Podcasts about colombian american

Reflections from host Sarah Olivieri ... The Resource Problem Most Nonprofits Mistake for a Funding Problem Ask any nonprofit leader what their organization needs most, and you will hear the same answer almost every time. More money. We need more funding. We need to hire. The whole nonprofit resource problem, in their telling, comes down to a number that is too small. I have worked with hundreds of organizations, and I have stopped taking that answer at face value. Not because leaders are wrong about feeling stretched. They are absolutely stretched. But when you peel back the layers, the constraint is rarely the money itself. It is the system nobody built. The process nobody owns. The skill gap nobody named. The tool the team already has and does not use. When those things are missing, leaders do the most natural thing in the world. They compensate with effort. And then they reach for funding to buy their way out of a problem that money was never going to solve. I've been thinking about this lately I recently had a conversation about exactly this with Andrea Ortega, the founder of Palante Nonprofits, and it sharpened how I think about what actually holds organizations back. Not because the idea was new to me, but because she named the mechanism so cleanly. When an organization says it needs more funds, what it usually needs is to look underneath that statement and find out what is really going on. The funding answer is a symptom, not a diagnosis Here is what happens inside most organizations. A program is overwhelmed. The work is piling up. Someone says we need to hire. To hire, we need more money. So the leader goes looking for grants. But hiring is a solution to a specific problem, and that problem is usually not the one in front of you. The pile of work might exist because the process has no owner. It might exist because a system that should take thirty seconds is taking five hours by hand. It might exist because two people are doing the same task and neither knows it. Throw money at that and you get a bigger version of the same mess. You have simply hired someone to keep doing the thing the system should be doing. The clearest example I see is fundraising itself. An organization comes to me and says we have a fundraising problem. We do not bring in enough money. So I ask one question. Who is in charge of fundraising? And often the answer is no one. Nobody owns it. There is no fundraising system, no plan, no person accountable for making sure the money comes in. That is the core of the funding problem, and no grant is going to fix it. When systems are unclear, people compensate with effort This is the pattern underneath almost every "we need more money" conversation. When the system is clear, people follow it and the work flows. When the system is unclear, people fill the gap with their own time, energy, and heroics. That works for a while. It is also the fastest route to burnout, because the organization is running on individual effort instead of designed structure. The more unclear the system, the harder everyone has to work just to stay in place. Leaders read that exhaustion as a sign they need more hands. Sometimes they do. More often they need the work to be designed so it does not eat people alive in the first place. The reframe is simple to say and harder to live. Before you hire, look at your systems. Before you buy, look at your processes. Before you assume you need more, find out what you already have and whether it is working. You already own more capacity than you think One of the most useful things Andrea named is how much capacity organizations already have sitting unused. Most nonprofits qualify for free or deeply discounted versions of Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Inside those tools are project management features, internal sites, shared calendars, document collaboration, and automation that organizations pay other vendors hundreds of dollars a month to replicate. The tool is already there. The license is already paid. What is missing is the knowledge of how to use it and the discipline to actually adopt it. This is where the real cost of a tool hides. The sticker price is the smallest part. The expensive part is the time and energy it takes your team to adopt it. A platform that costs three hundred dollars a month and makes everyone's life harder is not a deal. A free tool nobody learns to use is not a deal either. The return on a tool is not in buying it. It is in adopting it well. One line from that conversation has stayed with me: "We tend to fix a lot of problems with people. And then it's always, we need more funds because we need to hire. But if you peel back the layers, it's your systems, it's your process, it's a skill gap with the people you currently have." What I appreciate about this framing is that it explains the mechanism. The funding request is real, but it is pointing at the wrong target. When you trace the overwhelm back to its source, you almost always land on a design problem, and design is something you can fix without waiting for a single new dollar to arrive. Adoption is the real work, not the purchase Here is the part most organizations skip. Buying the tool feels like progress. Adopting the tool is the actual work, and it takes far longer than anyone budgets for. Real adoption can take months. It means deciding the tool is essential for every person who touches it. It means training, and training again. It means watching where people get stuck and smoothing those spots. It means building the onboarding so the next hire learns the system instead of inventing their own workaround. Without that, you spend the money, see no return, and conclude the tool does not work. The tool was fine. The adoption never happened. This is why the smart move with anything new is to pilot it. Pick one thing. Roll it out to a small group. Watch how people respond. See where the friction is. Offer the support that gets them over it. Once it clicks for one team, you have proof, and proof beats convincing every time. Then you can take on something harder. Build the plumbing before you scale the bill The thread running through all of this is sequencing. Organizations reach for the expensive, visible solution before they have built the quiet infrastructure that makes it work. They buy the platform before they have the process. They hire before they have the system. They chase the grant before anyone owns the function the grant is supposed to fund. Build the plumbing first. Get the process clear. Make sure someone owns it. Use what you already have, fully, before you assume you need more. Then, when you do add money or tools or people, you are adding them to a structure that can actually hold them. What this makes possible When a leader sees this clearly, the panic around money settles. The question stops being how do we get more and becomes what do we already have that we are not using well. That is a question an organization can answer this week, without a single new dollar. The work does not get smaller. It gets lighter, because effort stops leaking out of unclear systems and starts flowing through designed ones. People stop compensating with heroics. The organization stops running on exhaustion. And the money conversation, when it comes, lands on a foundation strong enough to make the money matter. The bottom line This is not about doing less. It is about doing work that compounds. Nonprofits can have enough. They can use what they already own. They can grow without buying their way out of every problem. Not by chasing more before the foundation is built, but by making what they have work first. About the Guest Andrea Ortega, PhD, is the Founder and CEO of Palante Nonprofits, LLC, a consulting practice that strengthens systems, strategies, and leadership capacity for mission-driven organizations. She guides nonprofits through strategic planning, compliance, and sustainable growth, bringing both academic expertise and real-world experience to her work. With a PhD in Public Affairs specializing in Nonprofit Management and Compliance. Dr. Ortega offers deep knowledge in nonprofit finance, governance, and capacity building. A Colombian-American and proud #Gator and #Knight, she is committed to making compliance and technology accessible so nonprofits of all sizes can thrive. Connect with Dr. Andrea Website & Resources:https://linktr.ee/palantenonprofits Instagram: @palantenonprofits LinkedIn: Palante Nonprofits LLC Podcast on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2345463/episodes  Podcast on Apple: Listen on Apple Podcasts Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this intimate reflection, Colombian-American producer Tasha Sandoval takes listeners with her as she returns to her native Colombia, after a lifetime of living in the United States. For a few years, Tasha has had a growing desire: to find out what life would be like if she relocated to the country her parents left, to go back to her homeland. And she’s not the only one– Latin American diasporas in the U.S., including many U.S.-born Latinos, are seeking connections to their ancestral homes Tune in as Tasha tries to answer a question: What happens when you are willing to return home? Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Mamis Abroad series episode, I sit down with Lina Molina, a Latina mama of three who has been raising her family across continents. Lina shares what it really looks like to pick up your life, move to a country you know nothing about, and still show up as a grounded, intentional mother.We talk about building community from scratch, raising trilingual global kids, keeping your cultura alive far from home, and redefining what "home" even means when you've lived in five countries. If you've ever dreamed about moving abroad but felt scared, this episode is for you.For detailed show notes, visit vivalamami.com/episode159What you'll hear:How Lina and her Colombian-American husband went from Bogotá to Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bolivia, and now West AfricaThe real challenges of giving birth and raising three kids abroad without family supportTwo go-to strategies for building community anywhere in the worldHow to preserve your culture and the heritage language at homeWhy home is not a place but it's the people you're with and the connections you build along the wayFollow Lina Molina on Instagram:@latinamomtravels@latinamomcoachesSupport the showSHOP MY NEWEST PRODUCTS - "How to Get Dual Citizenship in Mexico" E-Guide & Digital Course

Notes and Links to Davina Agudelo's Work        Davina Agudelo-Ferreria is a Colombian-American bilingual poet, writer and the founder of her independent publishing company, Alegría Publishing. Agudelo-Ferreira was born in Miami and raised in Medellín, Colombia until the age of 17.    Alegría Publishing was created in 2020 to spotlight modern Latino/x stories and give a special opportunity for upcoming writers to have a platform to present their work.     She also runs the bilingual Alegría magazine, which was founded in 2012 and is published digitally and printed quarterly.  2021 Article in Remezcla: “With Alegría Bilingual Media, Colombiana Davina A. Ferreira Is Uplifting Latine Storytelling   Publishing on Instagram At about 1:40, Davina shares some good Medellin, Colombia slang At about 3:20, Davina expands upon her upbringing and her language and literary lives and literature and writing were places of “refuge” for her At about 6:10, Davina talks about “gatekeepers” and difficulty in getting to read diverse writers and publish; she talks about her publishing company as a response to that  At about 7:50, Davina responds to Pete's asking about her early writing-poetry, journals, etc. At about 9:50, Pete cites Ingrid Rojas Contreras in asking Davina about connections between Colombian cultures and magic realism At about 11:35, Davina responds to Pete's wondering about her take on diversity in publishing and any positive changes in recent years At about 14:15, Davina reflects on the usage of Latine and Latinx At about 16:05, Davina talks about the name of her publishing company and its significance  At about 17:45, Davina expands on alegria vs. joy and their power At about 18:20, Davina talks about the publishing company and its mission and challenges around the COVID pandemic At about 23:05, Davina responds (en español) to Pete asking about her own writing-likes and specialties  At about 26:00, Pete asks Davina (en español) about balancing the personal and the universal, and the balance between the romantic and the cheesy  At about 28:20, Davina outlines the year-round work at a publishing company  At about 30:15, Davina discusses future projects for Alegria Publishing       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up now at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of formative and transformative writing for children, as Pete surveys wonderful writers on their own influences.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 332 with Jordy Rosenberg, the author of the novels Confessions of the Fox (2018) and Night Night Fawn (2026). Confessions of the Fox was a New York Times Editors Choice selection, shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, and has been recognized by The New Yorker, the Huffington Post, among other places, as one of the Best Books of 2018. Jordy is a professor in the Department of English and Associated MFA Faculty in the Program for Poets and Writers at The University of Massachusetts-Amherst.    The episode airs on March 24.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.    You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Gaspare Randazzo's Work   Gaspare Randazzo is a NYC high school teacher in his 13th year in the classroom. When he's not in the classroom, you can find Gaspare doing Stand Up Comedy all around the country where he talks about his life as a teacher and his experiences dealing with students from all walks of life. In addition to stand up comedy and teaching, Gaspare recently starred in the Netflix show “The Trust” and co-hosts “The Social Studies Podcast” along with Joe Dombrowski. You can find him on all social media platforms at StandUpRandazzo. Gaspare Randazzo's Instagram   Gaspare's Website   Tickets for Gaspare's Shows   At about 1:35, Gaspare relates the incredible story of him buying an Egyptian sarcophagus  At about 7:50, Pete shouts out the connections between Gaspare and his AOL screen name At about 9:00, Gaspare talks about his early connections to the comedy world, some tangential  At about 10:15, Gaspare responds to Pete's questions about catalysts for his comedy career At about 12:00, Gaspare shares an anecdote about his first headlining show and how he stretched eight minutes of material into an hour of material   At about 14:50, Gaspare talks about how he is “just him[self]” on stage At about 15:45, Gaspare responds to Pete's question about the “clip culture” of contemporary comedy At about 16:30, Gaspare talks about “clean comedy” At about 17:55, Gaspare talks about connections between teaching and comedy, and his public persona making it necessary to be a good teacher  At about 19:00, Gaspare expands on his usage of costumes in his history classes At about 21:00, Gaspare responds to Pete's questions about privacy concerns and how he is “mindful” of not giving specifics  At about 22:00, Gaspare discusses his evolving classroom management over the years  At about 23:15, Gaspare reflects on the comment boards and positive and negative comments  At about 26:10, Gaspare lays out his weekend schedule that integrates family time and comedy At about 28:10, Gaspare talks about his time on Netflix's The Trust and lays out his early experience and the concept of the show  At about 31:00, Gaspare explains his mindset on the show  At about 32:30, Gaspare talks about the shared experience with his castmates  At about 33:25, Gaspare shares how the byzantine way he “resigned” from his teaching job in order to be on the show At about 35:15, Pete asks Gaspare about “go-to” jokes and lessons  At about 37:20, Gaspare cites about 92% of his audience being teachers and riffs on “translating” his comedy for non-teachers  At about 38:30: Rigor!      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up now at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of formative and transformative writing for children, as Pete surveys wonderful writers on their own influences.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 331 with Davina Agudelo, a Colombian-American bilingual poet, writer and the founder of her independent publishing company, Alegría Publishing, which was created in 2020 to spotlight modern Latino/x stories and give a special opportunity for upcoming writers to have a platform to present their work.    The episode airs on March 19.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.        You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.  

