rEvolutionary Woman

Isabella “Bella” Hughes is a repeat founder, mentor, and angel investor with experience spanning the arts, entrepreneurship, and emerging CPG. Born and raised in Honolulu, she splits her time between Austin and Hilo. Currently, she's the chief revenue officer and co-founder of Better Sour, a globally inspired sour candy brand founded with her lifelong best friend. She also co-founded Hawaiʻi Contemporary and Shaka Tea, and most recently was honored by Inc. Magazine as one of 2025's Female Founders 500. Social: www.bettersour.com  @eatbettersour

Marivir R. Montebon is a New York-based journalist who runs her media company Awesome Media, Ltd. In 2012, she established the online magazine OSM! (awesome!) together with her daughter, Leani Alnica Auxilio. In 2022, she produced Conversations with MM, a digital talk show, on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook platforms. Marivir was president of the FilAm Press Club of NY in 2018 and 2019. She set up a 501 (c) (3) non-profit in 2018 called Women's Immigration and Communications Cafe (WICCAFE). It has a project arm called Women & Media (WAM), a collaborative platform for women and communities to amplify their voices and actions. Marivir was a media fellow for Montclair University's Cooperative Media Program for COVID-19 Reporting in 2020 and a member of the Theta Alpha Kappa honor society. She finished her Doctoral Studies, with distinction, in May 2024 at the HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership in New York City with a focus on Peace and Public Leadership. Her doctoral research is titled: Bridging the Political Divide of US Immigration Reporting through Transformative Journalism. She is currently a United Nations representative for the Women's Federation for World Peace International (WFWP), a global women's organization with a Consultative Status with the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Marie Montebon - Instagram Marivir Montebon - Facebook Marivir Montebon - LinkedIn

Aayusha Prasain is a dynamic leader with over a decade of experience in strategic planning, community development, and responsible tourism. As the CEO of Community Homestay Network, she has been instrumental in scaling community tourism across Nepal and building/strengthening partnerships for sustainable impact. Her expertise spans leadership development, youth engagement, research on gender, and women's economic empowerment. With a Master's in International Development from Nagoya University, Japan, her work is deeply rooted in rural and regional development. Her thesis on women-led micro-enterprises highlights her commitment to creating equitable economic opportunities. Throughout her career, Aayusha has been recognized for her contributions to research and community development. Social Media Handles: Community Homestay Network (website): https://communityhomestay.com/ Community Homestay Network (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/communityhomestaynetwork?igsh=YWdia3U5MWhieDN2 Community Homestay Network (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/company/13353695/admin/dashboard/ LinkedIn (Mine): https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayusha-prasain/

During her term as 20th Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia (2020-22), Emerita, the Academy of American Poets awarded Luisa A. Igloria one of twenty-three Poet Laureate Fellowships in 2021, to support a program of public poetry projects. She is the recipient of the Immigrant Writing Series Prize from Black Lawrence Press for Caulbearer (2024), and was one of 2 Co-Winners of the 2019 Crab Orchard Poetry Prize for Maps for Migrants and Ghosts (Southern Illinois University Press, fall 2020). In April 2021, the Writers Union of the Philippines (UMPIL) conferred on her the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas lifetime achievement award in the English poetry category. In 2015, she was the inaugural winner of the Resurgence Prize (UK), the world's first major award for ecopoetry, selected by former UK Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion, Alice Oswald, and Jo Shapcott. Former US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey selected her chapbook What is Left of Wings, I Ask as the 2018 recipient of the Center for the Book Arts Letterpress Poetry Chapbook Prize. Other works include The Buddha Wonders if She is Having a Mid-Life Crisis (Phoenicia Publishing, Montreal, 2018), Ode to the Heart Smaller than a Pencil Eraser (2014 May Swenson Prize, Utah State University Press), and 10 other books. She is lead editor, along with co-editors Aileen Cassinetto and Jeremy S. Hoffman, of Dear Human at the Edge of Time: Poems on Climate Change in the United States (Paloma Press, September 2023). Her poems are widely published or appearing in national and international anthologies, and print and online literary journals including The Georgia Review, Orion, Shenandoah, Cincinnati Review, The Common, Indiana Review, Crab Orchard Review, Diode, Missouri Review, Rattle, Poetry East, Your Impossible Voice, Poetry, Shanghai Literary Review, Cha, and others. Luisa served as the inaugural Glasgow Visiting Writer in Residence at Washington and Lee University in 2018. Luisa also leads workshops at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk (and serves on the Muse Board). She is a Louis I. Jaffe Professor and University Professor of English and Creative Writing, and a member of the core faculty of the MFA Creative Writing Program at Old Dominion University, which she directed from 2009-2015. Since 2010, she has been writing (at least) a poem a day. www.luisaigloria.com Social Media: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VAPoetLaureate2020 Instagram @poetslizard X/Twitter @ThePoetsLizard https://linktr.ee/thepoetslizard

Beth Santos is an author, storyteller, and keynote speaker on a mission to better connect and support women travelers and share the stories of diverse women worldwide. With a background in international development, thoughtful community building, and social enterprise, Beth Santos is out to change the landscape of travel for women worldwide. In 2009, while cruising her blue motorcycle through the streets of São Tomé and Príncipe, Beth created the first iteration of Wanderful as a travel blog aimed to explore the diverse and shared experiences of women traveling the world. Today, Wanderful has exploded to an international community and social network with the active participation of over 40,000 women and gender-diverse people of all ages and backgrounds. This is manifested through an active membership community, chapter events in over 50 global cities worldwide, and annual community events and trips. Beth is the author of Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo, published in March 2024. The book helps women to uncover the confidence they need to see the world for themselves, by themselves. In 2022, she launched the 85 Percent Podcast, which interviews accomplished women in travel and tourism and tells their stories of success — and their advice for a more inclusive travel industry. Beth is in the process of filming episodes of World Herstory, a travel docuseries highlighting food, culture, and history through the eyes of women around the world. In 2014, Beth created the WITS Travel Creator Summit, the leading event for women and gender diverse travel creators, entrepreneurs, and industry to use their voices to champion change in the travel industry, now hosted annually on two continents. In 2022, Wanderful launched Wanderfest, the first major outdoor travel festival by and for women, hailed by Fodor's Travel as the new festival to add to your radar. Beth's commitment to community building also reaches her local neighborhood of Jamaica Plain in Boston, where she and her husband are the owners of Ula Cafe, a social-justice-minded cafe, bakery, and lunchtime meeting spot. Beth has been recognized in Business Insider as one of 17 changemakers transforming the hospitality industry, in Conde Nast Traveller as one of 12 inspiring people to follow for International Women's Day, She was a finalist for Travel Unity's Applied DEI Award and a finalist for Women in Travel CIC's IWTTF award in the female leader-entrepreneur category in 2024. In 2023, Beth was recognized by the International Hospitality Institute as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Global Hospitality and Travel, alongside leaders like Airbnb's Brian Cheskey, Skift's Rafat Ali, and PBS's Samantha Brown. She has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA from Wellesley College. When she's not traveling the world, she's relishing in home renovation projects and exploring her home city of Boston with her family. To learn more about Beth Santos: Website: https://bethsantos.com/ https://sheswanderful.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/maximumbeth/?hl=en IG: https://www.instagram.com/sheswanderful/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santosbeth/

