Twentyfour the People

Time, place, access to resources—factors which are out out of our control when we are born. Determination, grit, resilience—characteristics we develop along our journey to generate opportunities for ourselves and others. This culmination makes us who we are, who we become. But it’s not that simple. This week’s guest was a pivotal player, serving infamous drug cartels in both Texas and Honduras. This was his way of life. Until one day, when he found himself heading in a downward spiral, and clearly heard one single voice above the rest. Twentyfour the People is hosted by Sophia Sokolowski. This episode was recorded in Honduras.

John Bargh is a psychology professor at Yale University and author of the book Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do (2017). A couple years ago, he and his team performed an experiment to turn conservatives into liberals—at least, temporarily. And they succeeded. John discusses how their results illuminate the depth of our political divisions and how fear factors play a pivotal role. Twentyfour the People is hosted by Sophia Sokolowski.

Family, friends, passions, work, religion. All factors that culminate and define who we are as individuals. During this episode, Sophia speaks with Kimiya Haghighi, a M.S. in Foreign Service Candidate at Georgetown University. Kimiya embodies the principles of the Bahá'í faith—those of love, equality, acceptance, and unity—and welcomes others to join in learning about the world's fastest growing religion. Hear her explain the origin of this new faith, how her family fled persecution, and why she believes the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh may be what our world needs most. Twentyfour the People is hosted by Sophia Sokolowski.

Ashley De La Rosa has conquered NBC's The Voice, the National Tour of RENT, and Carole King's musical, Beautiful. She now portrays Regina George and Gretchen Wieners in the iconic motion picture turned musical, Mean Girls on Broadway in New York City. During this episode, Ashley and Sophia discuss the challenges of the performance industry, portraying a prominent white character as an Afro Latina, trusting your gut, and achieving your dreams. If you are thinking about pursuing a musical career or daring to take a blind leap of faith, this one is for you. Twentyfour the People is hosted by Sophia Sokolowski.

Ben Higgins serves as President of Generous Coffee, a for profit company that donates 15% of their revenue to non-profits around the world. Ben talks to Sophia about going from a startup to gaining momentum with Generous International, falling in love with your calling, and what’s on his horizon in 2019. Twentyfour the People is hosted by Sophia Sokolowski.

Hildy Kuryk has spent her career at the intersection of politics, media and communications. She spent 15 years serving two Presidents in various capacities and worked as the Executive Director of Communications at Vogue and Teen Vogue working directly with Anna Wintour to position the Condé Nast heritage brand. Hildy most recently founded Artemis Strategies, a boutique consultancy harnessing unparalleled experience with influential and elite thought leaders. During this episode, Hildy talks about her career path, discusses how she found her voice at a young age, and offers her best advice for every young person.

Hear Sophia interview Massachusetts General Hospital researcher, Harvard PhD candidate, and fellow Wellesley alumna Jeanne Gallée. Her research is clinically focused on aphasia, a disorder that affects about two million Americans. Jeanne discusses the challenges patients and their families face, symptoms that serves as signals for aphasia, and how her research is reshaping treatment outcomes.

CARE Organization serves to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. During this episode, you’ll hear from one of their own, Rose Tchwenko, who has more than 19 years of hands-on experience in international development and humanitarian programs. She joined CARE in 2005 in Cameroon as part of the civil society response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, spent the past eight years as Assistant Country Director of Programs in Cameroon and Malawi, and is now rising to lead her team on the ground in Ghana.   Rose is an activist against gender-based violence, a passionate creative writer and storyteller. She has hands-on experience building local knowledge to drive and sustain development. Hear how she works to empower women, improve basic education, expand economic opportunity for all.

Fred Guttenberg knows pain and suffering—he has dealt with loss in the public eye. On February 14, 2018, he lost his 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Fred has since dedicated his life to raising awareness about gun safety through his organization, Orange Ribbons for Jaime, and has focused all of his efforts as of late to getting out the vote for the 2018 midterm elections. Listen to Fred and Sophia discuss the grieving process, finding mission and purpose, and why it’s imperative that people always show up to the polls.

CNN Opinion Producer, Kirsi Goldinya, briefly touches on her career, and then she and Sophia turn their conversation towards the mounting political unrest in light of the 2018 midterm elections. You’ll hear Kirsi discuss seemingly politically motivated acts of violence, including the pipe-bombs, which were sent to her, her colleagues, and notable democratic figures this past week, and the most recent mass shooting at a synagogue that left 11 dead. She also shares her perspective on how we, as a nation, can work to become more united and restore our namesake. Twentyfour the People is produced by Sophia Sokolowski.

Familiar with blockchain technology? Does Bitcoin ring a bell? Note quite sure how the two are related? Hear from one of the best in the business—Jinglan Wang. Jing is one of the few women on the forefront of cryptography. After founding the Wellesley Bitcoin Club and serving as co-president of the MIT Bitcoin Club, she left college to found a few companies, manage cryptocurrency funds, and write the textbook Cryptoeconomics: An Introduction. She served as the Executive Director of the Blockchain Education Network (BEN), with the mission to create a world that is more open and free by promoting technological literacy with decentralized technologies. In this episode, Jing explains blockchain and Bitcoin from the ground up and addresses the political, trade, and human rights implications of blockchain technology.

Elizabeth Beisel is more than an Olympian—she's a loyal friend, a talented violinist, and a humble leader who is determined to make a difference. You'll hear her open up about overcoming the pressure of competing at such a young age, share her approach as Captain of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, and discuss her pursuit of promoting environmental integrity. To top it off, don't miss the top three things she plans on crossing off her list this upcoming year.

Jess Davidson, Executive Director of End Rape on Campus, and I sat down the week before Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on October 6th. The Senate was ripped apart over his confirmation, along with the rest of America, in light of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accusing him of sexual assault. A survivor herself, Jess dedicates her days to preventing sexual harassment and assault from further permeating American culture. Listen as she leans in, armed with her own story, on the significance and lasting effects of this moment in history.

As the vote nears, and Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court of the United States remains pending, our country is on edge. TIME wrote, “History often seems inexorable in hindsight, shaped by powerful figures operating beyond our control. But when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford walked in to face the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27, raised her right hand and swore to tell the truth, it was clear that an unassuming psychology professor and mother of two was about to change the course of current events in real time.” The voices in this episode belong to mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, all of whom are ready for the normalcy of rape culture and sexual assault in the United States to end.

On August 19, 2018, hundreds of people from the Cameroon Ambazonian regions gathered in front of the White House asking for U.S. intervention in restoring the independence of the former British Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia. Since peaceful protests for independence began one year ago, the government has met the Ambazonian people with violence, killing men, women, and children alike. Although the upcoming Cameroonian presidential election offers no glimpse of change, advocates Sammy Anyam and Ray Wung both plan to one day return to their beloved home free of persecution.

Welcome to Twentyfour the People, a podcast that shares the extraordinary work, opinions, and stories of people just like you. I'm your host, Sophia Sokolowski, and I invite you to join me as I dive into 24-minute discussions with guests from all walks-of-life. I believe that, if we listen and learn from the those around us, together we can accelerate towards becoming a more just and empathetic world. For more information, visit twentyfourthepeople.com. You can also find us on Instagram and Twitter @24thepeople.