Matias Lopez is a 24-year-old Colombian-American entrepreneur and sales professional who has been spotting opportunities since he was eight years old. Currently serving as Florida Sales Executive for MOTH Drinks and co-founder of Ancesta — a company that teaches seniors how to use technology to stay connected with their families — Matias brings a rare combination of hustle, empathy, and self-taught business wisdom to everything he does. Raised by a single mother who fought through near-foreclosure and financial hardship, he credits her relentless work ethic and an unshakeable positive mindset for making him the entrepreneur he is today.In this episode, Matias shares the story behind his drive — from selling handmade t-shirts to classmates in Colombia as a child, to working his way up from Publix bagger to customer service trainer, to launching Ancesta across Florida. He opens up about losing his father at three, how those early hardships forged a resilience no classroom could teach, and breaks down his self-taught approach to financial literacy — including how he built an excellent credit score on a $400-a-week paycheck. He also gives a first look at his newest venture, 9 Yards, a low-sugar recovery drink set to challenge the sports beverage market.Tune in to episode 67 of RADitude to hear how Matias Lopez turned adversity, grit, and an infectious positive attitude into multiple thriving ventures at just 24 — and discover the mindset shifts and practical strategies that anyone can use to start building the life they truly want.In This Episode, You Will Learn:(04:07) Selling t-shirts at 8 and bagging groceries at 14: Matias's first entrepreneurial sparks (07:02) Founding Ancesta: teaching seniors to use technology (11:49) How Ancesta grew and what Matias looks for when hiring (15:33) Where his business acumen really comes from (18:00) What Publix trained him — and what only experience could teach (21:49) Losing his father at 3, near-foreclosure, and the mindset that formed (25:08) How a connection across continents led to MOTH Drinks (28:15) Introducing 9 Yards: a low-sugar recovery drink coming soon (30:37) The power of community: you are who you surround yourself with (31:30) Self-taught financial literacy: credit scores, good debt vs. bad debt (35:43) How to coach someone out of a negative mindset (41:16) Final message: believe, manifest, and never stop going after itConnect with Matias Lopez:LinkedInLet's connect!WebsiteContact UsLinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply moving and expansive episode of What Are You Made Of?, Mike “C-Roc” sits down with award-winning podcast host, manifestation master, and spiritual life coach Michelle J. Lamont for a raw conversation about resilience, healing, and personal sovereignty. Michelle shares her extraordinary life journey—from surviving abandonment, years in an orphanage, abuse, addiction, and a failed suicide attempt, to consciously rewriting her story and manifesting a life of purpose, impact, and global influence. As a first-generation Colombian-American, Michelle opens up about how early trauma shaped her nervous system, beliefs, and behaviors, and how studying neuroscience, mindfulness, and quantum principles helped her understand why she was stuck in cycles of self-sabotage—and how to break free from them.Together, Mike "C-Roc" and Michelle explore what it truly means to become “that one”—to step into your authentic lane without competition, fear, or survival mode driving your decisions. Michelle explains how unhealed trauma keeps people living as if they're constantly at the “watering hole,” operating from fight-or-flight instead of clarity and creation. She dives into manifestation, quantum identity, and the importance of healing the inner child in order to access higher levels of opportunity, fulfillment, and abundance. This episode is a powerful reminder that no matter where you come from or what you've endured, you have the ability to reclaim your energy, rewrite your identity, and consciously create a life that feels aligned, expansive, and uniquely yours.Website- MichelleJlamont.com https://www.instagram.com/michellejlamont/

On this episode of #LatinosOutLoud, #RachelLaLoca chats with star of Beetlejuice on Broadway, Colombian-American singer and actress from San Jose, CA, Isabella Esler. At just 18 years old, she joined the cast of the first national tour of Beetlejuice as fan favorite Lydia Deetz. After two years with the touring company and over 500 shows she made her way to BROADWAY for her DEBUT! The show returned for a third time to Broadway and runs through January 3rd at The Palace Theatre. MORE ABOUT ISABELLA Most recently, Isabella appeared in Toronto as Alice Carter in Britta Johnson's new musical Life After, a limited engagement that earned her a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Outstanding Individual Performance. Currently based in New York City, Isabella is emerging as a dynamic stage talent known for her expressive musical theater work and magnetic presence. She's happy to be doing what she loves most and bringing happiness to people by performing on stage. ⁠https://www.isabellaesler.com/⁠ Follow Rachel Follow Isabella Follow LOL #LatinosOutLoud #Podcast #Comedy #LatinoStories #Loud #BettleJuice Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of #LatinosOutLoud, #RachelLaLoca chats with star of Beetlejuice on Broadway, Colombian-American singer and actress from San Jose, CA, Isabella Esler. At just 18 years old, she joined the cast of the first national tour of Beetlejuice as fan favorite Lydia Deetz. After two years with the touring company and over 500 shows she made her way to BROADWAY for her DEBUT! The show returned for a third time to Broadway and runs through January 3rd at The Palace Theatre. MORE ABOUT ISABELLA Most recently, Isabella appeared in Toronto as Alice Carter in Britta Johnson's new musical Life After, a limited engagement that earned her a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Outstanding Individual Performance. Currently based in New York City, Isabella is emerging as a dynamic stage talent known for her expressive musical theater work and magnetic presence. She's happy to be doing what she loves most and bringing happiness to people by performing on stage. ⁠https://www.isabellaesler.com/⁠ Follow Rachel Follow Isabella Follow LOL #LatinosOutLoud #Podcast #Comedy #LatinoStories #Loud #BettleJuice

Time for our last installment of live interviews from Coffee Fest 2025. This time from Orlando, FL USA! We are talking with four awesome professionals about everything from training and tasting, Florida coffee culture and barista work - to career dreams coming true through hard work and faith, and empowering your baristas with distributed management!  First we are talking with Claudio Martinez! For Claudio, coffee has never been just a drink, it is part of his soul, rooted in his family's 70-year heritage in Honduras. That connection was reignited in Thessaloniki, Greece, where, under the mentorship of Tony Sebastian of I Heart Coffee Roasters, he embraced the beauty, tradition, and community that coffee represents. His first hands-on experience came in a small drive-through coffee shop in Ellendale, North Dakota, owned by a close friend. As a young barista, Claudio discovered the joy of serving others one cup at a time. That spark guided him forward, leading to opportunities with global icons such as Lavazza, where he worked as a trainer and educator, and later with List + Beisler, where he shared exceptional coffees as a green trader with roasters across the country. Each step nurtured his gratitude and reinforced his belief in coffee as a bridge between cultures and communities. Today, as the driving force behind Golden Bush Coffee, Claudio channels that lifelong passion into supporting food and beverage communities throughout Florida and beyond. His mission is grounded in humility and purpose, guided by the belief that coffee is never just about what's in the cup—it is about people, stories, and the connections it creates. Links:  https://goldenbushcoffee.com/ https://www.instagram.com/goldenbushcoffee/   Next up we feature Vanessa Jaramillo! Vanessa Jaramillo is the Regional Events & Operations Coordinator for Florida Coffee Culture, where she helps connect and celebrate the people behind Florida's growing specialty coffee scene. As a Colombian-American, Vanessa's connection to coffee began long before she became a barista — she visited origin before ever working behind a bar. After discovering specialty coffee in Australia during her gap year, she returned to Florida with a deep passion for community and storytelling. With three years in the coffee industry, Vanessa has immersed herself in every part of the craft — from cuppings and throwdowns to competitions and community events. She's driven by the belief that coffee is a universal connector that brings people together from all walks of life. Links: https://www.flcoffeeculture.com/ https://www.instagram.com/floridacoffeeculture/ We then turn to chat with Maria Esther Lopez Thome! María Esther is the Co-Founder and Co-Creator of Coffea School, a Coffee & Tea Training Center located in Miami Gardens, Florida. Lawyer, with Master in Tax and Administrative Law. Q-Instructor. SCA Authorized Trainer in the entire Coffee Skills Program, from seed to cup. SCA-ReCo Fellow. SCA Technical Standard Committee Fellow, 2016-2018. CQI Q-Processing Professional. CQI Quality Evaluation and Post-Harvest Processing Assistant Instructor. CVA Program Trainer. Has traveled the world teaching about coffee: Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Ethiopia, United States. Passionate about coffee and the incredible relationships that growth in within. A sustainability believer, always willing to learn more.  Links: https://coffeaschool.com/ https://www.instagram.com/coffeacompany/?hl=en Finally we round off the episode with a wonderful conversation with Katherine Morris! Katherine Morris is the Owner and CFO of Cherry Coffee Company in Fort Worth, Texas, which includes Cherry Coffee Shop, a values-driven neighborhood café, and Novel Coffee Roasters, a specialty roastery with a focus on intentional sourcing and private-label partnerships. With over 18 years of experience across finance, nonprofit, and hospitality, Katherine blends operational know-how with a people-first approach to leadership. At Cherry, she introduced a shared management model that empowers baristas to lead key areas of the business — from coffee development to inventory — helping create a resilient, collaborative team culture. Links:  https://cherry-coffee.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cherrycoffeefw/?hl=en     Click here to register for our new webinar!  "The Keys to the Shop: Principles for Cafe Success"       KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING! If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email  chris@keystothshop.com or book a free call now:  https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min    CHECK OUT FUTURE COFFEE FEST SHOWS! WWW.COFFEEFEST.COM    

What's shaking? I'm Rick Jordan, and today we're going ALL IN with someone who's truly redefining what it means to chase the American Dream. My guest, Shayra Melo, is a Colombian-American powerhouse in the world of AI and blockchain—and she's here fresh off the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, where she just helped ring the bell as her company, Vocodia, went public. We dive deep into what it really takes to build something big—the mindset, the grind, and the unseen work that happens behind the scenes when you're growing 200% year after year. Shayra opens up about her journey from early crypto investor to tech innovator, her mission to bring privacy and protection to AI through blockchain, and how she's turning cutting-edge technology into tools that keep people—and kids—safe.We Meet: Shayra Melo, Colombian CEO & Founder of TouchBrick - Building a Public CompanyConnect:Connect with Rick: https://linktr.ee/mrrickjordanConnect with Shayra: https://www.instagram.com/shayra.me/ Subscribe & Review to ALL IN with Rick Jordan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickJordanALLINAbout Shayra: Driven by the revolutionary potential of decentralized technologies, I've been actively involved in the crypto space since 2018. As a seasoned investor, I've successfully advised and built numerous projects across DeFi, SocialFi, and RWA sectors. My expertise lies in crafting innovative token-economic systems that incentivize sustainable value growth.Beyond investments, I'm deeply passionate about building open, decentralized protocols that empower users. This passion led me to co-found TouchBrick, a startup at the forefront of Web3 interaction. With our groundbreaking technology, we're transforming how users engage with the blockchain.Bringing one of my portfolio companies into a successful IPO on the CBOE. This experience provided invaluable insights into scaling and navigating complex financial markets.I'm a firm believer in fostering inclusion and breaking barriers within the tech industry. As a first-generation Latin American woman, I strive to pave the way for others by actively mentoring and supporting diverse talent.

Jimmy Rios is a Colombian American and co-founder of the GringoPaisa community in Medellin, one of the earliest communities for Americans in Medellin. He also owns property in Mexico.

In this intimate reflection, Colombian-American producer Tasha Sandoval takes listeners with her as she returns to her native Colombia, after a lifetime of living in the United States, first as a Latina immigrant and then as a US citizen. For a few years, Tasha has had a growing desire: to find out what life would be like if she relocated to the country her parents left, her homeland. And she’s not the only one–Latin American diasporas in the U.S., including many U.S.-born Latinos, are seeking connections to their ancestral homelands. Tasha takes us on her journey as she tries to answer a question: What happens when you are willing to return home? Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this walk, we explore how international college athletes navigate the unique mental health challenges shaped by both sport and migration. Transitioning into, or returning to, higher education often comes with pressures of performance, belonging, and identity. When immigration is layered into that experience, the stakes become even higher.To unpack this, we're joined by the Katherine Thompson. Katherine is the Founder of Spero Psychological Services, a practice built on hope and empowerment to meet the unmet mental health needs of diverse communities. From immigration hardship evaluations to organizational consulting on workplace well-being, Spero is committed to lighting the path to healing for those who feel overlooked or underserved.As a Colombian American, our guest brings both professional expertise and personal experience, weaving cultural understanding into her work to ensure marginalized populations receive the care they deserve.Together, we ask: What can higher education and sport industries learn from immigrant community care models to better support international athletes today?Don't forget to subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of sport, education, and global mobility.