Ida Tin is the Danish visionary co-founder and former CEO of Clue, the most trusted menstrual cycle health app used by more than twelve million active users in over 190 countries. Ida created the term “femtech” in 2016 and is the founder of Femtech Assembly, a think tank to articulate the link between Femtech, economy and planetary health. Prior to starting Clue, Ida led motorcycle tours around the world for five years in the motorcycle touring company MotoMundo she co-founded with her dad. She guided tours in Mongolia, Cuba and Vietnam amongst other destinations. The travel adventures on her motorcycle led Ida to write her book, Directress, which was published in 2009. She is now working on a new book about Femtech and is an active voice in the Femtech space. To learn more about Ida Tin, Clue and Femtech Assembly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idatin/

Erene Henninger, an immigrant from the Philippines, moved to the United States in 2007. She met her husband Brantley in 2009 and welcomed their daughter Noëlle in 2016. Erene not only has a passion for coffee but more importantly, she has a passion for people. In 2019, they were looking for potential properties to purchase that could be split-use commercial and residential. They looked in places like Suffolk and Chesapeake, but never really found a perfect fit. Then 2020 hit and brought with it Covid-19. Opening a coffee shop was not a wise decision at the time, but she still wanted to pursue a coffee business, even if she had to start from home. During quarantine days in 2020, when everyone was working from home, she wished for someone to deliver coffee to her. That's when she realized she can deliver coffee to people! She experimented with cold brew coffee and eventually came up with 30+ flavors. Project Seed Coffee Cold Brew was being sold online for delivery and also at farmers' markets. What started as a cold brew delivery service has gone full scale to a brick and mortar shop in April 2024. Located in the heart of Kempsville, Virginia Beach, Project Seed Coffee offers Filipino inspired coffee and pastries while focusing on building a collaborative community. To learn more about Erene Henninger and Project Seed Coffee: IG, Facebook, Tiktok: @projectseedcoffee

Cacie Robichaux was born in Louisiana and has been living in Wisconsin since 2009. Cacie received her bachelors, worked for a hot minute then started a family and decided to be a stay at home mom for several years. She decided to go back to school where she received her second degree: an associate of software development. Her second degree led her to a career as a Scrum Master. Cacie is a facilitator who leads a team using the Scrum framework for agile project management. Scrum masters help their teams implement Scrum principles and practices, and coach them on how to improve their workflows. To Cacie, building solid relationships and a sense of psychological safety in the work place is very important. She likes to be a multipurpose person and help out wherever needed. Cacie is a mother of three daughters and very active in their lives coaching sports and ubering them around to lots of activities. She doesn't have to ever worry about meeting her favorite athletes because she gets to raise her own. Cacie loves a good physical challenge. She completed RAGBRAI in 2024, which is a bike ride across Iowa. She also plans to run a half marathon in Wisconsin this spring. In addition, Cacie and her daughters are volunteering at Hope Heals Camp, a camp for individuals affected by disabilities and their families. They would like to raise funds in order for campers to attend for free. To learn more about Hope Heals Camp, go to hopeheals.com/camp or click on the link below: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/hhc2025/account/1947341/ She's an introvert, and gets her energy from reading a book in her basement. She loves Malcolm Gladwell, Brene Brown, Simon Sinek and Adam Grant. To find out more about Cacie Robichaux: LinkedIn: Cacie Robichaux

Dr. Patricia Wright is a scientist and distinguished professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook University, NY. She has received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Award) and three medals of honor from the Malagasy government. In 2014 she was the first woman to win the Indianapolis Prize for Animal Conservation (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in Conservation). Dr. Wright is the Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook University's Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Centre ValBio, a research and training center in Ranomafana, Madagascar. After discovering a new species(spee-sheez) of lemur in 1986, she helped establish its habitat as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She continues to lead research expedition to remote places in Madagascar which make valuable contributions to science. Dr. Wright has published over 200 scientific papers, authored four books and has given hundreds of lectures to museums, universities and societies throughout the US and Europe. Her research and accomplishments have been featured in the award-winning documentary IMAX/Warner Brothers film “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” narrated by Morgan Freeman, and most recently the documentary, “Ivohiboro(eev-wee-bore) - the lost forest”, which premiered in France in the fall of 2024. To learn more about Dr. Patricia Wright: https://www.instagram.com/patcwright/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-wright-5a15889/ To learn more about Centre Val Bio: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/centre-valbio/ https://www.instagram.com/centrevalbio/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy-ibXFhKs-UOpSlyKROj7A/videos https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-valbio/

Erin Schnabel (@ebullientworks) is a Distinguished Engineer at Red Hat and a Java Champion with over 25 years of experience as a developer, technical leader, architect, and advocate. Erin prefers being up to her elbows in code. She learns and teaches through practical (and occasionally ridiculous) application, focusing on automation and developer experience. As Chairperson of the Commonhaus Foundation, she is building tools to automate all the things, wielding Java and TypeScript with equal enthusiasm. To learn more about Erin Schnabel: Mastodon: https://hachyderm.io/@ebullient Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ebullient.dev LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinschnabel/ Discord: ebullientworks

Naomi Waring started out writing for the theatre and was part of the young writer's program at the Royal Court, an invite-only group with Stacy Gregg and Alice Birch with her first play showing at London's BAC. Her first film Little Ones, an autobiographical documentary was supported by Film London and the Kevin Spacey Foundation and went to various international festivals. She holds an MA degree from the London Film School and her graduation film won best short film and screened at top BAFTA and Oscar qualifying festivals. Her work is usually set in working-class communities and is influenced by social realism, with a particular interest in youth culture and the female perspective. In 2019 Naomi was selected for Bela Tarr's directing workshop, where she developed and shot the film Ascend, The film got screened at Locarno Film Festival as part of the anthology Under the God. She was also selected for the Encounters Widening the Lens and Go Shorts writing program as well as mentoring by Raising Films in 2016 at The Edinburgh Film Festival. In 2020 Naomi was commissioned by BBC N.I and Screen N.I to shoot a short film, Ode, which was screened on BBC Arts, BBC Iplayer, and various international film festivals, such as Aesthetica, Dublin Film Festival, Uppsala, and Underwire. She is currently shadowing director, Alex Winkler on the HETV series Mary and George. Naomi is currently developing her debut feature film: which was shortlisted for the Torino Script Lab and LIM. Naomi is a visiting lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and GSA teaching screen Acting on the BA acting course. Other clients include Hatch Films, The Paper Birds, The Round House, The Lyric Hammersmith, and ISSA. Her Films have screened at BBC I Player, Dublin Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival, Galway Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, Manchester International Film Festival, Underwire, Aesthetica, Locarno Film Festival, Kerry International Film Festival, Richard Harris International Film Festival, Shiny winner, Off Line Best International Short, Finalist European Cinematography Awards.

