spoken to numerous young women who managed to escape the horrors of Boko Haram, and are now working to overcome challenges and pursue their ambitions. Dionne's work gives voice to girls and women who have proven their heroism and deserve to be heard.

Happy 2018! NYU Scholar Jorge Mora joins Listen, Ladies to talk about his groundbreaking project to bring healthcare services and raise awareness about the importance of health literacy in his home country, Ecuador. His perspectives and experience are highly relevant in the broader conversation about global health and access to care across socio-economic backgrounds and the urban/rural divide.

Author Liza Jessie Petersen joins the podcast to discuss her experiences as a pre-GED teacher to young men embroiled in the criminal justice system. In her book, All Day: A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island, Petersen shares insights on the daily lives of her students, her mission to instill them with information far beyond the pages of any textbook, and what she learned from leading a classroom full of teenagers.

A Listen, Ladies bonus episode! Listen, Ladies contributor and BuzzFeed producer Julia Moser joins the podcast for a feature interview with author and activist Jaclyn Friedman. Friedman is the author of the new book, Unscrewed, which explores sex, harassment, and the abuse of power.

Guest co-host Kelly Kern joins the podcast this week to help raise awareness of the ongoing and tragic humanitarian crisis unfolding in Myanmar, which has led to over 600,000 refugees flooding into Bangladesh in recent months. Our guest, international relations scholar research and policy professional, Mayesha Alam, shares her insights and knowledge on the historical context of the crisis, the international response, and what the future might entail.

Bloomberg Businessweek writer Claire Vernon Suddath joins the podcast to talk about her article, "My Big House: My family once enslaved people. What do I do about that?" Through a deep dive into her own family's connections to the Civil War era, Suddath raises important questions about how slavery and the entrenched racism of that period still affects people and policies in the present day.

Journalist and author Katherine Zoepf joins the podcast to discuss social change in Saudi Arabia, and the country's lifting of a ban that prevented women from driving. Zoepf has done in-depth reporting throughout the Middle East for the New Yorker and other publications, specifically focusing on the experiences of women.

We welcome Briana Mawby to Listen, Ladies. She is the 2017 Hillary Rodham Clinton Research Fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. Briana's research focuses on Nepal in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake, particularly the incredible contributions made by Nepali women as the country recovers, even while they face significant challenges. Plus, a callout for book club recommendations!

Hands Up Foundation Managing Director, Rose Lukas, joins the podcast to talk about her organization's innovative approach to raising funds for victims of the crisis in Syria. Hint: you'll need a group of friends and some culinary inspiration! Plus, a call for ideas for another Listen, Ladies book club selection.

Mariam Jalabi is Director of the Syrian National Coalition's office at the United Nations, the largest political opposition group of the Syrian Revolution. Jalabi joins the podcast to discuss the current landscape of the crisis in Syria, and the advocacy movement working to ensure that women play a crucial role in a peace process and transition. Prior to her role in civil society, Jalabi ran a fashion company with a mission to advance women's freedom of movement through clothing, particularly in the context of Middle Eastern culture. 

The new documentary, Served Like A Girl, is an eye-opening look at the incredible contributions and challenges experienced by female members of the military, including homelessness and inadequate family support services. After confronting these obstacles firsthand, Major Jaspen Boothe took action to support others in her situation. The documentary chronicles one component of Major Boothe's awareness and advocacy mission, the Ms Veteran America competition. Joining the pod, we have Major Boothe and the film's director, Lysa Heslov.

Maryalice and Julia spoke with Sarah Lane, a Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theater, about her accomplishments as a dancer, her struggles with confidence and self-esteem, and her fondness for ice cream. And, instead of the usual chatter, the ladies sat down with Kaitlyn Tiffany, Culture Reporter at the The Verge for a summer pop culture roundup of everything you should be listening to and watching this summer by ladies.

If you thought the movie Contact was all sci-fi fantasy, think again! In this episode, Julia and Maryalice talk to a top notch science journalist about the real-life pioneer that was the inspiration for Jodie Foster's character in the 1997 film. Sarah Scoles has a new book all about that inspiring astronomer, Jill Tarter, and the challenges she faced as she broke new ground in her field, much of which is still relevant today. Plus, Sarah tells us what to expect as we get closer to the much-anticipated solar eclipse!

Julia and Maryalice talk to Zoe LePage, the founder of Exhale to Inhale. What started as a college project and a hunch about the profound effects of yoga, has expanded to a growing organization committed to bringing yoga classes to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Also, a discussion about Amelia Earhart standing up to The New York Times, and an interactive chatter involving artwork on demand.

Maryalice and Julia talk to Nicole Dennis-Benn about her debut novel, Here Comes the Sun. The book follows the lives of a mother and her two daughters in Montego Bay, Jamaica and exposes challenges involving race, class, and the tourism industry. Plus some historical chatter featuring an unsung hero of the American Revolution!

Maryalice & Julia get the inside scoop on the new documentary, "Losing Sight of Shore," which follows six ambitious women in their record-setting journey across the Pacific Ocean. They speak to director Sarah Moshman and Natalia Cohen, one of the women who put her life on hold for the more than 8,000 mile test of mental and physical strength. We recommend catching the film on Netflix with the guilty-pleasure takeout of your choice! The ladies also discuss the woes of Uber, parental leave policy, and the surprising number of American adults who believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

Julia and Maryalice chat with Lisa Bonos, editor of the Washington Post's Solo-ish column. There's something for everyone in this one: the politics of dating, when politics overlap with dating, and some genuine evidence for the cultural relevance of The Bachelorette. Plus, the ladies get pumped about summer movie season, which is kicking off with some serious girl power!

Maryalice and Julia get the low down on self defense strategies from Gabrielle Rubin. Rubin is an experienced martial artist with a black belt and tons of tips for how women everywhere can take on the world through mental awareness and physical technique. Plus, a cookie-related heist you won't want to miss!

The ladies have partnered with UN Women for an exciting episode about indigenous women and girls. Maryalice and Julia discussed colonialism, climate change, and women being their own forces for change with Beatrice Duncan and Tarcila Rivera Zea: two women fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples. Plus, the book club decision, why Americans are so smily, a middle-of-the-night produce heist!

Julia and Maryalice talk lady spies, "broom-wielding women", and make a big announcement! And an interview with Joan Wages, President of the National Museum of Women's History. Never been there? Tune in and find out why!

Maryalice and Julia talk to three women in male-dominated fields. Featuring 'The Bye Bye Man' director Stacy Title, founder and president of REAL Women in Trucking Desiree Wood, and mŏkbar chef and owner Esther Choi.

Starting the week of April 3rd, friends and fellow journalists Maryalice Aymong and Julia Moser present Listen, Ladies - a podcast by ladies, for ladies (and gentlemen). Production is in partnership with Women Across Frontiers. Subscribe now!