This week on our show, we're thrilled to welcome a true leader in the legal world, The Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro! As the Dean and Professor of Law at St. Thomas University College of Law, her impact is undeniable. Under her guidance, the school has reached new heights, with record enrollment and the highest bar passage rate in its history. Dean Navarro is a trailblazer, making history as the first Colombian American to serve on the Circuit Court bench in Florida's Ninth and Seventeenth Judicial Circuits. Her journey from the courtroom to the classroom is a testament to her dedication to both justice and education. Beyond her impressive professional achievements, Dean Navarro is also a champion for the well-being of legal professionals. She's conducted workshops on lawyer wellness and serves on the Florida Bar's Mental Health & Wellness Committee. Her commitment to fostering a healthy and supportive legal community is inspiring. A proud alumna of St. Thomas University College of Law herself, she is the first graduate to serve as the school's dean, and she is part of a distinguished group of alumni who form the largest cohort of female Hispanic judges in the nation. Join us as we dive into her remarkable career and the future of legal education. Tune in to hear more about: Her journey from Assistant State Attorney to Circuit Court Judge. The groundbreaking achievements at St. Thomas University College of Law under her leadership. Her passion for mental health and wellness within the legal profession. Her historic appointment as the first Colombian American to serve on the Circuit Court bench.

This conversation blew me away. Shyra Melo is 27 years old. First generation Colombian-American. And tomorrow she's ringing the bell at the Chicago Board of Trade as part of a company going public. But here's the kicker. Six years ago she was just a 21-year-old who heard about this Bitcoin thing on the news and decided to invest. Shyra's journey started when she kept hearing about Bitcoin everywhere. Financial advisors were telling her it would never grow. She decided to ignore them and invest anyway. That curiosity about crypto led her deeper into blockchain technology. She started understanding the real value wasn't in the coins but in the underlying tech. The chains. The propositions. The actual problems they were solving. Then she met Jason Melo. Her now husband and CTO who founded Paxo. She had a vision for privacy solutions on blockchain. He was working at a unicorn company and wasn't sure about leaving for another startup. But the vision was there. They saw the opportunity to create something different. Privacy vaults on blockchain that separate identifiable information from data analysis. Her family immigrated from Colombia. Her grandmother came first out of love. Then brought the daughters over. Including Shyra's mom who became a homeowner on her own. Powerful women showing what's possible. Now Shyra's a woman in tech at 27 years old building privacy solutions that keep kids safe. That's the American dream right there. This episode is about curiosity leading to opportunity. About mentally stepping into where you know you're going before you get there. About the difference between professionals and facade. And about how six years of consistent vision and execution can take you from Bitcoin beginner to public company executive.Connect:Connect with Rick: https://linktr.ee/mrrickjordanConnect with Shayra: https://www.instagram.com/shayra.me/ Subscribe & Review to ALL IN with Rick Jordan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickJordanALLINAbout Shayra:Driven by the revolutionary potential of decentralized technologies, I've been actively involved in the crypto space since 2018. As a seasoned investor, I've successfully advised and built numerous projects across DeFi, SocialFi, and RWA sectors. My expertise lies in crafting innovative token-economic systems that incentivize sustainable value growth.Beyond investments, I'm deeply passionate about building open, decentralized protocols that empower users. This passion led me to co-found TouchBrick, a startup at the forefront of Web3 interaction. With our groundbreaking technology, we're transforming how users engage with the blockchain.Bringing one of my portfolio companies into a successful IPO on the CBOE. This experience provided invaluable insights into scaling and navigating complex financial markets.I'm a firm believer in fostering inclusion and breaking barriers within the tech industry. As a first-generation Latin American woman, I strive to pave the way for others by actively mentoring and supporting diverse talent.

Josh Molina is the co‑founder and CEO of Makers & Finders, founder of Take It Easy Roasters, and a first‑generation Colombian‑American entrepreneur who's generated over $30M in lifetime sales. With 100+ employees and multiple Las Vegas locations, Josh has built beloved food & coffee brands from scratch while also mentoring students and supporting community nonprofits. Lessons & Practical Advice for Aspiring Café Owners: Be endlessly curious. Call the planning, building, and fire departments before you sign anything — learn the build‑out hurdles and code requirements. Mind the capital needs. A proper commercial kitchen hood and grease trap can run $80–100K alone. Save aggressively and protect your credit so you can bring capital to the table. Right‑size your space. Start smaller than you think; lower costs and keep it feeling full. Start small & build presence. Consider a coffee cart/truck or popup to prove your concept and audience before a full‑scale lease. Adapt to your market. Each neighborhood has distinct customer behavior — don't assume what works in one location will in another. Top 3 Takeaways: Niche + Experience = Differentiation: Pairing underrepresented cuisine with a service model Vegas didn't have created a clear market position. Location choice is strategy, not luck: Cheap rent in an up‑and‑coming area gave room to survive the early years and grow with the neighborhood. Systems before scaling: You can add locations faster than you can add process — but you'll regret it if you do. Connect with Josh Molina: Makers & Finders: makerslv.com

Learn about the similarities between Colombian and Botswana culture, and how to take a life-changing camping safari. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Paula Gean joins Matt for a wine night and talks about her experience being born in Colombia amidst the cartel violence of the 1980s, immigrating to Chicago and living in poverty, and then growing up in East Texas and navigating her Colombian-American identity.  She reflects on the complex experience of going back to Colombia at age 14, then talks about the origins of her lifelong activist journey and gives tips on how to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities in the U.S. today.  Paula then explains how she learned about Botswana through her husband, describes her magical first trip to the country, and shares her journey learning about the history and making connections between Colombian and Botswana culture.  She talks about co-founding Africa Culture Journeys with local Botswana people, and explains how she navigated the neocolonial dynamics in the African tourism space to build a sustainable company that empowers and benefits local people.  Finally, Paula describes how you can experience a life-changing trip to Botswana with Africa Culture Journeys and get a special Maverick Show discount.  FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Note to listeners: we're currently on hiatus, returning with new episodes in April 2025. Until then, we're sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive each week. Today, we're speaking with Katalina Mayorga, the founder of El Camino Travel, a travel community for women with a passion for culture.Reminder: I'm running a 10-day group trip to Jordan this May. The trip runs from May 18th to 27th and you can get all the information by visiting here. The last day to join our trip is Friday, April 18th.Original Air Date: Oct 7, 2020.What you'll learn in this episode:Growing up in a bilingual Colombian-American immigrant familyWhat taught Katalina to be vocal from an early ageThe pressure of success as an immigrant in the USKatalina's human rights activism in Latin America and D.C.How Katalina disrupted a major coffee corporation during her college yearsThe danger of the American DreamHappiness in Nicaragua versus the United StatesWhat it was like building El Camino TravelWhat being a global citizen means to Katalina Featured on the show:Follow Katalina on Instagram | @theyoufinderCheck out El Camino Travel Learn more about our upcoming trip to Jordan in May hereGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don't forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You'll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

The Miami-born, Yale-trained Colombian-American actress shares the bumpy road between her breakout role in Netflix's Griselda and her newest role as Detective Kate Silva on Law & Order: SVU; what she has learned working with stars Sofia Vergara and Mariska Hagertay; and the value of being just a little bit delusional.

