Planted in Miami

Our climate is changing and we are witnessing the effects playing out in real time: heatwaves, rising seas, intense hurricanes, wildfires and the melting of glaciers to name just a few.  So when it's your job to track and report the weather, these unnatural occurrences are hard to ignore.  Luckily for us, we have NBC6 Chief Meteorologist John Morales not only preparing us for hurricanes but also the stark reality that is climate change. John has been fascinated with hurricanes and the weather ever since he was a young boy growing up in Puerto Rico.  After tracking Hurricane David in 1979, which passed just south of the island and ravaged the Dominican Republic, John decided he would pursue a career in meteorology.  Years later as a seasoned and well-respected meteorologist, his beloved island would find itself on a collision course with Hurricane Maria and this time it would not be spared.  Knowing just how serious of a threat this hurricane posed to the people of Puerto Rico, he did a Facebook Live video (now with close to 1 million views) warning them on what they could expect and helping them brace for impact. John is the longest tenured broadcast meteorologist in South Florida and has been a trusted source for many when it comes to hurricane coverage.  He is also one of the first meteorologists to use his platform to speak about climate change and it’s role in affecting and intensifying our weather.  And considering Miami is ground zero when it comes to climate change, we are lucky to have John championing this cause. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette

Think about this for a moment: a child born today can expect oceans to rise one to four feet in their lifetimes; Miami is projected to experience over a foot of sea level rise by the year 2050 and anywhere from 10 to 30 feet by the end of the century.  Add to this that not a single viable solution has been proposed that would keep Miami above water at current sea level rise projections, then the fact that Miami will likely one day be underwater should start to sink in, pun intended.  That is the reality of climate change.  Whether you choose to believe it or not, we're already feeling and seeing its effects and here in Miami where we sit upon porous limestone, the future of our city is at great risk. That's why filmmakers Jimmy Evans and Jack Edmondson decided to make Urban Paradise, to bring awareness to a topic that effects everyone yet is so misunderstood and downplayed by many.  The film follows Sam Van Leer, the charismatic environmentalist and founder of Urban Paradise Guild (UPG) whose single organizing principle is to fight the causes and effects of climate change in order to protect Miami's future.  Sam has been planting mangroves both at sea level and above it for the past 10 years in order to protect our communities from massive inundations of water and he's very vocal about trying to enact changes and policies that will help mitigate the inevitability of climate change and all its causes.  In Urban Paradise you'll learn more about Sam and why UPG's work is so important and you'll hear from other climate change experts explain sea level rise and how it is and will continue to effect Miami. For their first feature length film, Jimmy and Jack do not shy away from taking on such a contentious issue that is only now beginning to get more recognition in the public sphere.  We hope Urban Paradise and this conversation will only help in continuing to move this topic to the forefront so we can all be better prepared to face this global crisis. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, videos, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on IG, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Jeanne Albaugh has spent her life in service to the homeless, but when she fell and broke her back while inside a fast food restaurant, she not only lost her life long dream of becoming a world champion in barrel racing, she became homeless herself. Once she realized her dream would never materialize, she fell into a deep depression and got addicted to pain killers.  Her husband eventually divorced her and she lost her three children.  Jeanne, who gave so much of herself to the homeless, now found herself living under a bridge.  Even though she attempted suicide several times during this difficult and challenging time, it was a letter from her son that helped her emerge from this darkness and take back control of her life. Now Jeanne is the founder and CEO of Showering Love which provides mobile showers to the homeless via a converted 42 foot city bus.  Not only do these showers provide a safe and comfortable place for South Florida's homeless to bathe, it also restores dignity and hope to those who are too often forgotten and shunned by society. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com  

"Radical simply means grasping things at the root." - Angela Davis Meet Ana Samantha, part of the Miami Core-Team of the Dream Defenders.  Founded in 2012 after the murder of Trayvon Martin by a few university students across Florida tired of the systematic over policing and incarceration of poor communities of color, The Dream Defenders was started in order to make powerful change come to Florida.  And change is exactly what Ana was looking for a year and a half ago after working a job in retail that left her unfulfilled.  With a desire to get more involved in her community, Ana volunteered with the Dream Defenders and unlocked her passion for activism. This year they released the Freedom Papers, a 7 part manifesto outlining their vision for a Florida that is able to serve the everyday needs of its people and that asks our elected representatives to put our safety before corporate profits. Recently touted as "too radical" by the Republican Governors Association, the Dream Defenders have become a voice for the underserved, marginalized, and disenfranchised and are helping pave the way for a Florida where everyone can have an equal opportunity to live their best life, be who they want to be, and live how they want to live. #thisistheyear We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes show notes, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com 

  Owning a home was once the American dream, but for quite some time now it's been out of reach for many Americans.  The housing crisis further deepened that chasm and here in Miami where wages are lower than other big cities, the issue of affordable housing is all too real and leading Miami towards a homeless boom. So what's considered affordable?  Paying less than 30% of your income towards your rent or mortgage.  We know, you're probably paying more than that and you're not alone. As the daughter of a Cuban exile, Annie Lord was always sensitive to the plight of those suffering the harshest economic conditions and in her new role as Executive Director of Miami Homes For All, she brings a wealth of experience fostering stability and mobility for those who are economically disadvantaged. Through a number of initiatives focusing on affordable housing, youth homelessness and chronic homelessness, Miami Homes For All is advocating for everyone in Miami-Dade County to be able to afford a safe and stable home. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com    