Lisa Pulitzer is an American author and journalist. Pulitzer is a former correspondent for The New York Times. She has written and/or collaborated on more than 55 non- fiction books, many of them topping The New York Times Best Seller list. In her capacity as collaborator, she has worked on the memoirs of many high-profile personalities, from prosecutors to judges to celebrities. Of particular note are her collaborations with people who have escaped fundamentalist religion, including Jenna Miscavige Hill the former Scientologist, Lauren Drain the ex-member of Westboro Baptist Church and Elissa Wall who wrote about her experiences after leaving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Pulitzer left journalism in 1998 to concentrate on writing books. She also works as a writing mentor/book doctor. Pulitzer currently teaches at Long Island University's Hutton House Lecture Series. She also runs private and semi-private writing classes in person and via Zoom. To learn more about Lisa Pulitzer: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulitzerlisa/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pulitzerlisa

Chef Ayse Ozlem Oguzcan-Cranston, also known as Chef Oz was born in Eskisehir Turkiye, but was raised in Brooklyn, New York. Chef Oz found her love of cooking at an early age, watching her Mother make meals for her family while growing up in Brooklyn. It was this love of cooking that inspired her to enter culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. After finishing her education at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, Ozlem decided to work at Abigail Kirsch Catering from 2007-2012. In 2014, Ozlem decided to open her own catering business and decided to cater in the tri-state area. When Ozlem and her husband moved to Kingston, NY, she got the opportunity to take over a brick and mortar restaurant and she opened Masa Midtown in March 2020 as a catering and events venue. When Covid hit, she pivoted her business to do takeout, but eventually opened to the public after the positive response from the community. Currently, Masa Midtown is open as a restaurant and catering business with Chef Oz at the helm. Chef Oz resides in Kingston with her husband, Bill Cranston, and her kitty. To learn more about Chef Oz and Masa Midtown: IG: masa-midtown

Named as an “Architect of Change” by Maria Shriver, Sara Hirsh Bordo is a 15x award-winning filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Women Rising®, listed as "One of the Most Innovative, Interesting, and Purpose-Driven Women Led Startups to Watch” by Inc Magazine. Women Rising® began in 2013 with Sara directing and producing the first TEDxAustinWomen which became the year's most live and on-demand viewed TEDxWomen event around the world. Sara's film directorial debut, A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY premiered and won the 2015 Audience Award at SXSW and won awards at all eleven festivals played, received two WEBBY Awards, and secured global distribution via National Geographic, LifetimeTV, Amazon Prime, and iTunes. In 2017, Sara's second film, PROTECT HER, was a first-of-its-kind project, aimed at protecting girls on campus by activating the power of the schools' male athletes and was acquired by Amazon Prime. In 2018, Sara executive produced the animated short TIGHTLY WOUND, which played 25 film festivals worldwide, was acquired by Condé Nast and most recently executive produced the five-time award-winning documentary about deaf access to entertainment, SIGN THE SHOW, acquired by Apple+. She has directed and produced Prevention Magazine's Health and Wellness Summit, The Women's March of Texas, which became the largest gathering of women in Texas history, followed by the Official Women in Football Weekend at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, as well as executive produced March for Our Lives NYC, and directed The United State of Women Summit at the Shrine in Los Angeles, keynoted by Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Currently executive producer of SXSW Community Award-winning ConnectHer International Film Festival and consulting director for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-sponsored, ConnectHer Pitch Fest, Sara has written and directed national short films and award-winning campaigns for clients like TOYOTA, ESPN, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Marvel, Farmhouse Fresh Goods, and University of Texas at Austin's NIKE 360, as well as consulted on many Hollywood film marketing campaigns including Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman franchise and Sony/Marvel's blockbuster Madame Web. In 2024, Sara and Women Rising released the findings of “Autoimmunity and the ‘Good‘ Girls,” the first sociological survey exploring the intersection of empowerment and autoimmunity in American women. The research has been featured by Psychology Today, is being used as curriculum for graduate school, and Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States, stated, “We are fortunate that Sara has taken this exploration on to inform us all on these gender dynamics of empowerment and health.” Her first book “Autoimmunity and the ‘Good‘ Girls: How the Power to Put Yourself First Can Keep You Well,” sold at auction in a worldwide deal to HarperOne/Harper Collins in August 2024 for release in 2026. Sara and her work have been featured in the books I Am That Girl and The Feminine Revolution, is a member of the Producer's Guild of America and a three-time Juror for Best Documentary. An invited delegate to TED Women, the United Nations Media Day, the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit, and The Obama White House's Champions of Change Summit, Sara has been nominated twice for Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur, and is a member of the Global Wellness Institute Women in Leadership Committee. She has spoken about her creative work and activism at Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, the Air Force Academy, Women in Film, The Associated Press, and SXSW. Sara and Women Rising's work have been featured in Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Bustle, The Washington Post, Women.com, NPR, Fortune, Variety, Women and Hollywood, TCU Magazine, Tri Delta Magazine, Austin Woman Magazine, People, The New York Times, Women to Watch, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. She previously held positions in media and entertainment, including Executive Director of Interactive Marketing at Paramount Pictures, VP of Digital Marketing at MGM Studios, and CEO and Co-Founder of NowLive, which was acquired by Live Media Group. Sara lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is Aunt Sissy to 11 nieces and nephews, and Fairy Godmother Sara to three godchildren. To learn more about Sara Hirsh Bordo, her films and Women Rising: Instagram: @sarahirshbordo Facebook and LinkedIn: Sara Hirsh Bordo

Born in Brazil and living in the US since 2003, Simone Bueno is a multi-talented filmmaker and web developer who brings over 25 years of experience to her passion for empowering stories. As a mother of two, she understands the unique challenges faced by moms and small business owners seeking to connect with their audience. Simone's journey in the film industry, spanning various roles from pre-production to color grading, led her to discover her passion for training others on on-camera presence and video creation. Through personalized sessions, she helps individuals overcome self-doubt and build confidence, enabling them to share their stories authentically and effectively. Simone's extensive background in web development, including the creation of online courses and user guides, further enhances her ability to tailor her teachings to beginners. To learn more about Simone Bueno:: https://simonemony.com https://linkedin.com/in/simonedbueno https://youtube.com/@IamSimoneMony https://instagram.com/iamsimonemony https://facebook.com/iamsimonemony

Fatima-Tuj-Johora is an independent visual journalist and a National Geographic Explorer based in Bangladesh. Her passion is to produce artistic visuals that include information about stories of daily life, children's and women's rights, and environmental rights. She conveys significant facts about the human experience in intimate and engaging storytelling. Her works concentrate on the effects, consequences, and adaptation of global climate change that relate to natural phenomena and human experiences. Despite having a degree in biological science, Fatima chose to pursue a career in photography because, to her, photography is all about empathy: it fosters closeness and understanding while addressing contemporary social issues like injustice, abuses of human rights, and our adverse relationship with the environment. She has worked as a contributing photographer at Reuters and ZUMA Press. Her images have been published in The Guardian, Liberation, The Courier, Avax News, Hindustan Times, and many others. Portfolio website: www.fatimatujjohora.com Instagram: @fatimatujjohora

Yelba Zoe McCourt was born in La Ceiba, Honduras and arrived in the US as a toddler. She grew up in New York City. She attributes her diverse upbringing with her ability to portray different characters and her facility with accents. She is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Barnard College, Columbia University in New York City. She studied acting and graduated from the American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. Early on in her career she performed sketch comedy and improv in the West Village. Her television credits includes:Sesame Street, House of Buggin', Law & Order, First Time Out, Riot, Walker Texas Ranger, Local Heroes, Fired Up, Tracey Takes On, Diagnosis Murder, Moesha, On Common Ground, No Mother's Crying, No Babies Dying, Strong Medicine, The Mind of a Married Man, Hollywood 7, ER, For the People, and Kingpin. Her film credits include:Carlito's Way, No Exit, Slings & Arrows, The Pest, Ghetto Rhapsody, Road Dogz, King Rikki, Hustlas, Frozen Stars, Shut Up and Kiss Me! Valentina's Tango, and Griot's Lament. In 2015 she graduated from UCLA with a Masters of Science degree in Nursing. She most recently wrote and performed in “Where Y'All From?” a solo play directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson at Solofest 2024. Her solo show will preview at the Hollywood Fringe Festival on June 6 at 8:15 pm at the Zephyr Theatre. To learn more about Yelba Zoe McCourt and her show “Where Y'All From: https://yelbazoe.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/YelbaZoeMcCourt https://www.instagram.com/yzmccourt/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/yelbazoemccourt/?trk=opento_sprofile_details https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0652205/