The election is over and, is spite of Trump's clear victory, America remains as divided as ever. So how to put the country together again? Juliana Tafur, the director of the Bridging Differences Program at UC Berkeley, has been giving this existential question much thought. What all Americans need, Tafur tells me, is the compassion, empathy and humility to understand the other side. But, as I asked her, isn't that just shorthand for a progressive bridge building project in which the left defines the language of a reunited America?Juliana Tafur, the director of the Bridging Differences Program at UC Berkeley Her work focuses on strengthening social connections across lines of race, religion, culture, politics, and more, to foster a culture of understanding and belonging in the United States and beyond. Through partnerships, multimedia content, speaking engagements, and workshops, Juliana is committed to ensuring that bridge-building skills and resources reach people and inspire meaningful change. With experience as a social entrepreneur, workshop creator, Emmy-nominated senior producer, and award-winning documentary filmmaker, she has been working to foster human connection across complex societal divides for more than a decade. A TEDx speaker, she has led and facilitated speaking engagements and training sessions on bridging differences at more than 30 higher education institutions and organizations. Juliana is also a 2021–2022 Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University—a mid-career fellowship that recognized and deepened her work in the bridge-building field, expanding her research on intergroup relations, political polarization, and conflict transformation. She is an honors graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Journalism and History.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.TRANSCRIPTKEEN: Hello, everybody. The easy bit's over! The election's finished, now the real challenge is bringing America back together. We always hear these terms from politicians and activists, but in practice, of course, it's a very challenging thing to do. My guest today on the show, Juliana Tafur, though, is somebody who's given a great deal of thought to bringing America back together, bridging differences. She is the inaugural director of the Bridging Differences Program at UC Berkeley. She's also very much involved in the Denver Foundation. She's based in Boulder, Colorado, and she's joining us today. Juliana, is that fair? Was the election the easy bit? Now, the challenge is putting Humpty Dumpty back together again?TAFUR: 100%. I love the Humpty Dumpty. Yes, we are broken. How do we come back together and mend those pieces while still acknowledging the brokenness, right? Yeah. With that analogy, there's a beautiful Japanese technique that aims to cover the fractures, but to cover the fractures with a strand of gold so that we're not pretending like the fractures aren't there, but we are making something better as a result of the recognition of those fractures.KEEN: Juliana, we've done a lot of shows about this sort of thing. In fact, I've worked with the Braver Angels group. I'm sure you're familiar with them. I have been to a couple of their conferences. There are more and more of these groups trying to bring Americans back together. Might one suggest that there is now a broader movement in America to bring Americans of different--particularly different political persuasions back together? You're doing it, braver angels are doing it. Many of the thousands of activists and hundreds of groups.TAFUR: Yeah. There is so many of us across the country that work tirelessly day in and day out, around elections and before and after elections to make sure we come together. And yes, Braver Angels is just one of them. I could certainly give you a list that you could attach to the show notes, because a lot of us are doing this work and it's good for people to know that we're out there and that this is possible. But sometimes it takes seeing it in action and understanding how to do it to really trust that you can do it, too.KEEN: Yeah, we've had lots of people on the show. I know you're familiar with the work of Eboo Patel. You've worked with him his book couple of years ago. We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy is another example of this kind of work. Tell me what you do at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. What are you doing that's different or unusual or unique in terms of bringing Americans back together?TAFUR: Yeah, well, at the Greater Good Science Center, we study the psychology, sociology and neuroscience of well-being, or what we'd like to call the science of a meaningful life. And we break the science to the practice. So we take the science of how to have a meaningful life or how to bridge differences, and we translate it in a way that is accessible to people to apply in their own lives or to practitioners to help others apply the science. And in the bridging differences programs specifically, we do this through a series of videos, multimedia pieces that we publish in our magazine, Greater Good. We have a famous podcast called The Science of Happiness. We began in earnest in 2018, I would say, gathering what the science said about how to bring people together across differences. And when we talk about the science, we talk about skills, science-based skills, from compassionate listening to finding shared identities, etc., that have been tested in labs, and we translate them in a way that people understand how some of these skills applied, how they worked in labs, and how they can then work also in kind of real-life scenarios and situations. So we have a bridging differences playbook that has 14 science-based skills for bridging differences. We have an edX course that's free and available for everyone to take that also disseminates some of the science-based skills.KEEN: Tell me a little bit more about yourself. You've been involved in this space for a while. You're also a filmmaker, so you're very much committed on lots of fronts to this. How did you find yourself? Is this a reflection of your own upbringing, your own experience in the United States?TAFUR: Absolutely, yes. What you had up first was the page from the Obama Scholars Program. So a few years ago, 21, 22, I was an Obama scholar at Columbia University--KEEN: And you were the founder, at least at that point, of something called Story Powerhouse. I'm guessing you're still the founder, although you've moved on in a sense.TAFUR: Correct. Yeah. And Story Powerhouse was at the company Listen Courageously, which was a workshop series that I took around to universities and organizations and corporations talking about the power of empathic listening. And I got to that through film that I produced and directed that brought Americans together on opposite ends of the spectrum across the easy topics of abortion, guns and immigration. And the inspiration for this film came after the 2016 election. I felt a big need back then to try to bridge the divide that I was seeing and feeling, very explicitly, for the very first time in our country. And as a Colombian-American, I was beginning to talk to folks in my circles, and I was feeling this this real sense of othering that I had never, ever experienced and wondering and questioning what was my place and that of so many others like me in our country. And that led to to Listen, to this film that brought three sets of participants across these really tough topics together to explore if they could see each other as people and connect on a human level despite their differences. And I had no idea what the outcome would be. I had documented their conversations across a period of time. And I was truly moved by what I saw. I saw that those who were able to connect at a deep, human level were those who were able to listen. So then, that led me to study and explore and understand the power of listening and understood that it was a field. It's an arts, but it's also a science and connected with practitioners, but also researchers in the field of listening. And one thing led to the other, right? As a practitioner and filmmaker in the field of bridging differences, I found myself going back to intergroup relations and conflict transformation and other subjects too, to really understand why. Why was it that my film participants had come together, and how could I then equip others to continue doing the same? Less from a "we know this is possible" and more from a kind of research-grounded way.KEEN: Juliana, some people might be listening to this and...whilst on the one hand being, in a way, impressed they might be scratching their head, maybe listening to you, you use the E-word all the time empathetic, which is quite a kind of ideological character these days. You talk about othering, you're funded by, or you were funded by, the Obama Foundation. Now you head up a greater good institute at UC Berkeley, People's Republic of Berkeley, which is a place I know all too well, I used to live there for many years. Some people might be listening to this and thinking if you scratch the surface of what Juliana's saying, is she suggesting that this is the progressive version of the greater good? And as long as you're in our camp and you use her words like "empathy" and "othering" and love the Obamas and spend time at UC Berkeley, it's fine. But when you start perhaps putting red caps on and talking about America becoming great again or not being particularly sympathetic to immigrants, then you're outside your world. How would you respond to that? Is that a fair criticism or am I wrong, or would one be wrong?TAFUR: Well, obviously, people's criticisms are their criticisms, and that's absolutely okay. And there is no right or wrong. I just want to say--KEEN: Well, there is right and wrong, Juliana, isn't there? There's some things are certainly more right than wrong and some things are more wrong and right.TAFUR: Yes, but we don't judge that. I think, you know, people are right to believe what they believe, vote for who they vote, and be who they are. And we start bridging from the place of: I see you, and I hear you, and I might not understand you, but that's okay. I still don't dehumanize you. And that's the spirit of bridging differences. And yes, I don't hide where I stand. Politically, I am more progressive. And I have been an Obama scholar. And I work at Berkeley. So all of that is who I am. And from that place, I bridge. I bridge from the place of this is who I am, where I stand. I still love you and I still want to get to know you. And I still want to see you. And I just want to say, given that I'm Colombian American and I lived in Miami for the last ten years, I just recently moved to Boulder, Colorado, to lead a statewide initiative here in the state of Colorado called Belonging Colorado to make Colorado a place where everyone feels like they belong. Thank you for popping it up.KEEN: Called Belonging Colorado.TAFUR: Yeah, in Florida, I mean, I've had friends and neighbors who don't think like I do, who don't see the world like I do. And I've appreciated that. And I have not excluded them from our circles, from trying deeply to learn and understand what is it that they believe, what they believe. So I intentionally have made way to understand our country and and to try to tap into, honestly, what at the end of the day, are people's fears of what we need. And I approach them from that place. When you approach others from a place of "we are all walking with our fears in our foreheads," we begin to connect with your fear, my fear. But it's all fear and it's okay.KEEN: You used the term "humanizing differences," Juliana. Some people, again, might be listening and thinking to themselves, well, the guy who just won the election, more Americans voted for him than the other candidate. It's quite a decisive election. He doesn't seem to be in the business of "humanizing differences." In fact, many of the people he doesn't like, he seems, some people believe, I tend to be sympathetic there, he's dehumanizing them. So. So what do we do in an America, where the next president is, or appears to be, very often in the business of dehumanization?TAFUR: Hopefully we take back the narrative.KEEN: What does that mean, "take back the narrative"? He's been elected. It's his narrative.TAFUR: It is his narrative. But as people I don't believe that everyone who voted for him is voting for the dehumanization. I am holding firm to the belief that people are good, and that people have voted for other things and not for that. And I want people who voted for him to still see that we need to humanize each other despite our differences. And I believe that they do. I do not believe people are buying into that narrative and rhetoric. At least not everyone. Some may. But I think when we take back the narrative, we take back the narrative of: yes, right now there's a winning camp and a losing camp, and that's okay. And I would hope that those in the winning camp also want to see across differences and are reaching out to humanize those who are not in the winning camp. And, you know, that is now that is four years. But our country perseveres and continues and we are interdependent and need each other. Absolutely need each other. More than this rhetoric, more than the divisive politics. Politics is just one aspect of who we are.KEEN: There are others. I mean, you acknowledge that you're a progressive. There are other progressives who are preparing to resist the new--what they see as a regime, some people even think that the new president is a fascist. What would you say to resistors, people who don't believe that it's possible to, as you would put it, reshape the narrative or seize the narrative, that that the next president is in the business of dehumanizing many people, particularly people out of America and many people in America. And it's just pointless and that they're going to fight him, they're going to fight him in the courts, and maybe even on the streets.TAFUR: I don't think that's the way. I don't stand for that. And I'm also trying to bring those people along. I think the only way out of hate, sincerely, and I know it sounds cliche, but it's through love. I don't believe in resistance in that way. I am for peace and I will continue to promote peace. And I know that that is hard for people in the far left to also swallow. And I know it takes time and I know not everyone is there right now, especially right now. And not everyone will be there ever. And that's okay, too. We understand that bridging is not the right thing for every person in every situation. We know that a lot of people who feel that their identity is in danger or that they're being disrespected might not be called to bridge differences. And that is also okay. I don't think this is work that you do by demand. And and we know that it's not without risks. We know that it involves exposing vulnerability. And we also know that sometimes bridging work takes small shifts over time. What we like to call small to large, or big, bridges. Sometimes you don't start with the biggest bridge possible bridging across the biggest divide. So we know that it's work that requires the right mindsets and skills and attitudes, and that takes time.KEEN: You've used the word bridge a lot, bridging as a noun, as an adjective. I seem to remember Bill Clinton was very much in the, at least the etymological bridge building business. He would always talk about it. Are examples of American politicians in the past who have successfully built bridges? I mean, Clinton wanted to, of course, he had his own controversial personal narrative that didn't help. But when you look back into the American past, who are the bridging presidents? FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Lincoln?TAFUR: Yeah, those, and I would say, you know, yes, I may I'm totally biased because I am funded, have been funded, by the Obama Foundation. But sincerely, President Obama has taken bridging and pluralism, as he called it, as the work that he is doing, that he is centering on after his presidency, and he runs these democracy summits that happen once a year. And and it is a message that he deeply believes in and is trying to share with others.KEEN: Yeah, I mean, doesn't everyone bridge on their own terms? Obama campaigned aggressively for Harris. And in fact, a lot of people believe that Trump never would have got involved in politics had Obama not given him such a violent roasting at one of the White House correspondence evenings a few years ago. So isn't Obama an example of someone who bridges when they feel like it and when they don't, they accuse other people of not bridging?TAFUR: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I prefer not to get into politics. I do bridging differences work because I am equipping folks with the skills to be able to do this work. And I believe in humans. So so this is really not about politics for me. It never was. It never will be. I happen to be an Obama scholar, but I'd really rather not comment on what politicians are or not doing.KEEN: And I take your point, Juliana. But politics and the founders knew this, the politics in and out of America, is a dirty business. We pursue our own interests. Madison called them the pursuit of faction. That's why we have divisions, that's why we have branches of government which are designed to negate each other. Just as Madison so famously said, so profoundly said, "If men were angels (and he did say, man, he didn't say women as well, of course), if men were angels, there'd be no need for government." And I wonder whether...and again, I don't want a group for your movements or your thinking into one, but I wonder whether this kind of ambivalence, hostility, maybe even contempt for politics is problematic. When I think of someone like Michelle Obama, I have to admit I'm very, very disappointed that she didn't choose to enter into politics. She seems to be political when she feels like it. But not to participate in politics, she was probably the only person in America could have beaten Trump. Again, I don't want to turn this into a conversation about either Obama's. But my question to you is about acknowledging the dirtiness of politics, which reflects the dirtiness of the human condition, the fact that we all are, for better or worse, self-interested. Do you accept that Madisonian version of human nature?TAFUR: I honestly think there is a better future for us when we tap into what we can be and not what we are. And I know it's hard for many to do right now. And it's hard when what we see as reality is what politicians do. And I do see some examples of politics where people are coming together that I'd like to highlight, including Governor Spencer Cox. And he's led a national campaign called Disagree Better. And he's come on ads with Governor Jared Polis from--KEEN: Colorado, yeah?TAFUR: Colorado. And Governor Cox is out of Utah, Republican. Jared Polis is a Democrat from Colorado. And I think we need more of that. We need more examples of that, politicians coming together and showing how they are coming together so that we believe that it's also possible. So I'd like to  hang on to those examples in the political realm. But again, I'm in the business of what we individuals can do at the interpersonal level to begin to cultivate the right skills and mindsets, to be able to come together and at the inter group level with others.KEEN: There's been a lot of conversation, debate after this election, Juliana, like many elections, about why and how people should vote. Should they vote out of self-interest or for the the greater good? Lots of comments about many of the people vote voting for Trump seem to be voting against their own interests, particularly the new American working class. Whereas the coastal elites in voting for Harris seem also in an odd way to be voting against their own--certainly economic--interests by voting for her, in your view, to get to this bridge and this ability to be empathetic and converse with others, do we need to overcome our own self-interest, particularly our own economic self-interest?TAFUR: I don't think you need to overcome your own economic self-interests to bridge. Not at all. Because when we bridge differences, we are not asking honestly people to leave aside any of what they value. It centers on this recognition of, yes, common humanity, which I know is very abstract to a lot of people. But it is not about persuasion and it does not require you compromising your beliefs or values. It just requires the ability for you to recognize that anyone, anyone can teach you something, which is a term called intellectual humility. So, no, not to bridge. I mean, you may be putting your self-interest aside, or some of your self-interests, aside when you're voting for certain candidates. But to bridge, we are just coming together to see each other and to be with each other.KEEN: You talk about intellectual humility. That word again, humility is another fashionable word that goes with empathy. Is there, do you think, a religious context to this? Do you think some of these movements, maybe yours, maybe even yourself, it grew out of a religious tradition. A Christian tradition? Humility, empathy, love, understanding. These are words that are traditionally used in religion.TAFUR: Yes, they are. I will say that we have not necessarily emphasized or called attention to these character virtues and moral virtues in our work. We do talk about them a lot and we will probably emphasize them a bit more moving forward, given interest that we have in doing so, because we do think that when you talk about civil, moral character virtues like respect and curiosity and courage, you are meeting different types of people at different places. And at the end of the day, this is about becoming better people.KEEN: Say that again: this is about becoming better people. So, it's a moral movement. You're suggesting people need to pull their their moral socks up if we're going to put Humpty Dumpty, to extend this rather childish metaphor, if we're if we're to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, we need to pull our moral socks up. Is that fair?TAFUR: Yeah. I mean, we believe that cultivating these virtues is not just about overcoming current societal divides, but about nurturing a deep commitment to, for a lack of a better word, the greater good. This is what this is about.KEEN: I don't know how many jobs you have, Juliana. I'm lucky enough that I don't have multiple jobs, but some people, again, might be watching this and saying this is all very well. Maybe in some biblical fantasy land, we can all put ourselves out and be better people. But most people are really busy. Many, particularly, working class people who perhaps voted for Trumo, they're working 2 or 3 jobs. They're busy. They struggle to pay their rent, feed their families. Does this require to be part of your bridging movement? Does it require, shall we say, moral...concentration? Or could you do it...occasionally?TAFUR: Absolutely. You can do it occasionally. You can do it in the weekend. You can do it with neighbors. You could do it at a school board meeting. You could do it in neighborhood meetings. You could do it wherever you are. You could do it at work. You could do it with colleagues. You could do it with your kids. It does not require more than anything that you are already doing. It's just about how you approach those who are in your circles and in your life.KEEN: What's the most difficult thing? You do this a lot. You run bridging programs. You run a school, essentially, designed to help people bridge. What does the movement most struggle with? When you see people who are open to the idea and say, you're right, I need to be able to talk responsibly with humility and empathy to people who I don't agree with on the other political side, culturally, racially, and all the rest of it. What do people most struggle with, what don't they expect? What would you warn people about who are trying to get into a movement like this?TAFUR: We are very clear that if the other person is dehumanizing you, and if you feel at risk or threatened by this dehumanization, that you should probably be careful in engaging. So that's where we draw the line.KEEN: Yeah, but then you're shifting the responsibility to somebody else. I mean, obviously, if they're dehumanizing you, you wouldn't want to talk to them. But what's hard about changing oneself, that's possible, that doesn't involve the other?TAFUR: I think this just requires the commitment to want to do it and then the right skills. To engage with it in a way that you see works, that feels good, and that invites you to continue trying it out. And all it takes is the willingness to say, "I'm exhausted by this. This is affecting me personally." Because we do know that our divides are consuming us. They're affecting our health, our well-being. We also know our divides are affecting our families and our closest circles. We know that our divides affect our children in schools. So there are many, many reasons for wanting to bridge, for saying, "this is enough. I am exhausted." And if you are, you are not alone. Three. Out of four Americans are. 75% of Americans in the most conservative estimates say they are exhausted by the division.KEEN: Exhausted by just this endless controversy of people not being able to talk to one another?TAFUR: Yeah. Research tells us that three out of four Americans see political hostility and divisiveness as a serious problem and want to live in a less polarized country. So we are just trying to meet that exhausted majority where they are. Because we do know that people value diverse perspectives. Again, research points to this, and a desire to shift the political discourse. So we're telling them: we hear you. We see you. Yes, this division hurts us. Let's do something about it. Do you need some skills? We got you.KEEN: Juliana, I asked you about other examples from American history. What about models from the rest of the world in these kinds of conversations? You often hear about the the reconciliation, the truth and reconciliation movement and Mandela, South Africa. Are there models overseas, which Americans can learn from? Americans often aren't very good at learning from other countries, particularly in Africa. But is the South African model a good one, do you think?TAFUR: Yes. I mean, clearly, they were able to come together across incredible fracture and division, and they were able to persevere and collaborate across differences. There is also the model in Ireland that we can point to. There is division that is hurting countries across the world right now. And I know ,I come from a country that is deeply divided, Colombia. And Colombians have also succeeded in bridging the great divide. But there's been strides, through peace treaties and others, to come together despite differences. So we can certainly learn from other countries that have been deeply divided and in deep conflict and have come together. We are not in a place in the US where our conflict has turned violent, thankfully, at least not openly. We are seeing signs of violence, but we are not in the midst of a war (although it seems like a moral war in many regards.) And and I do want to point to the hope that countries who have been in deeper fractures about how this is possible and and hopefully also show us that we must do something before the fracture goes wider and deeper. And where reconciliation seems harder to do.KEEN: Juliana, you mentioned Ireland. One of the things that comes to mind in the Irish model is the role of citizen assemblies in bringing people together to talk about very difficult issues. You brought up abortion, guns and immigration, in the U.S., the three most divisive issues, probably abortion, was and maybe still remains the most divisive in Roman Catholic Ireland. But the Citizens' Assembly movement in Ireland addressed the issue of abortion, and that was the way for the Irish parliament to actually develop some some quite interesting new legislation on abortion. Are you sympathetic to rethinking institutions, political institutions, political organizations like the Citizens' Assembly? Is this something that you've thought about, researched, is it part of a greater good future?TAFUR: Yeah, I mean, I do think we need to re-imagine. I do think we need to take good examples, including citizens' assemblies and in understand what's going to work for all of us. We know what we're doing now is not working for all of us. What does it take? How can we bring folks together to the conversation in a way that is bringing us all together? So, I do think bringing a diverse group of citizens to engage in structured dialogue, learn from experts, and also deliberate over complex topics could be the way. Maybe that's what we need. Maybe we do need more public participation in the democratic process in a way that ultimately ends up shaping legislation. And it does align with our bridging differences program, right? And and what we promote in in bringing people in and fostering inclusivity. So how can we bring different backgrounds together in structured discussions so that we can move beyond these partisan divides? Because we do understand that some of these issues do provoke, I would say, a really strong emotional response and and also carry significant social implications for folks.KEEN: Juliana Tafur, you've you've done very well with, my rather obnoxious question. So let's end with an opportunity for you to talk about, quite literally, where we go from here. You have some articles on your website, on the Bridging Differences website about where do we go from here, after the election. Perhaps you might touch on 3 or 4 bullets--concrete things of where we go from here in in early November 2024 that can bridge America, that can bring us back together. What would you suggest that's doable, viable, can be achieved in the next few months?TAFUR: It's great that you point to that article. I was obviously part of a group of us at the Greater Good Science Center that was very keen on publishing this the day after the election to--KEEN: And now you're on--I couldn't resist this one, Juliana, now you're on KEEN ON. I'm sorry for that rather silly joke, but anyway. Go on.TAFUR: Yep, yep, yep. Well, let me just, like, run through a bit of what some of the experts and researchers who we invited to be a part of this article with what they said.KEEN: And that included Eboo Patel, who, as I said, has been on the show. So you put together a very interesting group of people to write this thing.TAFUR: Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, so Eboo is saying keep doing what matters to you and the world, and he's trying to get us away from this catastrophe mindset, and he wants to remind us that what you are doing is sacred and it makes a difference. And even if the world is going to end, he says, the wisdom of the sages says to keep doing your meaningful work, because that work is part of the saving grace of humanity. So that was beautiful. Scott Shigeoka, who's a bridging differences fellow at the Greater Good Science Center, is inviting us to practice curiosity as an act of love. And for Scott, he says that we must practice curiosity if we want to transform our fear and hate. And he's reminding us that curiosity is a trait that we are all born with, and it's the desire to understand others more deeply. Again, this does not mean agreeing with views that clash with your own, but challenging the assumptions that you have about people who hold those views. So a lot about interrupting prejudice. Jeremy Smith, who's our editor at The Greater Good, he's inviting us to work to promote your values in community. I'll go high level on some of these. Get to know other humans, right? Get out of our silos as much as we can and connecting across our differences. Dr. Linda Traub, who is a close collaborator of ours, is inviting us to be good neighbors, even, and especially, to those who are different. So those are just a few. Choose nuance, not outrage. So I do invite folks to go through this article and and hopefully a few of the golden nuggets of inspiration do stay with you, do motivate you, to do something. It's been hard for many of us to understand what is it that we can do right now if bridging even is the calling of the moment when so many are struggling to understand what this means about our country, what this means about the next four years. But I understand others are not and are celebrating. Regardless of where you are, I think in a few weeks when you feel up for it, I think the calling of our times is to come together and to understand, again, our interdependence. We must break this cycle of othering us versus them. That does that does not exist. Those are constructs that that we have created. But we are better and we are more. And we are one. And sorry if this sounds cliche to some, but that's what I got for you.KEEN: That's interesting. And finally, Juliana, you mentioned one of your colleagues talked about what they would do if the world was to end tomorrow, what they would do this evening. It certainly reflects on you. I know if I knew the world was going to end tomorrow, I would go to Kentucky Fried Chicken. But that probably speaks of my own unsuitability for your movement. What would you do if you knew the world was ending tomorrow?TAFUR: I would speak to you, Andrew.KEEN: Oh my god, we can go together to the Kentucky Fried Chicken. Well, Juliana, it's been a real honor to have you on the show. Very interesting conversation, we're going to get you back on because this--one thing we can say for sure is this issue is not going away in 2024, 2025, 2026. Keep up the good work, Juliana, and we'll talk again in the not too distant future. Thank you so much.TAFUR: Thank you, Andrew. Thank you.For those impressed with what Julianna Tafur is doing and would like to participate, here are a couple of ideas:* Ready to turn division into connection? The Greater Good Science Center's 7-Day Campaign for Connection Challenge offers practical, research-based skills to ease stress and create understanding. Reserve your spot: http://tinyurl.com/7DayChallenge24* Feeling the weight of division this election season? You're not alone! Join the @Greater Good Science Center's 7-Day Campaign for Connection Challenge, to help you navigate these polarized times with science-backed skills. Reserve your place: http://tinyurl.com/7DayChallenge24Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Mars is a talented muralist, graffiti artist, and sign painter based in Miami, with Colombian American roots. Her journey began in 2004 with graffiti, and by 2006, she was studying at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where she explored fine art, drawing, and photography. By 2014, she had solidified her reputation as a skilled muralist and sign painter in the vibrant Miami art community. Mars has contributed her artistic talents to local businesses, creating eye-catching murals, and has worked with globally recognized brands and organizations on various projects. @Mars