Traditionally, decisions about the future of communities are made behind closed doors by a select few in positions of political power, but with more and more local organizations getting involved and demanding a seat at the table, the times are a changing.  Sarah Emmons, and her team at Radical Partners work tirelessly to educate and connect change-makers to accelerate the big ideas that will lead Miami forward and to tackle the issues that are stifling its progress.   With programs such as their Leadership Lab and Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamp which gives community leaders the tools and resources they need to accomplish their goals, they've also crafted the 100 Great Ideas Campaign which crowdsources big ideas for the cities most pressing problems.  In the past, they've focused on issues such as housing affordability and transit and mobility and in November they will gather ideas for climate resilience and sustainability.  Starting November 12th, everyone in Miami is invited to a 5-day, online conversation to brainstorm solutions on how to build a more resilient and sustainable community. We invite you to take part in the conversation and learn more about Radical Partner's incredible contributions. Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Considering it's been predicted that there'll be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050, wouldn't it be nice if there was a store that offered solutions to our dependence on plastic and that could help us reduce our waste?  Well, now there is. Verde, located in Wynwood, is Miami's first and only sustainable store. Now, instead of buying another plastic container when you run out of a product, you can take that same container to Verde and refill it with an earth-friendly (and in many instances animal-friendly) alternative.  With several refilling stations from detergent to soaps, shampoos, and conditioners to choose from, you are sure to find one of the many household items you use all the time. Thanks to founders Pam and Marta, Verde is providing a solution to help us all combat plastic and live more consciously. Besides their soap refill stations, you can expect to find spices, oils, food in bulk, local nut milks, kombucha, dog treats, bamboo toothbrushes, and so much more.  With over 250 items and more being added constantly, Verde is challenging the status quo and asking us to rethink the way we shop and interact with our world. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

When Nzingah Oniwosan was just 12 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor on her pituitary gland called Prolcatinoma. Unbeknownst to her, this was just the beginning of a series of illnesses that would eventually lead her to see five different physicians on a regular basis over the course of nine years. After being sick and tired of being sick and tired, Nzingah decided to make radical changes in her diet and lifestyle to heal herself. Today, Nzingah is a holistic health consultant, plant-based chef, interdisciplinary artist and the creator of Yes Baby I Like It Raw, a platform where she uses her skills, knowledge and talents to educate people on how to manage stress levels and take control of their health.  She's also a trailblazer entrepreneur who recently co-founded a co-working space in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti called Impact Hub which works at the "intersection of innovation and society to collaboratively create impact with an entrepreneurial mindset." Nzingah's life story is one of challenge and triumph and we know you'll be inspired by it. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

5.25 trillion pieces of plastic reside in our oceans compared to the 400 billion stars in the Milky Way. That means we have 13 times more pieces of plastic in our oceans than stars in our galaxy. This startling fact is the first thing you see when you visit the Debris Free Oceans webpage, a not-for-profit organization established by locals, Caiti and Jeremy Waks. Their long-time love of the water and the growing trash problem inspired them in 2014 to get more involved as well as find a fun and engaging way to educate Miami about the damaging effects of plastic pollution. Debris Free Oceans focuses on the reductionist approach to motivate people to rethink disposable and single-use consumption by embracing lifestyles with more action and less clutter. To date, they have picked up over 23,000 pounds of plastics and have educated over 4,700 students in Miami-Dade County about plastic pollution and how to live zero-waste lifestyles.  Through fun events like Keg and Clean where you're rewarded with complimentary beer after cleaning up a neighborhood (as long as you bring your own cup), Debris Free Oceans has inspired a new way of thinking of sustainability.  And to get you started, they've created a zero-waste kit which consists of a reusable aluminum water bottle, reusable bamboo cutlery, and a compact reusable bag which can be purchased on their website. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: When and why plastics were invented Why plastics never really go away What you can do to reduce your waste/single use plastics How they created Debris Free Oceans What they do to bring awareness to zero waste and plastic pollution in Miami What you need to know about recycling What the city of Miami Beach is doing about single-use plastics and recycling The Florida plastic bag pre-emption law We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube @plantedinmiami

There are a lot changes occurring in Little Haiti and Abraham Metellus of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex is helping to bridge the gap between community and culture by showcasing programs and events that highlight the Haitian and Afro-Carribean culture. The state of the art facility houses a 300 seat theatre, 2,150 square foot art gallery, outdoor courtyard and a Caribbean Marketplace with local vendors, music, miniature golf, vegan food and more. When we sat down with Abraham we talked about his rediscovery of his Haitian culture upon moving back from Chicago and how he's been able to use his formal education and experience in his role at the LHCC to facilitate programming.  In addition to spearheading free classes and wellness offerings, Abraham has also organized free tours in traditional Haitian Tap Tap buses to enjoy the sights and sounds of Little Haiti. The Marketplace is a definite must visit on Saturdays with a little something for everyone. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, videos, show notes and more www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Cristina Ivory, the founder of Angry Booch, isn't afraid to experiment, which is why upon finding out about the health benefits of kombucha, she decided she was going to make some for herself. If you've never heard of kombucha, you're not alone.  However, the popularity of this effervescent and fermented drink made from tea is on the rise and Angry Booch is serving up some unique, Miami inspired flavors. After perfecting her recipes in her parent's garage and working the farmer's market circuit, Cristina opened up Miami's first kombucha tap room in Palmetto Bay where you can enjoy eight different varieties. Using local, seasonal fruit to come up with creative flavors such as Hibiscus Ginger Orange and Lychee Rose, Angry Booch offers some of the tastiest kombucha around. Cristina also has a passion for health, specifically gut health, which has led her to experimenting outside of kombucha to offer seasonal kimchi, pickles, and sauerkraut.  In addition to the tap room, you can find Angry Booch at the Upper East Side Farmers Market and Verde Market. It was such a pleasure chatting with Cristina in her new tap room and learning all things kombucha. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Did you know that scattered throughout the vast landscape of the Everglades, far from the city lights of Miami, vehicles from another time, another era, are quietly resting amongst the mangroves and marshes?  By using satellite imagery and investigating rumors, photographer Matt Stock and the brainchild of Abandoned Vehicles of the Everglades, Charles Kropke, go out into the darkness to explore the interaction of man versus nature by photographing these long forgotten relics of the past. By using a technique Matt refers to as ‘painting with light,’ he is able to create hyper-realistic nighttime images of vehicles such as Ford Model T’s, Studabakers, RV’s, and even drug smuggling airplanes while uncovering a side of the Everglades most people may not know exists.  And by strictly photographing these cars in the darkness of night and by virtue of conversations like this one, Matt and Charles are dispelling the fears people might have of the Everglades once the sun goes down in this beautiful and highly endangered habitat. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Each day, people in the United States throw enough trash away to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.  A good portion of that trash is food, which could eventually be composted into rich soil used to grow more food. If you're not familiar with composting or if it's been something you've been thinking about but haven't acted on, let us introduce you to Fertile Earth and it's Executive Director, Melissa Selem.  Fertile Earth is a non-profit whose mission is to lead the composting movement in Miami through education, research, community building, and supporting healthy soil. Because of Fertile Earth's efforts, Miami now has two official composting hubs at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens and Smart Bites To Go as well as a pick up service to various cities in and around Miami. Their vision is for composting to be a thriving and integral component of Miami's food systems, local economy, environmental stewardship and community well-being. We sat down with Melissa and talked all things composting and discussed some of the common misconceptions that discourage participation. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami. Visit www.plantedinmiami.com for behind the scenes photos, videos, show notes and more. 