Lauren Valbert is a person who has "reinvented herself" several times. She has founded her own company twice, been a global marketing communications professional for tech companies for many years, developed innovation programs for corporate clients, and has been working with start-ups and scale-ups for more than two decades. In the newest chapter of her life, she has started her own training company, Training 2.0, to help people raise their game, whether that is in professional or personal life. She is also a seasoned podcast and event host, panel moderator, webinar facilitator, and workshop leader. Her personal passion is to increase the representation of marginalized people on stage and in media, as "presentation is representation". She has recently published a book called "Imposter", which helps readers identify and overcome Imposter Syndrome, and to identify their own particular "Imposter Persona". To learn more about Lauren Valbert: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenvalbert/

Gabrielle Senza is a multidisciplinary artist with a deep commitment to fostering a culture of compassion and fearlessness. Through audience-participatory installations, performances, and workshops, she encourages critical engagement and dialogue about unseen societal and environmental forces. Her artistic practice focuses on illuminating the invisible and unheard aspects of our world, bridging gaps in understanding through visual and performance art. Senza exhibits, lectures, and performs internationally, and her work is represented in corporate, public, and private collections around the globe, including MoMA New York, the Whitney Museum, and Lifetime Entertainment among them. With a specific focus on creative engagement for social and environmental change, her projects are often showcased in a variety of settings, from museums and galleries to public spaces and international symposia. Senza's notable projects, such as The Long Slow Crawl, The Collaborative Scroll, Walk Unafraid, Terra Temporalis, and the InVisibility Lab, underscore her role as a creative researcher engaging international audiences through experimental events. Her most recent endeavor, Antarctica Temporalis, blends ephemeral art, mystical trance performances and inspiring climate narratives, encouraging individuals across generations to participate in a joy-filled climate movement. An MFA graduate from Transart Institute and a ZK/U-Berlin Fellow, Senza has received several awards, grants, and artist residencies. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Walk Unafraid, a nonprofit organization that champions creative activism and supports under-represented and under-resourced artists, particularly from BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. Based in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts for over 35 years, Senza continues to devote time and resources to protecting the environment and building a world where everyone is seen, heard and celebrated. To learn more about Gabrielle Senza: FB/IG: @gabriellesenzastudio @invisibilitylab @wewalkunafraid @antarcticatemporalis @terra.luna.loves.you Websites: gabriellesenza.com walkunafraid.org. invisibilitylab.com

April is Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month, To speak about this subject, my guest this week is Barb Jordan - Personal Safety Expert. Barb has been featured as a Personal Safety Expert on ABC Good Morning and ABC News-Los Angeles, NBC News-Nashville and Houston, as well as on CBS-Inside Edition. Barb has traveled the world as an elite athlete, coach, broadcaster, and instructor. Barb is a former collegiate 3X All American, 3X National Champion and 7X Gold Medalist as a USA Softball Team member and Coach.

Sarita Covington is a social entrepreneur, the founder of Upper Manhattan Forest Kids, a multi-disciplinary artist, and a racial justice organizer from Harlem. She holds an MFA from Yale and co-founded ACRE (Artists Co-Creating Real Equity), an organizing body of artists and cultural workers committed to undoing racism within arts and culture work. In 2016, she launched Upper Manhattan Forest Kids, a business that leads outdoor classes based on the Danish Forest School model for children up to ten years old. She uses New York City's public parks as a classroom to learn about the world and build relationships with our natural ecosystems. The work intends to expand the culture of urban forest schooling through class curricula and related products that inspire urban families, and support the next generation to be thoughtful stewards of the Earth, living in the right relationship with nature. Her work has received support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Open Meadows Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, and the Jerome Foundation. Sarita has taught and facilitated within various communities, including the inmates at the Fishkill Correctional Facility and Yale University. To learn more about Sarita Covington and Upper Manhattan Forest Kids: IG - https://www.instagram.com/uppermanhattanforestkids/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uppermanhattanforestkids X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/UMFK8/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/uppermanhattan

Naomi Mellor is a multi-faceted and multi-talented podcast host and producer, entrepreneur and veterinarian. Since starting her first podcast, Smashing the Ceiling, she has hosted and produced multiple successful shows, with clients including Nestlé and Closer Still Media.  She is the founder of The Skylark Collective, first European-based community for women and people of marginalized … Naomi Mellor – Founder of The Skylark Collective & International Women’s Podcast Awards; Co-Founder of Everybody Media Read More »

Richa Wahi is a storyteller at heart. She weaves captivating narratives that leave a lasting impact not only on hearts but also on businesses. Through the art of storytelling, she helps people tell better stories and win with narratives. She knew that she had a gift for writing  stories when she  won her first prize … Richa Wahi – Business Storyteller and Content Writer Read More »

Rebecca Bender is an Award-Winning Marketing Strategist, and founder of Little Bug and RAB Marketing a boutique consultancy that empowers brands and marketing leaders with strategic guidance, integration assistance, email funnel creation, and more, that unleash new levels of success. With experience on the frontlines of marketing and editorial at Sandboxx, the United States Air Force, the Japan Times, and Military.com, Rebecca's uniquely military spouse based background is ever present in her experiences and gives her a firsthand understanding of military spouse life and the unique challenges marketing leaders face in military facing industries. Her company Little Bug was recently named 2023 TOP CHOICE OF THE YEAR in the Baby Plush Lovie category by Baby Maternity Magazine and the 2023 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD in the Baby & Toddler Plush Products category by Creative Child Magazine. Her writing and commentary can be found in major publications including The Japan Times and Kyoto News. She is a two time children's book author with her books “Henry the Sloth” and “Bev the Bear”. To learn more about Rebecca Bender, Little Bug Store and RAB Marketing: Social media: Instagram: @rab.digital @littlebug_store LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-bender

Yazmin Castañeda is a first generation Mexican-American that currently lives in Austin, Texas with her daughters and husband. She was born in California and grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. After 20+ years in the Real Estate industry, Yazmin decided it was time to pivot and pursue a different path that would better align with her personal values and her entrepreneurship spirit. In 2020, Origin Mexico was born with a mission to share Mexico's heritage through the beauty of artisanal goods while helping artisan women share the craftsmanship that has been passed down through many generations. She is on this life path due to the many sacrifices made by her family and her goal is to honor those sacrifices by helping others that are seeking a better future for their families, just as her family did many years ago. Yazmin enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and is working on being more present to better enjoy those small yet beautiful moments in life. Updates on Origin Mexico and Yazmin Castañeda: We are happy to share that we celebrated our 3-year anniversary this summer! And, now we work with over 100 artisans throughout Mexico. Here is a blog that describes our accomplishments: THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY - A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE AND ADVENTURE – Origin Mexico We were also recently on Great Day Houston where we shared more about our brand and our mission: Origin Mexico and its Mission | khou.com And, I was featured on Austin Woman Magazine: Yazmin Castañeda: More Than Clothes - Austin Woman Magazine (atxwoman.com) I am a board member for The Hispanic Women's Network of Texas - Austin Chapter and was recently a panel speaker at the Cafe con Leche event. We are also so happy to share that you can find our products in 2 local boutiques and plan on expanding into more locations in the future. Finally, here is a recent blog that talks about the Dia de Muertos celebration: The Complete Guide to the Celebration of Dia de los Muertos – Origin Mexico To learn more about Yazmin Castañeda: Website: https://originmexico.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/origin_mexico/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/originmexicogoods