Immigrants to the United States are not always welcomed with open arms, but that doesn't stop them from pursuing their dreams. Cynthia Torres arrived in the U.S. from Columbia when she was 25, and she's a beautiful example of someone who started a business and is having a very positive impact on the people in her community. You'll be inspired by her story and her accomplishments. Cynthia Torres is a Colombian American who has resided for over 25 years in Oxnard, California, west of Los Angeles. She's a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and is leaving an indelible mark in service to its vibrant and dynamic Latinx population. Her professional journey is nothing short of remarkable. Cynthia is the founder and CEO of the local for-profit business, New Dawn Counseling & Consulting. She also recently assumed the Executive Director position of a thirty-year-old nonprofit organization called City Impact, Inc. You'll discover: What brought Cynthia to the U.S. from Columbia when she was 25 years oldImportant lessons Cynthia has learned as a leader of two organizationsHow she's incorporated the teachings of compassionate communication into the culture of New DawnThe startling statistic about Latinas in the C-suite in US companiesWhat Cynthia recommends to young Hispanic women about overcoming barriers they faceCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

Today on Mea Culpa, I'm joined by Maria Cardona, a Colombian-American political strategist and Principal at the Dewey Square Group. With the election less than a month away, we dive into the challenges facing VP Kamala Harris's campaign as it aims to connect with key demographics like Latino voters. Maria emphasizes the urgency of countering Trump's divisive rhetoric, particularly its harmful impact on immigrant communities, and the dangers of his policies like mass deportation. We also cover pressing issues like voter suppression, reproductive rights, and climate change, highlighting how the Biden-Harris administration is addressing these critical concerns. Thanks to our sponsors: ZBiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/MEACULPA to get 15% off any ZBiotics probiotic when you use code: MEACULPA at checkout. Ollie: Head to https://ollie.com and use code: COHEN to receive 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today! Subscribe to Michael's NEW Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Andrea Huertas' powerful testimony.Andrea is a Colombian American who was raised in the church. She shares her incredible journey from dark forces, substance abuse, an abusive relationship, and a brush with death, to life in Christ, found on a cold jail cell floor. Experience her profound healing and powerful renouncing of things past and taking back the light as a worship leader. In part 1, learn how she was slowly lulled to the dark forces through a friend and the evil of a vastly popular childhood game.Andrea said, "The boy was explaining this toy to us at lunch and told us 'Hey guys, this is not the real thing. The real board is at Toys R Us.' So we ended up going to Toys R Us. I grabbed the board. My parents innocently bought this game, not knowing what it was."A dark force seemed to have a hold on Andrea and filled her with misery that caused rebellion from her loving family, even a drug overdose.Hear how the depths of her depravity brought her to an even more chilling brush with death.Helpful links:Andrea's popular Youtube channelHelp out of the occult, Doreen Virtue's NewAgetoNewHeartHelp for victims of Abuse, The Salvation ArmyHelp for drug addiction, Teen ChallengeLet us know what you thought of the show! Follow One80 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Never miss a One80. Join our email list. Follow us on Instagram.Share One80, here's how!OneWay Ministries