On September 1, 1944, the Miami Police Department hired "The First Five" black police officers (then called patrolmen) in order to bring some level of equality to policing in the black communities.  Considering the overt racism and discrimination of our country at that time, this was a historic moment and these men paved the road for those that would come after them.  By 1950, there was 41 black officers on the force and a police precinct and courtroom was established in which to adjudicate black defendants. The building was unique as there was no other known structure in the nation that was designed, devoted to and operated as a separate station house and municipal court for blacks. Today, the Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum in Overtown stands as a reminder of the struggles and accomplishments of black police officers in Miami. We sat down with Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, museum Executive Director and retired Police Lieutenant  Archie McKay, who served from 1955 until his retirement in 1980 as a Detective.  Lt. McKay is 92 years young and offers an insightful and invaluable perspective on what it was like to be a police officer before and after the segregation era. Terrance provides a unique perspective in his own right as his mother was a stenographer and because he grew up with police officers always being around him.   This unique experience has shaped how he views the plight of the modern day police officer as well as what it's like to be a black man in an America where confrontations with the police often turn violent and deadly. This interview is unlike anything we've featured before, tackling difficult and sensitive subjects as well as discussing the museum's role in the community and the current state of policing and police brutality. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

What do you do when you get your dream job in fashion, have amazing friends, live in one of the most popular cities in America but somehow feel like something is off in your life? This is where Colleen Coughlin found herself a few years back trying to discover what it was about her job that wasn't fulfilling her.  The revelation came during a trash day at work when tons of scraps, samples and more were being thrown away and/or burned. It was the waste and disregard for sustainability that didn't sit well with Colleen.  Shortly after, she quit her job, moved to Miami and created The Full Edit, a zero waste consulting and closet editing brand. Her goal is to make the apparel industry more sustainable by lessening the need to "buy more" by investing in quality, conscious, classic pieces that last and keep excessive fabric out of the waste stream. The Full Edit has upcycled 4,062 pounds of fabric and counting. Colleen now holds a Professional Certificate in Sustainable Design Entrepreneurship from FIT and is the Eco Fashion Show Coordinator at Debris Free Oceans where she educates on sustainable fashion design. Colleen is a trailblazer in Miami promoting sustainable practices not only in fashion but in life.  We applaud her for spearheading this movement in South Florida that is just beginning to latch on to the collective consciousness here and around the world. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Nine years ago, Barry Rabkin discovered a golfball sized lump on his throat while washing his face. The diagnosis was thyroid cancer and the treatment was invasive surgery and radiation. Upon the suggestion of his wife, he began juicing in an effort to help aid his recovery. Not only did Barry feel better and have more energy, but his blood work was showing signs of improvement with levels in the normal range.  It was at this point he knew he had to help as many people as possible by sharing the power of juicing. However, Barry had no prior food industry experience and his juice recipes where solely focused on nutrition and not taste, a point his partner, Jeff Levine, quickly corrected by bringing his own expertise in the fast casual arena to eventually create Raw Juce. (Yup, there is no "i" in Juce) Today, Raw Juce has nine locations throughout South Florida and offers an array of juices, smoothies, and food such as acai bowls, quinoa salads, raw desserts and more. Barry is now healthy, motivated and excited to spread the benefits of juicing and eating a plant-based diet to the South Florida community and beyond. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

At a very young age, Nicole Mejia learned the importance of health and hard work.  After expressing her grievances to her father of being an overweight kid, he motivated her to start running the very next morning.  Together they bonded through overcoming obstacles and life lessons.  Today, Nicole is the founder of Fit and Thick, a women's empowerment brand that teaches the importance of being healthy, embracing your natural physique and living an authentic life. Last year, despite risking alienating her legions of followers, Nicole came ‘out’ as being vegan and announced a Plant-Based meal plan as part of her Fit and Thick workout app. To her surprise, it was well received and has helped her company grow to new heights. Fit and Thick now offers a line of apparel, workout gear, special events and more. And her weekly Vibe Tribe Facebook Live sessions helps others embrace the plant-based lifestyle from discussing meal prep to natural products and everything in between. Nicole’s self awareness and authenticity shines through in everything she does and we look forward to following the continuing growth of her brand. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Years ago when P. Scott Cunningham was trying to avoid making eye contact on a New York City subway, he came across Poetry in Motion, an initiative where poems would be featured on the trains instead of advertisements. The poem was called, Hunger, by Billy Collins and it painted a vivid picture of a fox being taken home in a satchel for dinner.  Not having been particularly interested in poetry back then, the poem stood with him years later along with the impact of infusing the written word in the most unlikely places. Today, Scott is the founder and director of O, Miami whose mission is for every single person in Miami-Dade County to encounter a poem during the month of April. O, Miami also has a publishing imprint, a poets-in-schools residency, and other programs that democratize access to literature and re-think the role of the literary arts in American society. Scott also recently released his first poetry book titled, Ya Te Veo, named after a mythical tree that eats people. The book focuses on what "we think is hidden, in questioning the gap inside all of us, a gap between what we feel and what we say and do, making space for our many contradictions." We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Youtube @plantedinmiami

Growing up on the lively streets of Harlem, New York, Rachelle Salnave found an appreciation for her culture and the arts.  Her inspirations from family members to African American films she saw with powerful role models gave her the desire to create her own works of film; a historical feature documentary on the gentrification of Harlem and the Emmy nominated film about her Haitian identity, La Belle Vie: The Good Life. Wanting to expose more Haitian & Black filmmakers, she co-created with her partner, Ayiti Images and the Black Lounge Film Series, both of which focus on curated films that celebrate the Black experience. The Black Lounge Film Series is a monthly film screening featuring different themes in art spaces located in historic Overtown.  In February, the series premiered its first film: Sammy Davis, Jr. - I’ve Gotta Be Me, at the Overtown Performance Arts Center. This month's theme is female filmmakers and will showcase three films: Macho, directed by local filmmaker, Faren Humes, about a twelve-year old and his conservative uncle who is tested after the killing of a transgender woman in rural town of Sanderson, FL., In the Morning by director Nefertitie Nguvu about love and its inevitable change/decline and Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed, about the first African American woman to run for President of the United States. Rachelle is passionate about sharing her love of film and introducing to the community the many inspiring Black filmmakers to help inspire others. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play Music | TuneIn | iHeartRADIO For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