Dr. Macie P. Smith is nationally known for her work on dementia-competent practices and family caregiving matters. Her real-world unapologetic approach to practical caregiving has been published in national and international professional journals. She is a Licensed Gerontology Social Worker and an award-winning Alzheimer's and dementia educator with over 22 years of experience coordinating care for aging and vulnerable populations. She is an advisory board member with Leeza's Care Connection, founded by Emmy Award-Winning TV/radio personality & philanthropist Leeza Gibbons. Dr. Smith is also a best selling author. Her book, A Dementia Caregiver's Guide to Care, has been featured on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers List for several weeks. In addition, Dr. Smith co-host's a new talk show centered around dementia friendly conversations entitled Dementia Divas: Caregiving and the Arts. To learn more about Dr. Macie P. Smith and her book, A Dementia Caregiver's Guide to Care: Facebook - Dr. Macie Smith LinkedIn & Instagram: Dr. Macie P.

Sofie van der Meulen is a lawyer by training with specific expertise in the fields of health and data law and she is a diversity and inclusion advocate. Last year she delivered her TEDx talk on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is also the chair of the board of foodwatch Netherlands, a consumer rights organisation that fights for the right of consumers to fair, safe and healthy food. Sofie is the owner of DOversity, from which she undertakes her freelance adventures such as writing and speaking.

Today, Tes talks with Jen Amos. Jen is an award-winning podcaster and co-owner of an award-winning business. Jen first found podcasting in summer 2019 as a way to work through her mild depression and bouts of loneliness. She had recently moved from San Diego, CA (her home of 20+ years) to now Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and fur baby. Jen actively seeks to find common ground through conversation and storytelling to foster connection, community and collaboration. She is known for her active listening skills, candidness, and ability to uncover powerful stories and universal lessons while conversing with her guests. Her favorite topics to cover on her podcast shows involve military families, entrepreneurs, women, and mental health. In less than two years (starting in summer 2019), Jen has been able to conduct nearly 500 podcast interviews. Prior to podcasting and moving to the east coast, Jen received her Bachelor's in Journalism emphasis Public Relations at San Diego State University and was fired from her fourth consecutive job in her young adult years. For a decade since, Jen has established a career in sales and in entrepreneurship with experience in the legal industry, online marketing, and now financial services. website: jenamoscreates.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenamos/ http://instagram.com/thejenamos https://twitter.com/thejenamos https://www.facebook.com/thejenamos/

Anniina Sandberg is the founder of Visit Natives, a travel agency that promotes sustainable indigenous tourism in Tanzania, Norway and Papua New Guinea. Anniina has a passion for exploring indigenous cultures. She has a MA in African Studies. UPDATE: Anniina is raising funds for the Maasai women with her Mount Kilimanjaro Trek on 18-23 February 2024. You are welcome to join her expedition to climb the highest mountain in Africa! To learn more about Anniina Sandberg and Visit Natives: IG: https://www.instagram.com/theanthropologisttraveler/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visitnatives?paipv=0&eav=AfaN4c1NeDbrHhvUpRnGngUKhpT4FFkZFhPRaUrwJSHm_A_5PfFX8wM0y4rI6nVm1Gw&_rdr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/visit-natives/

Ngozi Okaro advocates for a fashion industry that honors planet and people. She founded Custom Collaborative to support immigrant & no/low-income women launching sustainable fashion businesses and careers. Custom Collaborative serves fashion-industry entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers who value ethical fashion. Ngozi is a Commissioner of the NYC Equal Employment Practices Commission, and a Director of … Ngozi Okaro – Founder of Custom Collaborative Read More »

Today, Tes speaks with Hana Shannon. Hana is a classically trained painter from the Czech Republic specializing in portraiture.  She received her Master's degree in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and moved to the US over a decade ago to pursue her painting career. The energy and freedom of NYC have always provided great inspiration.

Maggie Kane first and foremost has a passion for loving people. Full on hype queen, she is a speaker, entrepreneur, and Executive Director with a special focus in nonprofits and small, killer coffee shops. 8 years ago, Maggie founded A Place at the Table, Raleigh's, NC's pay-what-you-can nonprofit cafe, which has fed thousands of humans some incredible food, and an even better community. She believes strongly in the power of unconventional communities and showing everyone she meets that they have a place at the table. She is a proud member of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance board, Band Together Advisory Board, and Feed the Pack Food Pantry Advisory Board at NCSU. She lives in Raleigh, loves to jump rope, and eats a large amount of peanut butter. She loves hiking in the mountains and hour-long tattoo appointments. You'll find her watching movies at the theaters in those big comfy chairs, skydiving, or breaking away for a quick 2-day weekend trip. To learn more about Maggie Kane: Table Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tableraleigh/ Table Website: https://tableraleigh.org/ Segment on Kelly Clarkson Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkQJeAFzZHc

JoAnna Haugen is an award-winning writer, speaker, consultant, and solutions advocate who has worked in communications-related positions in the travel and tourism industry her entire career. She is also founder of Rooted, a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact, and storytelling. Through Rooted, JoAnna helps tourism professionals decolonize travel experiences and support sustainability using ethical marketing and strategic storytelling. An international election observer, intrepid traveler, and American expat, JoAnna currently resides in Carthage, Tunisia. To learn more about JoAnna Haugen: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedstorytelling/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahaugen/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanna_haugen

As Founder and CEO of Indigo River, Dena Prastos, AIA, is the first "waterfront architect," trailblazing a new category in the industry. Indigo River is a women-owned transdisciplinary design firm focused on progressive waterfront architecture, resiliency, and climate adaptation. A leading authority in New York Harbor and beyond, the firm specializes in climate adaptation through waterfront solutions that seamlessly transcend boundaries - guiding and executing projects from ideation through final construction and operations. Waterfront architect, civil engineer, futurist, climate adaptation expert, entrepreneur, and creative original, Dena is driven to transform the built world at the water's edge. With transdisciplinary and progressive views, she is fueled by the overlapping of design, technology, and nature. Dena is a licensed architect with a graduate degree in civil engineering. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, she deeply appreciates nature and humankind's ability to design, build, and create infrastructure in some of the world's harshest conditions. Dena is an experienced leader of innovative leading projects around the world, directing infrastructure construction, marine engineering, and the design of waterfront architecture. This experience has given her the tools to navigate the firm's diverse client work with her unique vision and competency in construction, engineering, and waterfront architecture. As a one-stop shop for solutions at the water's edge, Indigo River works on notable projects around New York Harbor including East Side Coastal Resiliency in Manhattan, Robert De Niro's Wildflower Studios in Astoria, River Ring in Williamsburg, and the Harlem River Greenway in East Harlem. Before starting Indigo River, Dena worked at DCAK MSA Architecture and Engineering as the Director of Project Management and Business Development, McLaren Engineering Group as a senior project manager and The Conti Group. Dena earned her Bachelor of Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where she subsequently completed a graduate degree in Civil Engineering. At NJIT, she was a Division 1 soccer player. After gaining valuable experience in the industry, she went to Harvard Business School's “Leading Professional Service Firms” Executive Education program. She serves on the National Council of Architectural Registration Board's (NCARB) Future's Collaborative. In 2021, she joined the AIA Resilience and adaptation Advisory Group, and in 2022 she was asked to join AIA's YAF Summit 30: Mission 2130; the Summit seeks to respond to critical issues present in the profession, namely, to address challenges the architecture profession will face in the next century, focusing on architecture, society, and our planet. She also serves on her local Planning Board in historic Grand View-on-Hudson, New York. PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS: Registered Architect, NY, NJ & CT, AIA, NCARB, WEDG, LEED AP ABOUT INDIGO RIVER: Indigo River is a women-owned transdisciplinary design firm focused on progressive waterfront architecture, resiliency, and climate adaptation. A leading authority in New York Harbor and beyond, the firm specializes in climate adaptation through waterfront solutions that seamlessly transcend boundaries - guiding and executing projects from ideation through final construction and operations. To learn more about Dena Prastos and Indigo River: https://www.instagram.com/indigo_river_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denaprastos/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indigo-river-consulting/