In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by the inspiring Cynthia Torres, LMFT—someone who has been a true force in the social good space for over 25 years. As a Colombian-American entrepreneur and community leader, Cynthia wears two powerful hats: she's the founder of New Dawn Counseling & Consulting, Inc., and the Executive Director of the beloved nonprofit, City Impact. Cynthia is here to break down how she's mastered the art of blending business with benevolence, all while serving Oxnard's vibrant Latinx population.We dive into some hard-hitting truths, like why Latinas face the steepest climb in corporate America and how Cynthia's been smashing those barriers every step of the way. She also shares how she balances running both a for-profit and a nonprofit—yes, at the same time—and how her hybrid model is changing lives while keeping the lights on.What we discuss: National Hispanic Heritage Month: Why this month matters and how it connects to the rich history of Hispanic contributions in the U.S.Latinas in Business: We're tackling some eye-opening stats on Latina labor force participation and business ownership. Spoiler: Latina-owned businesses are booming!Cynthia's Journey: From Colombia to California, she shares her deeply personal story of overcoming barriers as a Latina entrepreneur and why she founded New Dawn Counseling.A Hybrid Business Model: Curious how someone runs both a for-profit and a nonprofit? Cynthia breaks it down and explains how her model provides stability while staying true to her mission of serving those most in need.Advice for Young Latina Professionals: Cynthia dishes out some real talk and actionable advice for the next generation of Latina leaders trying to break through.Why You Should Listen:Cynthia is a powerhouse of wisdom, warmth, and relentless drive. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, or just someone looking to be inspired, this conversation is packed with insights on how to lead with both heart and hustle. Plus, you'll get Cynthia's personal tips on navigating the challenges that Latina women still face in today's professional world. Trust me—you don't want to miss it!Tune in for a conversation that's full of hope, resilience, and a vision for a more inclusive future.About Cynthia:Cynthia Torres, LMFT (Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist), is a Colombian American who has resided in our local community for over 25 years, leaving an indelible mark in service to our vibrant and dynamic Latinx population. Her professional journey is nothing short of remarkable: she not only founded the local for-profit business, New Dawn Counseling & Consulting, Inc., but also recently assumed leadership of the beloved thirty-year-old nonprofit organization, City Impact, Inc.Cynthia on LinkedInCity Impact on LinkedInCity Impact Website--A massive transfer of wealth is right around the corner, and your constituent base is changing. Are your fundraising efforts ready? Qgiv surveyed donors of all ages to create The Generational Giving Report, a comprehensive guide to help you best connect with constituents of all generations. To learn how new generations want to support you, hear from you, and stay connected with you head to jcsocialmarketing.com/qgiv to be notified when the report is released and to receive your copy!Take my free masterclass: 3 Must-Have Elements of Social Media Content that Converts

In this episode, Carlos Andrés Gómez, award winning Colombian American poet and author of Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood (Penguin Random House), is joined by Amanda Anastasia Paniagua, PhD student and Assistant Director for Belonging and Engagement at the Office of Multicultural Affairs at BGSU, to talk about poetry, performance and education. They invite us to think about both poetry and research as catalysts to imagine and forge a more inclusive and equitable world and, in this sense, as political tools. Their conversation delves into how, for Carlos, poetry has been a practice towards peeling off colonial and patriarchal impositions to the identity he was expected to embody as a Latino man. Similarly, her research in higher education allows Amanda to question the status quo in terms of roles and positions that are considered suitable for Latinx peoples in the United States.

How can we more effectively navigate conversations with people who have different values, and beliefs than we do?Neighbors, community members, co-workers, and family members who care deeply about the same issues, but who have widely different views about them. What are the conditions that would be needed in order to have productive conversations? What are the intentions, skills and mindsets we need to cultivate? In this new 3-episode mini series we will  explore these complex yet practical questions with Courageous Life guests new and old. You'll be exposed to leaders at the forefront of researching, facilitating, and sharing their hard earned wisdom, about how to have constructive dialogues, find win-win solutions to our hardest problems, and build bridges across difference. As we move into election season here in the US, these conversations are particularly timely,But the skills and insights contained within each conversation are also timeless.Today we'll continue this series with our second conversation - a past episode with Juliana Tafur who is the Program Director for the Greater Good Science Center's Bridging Differences Program. Together we explored the art and science of listening in ways that lead to meaningful connection, deeper relationships, empathy, and can build bridges across difference.  Highlights include:A framework for compassionate listeningThe importance of giving ourselves and others grace while engaging in constructive dialogueWhy opening the heart across difference begins with tuning into selfDiscerning when to engage in constructive dialogue and when it's safer, and wiser, not to. The power of asking questions from a place of genuine curiosityLetting go of winning as a fundamental practice of effective listeningWhy listening is an act of courageThe importance of appreciating complexity in other people's stories, and lived experiences Ways to quiet the ego in tough conversations Interested in diving deeper into this topic? Check out the Bridging Differences Program for free resources including the Bridging Differences Playbook. Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Rediscovering the art of constructive dialogue | Dr. Mylien DuongIs curiosity a superpower? | Dr. Jud Brewer More about Juliana:Juliana Tafur is the Program Director for GGSC's Bridging Differences Program, applying her experience as social entrepreneur and founder of Listen Courageously, and as Emmy-nominated senior television producer and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Juliana creates resources rooted in science to bridge political and cultural divides. She also forges strategic partnerships across sectors—government, education, philanthropy, and public service—and oversees communities of practice, to ensure bridge-building skills and resources reach people and strengthen social cohesion across the US. As a Colombian-American devoted to listening to bridge what divides us (as seen on her TEDx talk), fostering a broader culture of belonging—through dialogue, connections, and understanding—is her life's mission.Support the show

Jen DeLuna in her studio Jen DeLuna (b. 1999), a Filipino and Colombian-American painter, explores the feminine through the lenses of affinity and vulnerability. DeLuna uses found and family photographs as the basis for her work, capturing the tension between movement and stillness, personal and public. Her figurative works in Dust and Sweat and Feigning Grace are wrapped in blurry hazes yet pierce through the surface with shining highlights, creating a simultaneously uncanny and invasive impression. Her mystifying and alluring style builds visual and emotional tension in her works, calling into question their own viewership. Jen DeLuna | The Soft Animal of Your Body, 2024, Oil on canvas | 24 x 24 in. Jen DeLuna | Etiquette, 2024, Oil on canvas | 12 x 12 in. Jen DeLuna | Timid Repetitions, 2024, Oil on canvas | 36 x 36 in.

Thanks to a favorable map and several Democrats being forced to run for reelection in Red states, Republicans are optimistic about winning back the Senate this November.   However, one key to achieving that goal is to flip Democrat Sherrod Brown's seat in Ohio.   Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging Senator Brown, recently joined FOX News Rundown host Dave Anthony to discuss the race and the Republicans' hopes of gaining a majority in the Senate.   Moreno discussed his poll numbers, the issues he thinks voters care about, and whether he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris's replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket will impact down-ballot races.   The Colombian-American businessman also explained why he got into politics and how former President Trump has inspired him.   The conversation was long, and we could not include all of it in our original FOX News Rundown segment.   On the FOX News Rundown Extra, we bring you our entire conversation with Ohio Senate Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, and you can hear more about this high-stakes race in the Buckeye State.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks to a favorable map and several Democrats being forced to run for reelection in Red states, Republicans are optimistic about winning back the Senate this November.   However, one key to achieving that goal is to flip Democrat Sherrod Brown's seat in Ohio.   Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging Senator Brown, recently joined FOX News Rundown host Dave Anthony to discuss the race and the Republicans' hopes of gaining a majority in the Senate.   Moreno discussed his poll numbers, the issues he thinks voters care about, and whether he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris's replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket will impact down-ballot races.   The Colombian-American businessman also explained why he got into politics and how former President Trump has inspired him.   The conversation was long, and we could not include all of it in our original FOX News Rundown segment.   On the FOX News Rundown Extra, we bring you our entire conversation with Ohio Senate Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, and you can hear more about this high-stakes race in the Buckeye State.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks to a favorable map and several Democrats being forced to run for reelection in Red states, Republicans are optimistic about winning back the Senate this November.   However, one key to achieving that goal is to flip Democrat Sherrod Brown's seat in Ohio.   Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging Senator Brown, recently joined FOX News Rundown host Dave Anthony to discuss the race and the Republicans' hopes of gaining a majority in the Senate.   Moreno discussed his poll numbers, the issues he thinks voters care about, and whether he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris's replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket will impact down-ballot races.   The Colombian-American businessman also explained why he got into politics and how former President Trump has inspired him.   The conversation was long, and we could not include all of it in our original FOX News Rundown segment.   On the FOX News Rundown Extra, we bring you our entire conversation with Ohio Senate Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, and you can hear more about this high-stakes race in the Buckeye State.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notes and Links to Santiago José Sanchez's Work        For Episode 242, Pete welcomes Santiago José Sanchez, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood in Colombia and Miami, their experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, especially in his college years, how teaching informs their writing and vice versa, the wonderful multiple points of view in Hombrecito, salient themes in his collection like masculinity, immigration, queerness, familial ties, reinvention and Americanization, and ideas of home.        Santiago José Sánchez, a Grinnell College assistant professor of English and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, is a queer Colombian American writer. Santiago's writing has appeared in McSweeney's, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary. Their debut novel is Hombrecito, out as of June 25.     Buy Hombrecito   Santiago's Website   New York Times Review of Hombrecito At about 2:35, Santiago talks about their early relationship with the written word, and their early fascination with and exposure to storytelling At about 4:55, Santiago expounds upon how Hombrecito is a “love letter” to their mom, and their special relationship with her  At about 6:00, Santiago speaks to the interplay between English and Spanish in their life and in their writing At about 9:15, Santiago talks about Colombian Spanish and its uniqueness  At about 11:20, Santiago highlights books and writers (like Greenwell's Mitko) and a class with Professor Michael Cunningham that grew their huge love of writing and literature At about 13:25, Santiago discusses ideas of representation, including works by Justin Torres, that made them feel seen, but also gaps in representation At about 14:40, Santiago cites Small Rain by Greenwell, Ocean Vuong's new book, Ruben Reyes, Jr.'s There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, and Melissa Mogollon's Oye as exciting and inspiring At about 16:05, Santiago responds to Pete's question about how writing informs their teaching At about 18:30, Pete and Santiago rave about Jamil Jan Kochai's “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” and Santiago talks about their students loving the story At about 22:45, Santiago gives background on using different points-of-view and terminology for the narrator(s) in Hombrecito At about 26:40, Santiago describes the book as “autofiction” At about 28:10, “He lives between the world and his own mind,” a key quote from the beginning of the book, and the narrator's mother, are explored through a discussion of an early pivotal scene, which also bring talk of a certain type of sexism/misogyny directed at single mothers At about 32:15, Santiago explains the ways in which they use and views the term “queer” At about 34:10, Pete gives a little exposition of the book, featuring a scene where the book's title is first introduced-Santiago expands on the book's title and its myriad significance At about 38:10, An understated scene that ends Part I is discussed; Santiago describes their mindset in writing the scene in that way  At about 40:55, The two explore the narrator's insistence on calling his mother “Doctora” upon their move to Miami At about 43:10, Santiago gives an explanation of the book's oft-referenced “portal” At about 46:00, The last scene where the narrator is “Santiago” and an important transition, is looked at At about 46:50, The two reflect upon ideas of Americanization, and a supposedly-perfect/”normative” family dynamic that Santiago and their mother seek out At about 53:25, Santiago's mother and brother and their circumstances early in their time in Miami is discussed-Santiago details the “reshaping” of the family's situation  At about 56:05, Pete asks Santiago about the narrator's first lover and what repelled and brought them back together so many times At about 59:35, Santiago explains how the book is “a lot about silences” and focuses on the short and incredibly-powerful Chapter 11 At about 1:01:45, Pete cites the previously-mentioned meaningful and resonant flashback At about 1:02:50, The book's last section and its focus on the narrator and his father's ever-evolving, ever-loving  relationship is discussed At about 1:06:00, Santiago shares some of the feedback they have received since the book has been released, as well as information on their upcoming tour At about 1:10:35, Santiago reads an excerpt from the book that forces the reader to salivate and smile At about 1:12:45, Pete tells a story about translation gone wrong for the fourth or fifth time-eek!       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.     I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!      Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!        This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 243 with Kathleen Rooney,  who is founding editor of Rose Metal Press and a founding member of Poems While You Wait. She teaches English and creative writing at DePaul University and is the author, most recently, of the novel From Dust to Stardust, as well as the poetry collection Where Are the Snows.    The episode will go live on July 16.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Antonio Lopez's Work      For Episode 241, Pete welcomes Antonio Lopez, and the two discuss, among other topics, his bilingual and multicultural childhood in East Palo Alto, E-40 Fonzarelli, his experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative reading, the greatness and timelessness of James Baldwin, seeds for Gentefication in the rhythms and cultures and camaraderie of home, his life as a politician and working together with the community towards a stellar achievement, and salient themes in his collection like faith, gentrification and attendant outcomes, grief, trauma, joy, the power of art, and youthful rage and passion.      Antonio López is a poetician working at the intersection of poetry, politics and social change. He has received literary scholarships to attend the Community of Writers, Tin House, the Vermont Studio Center, and Bread Loaf. He is a proud member of the Macondo Writers Workshop and a CantoMundo Fellow. He holds degrees from Duke University, Rutgers-Newark, and the University of Oxford. He is pursuing a PhD in Modern Thought and Literature at Stanford University. His debut poetry collection, Gentefication, was selected by Gregory Pardlo as the winner of the 2019 Levis Prize in Poetry. He recently won a Pushcart Prize for his poem “Our Lady of the Westside.” As district representative for California State Senator Josh Becker, he served as the liaison for the Latinx, veteran, and Muslim communities of State District 13. Antonio has fought gentrification in his hometown as the newest and youngest council member for the City of East Palo Alto, and he is now the city's mayor.  Buy Gentefication   Antonio's East Palo Alto Mayoral Page   KQED Interview  At about 3:00, The two discuss the diversity of the Bay Area At about 4:20, Antonio speaks about “education as a pillar of [his] life” and his relationship with languages and the written word and nurturing schools in East Palo Alto At about 7:15, The two sing the praises of PBS as an educational force, and Antonio recounts an amazing 3rd grade story involving the great Levar Burton At about 11:50, Antonio details some of his favorite texts from childhood, including The Hatchet! At about 13:20, Antonio responds to Pete's questions about ideas of representation in what he read and how he was educated, and Antonio expounded upon the interesting ways in which he grew up in an under resourced school and in the Silicon Valley At about 17:30, The two discuss the huge gap in wealth between Peninsula cities At about 20:00, Pete quotes from the book's Acknowledgements in asking Antonio about his “origin story”; Antonio talks about the personal gaze and gaze from outside East Palo Alto At about 22:25, Antonio reminiscences on the visual and aural feasts, including the music, of his community and the ways in which English was “malleable” and formational for him At about 26:20, The two discuss the ways in which East Palo Alto achieved a huge change, culminating in zero homicides in 2023 At about 30:30, Antonio reflects on the idea that “all art is political” At about 32:25, Pete highlights impressive and creative verbs and language Antonio uses At about 34:50, Pete asks about the pronunciation of the poetry collection and Antonio details the significance of the title At about 37:10, Pete quotes from the book's Prologue from Pardlo and asks Antonio about an early reference in the collection to James Baldwin; Antonio expounds upon the “mill” At about 41:25, The two discuss a memorable line about school reading that didn't feel familiar for Antonio and other resonant lines about education  At about 44:15, Antonio responds to Pete's question about “the borderlands” referred to in the collection  At about 47:45, Antonio gives background on a powerful poem, “Las Chacharas” and its sequel, as well as ideas of relativism as seen in the writing  At about 50:40, Antonio talks about a “narrative wrapped around [him]” and his pride and ambivalence At about 54:15, The two explore ideas of gentrification and losses and beautiful gains that come with immigration, as featured in the collection, including a true story involving Antonio's paternal grandparents   At about 57:20, Pete compliments the poem from the collection that is a sort of tribute to his mom, and Pete wonders about the usage of “Usted” and “Tú”  At about 1:00:25, The two discuss coming-of-age themes in the collection, and Antonio expands upon ideas presented in a four-part poem At about 1:02:15, E-40 (!) and youthful and chaotic energy are the topics of discussion-Antonio reflects on the word “hyphy” At about 1:04:25, The two discuss religion and Catholicism/Christianity's links to colonialism and Antonio's beginnings with Muslim communities At about 1:08:40, Antonio talks about the importance of hadiths and a memorable poem from the collection-a letter written to a hate crime, the murder of Nabra Hassanen At about 1:12:45, DBQ's are highlighted and unique grading rubrics, as rendered in Antonio's work      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 242 with Santiago José Sánchez, a professor of English and a queer Colombian American writer whose writing has appeared in McSweeney's, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary.    The episode will go live on July 10 or so.     Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