When Australian transplant, Rohan Templeman fell in love and moved across the pond to Miami, he brought his love of farmer's markets and the art of making tempeh with him.  In 2017, after partnering with his father-in-law Dan Jonas, BeCultured Tempeh was born.  Originating in Indonesia, tempeh is a protein source traditionally made from soy.  Describing their methods as part art, part science, this duo has created irresistibly delicious tempeh made from organic beans instead of soy, which they believe makes it a more attractive and sustainable product. A year of challenges and setbacks almost derailed their hopes of bringing homemade tempeh to Miami, however through perserveance and the passion for feeding people good food, BeCultured Tempeh is now open for business at farmer's markets across Miami and select restaurants/stores. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette

Paul Silitsky was working as the CEO of a tech company in 2008 when he woke up one morning believing he had laryngitis.  Although he got his voice back a few days later it started to disappear  again.  As the days went by and his voice didn’t improve, he sought out help to find out what was going on with him.  It took him 18 months of seeing various doctors to find out he had Spasmodic Dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder that affects the voice muscles in the larynx. Since he couldn’t and didn’t want to speak much during this time, he found himself with a lot of time on his hands.  That’s when he came across a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn called, Wherever You Go There You Are, which introduced him to the power of meditation and the simplicity of being still.  Since then, he’s dedicated himself to cultivating a strong meditation practice and sharing its many benefits with others by opening Innergy Meditation, the first meditation studio created in South Florida. Located in Miami Beach, Innergy offers classes for beginner meditators as well as seasoned practitioners.  With more and more evidence being found about the benefits of meditation, there’s no better time to discover your practice and Innergy Meditation can help you get started. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube @plantedinmiami

To many residents in Miami, climate change is personal.  To Zelalem Adefris, climate change is her life's work. Building on her passion for public health and environmental activism, Zelalem moved to Miami a few years ago to become the Climate Resilience Program Manager at Catalyst Miami. Zelalem works to educate residents on the local impacts of climate change, connecting climate change to social justice initiatives and implementing programs that strengthen the resilience  of communities. It's no secret that South Florida is 'ground zero' for rising sea levels and that many scientists predict major flooding and inhabitable communities within this century if drastic measures aren't taken. Catalyst Miami has created CLEAR Miami (Community Leadership on the Environment, Advocacy, and Resilience) to provide the groundwork to bring about change by recruiting educators, leaders and innovators in their own communities and beyond. Participants will learn how to advocate for policies and practices that strengthen the resiliency of Miami communities, educate residents on basic climate science, threats and solutions as well as expose and challenge how poverty and discrimination make communities vulnerable to climate change.  This free leadership training starts on Wednesday, Feb. 7 and runs 11 weeks. We're excited to be participating in the training and hope you will join us. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex & Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

When Kathie Klarreich decided to end her decade long career of being a journalist in Haiti, she wanted to dedicate her time to focus on social change by expanding arts programs in prisons. In 2014, Kathie founded Exchange for Change, a program which facilitates anonymous writing exchanges between classrooms in correctional and court-mandated facilities, and classrooms in high schools and universities.   Exchange for Change’s mission is to teach writing in prisons, foster leadership, and promote dialogue across social and institutional barriers. They focus on collaborations that nurture empathy and advocacy and create individual and social change.   The inmates or “inside students” who participate in the program commit to attend class for about two hours every week and the program runs roughly eight to twelve weeks. Courses include memoir writing, poetry, songwriting, trauma writing and more.   Exchange for Change has grown to offer 23 courses in multiple institutions, award more than 400 diplomas for course completion, and feature exhibits of the students’ work. In addition, several of their inside students have won awards and their writing has even been published.   Kathie and her team of dedicated volunteers are stalwart supporters and advocates of the program and we are lucky to have her as part of the fabric of our community. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Did you know? The amount of paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons disposed of annually could wrap the equator 300 times!  Spending summers in a country house on the border of Russia and Finland, Anastasia Mikhalochkina (Anna) grew to appreciate the outdoors and witnessed a direct correlation between the consequences of her actions and its effect on a contained environment. Fast forward to Anastasia taking these lessons and her trainings in product and graphic design to found the local start-up company, Lean Orb which specializes in providing plant-based food service packaging and catering supplies made from agricultural by-products such as fallen palm leaves, sugar cane, and wheat straw. Anna's entrepreneurial spirit and passion stems from her desire to find sustainable solutions to current environmental issues.  She believes in educating not only the consumer but the buyers as well by guiding them through the process of swapping out traditional forms of packaging to an alternative that is not only stylish and custom, but one that can be composted and kept out of landfills.  Her activism also includes  supporting vendors that treat their employees with respect and offer advancements via education such as the Crescent Educational Society (CREDSO). Building on her approach of community outreach and engaging local politicians and like-minded organizations, Anna looks forward to finding solutions to eliminating waste and creating more opportunities for composting in Miami.  We expect big things from Lean Orb and Anna and we are excited for you to get to know her better. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube @plantedinmiami  

Inspiration is all around us.  For Mariana Cortez, it was her baby boy, Luke, who was allergic to dairy that inspired her to create dairy/gluten-free, vegan cakes that he could enjoy on his birthdays.  When she got the idea of taking her cakes and making them into mini cupcakes, it set her on a remarkable journey which led her to open Miami's first vegan bakery, Bunnie Cakes, and Miami's first vegan DIY cupcake/cake decorating studio, Bunnie Cakes Studio, to selling her creations at Whole Foods Markets and now being the first vegan cupcake to be offered in Starbucks locations throughout South Florida. Bunnie Cakes is more than a bakery, it's an experience. When you first walk through the doors you are greeted by an explosion of colors and a display of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, and more that are just as bright and lively.  The walls recount its humble beginnings and hearts are a central theme throughout the store and on the cupcakes.  The love for her family is reflected in photos and you can immediately feel the warmth and sense of belonging when you're there.  Bunnie Cakes is a story of love, loss, dreams, and having the courage to follow your heart. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami. For behind the scenes photos, videos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