Amy Andersson is an Internationally recognized, Grammy-winning conductor and producer. Named by British music critic Norman Lebrecht as “America's most watched Symphony Orchestra Conductor,” Andersson has been praised for her dynamic musicality, expressive technique and cross genre repertoire. She has toured to over twenty-two countries conducting concerts and recording sessions in symphonic, operatic, film, musical theatre and video game genres. She has appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS Morning News, CBS Evening News and has garnered press coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Variety, Forbes, and Huffington Post. Andersson is founder and conductor of Orchestra Moderne NYC, which debuted at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and has won critical acclaim for her charismatic and visionary accomplishments as creator and conductor of Women Warriors: The Voices of Change, a live-to-picture symphony production and documentary film. Women Warriors has won over twenty-four international film and music awards including four Telly Awards, a Hollywood Music in Media Award, a GRAMMY in “Best Classical Compendium, a 2022 BMI “Impact Award,” a 2023 SCL “Jury Award” and has screened at film festivals in more than twelve countries, including the Fimucité International Film Music Festival in Tenerife. Known for her commitment to the music of living composers, she has conducted the works of composers Neal Acree, Elitsa Alexandrova, Peter Boyer, Nathalie Bonin, Jessica Curry, Miriam Cutler, Anne-Kathrin Dern, Greg Edmonson, Isolde Fair, Sharon Farber, Steve Jablonsky, Grant Kirkhope, Penka Kouneva, Bear McCreary, Martin O'Donnell, Kol Otani, Starr Parodi, Lolita Ritmanis, Garry Schyman, Yoko Shimomura, Jeremy Soule, George Strezov, Chance Thomas, Nobou Uematsu, Jack Wall, and Austin Wintory, among others, either on the concert stage or in recording sessions. Andersson has made guest appearances the St. Louis Symphony, Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Spanish Philharmonic, Berliner Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Stockholm Concert Orchestra, Spanish National Youth Orchestra, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Classic FM Radio Orchestra of Bulgaria, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Neiderrheinsche Symphoniker, LOH Orchestra Sonderhausen, Giessen Philharmonic, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Macedonian Philharmonic, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, National Orchestral of Mexico, and at free-lance orchestras in Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Ireland. Andersson regularly conducted opera productions in Germany at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, National Theater of Mannheim, Stadttheater Aachen, Weikersheim Opera Festival, Rheinsberg Chamber Opera, and Schlosstheater Schwetzinger. In 2017 Andersson completed a two year, world tour of the live-to-picture concert Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. Andersson is a devoted teacher and educator and known also for her work with youth orchestras. She was adjunct conducting faculty at the Universität der Künste Berlin, music director of the famed CPE Bach High School of Performing Arts in Berlin, and adjunct faculty in Media and Film Scoring at Brooklyn College/Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. In Germany she conducted the Rheinberg Chamber Opera Festival and Weikersheim Opera Festival for four summer seasons of productions that featured rising opera singers and youth orchestras. She is currently conducting faculty at the USC Thornton in the Screen Scoring department, and the Hollywood Music Workshop in Baden, Austria. Current projects include Andersson as co-Executive Producer on the soon to be released film (2023)Tahlequah The Whale: A Dance of Grief, by filmmaker Daniel Kreizberg, featuring the music of Lolita Ritmanis. She is also conductor and co-producer of the soon to be released soundtrack.

Born and raised in California, Janine Ayana Watkins now lives in Minnesota. How did that happen? Well, shortly after moving to NYC, she met the love of her life on a bus while leaving work, as a field engineer who worked to build the roadways at NYC’s LaGuardia Airport. Janine was a Civil Engineer by … Janine Ayana Watkins – Financial Agency Owner – Lions Wealth Builders Read More »

Danniele Miller is the Program Manager for Daughters for Earth, a campaign and fund that aims to inspire all women to engage in climate change action by mobilizing $100 million for on the ground, women-led efforts to protect and restore the Earth. Her passion for the environment is deeply influenced by the many women who paved the way to build a more sustainable world before her. Her past experience ranges from managing composting operations at a campus farm to local climate grassroots advocacy, and fundraising. She is a senior fellow through the Environmental Leadership Program and holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Wilson College and a Masters in Environmental Law & Policy from Vermont Law School. Danniele currently resides in the Washington D.C. metro area with her husband and their two rescue dogs. In her spare time, she loves horseback riding, hiking in the mountains, art, and gardening. UPDATES: Daughters for Earth passed its one-year anniversary since launching in March 2023. In just one year, Daughters granted $1.4M to nearly 60 women-powered projects that are protecting and restoring the Earth in 28 countries and the Arctic. You can explore the projects, which range from women protecting the Amazonian rainforest to rewilding college campuses, here. Additionally, Daughters for Earth recently launched their inaugural Wise Daughters Council, an independent group of women from around the world to guide our philanthropic giving in an inclusive and just way, leading up to our next round of funding in fall 2023. To stay updated on more news and events from Daughters for Earth, you can join their newsletter here. To learn more about Danniele Miller and Daughters for Earth: Website: https://daughtersforearth.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daughtersforearth/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Daughters4Earth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughters4earth/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daughters4earth/

Megan Flood is the Founder of Marine Lane, a NYC design and branding studio she founded in 2012. For the last decade, Flood has led a team of creatives who are bonded by a shared love of design and belief in the power it has to connect, inspire, sell, and amuse. Marine Lane, recipient of multiple industry awards, continues to attract a wide array of stellar clients who rave of the quality of work and service provided by a team dedicated to achieving client goals. Flood's agency works with clients like BMW, Columbia University, Comcast, Cormetech, Foundation Partners, Hilton, JVC, New York Center for Autism, No Labels, Ogilvy, Rational360, RDY, Scientific Bioprocessing, Serendipity3, and The Pink Stuff. The 24-hour/365-day-a-year commitment that comes with running the business is nothing compared to running after young sons Hayden, Rhys and Sonny the other 24-hour/365-days-a-year. To learn more about Megan Flood and Marine Lane: Website: https://www.marinelane.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinelane/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marine-lane/

Abby J. Pariser attended Barnard College, receiving her BA in American History in 1967. She also received her MA in 1975 at Roosevelt University, Chicago. Abby participated in the movement against the war in Vietnam during college and became part of Chicago Women's Liberation Union at its founding in 1968. She joined Chicago Abortion Counseling … Abby Pariser – A Member of Jane Read More »