June 2024 Dante's Old South Marcella Prokop is a Colombian American writer and educator living in the northern Great Plains region of the US. Her work has appeared online or in print in the Brooklyn Review, Ploughshares, The Christian Science Monitor, PANK, and other publications.  Blog: marcellaprokop.com TedX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn63z6p30TQ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcella.prokop LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcella-prokop X: @MarcellaProkop Nick Kelsh is an author, photographer, and teacher living in upstate New York. He has written and/or photographed nine books including Siblings and Naked Babies with Pulitzer Prize winning author, Anna Quindlen. Kelsh has appeared on The Today Show and Oprah multiple times. www.howtophotographyourlife.com Devon Allman is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer. He is the son of musician and singer-songwriter Gregg Allman and has appeared occasionally as a guest musician for Gregg Allman and The Allman Brothers Band. Allman was the founder and bandleader of Honeytribe, also known as Devon Allman's Honeytribe, with whom he released two albums and toured across North America and Europe. Prior to Honeytribe, Allman contributed to several other musical recordings, notably Vargas Blues Band and the A Song for My Father compilation album. He was one of the original members of Royal Southern Brotherhood and contributed to their first two studio albums and toured with them. In 2013, Allman launched his solo career as the Devon Allman Band, and has since released three albums. His latest tour, branded as the Devon Allman Project, features special guest Duane Betts.  devonallmanproject.com Julie Stevenson is a literary agent with Massie & McQuilkin in New York. She represents literary and upmarket fiction, suspense, memoir, graphic novels, narrative nonfiction, young adult fiction and children's picture books. She is drawn to storytelling with unforgettable characters, an authorial command of voice, and a strong sense of narrative tension. She looks for work that both entertains and explores the depths of human experience. She's agented #1 New York Times bestsellers and books that have won the Pulitzer Prize, the MWA Edgar Award, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Carnegie Medal for Excellence, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Caldecott Honor. Before she became an agent, Julie worked in the editorial departments of Tin House and Publishers Weekly. Julie grew up in Missoula, Montana and received her bachelor's degree in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. www.mmqlit.com www.instagram.com/juliestevensonpfarr/  https://x.com/StevensonPfarr Additional Music Provided By: Larkin Poe: www.larkinpoe.com Special Thanks Goes to: Lucid House Press: www.lucidhousepublishing.com The Crown: www.thecrownbrasstown.com The Red Phone Booth: www.redphonebooth.com Bright Hill Press: brighthillpress.org UCLA Extension Writing Program: www.uclaextension.edu Mercer University Press: www.mupress.org Liberty Trust Hotel: www.libertytrusthotel.com NPR: https: www.npr.org WUTC: www.wutc.org Alain Johannes for the original score in this show: www.alainjohannes.com The host, Clifford Brooks', The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, Athena Departs, and Old Gods are available everywhere books are sold. Find them all here: www.cliffbrooks.com/how-to-order Check out his Teachable courses, The Working Writer and Adulting with Autism, here: brooks-sessions.teachable.com

In the final PRIDE installment of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to debut* authors Kimberly King Parsons (We Were the Universe), KB Brookins (Pretty), and Santiago Jose Sanchez (Hombrecito). They talk about the theatre of parenthood, queer representation in books and media, and using writing to better understand your own story. *Debut-ish! Kimberly's debut novel and KB's debut memoir.Kimberly King Parsons is the author of Black Light, a collection of stories that was long-listed for the National Book Award and the Story Prize. In 2020, she received the National Magazine Award for fiction. Born in Lubbock, Texas, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner and children. We Were the Universe is her first novel.KB Brookins is a Black, queer, and trans writer and cultural worker from Texas. They are the author of Freedom House and How to Identify Yourself with a Wound. Brookins has poems, essays, and installation art published in Academy of American Poets, Teen Vogue, Poetry Magazine, Prizer Arts & Letters, Okayplayer, Poetry Society of America, Autostraddle, and other venues. They have earned fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, Equality Texas, and others.Santiago Jose Sanchez (they/them), a Grinnell College assistant professor of English and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, is a queer Colombian American writer. Santiago's writing has appeared in McSweeney's, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary.Gays Reading is sponsored by Audible. Get a FREE 30-day trial by visiting audibletrial.com/gaysreading**BOOKS!** Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page:https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading | By purchasing books through this Bookshop link, you can support both Gays Reading and an independent bookstore of your choice!Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast Merch! Follow us on Instagram @gaysreading | @bretts.book.stack | @jasonblitmanWhat are you reading? Send us an email or a voice memo at gaysreading@gmail.com

This week on the KORE Women podcast, Dr. Summer Watson welcomes Cynthia Torres, who is a LatinX, Colombian American, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, founder of the for-profit business, New Dawn Counseling & Consulting, Inc., and she recently assumed leadership of the thirty-year-old nonprofit organization, City Impact, Inc. Cynthia's overarching mission for both New Dawn and City Impact is to diversify their funding sources and as a result creating a stable and distinctive operational model, where the nonprofit ethos of “benevolence” guides every decision. What truly sets Cynthia apart is her ability to blend the business-minded perspective with a deep commitment to social impact. City Impact now seamlessly functions as the nonprofit lens of a holistic and synergistic clinical for-profit business, resulting in stable and robust income streams for both entities. You can follow Cynthia Torres on:  LinkedIn, CityImpact.com and at: www.newdawnncnc.com Thank you for taking the time to listen to the KORE Women podcast and being a part of the KORE Women experience. You can listen to The KORE Women podcast on your favorite podcast directory - Pandora, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, JioSaavn, Amazon and at: www.KOREWomen.com/podcast. Please leave your comments and reviews about the podcast and check out KORE Women on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.  Please leave your comments and reviews about the podcast and check out KORE Women on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also learn more about Dr. Summer Watson, KORE Women, High Performance Coaching, how to create a journey you love, and creating an incredible professional community of support at: www.korewomen.com. Again, thank you for listening to the KORE Women podcast! Please share this podcast with your family and friends.

How does it feel to be seen? What is it like to be listened to in a way that you feel deeply understood? How often have you listened to others in this way? And, how often have you been listened to like this? In his book, Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes:"Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable."During our time together Juliana Tafur shared this beautiful quote with me as we explored the art and science of listening in ways that lead to meaningful connection, deeper relationships, understanding, empathy, and compassion. And ultimately how we can build bridges across difference. In this beautiful and practical conversation Juliana will share some of her story, insights from her work as a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Program Director for the Greater Good Science Center's Bridging Differences Initiative. Highlights include:A framework for compassionate listeningThe importance of giving ourselves and others grace while engaging in the imperfect and messy process of constructive dialogueWhy opening the heart across difference begins with tuning into selfDiscerning when to engage in constructive dialogue and when it's safer, and wiser, not to. The power of asking questions from a place of genuine curiosityLetting go of winning as a fundamental practice of effective listeningWhy listening is an act of courageThe importance of recognizing and appreciating complexity in other people's stories, and lived experiences Ways to quiet the ego in tough conversations including recognizing our common humanityIf you find today's conversation intriguing check out the Bridging Differences Initiative at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley as they offer a a lot of free resources including the Bridging Differences Playbook. Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:Rediscovering the art of constructive dialogue | Dr. Mylien DuongPracticing the art of principled rebellion | Dr. Todd KashdanIs curiosity a superpower? | Dr. Jud BrewerMore about Juliana:Juliana Tafur program director for GGSC's Bridging Differences initiative, applying her experience as social entrepreneur and founder of Listen Courageously, and as Emmy-nominated senior television producer and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Juliana creates resources rooted in science to bridge political and cultural divides. She also forges strategic partnerships across sectors—government, education, philanthropy, and public service—and oversees communities of practice, to ensure bridge-building skills and resources reach people and strengthen social cohesion across the United States. As a Colombian-American devoted to listening to bridge what divides us (as seen on her TEDx talk), fostering a broader culture of belonging—through dialogue, connections, and understanding—is her life's mission.Thanks for listening!Support the Show.