Nine years ago, Art Friedrich along with Melissa Contreras created the Urban Oasis Project, whose mission is to foster a local food movement that's accessible and available to everyone. The way they've achieved this goal is by planting gardens with low-income families, creating several thriving Farmer's Markets throughout South Florida (Upper East Side, Tropical Park, Adrienne Arsht, Bay Harbor) and accepting SNAP benefits at the markets and doubling their value for Florida grown fruits and veggies. Art believes that farmer's markets are more than just a place to buy food, they are connection hubs that foster community and support local farmers and vendors. The Urban Oasis Project works tirelessly to educate the public on the value of these markets and how they strive to connect people to their food by eating seasonally, protect the environment by sourcing from local farmers, and support economic viability for small businesses. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more, visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter @plantedinmiami

History has blessed us with some dynamic duos over time: Tom and Jerry; Thelma and Louise; Bert and Ernie and now, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer.  They are two peas in a pod(cast) and the creators of the immensely entertaining, outrageously raw and honest podcast called, Writing Class Radio where true and personal stories from students in Andrea's writing class are shared and where you can learn to write you own stories. The duo met years ago after Alison suffered a devastating personal tragedy and enrolled in Andrea's writing class in hopes of navigating through some of the pain she was going through. This serendipitous meeting would be the catalyst to an enduring friendship and collaboration that would change both of their lives as well as the lives of many others brave enough to be honest with themselves. Writing Class Radio is where "heart meets art" and where the goal of each episode is to make it equally about the craft of writing and the art of storytelling.  We think they nail it each and every time. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Alex + Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

It's said that necessity is the mother of invention. So if you take invention and mix it with an intelligent, driven and creative individual who understands the harmful effects of poisonous products on our skin, then you get Jacq's, a natural beauty brand founded by Barbara Jacques. Six years ago, when Barbara was pregnant with her first child, her doctor discovered an ovarian tumor that put her on bedrest with few medical answers.  After deep diving into holistic healing and the importance of self-care and diet, Barbara discovered that what she was using on her skin was just as important.  Turning to her kitchen, using natural and organic ingredients, Barbara birthed a non-toxic skin-care line that's designed to feed and heal the skin. Today, Barbara and her husband James, have grown Jacq's to offer an array of products designed for all skin tones with the goal of making every woman (and man) look good, feel good and slay naturally. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Alex + Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

The activist in Elizabeth Jones peaked it's head out in 8th grade when she presented a research paper on animal testing to her fellow classmates. It wasn't until years later, after becoming vegan and being put on the spot about her activism efforts, did Liz allow her inner activist to come through.  Today, she's a Marine Biologist by day and passionate, bad ass animal protector by night/weekend and everything in between.  A quick visit to her Instagram page will reveal her passion and efforts to educate and bring awareness to not only animal welfare, but also the environment, health and human rights. We've admired Liz for quite some time and was eager to sit down and learn her story.  It takes incredible strength to stick to your convictions despite constant harassment and ridicule.  Yet, Liz understands her mission is greater than herself and continues each day to fight for the voiceless and marginalized. This interview is honest, raw and powerful and we don't shy away from asking the questions you may be thinking. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Alex + Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

In South Florida, there are a number of vacant lots ripe for transformation and Asha Loring, founder of Health in the Hood Inc., had an idea of what she could turn them into. Inspired by a project her father, Marvin Dunn, created years ago named Roots in the City, Asha began taking empty lots and converting them into nourishing gardens in food deserts throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County. Since it’s origin, Health in the Hood Inc. has planted gardens in Liberty City, Opa-Locka, Overtown and Hallandale Beach. These communal gardens have essentially become classrooms and meeting areas where people can learn things such as how to plant food in their backyards, understand complicated nutrition labels as well as the many benefits of exercise. In addition to providing healthy fruits and veggies, Asha’s organization is also responsible for creating jobs which helps keep the gardens running. Health in the Hood Inc. excels in putting children on the path to healthy futures, giving parents valuable information and creating environments that support healthy choices. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette & Alex Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Music or TuneIn  

Five years ago, while Meena Jagannath was working with women in Haiti after the destructive Hurricane ravaged the island, an opportunity presented itself here in Miami.  Having never visited the city, she decided to take a chance and brought her expertise as a Human Rights lawyer and eventually co-founded the Community Justice Project, which is a group of community lawyers who represent community organizers and grassroots groups in low-income communities of color. She has been involved in such controversial and high profile cases such as the Michael Brown shooting and the tasering death of former Miami graffiti artist, Israel "Reefa" Hernandez-Llach. We spoke with Meena about the current state of affairs and challenges that are being faced from immigration to police authority and how the Community Justice Project plans to invite more people to the conversation through activism. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

When you throw something away, where is away? Six years ago, Dave Doebler found out the answer one afternoon on his kayak where he discovered 75 pounds of trash floating on the waters of Miami Beach. After wrangling his friends and family to help him clean up, he quickly realized that they either needed a bigger boat or more help. Eventually Dave and his wife Dara decided to create VolunteerCleanup.org, a free online resource which allows residents to lead and/or join a cleanup meetup to help rid the cities coastlines of the abundance of trash. Some of the most commonly found items in the water are single use plastic bottles, straws and cigarette butts (which are made from plastic and are not biodegradable). The trash is not only effecting the marine life (eating the plastic or being trapped by paper bags), and the oceans (acidity levels rising due to the plastic chemicals) but it’s also clogging our drains which prevent them from working properly which in turn contributes to the egregious flooding.  And as Miami is ground zero for sea level rise, this is a huge and immediate issue we should all be concerned about. We sat down with Dara and Dave to discuss how they got involved with these issues and why it’s become such a passionate cause for them, how their efforts have changed the way local businesses think of trash and their upcoming event, International Coastal Cleanup Day, which seeks to capture citizen science data to help tackle this enormous and growing problem. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes show notes, photos, videos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Carolina Pina is the Director of WIN Lab Miami - an eight month accelerator program for women entrepreneurs which helps them to grow sustainable ventures.  Originally launched in 2013 by Babson College in Massachusetts, the program expanded to Florida in 2016 where the first round of attendees just recently finished the program. Carolina studied Chemical Engineering in Venezuela and Industrial and Systems Engineering at FIU and attended graduate school at Rice University where she received her MBA.  She is an advisor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder of Ignitus - a consulting practice that helps organizations implement social impact initiatives After experiencing gender inequality early in her career she knew she wanted to get involved with helping to empower women to become entrepreneurs, shatter the glass ceiling and eliminate the disparity in pay that still exists between men and women.  Listen in to find out why Carolina is giving us all permission to fail. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube @plantedinmiami

After self-proclaimed native, Meg Daly, broke both of her elbows in a biking accident and was forced to slow down and smell the asphalt on her walking commute to physical therapy, she got a crazy idea.  Transform the unused space underneath the Metrorail into a 10 mile linear park, urban trail and living art destination called, The Underline.  You might say it's Miami's response or ode to New York's immensely popular, The High Line, flipped upside down. In this interview, we talk about who was the first person she told about her "crazy idea" and how she went from never having been involved in the community to overseeing a $120 million project and what the future holds for creative public spaces in Miami.  We are very excited about The Underline, the business opportunities and jobs it will create, the art and culture it will invite people to interact with and once you know more about this highly anticipated project, you will be too. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami    

When Chris Adamo left New York City with the love of his life five years ago and exchanged his muted, cold weather wardrobe for bright and colorful Jams World t-shirts, he didn't only want to look like a local, he wanted to live like one too. So he joined the folks at WhereBy.Us as the Director of Business Development. These folks are the creators of the very helpful and practical online resource for Miami locals, The New Tropic and other initiatives that help people connect and engage in their respective cities. We met up with Chris at the uber cool co-working space - CIC, where we learned all about his disconnected life in NY, how his wife completely changed the trajectory of his life and how his mission of connecting people to their cities has earned him the moniker, The Dot Connector. Hope you enjoy the convo. Jeanette + Alex Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero In the age of digital consumption and immediate gratification, Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books and Books is inviting Miami and beyond to slow things down by stepping into 'The Great Good Place,' in this case, one of his multiple landmark bookstores. A Miami native and lover of literature, Mitchell has devoted his life to providing the city with community spaces to engage and discover literature. Miami hasn't always had the best reputation for book lovers but through his persistence and the addition of the Miami Book Fair, the city is now on the map for authors and literary enthusiasts. We sat down with Mitchell to discuss his path to bookseller, how the store has stayed relevant in this digital era and how community and small businesses are the heart of any city.  It's a good one. We hope you enjoy. Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Since a very young age, Nathi Alarcon has been a go-getter.  She knew at 7 years old that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine and worked hard to achieve that goal.  What she wasn’t expecting was being derailed in college with an auto-immune disease that eventually changed the course of her life.  Her passionate nature took her down a path of healing and eventually lead her into the kitchen where she discovered the power and connection of food.   Today she is the co-owner of Fresh and Easy, the first cold-pressed juice bar and restaurant in Colombia as well as Cold Pressed Raw right here in Brickell. As if that wasn’t enough, she also teaches at the Matthew Kenney school on the weekends and is training for a half ironman. Talk about a go-getter! Nathi’s outlook on life is infectious and we hope you will be as inspired by her story and mission as we are. Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Here in Miami when you say the name, Frankie Ruiz, chances are it conjures up memories of the incredibly popular and late Puerto Rican salsa singer belting out, "Bailando"or another one of his many popular hits.  But to many in Miami's athletic circles, Frankie Ruiz is synonymous with the Miami Marathon which just celebrated its 15th year this past January.  Inspired by his father from a young age to run, he found it a great way to explore his hometown and as a sport he could always compete in. Looking to inspire his team of runners at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Frankie invited a 12 year old athlete and double amputee by the name of Rudy Garcia Tolson who had aspirations of running a marathon. This fortuitous meeting eventually set the wheels in motion for Frankie and his partners at the time to create a marathon in Miami that could stand toe to toe with other reputable races such as New York City and Chicago. Faced with Miami's bad reputation of being a hot, humid, and crime ridden city, many may have thought that a 26.2 road race through the streets of Miami was a bad idea, but Frankie and his team have worked hard to silence the naysayers and to prove to runners throughout the world that this isn't a marathon or (spinning) finisher's medal you want to miss. Frankie's involvement in the community is widespread and his desire to empower athletes of all levels to achieve their personal best is evident in the various groups he's involved in, including the 7 State Championships and 1 SE National Regional Nike NXN Title earned by the Belen Jesuit Cross Country Team which he has coached for the past 19 years. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest @plantedinmiami

Korin Sutton is a dedicated individual.  In high school, he started lifting weights and paying attention to his nutrition to get in shape (and to get girls).  He then joined the military to serve his country because the men in his life served honorably and he wanted to do the same.  And then in college, after hearing a lecture given by Gary Yourofsky about animal abuse and veganism, he was so affected that he decided he could no longer continue contributing to the cruelty and suffering of animals.  That lecture completely changed the trajectory of his life and he is now a fitness trainer and nutritionist, vegan activist and a competitive bodybuilder. We had a great conversation with Korin, getting to know what makes him tick and diving deeply into why he's so passionate about challenging the status quo in the bodybuilding field. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

The Messengers is a documentary by Chris Krimitsos, Niel Guilarte and Willie Harper, that tells the story of podcasting and the people behind this relatively new form of storytelling and digital media.  It follows and focuses on several podcasters as they tell their story of why they love podcasting, the growth podcasting has seen in recent years, and its future.  One of the podcasters featured is Miami local and Gamertag Radio (GTR) founder, Danny Peña.  (Episode 11) Danny recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of GTR at Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando, Florida where he delivered an extraordinary keynote that left us misty eyed and inspired.  He has that effect on people.  Today we speak to him about the film and his role in it which makes its Miami debut on May 5th at 7:30pm at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, videos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest @plantedinmiami

As a young boy growing up in Carol City, Chef Kofi probably never thought he would one day see the likes of Germany, Ghana, Afghanistan, and other countries ending in 'stan' and he probably never thought he would be jumping out of perfectly good airplanes either.  But leave it to the dreamers to defy beating the odds and overcoming obstacles that would otherwise thwart others from realizing their full potential.  Chef Kofi's potential?  The sky is the limit, but we think he may be gunning to be the dopest plant-based/I-tal chef the world has ever seen and to make Elemental Eating synonymous with his name. Now it's time to get to know Chef Kofi.  Boom! We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Pola Bunster is one of those rare Miami natives; you hear about them but they are difficult to come across as many more transplants claim The Magic City as their home.  And why wouldn’t they?  Miami has a plethora of beautiful beaches and beautiful people that frequent them, it’s always hot and sexy down here and you know, we have South Beach.  But Miami has so much more to offer than just its sunny beaches, oceans, and bikinis, and if anyone has seen their city grow up in the past 10 years or so it’s Pola Bunster – the Director of Storytelling at Prism Creative Group. Born, raised, and educated in Miami, Pola is a proud Miamian who along with Isabella Acker, founder of Prism Creative Group, and the rest of the Prism team, is changing the way locals see and interact with their city.  Responsible for over 20 different events including The Miami Flea, Movies Under the Stars, and Rooftop Unplugged, Prism Creative Group is helping Miami break free from its identity crisis and finally come into its own. This team of ardent “Culture Crusaders” is on a mission to elevate culture in Miami and to tell a story that won’t just be heard in Miami, but all over the world. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami

Before Natalie Davis’ son, Joshua graduated from high school she sat down with his guidance counselor discussing his next steps. She quickly realized that outside of traditional organizations helping autistic children transition to adulthood, there weren’t any social programs. So she created one. Natalie along with Dr. Maccarrone and Marte Singerman created The Social Cog which is a year long program that offers coaching, engagement and monthly meet ups for autistic adults.  Now in its 4th year, the Social Cog is celebrating it's anniversary with a charity event in May called Sensation at The Gleason Room. We had a great conversation with Natalie and hope you enjoy it. Alex + Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook @plantedinmiami

Sara Yousuf is a firecracker.  Through her tenacity and determination she opened one of Miami’s only vinyl stores, Sweat Records, and has co-founded two leading progressive social organizations: Emerge Miami and Engage Miami. Oh and did we mention that she’s also a public defender for Miami-Dade County (more on that later). After moving from Michigan to Miami to attend UM, Sara quickly realized her activist tendencies and sought to create organizations that could mobilize people to make real and effective changes in the community. Emerge Miami was created in 2005 with Bruce Wayne Stanley as a real life social network for people who wanted to make a difference. Engage Miami was created in 2015 as an official not-for-profit targeted to increase youth voter turnout through various campaigns and initiatives. But Sara hasn’t stopped there, after attending an Action Club meeting at The Lab in Wynwood, she was asked to write down 150 life goals which led her to realize that by her continuing to practice law wouldn’t get her to where she wanted to be in life.  So she’s now on a 6 month sabbatical pursuing other interests such as The Plantain, which is a satirical website specifically dedicated to Miami as well as working on other interests. Sit back, put on some headphones and enjoy the convo. We hope you enjoy listening, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube @plantedinmiami

According to Felecia Hatcher-Pearson's high school guidance counselor, she shouldn't be the person she is today.  She was an average student who never enjoyed school but nonetheless discovered her entrepreneurial spirit early on. Felecia has gone on to become a White House award-winning social entrepreneur, business rainmaker, author, globally sought-after speaker, media darling, mother, and co-founder of Code Fever Miami and BlackTech Week. In short, she's a go-getter.  She started running her first company out of her college dorm room at Lynn University at age 19 by teaching "C" students how they could apply and earn scholarships to go to college.  She worked in experiential marketing for years with popular and well known brands such as Walgreens and Nintendo which proved to be helpful when she created Feverish  - a high-end popsicle company that infused flavors adults would love.  And she started these companies not because she was an expert in those fields (she knew nothing about the food industry when she started Feverish) but because the entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on approach was always inside of her. But that doesn't mean that success came easy.  There were a lot of tough times and failure that preceded all the success she enjoys today and it was hard work.  And although she may not have had all the experience or resources when she first started, as she so truthfully put it, it's about "getting creative with limited resources." She documents her best tips and strategies in her book 'Start Your Business On A Ramen Noodle Budget- 12 Lessons on Becoming a Young Entrepreneur When You Are Broke' in an easy, fast, and fun narrative which we enjoyed reading and highlighting several passages from. She is someone we could all learn a thing or two from even if you never plan on becoming an entrepreneur.  Whatever it is you wish to achieve in life, remember this powerful statement from Felecia - "Get out of your own way." We hope you enjoy listening, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook @plantedinmiami

Deborah Rosenberg has always loved animals, so after learning about the atrocities occurring in various animal industries, she quickly turned her successful luxury interior design business, DiMare Design, into a cruelty-free/vegan design brand by replacing animal derived products with sustainable alternative materials. Not only is DiMare Design cruelty-free, it is also a compassionate brand capable of designing beautiful spaces with the needs of allergy sufferers and those with autism and sensory challenges in mind.  After learning so much about the various industries and how it adversely affects not only animals, but the workers making these products and our environment,  Deborah set out to create a platform where others could learn what she did and help turn their businesses cruelty-free. The mission of the Certified Cruelty Free Course is that through demonstration and education, from individuals and small business to large corporations, cruelty-free options will deliver success within their company and in saving the lives of animals.  With 120 million socially conscious consumers out there we hope that more businesses will start joining this cruelty-free and environmentally sustainable movement. We hope you enjoy listening, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest @plantedinmiami

The Thx Company, founded by brothers Ricardo Jose and Ricardo Juan Bueso, is turning the typical way companies sell consumers goods upside down. Inspired by their socially minded father to always do good and give back, Thx Co. was founded in 2013 and first headquartered in their parents living room in Pembroke Pines, Florida.  With backgrounds in social development and degrees in Political Science and International Relations and Investment Banking, the Bueso brothers, alongside their team of creative wizards have created a company that any father would be proud of.  And they've given their consumers the power to give back and do good, just as their father instilled in them. When you make the choice to purchase from The Thx Co., you're not only receiving a high quality, sustainably sourced product without a retail and profit markup, you are donating the savings of your purchase to your choice of over 1.8 million non-profits.  Whether it's the environment,, or animals, education, the arts, children, or health that you care about, there is an organization that you will be helping with every purchase you make from The Thx Co. It was a pleasure speaking with Ricardo Jose and about his socially conscious enterprise and if you are interested in donating to their Kickstarter program so they can bring this amazing concept to the masses, click here. We hope you enjoy listening, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @plantedinmiami