Marinel M. de Jesus, Esq. is a former civil rights lawyer from Washington, DC, who turned her passion for hiking into a full-time endeavor as a social entrepreneur, solutions-focused journalist, and speaker. She is the founder of the award-winning media platform, Brown Gal Trekker, and mountain trekking enterprise, Equity Global Treks, both of which aim to elevate the status and roles of women and indigenous communities in the outdoor and travel industries. Marinel is a full-time global mountain nomad and travels to mountain destinations regularly to explore adventure travel initiatives that are community-led and/or focused on female leadership in the industry. In 2019, she founded the non-profit human rights organization, The Porter Voice Collective, which aims to advocate for the human rights of porters in Peru, Nepal, and Tanzania and Workforce Equity Tourism as a form of sustainable tourism through the use of storytelling and all forms of media. Marinel has written for various outdoor & travel publications such as the Alpinist Magazine, Outside, Fodor's, Backpacker Magazine, Huffpost, and Adventure Journal. She was a Board Member of the American Hiking Society & JEDI Committee Chair from 2020-2022 and a Brand Ambassador for Osprey & AKU Trekking Shoes. To learn more about Marinel de Jesus, Brown Gal Trekker, Equity Global Treks, & The Porter Voice Collective: IG: https://www.instagram.com/browngaltrekker/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrownGalTrekker Twitter: https://twitter.com/bgtexplorations To learn more about The Porter Voice Collective, please go to: https://theportervoicecollective.org/ The film KM82: The Porter Voices of Peru's Camino Inca is having an advance screening from May 25th-June 8th. To view a private screening of the film, please fill out this registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3LreIMSouDbtUnM53s-XADkDXWxXKbyHuO6Ddv-RsZSRUVw/viewform

Bolanle Williams-Olley is the CFO and co-owner at Mancini Duffy, a national design firm with a 100+-year-old history and tech-forward approach based in New York City, where she oversees the firm's financial and operational performance. She has over 15 years of experience working in the AEC industry with a strong background in financial analysis and … Bolanle Williams-Olley – CFO & Co-Owner at Mancini Duffy Read More »

Adi Kaplan has a Masters in Industrial Engineering, but went a totally different direction. At the age of 40, when many of her friends decided to go the Botox way, she knew she was going to work her way into well-aging (as she is not "anti" anything :-) ) and decided to go the NOtox way! She will go a long way to reduce her wrinkles, get a glow to her face and look great THE NATURAL WAY. Besides, her motto is that every wrinkle she has - she earned with hard work :-) She loves treating people, loves seeing results, and most of all - loves getting compliments from clients after each and every treatment. To learn more about Adi Kaplan and Facial Healing by Adi: Website: https://www.fhbyadi.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/facialhealing/

Ofra Abramovich is the Founder of Mamanet - Mothers League, which is the largest women's league and the 3rd most popular sports branch in Israel. Mamanet has thousands of active mother players participating in close to 1500 teams located in municipalities all over Israel, Cyprus, Austria, Italy, USA, Canada and Switzerland Singapore and more. She devotes her life to promoting Mamanet's philosophy where mothers should be able to belong to a sports team and thereby lead a healthy and active life. The motto is, "Every mother can." As such, these mothers become a personal example and a role model for their children and families. Mothers who participate in Mamanet have proven their ability to build a strong community which becomes a platform to emphasize school pride, good sportsmanship, professional competitions and enhancing community building and mutual aid. This model was not only adopted by mothers from around the world, but also received recognition from government agencies, the UN, sports agencies such as CSIT, the National Olympic Committee, health & lifestyle companies and more. The Ministry of Science is currently conducting a 3 year research which shows that Mamanet league increases social capital & promotes health and wellbeing. UPDATES: Mamanet is currently in Las Vegas for its 3rd USA Mamanet Tournament between May 5th-7th, 2023. This tournament will have 200 players, 20 teams from around the state, as well as a Mamanet guest from Kenya and a guest team from Italy. The final tournament will be held at CSIT World Games in Cervia, Italy on September 5-10, 2023. Mamanet Mothers League(Israel), along with Mamanet Italy, has received an EU grant to establish Mamanet in 14 countries. To learn more about Ofra Abramovich: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofra-abramovich-ba4b66130/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ofra.abramovich?mibextid=ZbWKwL To learn more about Mamanet: Website: https://www.mamanet.org.il/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamanetisrael/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamanetisrael/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Priyanka Modi is an alternate learning coach and consultant who has worked in schools in various roles, including as a teacher and program coordinator. She has designed programs aimed at helping students gain volunteering experience. Her inspiration for writing comes from her nine year-old son, Adi. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Priyanka began exploring alternative approaches to learning, recognizing that the traditional schooling system may not be suitable for everyone. She researched various self-learning ideas, and incorporated them into her family's daily routine. Priyanka and her family enjoy learning at their own pace, and utilizing the many online resources available to them. Adi's interests change regularly, and as a result, his learning experiences vary as well. Priyanka appreciates that he has the freedom to explore whatever topics he's interested in and is not restricted by a specific curriculum. Priyanka studies the art of raising free learners and designing a lifestyle around it. She is passionate about writing and assisting others, which led her to start her blog. She is gradually getting to know numerous alternate learning explorers, and enjoys exchanging stories and sharing knowledge with them. Priyanka's objective is to demonstrate that other options exist and assist individuals in finding their own path in life. She strives to educate people about the numerous methods of exploring education, and believes that learning should be accessible to all. To learn more about Priyanka Modi: Website: https://www.educationnext.in/ To subscribe to her newsletter: https://educationnext.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyankamodi-educationnext/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priyanka_educationnext/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/priyanka_optom

GG Stankiewicz grew up in Rhode Island and moved to New York City to pursue her art career. She attended the Community College of Rhode Island where she received an Associate of Fine Arts Degree. To continue her art studies GG headed to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston, MA where she earned a combined degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science in Art Education. GG completed her art studies by achieving a Master of Fine Arts Degree at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to her art practice, she served as a high school art teacher for the New York City Department of Education. GG has co-founded artist-run organizations: SONYA (South Of the Navy Yard Artists, Brooklyn, NY) and WBA (West Branch Artists, Walton, NY) and has served on their events committees, assisting in all phases of planning and organizing community art walks and art exhibitions for local artists. GG Stankiewicz is the recipient of the 2023 Delaware County Individual Artist Grant, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York Legislature and administered in Delaware County by the Roxbury Arts Group. This funding is making it possible for GG to create her project: Patchwork Landscape, a new body of work inspired by the local nature and ecology of Delaware County, New York. The artwork will be exhibited with an artist talk at the Walton Theatre Parlor Gallery in Walton, New York in October 2023. The exhibition dates are October 7th – November 5th 2023. GG lives in Delaware County New York and her studio and gallery are in Delhi, New York. About my art: I am an abstract visual artist whose artwork is inspired most recently by the local nature existing in the outdoor world where I live. When hiking the forests of Delaware County New York experiencing the colors, lines, shapes, textures and patterns from the surrounding environment they awaken my senses. Seeing the multiple horizons of the Catskills foothills, hearing the sounds of running water from a nearby stream, glimpsing a pair of foxes, deer and other wildlife in the distance, I am captivated by all of the activity within this unique landscape. I search for reminders heart-shaped rocks, multi-colored leaves, wild flowers, or flotsam and jetsam along the Delaware River. These vistas and artifacts forge a memory connection to specific times and places. They are the inspiration for imagery and content in my artwork that is a compilation of visual journaling, painting, papermaking, collaging and printmaking. My process involves working with various media while referencing discovered objects, memory, photo documentation, field guides, global and world art histories. To learn more about GG Stankiewicz: Website: https://ggstankiewicz.com/ Website: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/gg-stankiewicz Artwork Archive: It's an art inventory platform/database that I use to showcase my artwork, inventory my artwork and manage my art practice. IG: @gg.stankiewicz.studio WhatsApp: GG Stankiewicz LinkedIn: GG Stankiewicz