Our guest today is Australian journalist/filmmaker Jordan Bryon, a trans man, who embeds with a Taliban unit, as they retake control of Afghanistan. Jordan shares the spotlight today with co-director Monica Villamizar, as they discuss the making of the intense documentary Transition.  In the film, Jordan gains incredible access to a Taliban unit during the fall of Afghanistan. The countryʼs transition coincides with his own physical transformation as a trans man. While he and his local videographer, Teddy, embed with the Taliban. From rural Australia, Jordan conceals his physiology and is accepted as a man. However, if the Taliban were to find out, he and Teddy would likely be in grave danger, Jordan struggles with the moral and ethical dilemmas that come with his unique situation. The film follows Jordan's journey, as he paradoxically gains more freedom as he transitions, while deftly chronicling the increasing oppression of women as the Taliban transitions to power. Jordan is a recipient of two BAFTAs, two Emmys, and a Human Rights Press Award.  His feature film, Birds of the Borderlands. delved into the lives of queer Arabs in Jordan and Lebanon and resulted in his deportation from both nations. Thereafter, Jordan moved to Afghanistan for a six-year journey making films that showcase the country's complex tapestry. Monica Villamizar is a Colombian-American director, producer, and on-air reporter. She has won three Emmys and was nominated for the prestigious One World Media “Journalist of the Year 2015 Award.”    With co-host Brody Levesque  

Hello, Hello!   In this episode, Chris and Nick talk with Daril Fannin and Austin Worrell from Kino Studios. They discuss challenges in the film industry and opportunities for new models to empower creators through technology. Daril and Austin share their experiences and explain their mission to build efficient tools through Kino Studios to help filmmakers launch globally and connect with audiences.   We also talk about:   - The meaning of "making it" in the film industry and how technology can empower creators - Challenges in the current entertainment system, including unfair contracts and lack of transparency  - The mission and features of Kino Studios' digital premiere app to help filmmakers launch globally - Inefficiencies in film marketing and distribution that new models could improve - The potential for education and training programs to develop emerging storytellers   Enjoy!   Indie Artist Spotlight   niko!    niko! Is the moniker of Colombian-American musician and songwriter Nick Maxwell, a gifted young bedroom producer cooking up some really cool Alternative R&B. He has garnered over 400,000 streams and was featured on Apple Music's Editorial Playlist, “Brown Sugar." Taking inspiration from Childish Gambino's “Redbone", niko! taps into a sultry and raw side of R&B that's filled with lo-fi synths and off-beat drums, which help deliver an experimental indie aesthetic. As the second single off of his upcoming project, ‘Love Fi', this track specifically deals with themes of desire, doubt, and the way a person makes another feel.   niko! on social media    https://www.instagram.com/niko.wav/ https://www.facebook.com/niko.artist.music

Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis has cemented herself as something of a vibe curator; her signature genre fusion has brought forward everything from Latin radio mainstays to Bootsy Collins collaborations. But instead of looking to the genres of the future for her latest record, Orchídeas finds Uchis digging into genres of the past and present, creating a global soundscape across the record's 14 tracks. On this episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz guides Charlie and Nate through the flowery world of Orchídeas, exploring multiple genres of the Latine diaspora (with a quick stop in South Africa) in the process. Songs Discussed: Kali Uchis – Pensamientos Intrusivos Kali Uchis – telepatía Kali Uchis – Te Mata Kali Uchis – la luna enamorada José Pepe Sánchez, Irving Lara y su Orquesta – Tristezas La Sonora Santanera – Perfume de Gardenias Kali Uchis, El Alfa, JT – Muñekita (with El Alfa & JT)  ROSALÍA – BIZCOCHITO Busta Rhymes – Dangerous Lorna – Papi Chulo… Te Traigo El Mmmm Kali Uchis, Peso Pluma – Igual Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma) Kali Uchis, KAROL G – Labios Mordidos (with KAROL G) Toots & The Maytals – Bam Bam Chaka Demus & Pliers – Murder She Wrote Kali Uchis – Dame Beso // Muevete Bad Bunny – Después de la Playa Kali Uchis – Diosa Trompies, Lebo Mathosa – Magasman Tyla – Water Amaarae, Kali Uchis, Moliy – SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY Remix (feat. Kali Uchis and Moliy) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IN this episode, Nate and Rachel interview Bryson Alejandro, Colombian-American and Utah native. Bryson is a Latinx film producer and actor. He strives to elevate diverse voices in art and film, believing that there should not only be more stories told about people of color, but there should be more stories with people of color, regardless of culture or subject matter. As part of this mission, Bryson co-founded Época, a non-profit seeking to increase the visibility and representation of BIPOC actors and storytellers in Utah. 

Colombian-American comedian & podcaster Isa Medina joins me this week to talk being a white Latina, is there a chance one of us could date Bad Bunny? Having no boundaries, moving from Bogota to Virginia, first kisses, why we need others to see our identities, and so much more!  Send us your questions & comments to immigrantjam@gmail.com  Follow the podcast onb IG @immigrantjampodcast  Follow Isa @isaamedinaa & please leave us a little rating & review!  If you would like to support check out the Patreon www.patreon.com/luciepohl  

Highlights from this episode with award-winning poet, speaker, actor, and equity and inclusion strategist, Carlos Andrés Gómez include: Being briefly broken and breaking through creative walls Uncovering truth through writing Wrestling constantly with self-deception and truth Learning to get vulnerable Carlos Andrés Gómez is a Colombian American poet, speaker, actor, and equity and inclusion strategist from New York City. He is the author of Fractures, winner of the Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry, Hijito, winner of the Broken River Prize and a #1 SPD bestseller, and the memoir Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood, released by Penguin Random House. A star of HBO's Def Poetry Jam, TV One's Verses and Flow, and Spike Lee's #1 box office movie Inside Man with Denzel Washington, Carlos' honors include the Sandy Crimmins National Prize for Poetry, Atlanta Review International Poetry Prize, Foreword INDIES Gold Medal, and the International Book Award. A genre-transcending multi-hyphenate, he partnered with John Legend on Senior Orientation, a program to counteract bullying and champion inclusive masculinity among high school students.  IG: @carlosaglive Website: https://carloslive.com/

In this episode, Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month Host Paola Soares speaks with  the author of the newly released book “An American Immigrant” That recently hit the Amazon's Best Sellers List, Johanna Rojas Vann Johanna is a professional writer whose work can be found online and within numerous publications. She is a second-generation Colombian American, with dual citizenship, and lives with her husband and children in Nashville, Tennessee. Her writing has appeared in Good Grit Magazine, Grit and Grace Life, and on her own blog, where you can read about her personal experience as an “Immigrant's daughter”… In this interview she shares about the power in really going back and exploring where we come from, what the book writing process looks like and what steps one would have  to take to get a literary agent and get their book published by a big publisher and so much more…. Connect with Eugenia: Instagram: @johannarvann johannavann.com waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/category/new-releases/ Let's Connect: Instagram: @butfirstshefailed Paolasoares.com Weekly But First, She Failed Newsletter Sign up/ Your Boss Woman Profile Quiz But First, She Failed FB Community  

Instafamous MedSpa extraordinaire Dana Omari join Kaya and Aaron where she talks about her extensive and impressive professional background. Some of the things we chat include: - Mythbusting Ozempic  - Her iconic beef with a well known Colombian-American singer-songwriter - The best plastic surgeons in the nation - Bravo, Bravo and more Bravo And to add the icing on the cake she was gracious enough to let us ask about some of our favs and the procedures they've had done. This episode will leave you feeling ten times better about yourself.  Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/igfamousbydana/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=53827e72-c00a-490b-920d-83ae5f80bb65 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Lamborghina Robinson, a Colombian-American creator and designer of Blo_oberry. Enjoy psychos! For exclusive solo episodes of AAP, join the Patreon and become a rat https://www.patreon.com/arabamericanpsycho Follow Lambo @lmaoborghina https://www.instagram.com/lmaoborghina Shop Blo_oberry @blo_oberry https://www.instagram.com/blo_oberry https://www.blo-oberry.com Follow Noor @noore https://www.instagram.com/noore Follow Arab-American Psycho @arabamericanpsycho https://www.instagram.com/arabamericanpsycho Podcast Cover shot by Todd Johnson @ohshyttodd https://www.instagram.com/ohshyttodd Please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify. Okay love you, bye!

Let's end Season 4 with another interview with a Series Regular, shall we? I'm so happy to have Melissa Navia on the podcast. I've known her for years as a working actor in NY, booking co-stars and guest stars in some of our favorite NY shows. During the pandemic, Melissa booked the dream gig, a Series Regular role of Lieutenant Erica Ortegas on the incredible Paramount+ show: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The second season is debuted on June 15th and has already been renewed for a third season.  On the television side, Navia's most recent credits include recurring on CBS's Bull and AMC's Dietland. She also recently guest starred on NBC's New Amsterdam and Showtime's Billions and Homeland.  On the big screen, Navia has appeared in a variety of indie films and shorts. In 2013, she won the award for Best Actress at the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival for her leading role as ‘Dawn' in “The Paragon Cortex.” Navia has also appeared in films like “Sleeping with the Fishes,” “Bel Canto,” “The Chosen,” “Hymns,” and “What It Was,” among others. In March 2020, she made her Off-Broadway debut in the world premiere of the highly praised “Bundle of Sticks” from J. Julian Christopher at INTAR Theatre. Navia is Colombian-American. She plays the banjo and is also the creator of the upcoming essay collection and stand-up show, Girl With Short Hair. In this episode, we talk about: • First audition she booked with her agent was Girl Most Likely with Kristin Wiig and first co-star on The Affair • Joining SAG-AFTRA with advice to actors on when they should join • The story of how she booked her first guest star on Billions, which included losing out to another role • The crazy story of choosing between a second episode of Billions and a role on Homeland • If she change how she approached self tapes that helped with booking her series regular role on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds • How the callback for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds went and how she felt when she found out she booked the role • Working with the co-Showrunners and crew, including Akiva Goldsman (who I have worked with on the feature film Winter's Tale, but who also did films like A Beautiful Mind, I am Legend, Cinderella Man, and more) • Great story: How wardrobe gave her a heads up about a sword fight scene • Tips and encouragement for actors who want to book a Series Regular • How her creative ventures like writing and stand up help her as a creative/actor Guest: IMDb Wikipedia Instagram Twitter Variety article on⁠ new show DOC⁠ Host: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneMiller⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook page:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.michellesimonemiller.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you like this episode, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Becoming... Actress and Series Regular Madison Shamoun ("The Lake," "Blackish," "#blackAF") ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to join our Mailing list.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ads: Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cave Day⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now. Only $40 for the first 3 months! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michelle-miller4/support

Episode 215 talks about how to turn your art into a career, featuring Sandra Lucia Diaz. Listen now!Lucia Diaz is first generation Colombian-American and the Founder of LUCIA DIAZ, a Latina-owned business that empowers and honors Latinas through high-quality Illustrations. Lucia's artworks are created with the goal of providing cultural representation and pride so that mujeres poderosas, can see themselves represented in the world.Lucia has collaborated with brands such as CHANEL, Carolina Herrera, Marciano, Guess, Saks Fifth Avenue, Korbel, Amazon Handmade, and Estee Lauder, to name only a few. She is been featured by such as Marchesa, Rodarte, Artivive App, Adobe, Essence, Fierce by Mitu, Bold Latina, and We All Grow Latina.She's also the podcast host of The Art of Latina Representation podcast. Her mission is to empower and inspire Latinas and people of color by sharing their stories and experiences that reflect their values. She connects listeners to Latina and POC leaders who share their journeys, encouraging listeners to show up authentically as entrepreneurs and leaders in various industries. Her podcast provides guidance and real talk to help navigate one's entrepreneurial journey.You can follow Lucia on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and her website.For full episode show notes, visit here.Loving episode 215? Leave us a review if you're listening on Apple podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube! Until next time, stay empowered, stay inspired and #staypoderosa ✨ Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/YoQuieroDinero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is brought to you by McDonald'sOn this episode of LOL, Rachel chats with Colombian-American actress, Isabella Gomez. She is best known for starring in One Day at a Time, and on this episode they play a game called "One GÜEY at a Time" where we find out how Isabella does stuff HER GÜEY! Isabella also gets into her other TV projects like The Goldbergs and Modern Family.  She and Rachel also connected on both playing roles on La Cabina Telefónica; a Spotify Original podcast in partnership with Studio Ochenta, now available! This episode is supported by Top Chico Hard Seltzer