Jules Aron wants to change your perception of what healthy tastes like. With the release of her book, Zen and Tonic: Savory and Fresh Cocktails for the Enlightened Drinker, you’ll be infusing superfoods into your cocktails in no time to make delicious, healthy, restorative drinks for you and your friends. Jules grew up in Montreal and moved to New York for an internship she got at a magazine called Paper. It wasn’t long thereafter that she realized that the magazine publishing business wasn’t for her. Influenced by her bartending father who would make her herbal, plant-based tea infusions to strengthen her immune system when she was a kid, she soon got the knack for bartending which helped put her through school at NYU. During this time she also started to develop an interest in health and wellness and received a certification in health coaching. It wasn’t until she detached herself from the noisy streets of New York City and found quiet in a cabin in upstate New York that she got the idea for Zen and Tonic. With both savory and sweet recipes, this book is one you’ll want to leave out on your coffee table. Beautiful photos accompany each recipe and many include great nuggets of information on superfoods and tips even a seasoned mixologist can appreciate. We love how thoughtfully this book was put together and it was a pleasure speaking to the creative mind behind it all.  We are looking forward to Jules's next book which will be about simple, delicious, plant-based vegan cheese recipes!  Yes, please. We hope you enjoy the interview, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @plantedinmiami

Loren Pulitzer understands how powerful food can be. It can provide nourishment to the body and soul, heal the sick and ailing, and bring people together. After being diagnosed with Lupus, Loren’s health journey has connected her intimately with what she puts on her plate and she’s made it her life’s work to show others the importance of food. With a degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in Hotel Restaurant Management and a degree in Pastry Arts, Loren founded Simply Sharon’s – a vegan/gluten free dessert company and works as a personal chef to help her clients eat healthier and wholesome food. When she’s not busy in the kitchen, Loren is helping artists make their dreams come true with Feast Miami which she co-founded with Susan Caraballo. As winners of a Knights Art Foundation grant, Feast Miami’s mission is to raise money for local artists and local art spaces by providing plant-based, family style dinners and brunches where money raised from the event is awarded to the best project as voted by the attendees. With help from the Knight Foundation grant and Whole Foods Market, Susan and Loren have put on seven Feast events and are helping bring awareness to local artists here in Miami. With their eighth event slated for December 18th, Feast continues to give back to the community while at the same time exposing the many participants to delicious plant-based offerings. Loren’s smile and laughter are contagious and we’re happy to welcome her to the ever growing Planted in Miami family. We hope you enjoy the show, Alex & Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit our website at www.plantedinmiami.com. 

Sometimes life deals people a bad hand and foster children are just one of many people to get the short end of the stick.  Being moved around from home to home, to different foster parents, and being separated from your siblings and parents isn’t what growing up should feel like for kids but for many this is their reality.  Not having a stable home and family support system to go back to at the end of the day has its set of challenges and many children miss out on opportunities in their lives to advance themselves and break free from an upbringing that they didn’t necessarily choose. But thanks to selfless people like Steve Rios from Florida Reach, former foster child, Racquell ‘Rocky’ Perry, are given the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. Florida Reach helps foster children achieve a dream of higher education by mentoring and guiding them to the state programs available such as  free tuition and gratuitous monthly living stipends to help them on their journey on becoming the best versions of themselves.  Along with Educate Tomorrow, Florida Reach and the many people involved in these great organizations are helping make education attainable for foster children and many other disenfranchised kids in Florida. Rocky is just one of the many success stories of these programs.  She dealt with a lot of adversity growing up but she didn’t want to fall victim to the system and become another statistic.  Through a fortunate encounter with Steve Rios, Rocky began a journey in her life that led her to graduating from FAMU and now she is Racquell Perry, J.D.  That’s right, an attorney! Now Rocky has the tools she needs to give back to her community and help the children in the system she grew up in reach their goals.  That’s called coming full circle. It was a pleasure meeting Rocky and Steve and learning about foster children, their struggles, and the dedicated people and programs in place to help them succeed in life. We hope you enjoy listening, Alex & Jeanette Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com.

“I had to go to war to find peace.” – Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga For many, joining the military is a way of making a better life for themselves and their families.  Putting on the uniform and representing this country is an incredibly noble, selfless, and heroic job that comes with its set of challenges and uncertainties.  Soldiers return to civilian life changed forever with limited resources or outlets where they can express what they saw and experienced in-country.  But for four combat veterans from Miami, the MDC Live Arts’ season-long veterans’ initiative was the impetus for the creation of The Combat Hippies.  Led by world renowned theater artist and director Teo Castellanos, The Combat Hippies consist of Hipolito ‘Beardman’ Arriaga, Anthony ‘I.E.D.’ Torres, Allen ‘Tatsel’ Minor, and Andrew ‘Dru Phoenix’ Cuthbert.  Backed by a soundtrack courtesy of local DJ Brimstone 127, The Combat Hippies show, “Conscience Under Fire” is heralded as a raw, funny, and honest look at what coming home from war feels like for four young combat veterans as they broach the subject of Post Traumatic Growth, a term coined by psychologists Richard G. Tedeschi and Lawrence G. Calhoun at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the mid 90’s. These artists joined forces through the MDC Live Arts’ creative writing workshop for veterans’ in which they shared their experiences in an original spoken word piece, but Teo Castellano saw the immense potential of taking their words from the page to the stage.  Perhaps scarier than combat itself, these four wordsmiths summoned up the courage to step on stage for the first time and open their souls to an audience full of strangers to perform together at the Betsy Hotel Lounge.  Since then, The Combat Hippies have performed “Conscience Under Fire” multiple times, have become resident artists at the MDC Live Arts, and have been selected as finalists for a possible grant by the Knight Foundation.  (We’re rooting for you!) It was a pleasure meeting these fine thespians at the beginning of their promising careers and we have a feeling they’re in for the long haul.  We want to thank Anthony and Hipolito for opening up to us and sharing their story so honestly with us.  Welcome to the Planted in Miami family. We hope you enjoy the show, Alex & Jeanette For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @plantedinmiami