Yazmin Castañeda is a first generation Mexican-American that currently lives in Austin, Texas with her daughters and husband. She was born in California and grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. After 20+ years in the Real Estate industry, Yazmin decided it was time to pivot and pursue a different path that would better align with her personal values and her entrepreneurship spirit. In 2020, Origin Mexico was born with a mission to share Mexico's heritage through the beauty of artisanal goods while helping artisan women share the craftsmanship that has been passed down through many generations. She is on this life path due to the many sacrifices made by her family and her goal is to honor those sacrifices by helping others that are seeking a better future for their families, just as her family did many years ago. Yazmin enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and is working on being more present to better enjoy those small yet beautiful moments in life. Updates on Origin Mexico and Yazmin Castañeda: Origin Mexico has grown their partnerships with Mexican artisans and now work with artisan families in 9 regions of Mexico. They have also expanded their pop-up events to cover Houston, Dallas, Waco, Austin, and soon, San Antonio. Yazmin Castañeda recently joined the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas as a board member. To learn more about Yazmin Castañeda: Website: https://originmexico.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/origin_mexico/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/originmexicogoods

Ushering in a new era of bite sized livable health, nutrition and fitness solutions, Patricia Greenberg, Aging Well Coach, is an expert in all aspects of living life to the fullest at any age. As the creator of Eat Well, Live Well, Age Well, she consults, teaches, and hosts a weekly show, and speaks at seminars nationwide. She has a special interest in enhancing the education of the general public, and providing accurate health information to today's consumer. Passionate about wellness for life, Patricia completed 20 marathons and 115 half marathons, and loves the sport of tower climbing, having conquered buildings all over the country. Married with a grown daughter, in her downtime she is an avid reader and knitter. To learn more about Patricia Greeberg: FB: Patricia Greenberg, The Fitness Gourmet IG: @thefitnessgourmet Twitter: @fitnessgourmet LinkedIn: Patricia Greenberg, The Fitness Gourmet

Amy Impellizzeri is a reformed corporate litigator, former start-up executive, award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, and host of the Speak Studio original podcast, I KNOW HOW THIS (BOOK) ENDS. Amy's novels have earned awards and recognition including INDIEFAB Book of the Year awards, the inaugural Francis Ford Coppola Books & Bottles Pick, National Indie Excellence Awards and more. New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristy Woodson Harvey calls her "a standout in the fiction world." Kirkus Reviews (in a Starred Review) compared Amy's latest novel, IN HER DEFENSE to Big Little Lies and called it "crackling courtroom drama." Amy is also the author of LAWYER INTERRUPTED (published by the American Bar Association) and co-author of the newly available HOW TO LEAVE THE LAW, featured in Bloomberg Law, Boston Business Journal and more. New York Times Bestselling Author, Marie Benedict calls HOW TO LEAVE THE LAW "a wise and invaluable guide to lawyers." Amy is a Tall Poppy Writer, a past President of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, a 2018 Writer-In-Residence at Ms-JD.org, recipient of Ms. JD's Road Less Traveled Award, faculty member in Drexel University's MFA in Creative Writing Program, and a frequently invited speaker at legal conferences and writing workshops. Connect with Amy at www.amyimpellizzeri.com. Updates on Amy Impellizzeri's work: Her newest novel, BARR NONE, just hit shelves. A few blurbs are included below: “Impellizzeri's prose is shrewd and evocative …." -Kirkus Reviews “The Firm meets the Devil Wears Prada in former attorney Amy Impellizzeri's newest novel, Barr None, about the sacrifices required to succeed as a female attorney at New York CIty's most prestigious law firm. A smart and thrilling page turner you don't want to miss.” -Danielle Girard, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex "Dark, disturbing, and constantly unsettling. Amy Impellizzeri's deep understanding of the perils of lawyering comes through in this cautionary tale about power, ambition, and the soul-crushing effects of stress and desire. Uniquely structured and instantly cinematic, Barr None is endlessly thought-provoking." -Hank Phillippi Ryan. USA Today Bestselling Author “A twisty, jaw-dropping look at the rotten underbelly of a prestigious Manhattan law firm, BARR NONE's tantalizing secrets unfold like the best true crime case. With the deftness and expertise of a former lawyer, Impellizzeri nails every hairpin turn with authenticity, telling a mesmerizing story where corporate law intersects with the darkest of human instincts.” —Emily Carpenter, Bestselling Author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls "Razorsharp, Fierce with a capital F and with breathtaking twists, BARR NONE is a force to be reckoned with. Netflix, are you listening?" -Barbara Bos, Managing Editor, BooksByWomen.org To learn more about Amy Impellizzeri: IG/Twitter: @amyimpellizzeri FB: @impellizzeriamy@gmail.com

Today, Tes talks with Simone Levine. Ms. Levine has dedicated her career to ensuring public accountability in the criminal courts. She is currently a major case prosecutor in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting some of the most serious and violent offenses in the city.  Between 2015 and 2021, Ms. Levine ran Court Watch … Simone Levine – New Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Candidate Read More »

Today, Tes talks with Melissa Jaggernauth. Melissa is the owner and creative genius behind OneZnality, an adjustable onesie. The birth of her daughter and feeling unprepared as a first-time parent inspired her to take the modern day onesie and give it a twist. The goal is for OneZnality to be a staple product for all parents to have in their home for their bundle of joy. Melissa believes every baby is unique and should have clothing to accommodate their uniqueness. Melissa was born in the Caribbean West Indies on the island of Trinidad & Tobago and raised in Queens, New York. She received her undergraduate degree in Finance from St. John's University and her MBA from Wake Forest University. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where she is watching her inspiration behind OneZnality, her daughter, grow up right before her eyes. When Melissa is not dedicating time to growing OneZnality, she is working for an organization that builds affordable housing for low-income families, and she is traveling and creating memories with her family. To learn more about Melissa Jaggernauth: Website: https://www.oneznality.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneZnality-103625118852554 IG: https://www.instagram.com/oneznality/

Today, Tes speaks with Stephanie Lawrence. Stephanie is a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, and capacity builder with a passion for strengthening nonprofits' organizational infrastructure, leadership, communities, and donor relations. After a decade at home full-time with her triplets and younger daughter, Stephanie successfully relaunched into the nonprofit workforce by crafting a personal strategic plan that included project-based volunteer experience, career development classwork and intentional volunteering. Wanting to help women coming up behind her, she founded her career advising practice Cause After A Pause to guide and support those looking for an appropriate and rewarding role in the nonprofit sector after a career break. She provides advising services, strategies, programs and workshops to career relaunches as well as those looking to move from the private sector into the nonprofit sector. In addition to working with nonprofit sector relaunches, Stephanie currently serves as the Assistant Director of Brandeis University's Women's Studies Research Center. She holds a BA from Tufts University and an MPA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. To learn more about Stephanie Lawrence: Website: https://www.causeafterapause.com/ Twitter: @Stephwl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniewolklawrence/