Capturing Emotion from the Phoenix Streets with Franc’s Photography
Franc Sebantu is an emerging street photographer in Phoenix, Arizona. His work primarily captures the emotion of the large homeless community in downtown Phoenix. The most compelling aspect of Franc’s work is his ability to capture deep and meaningful photos naturally. As a young, motivated upcoming artist, Franc shares his unique story starting in Congo […]
Peter Merlo on Music and Marketing in the Age of AI
Peter Merlo is a Chicago-area musician, songwriter, and marketing specialist. Learning from the inspiring line of entrepreneurs in his family, Peter has worked hard toward his passions with an impressive internship with Grammy-winning producer Seth Mosley and collaborations with artists like Rockie Fresh, OG Maco, and BWA Ron. Today Peter is a Marketing Manager at […]
Jenna Bonfiglio on Developing Diverse Mental Health Solutions from her Hearing Loss Journey
Jenna Bonfiglio is my longest best friend, my little sister. From a young age, Jenna dealt with hearing loss which impacted her life in many ways that have transformed over time. From hiding her hearing aids to now embracing them, Jenna is pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in American Sign Language at […]
‘Pain into Paper’ with Chicago native Jordan McDaniels
In the fourth episode of my Uprooting Passion series, I talk with my good friend Jordan McDaniels. Jordan, JLO, is an upcoming music artist from Chicago who has been with me from the start of my entrepreneurial journey. He is the first photography client I ever had and has mastered the art of taking risks […]
Caffeologie and a Slow-Brew Lifestyle in Puerto Rico with Amaris Mercado
In this interview, Amaris shares the beauty of slow-paced living in Puerto Rico and how it taught her to be patient throughout the phases of life. Today she is pursuing a Food Studies Master’s in Rome, Italy to enrich her passion for coffee. As a coffee expert, Amaris shares her aspirations and interests in producing […]
Elisa Aceri on Natural Beginnings in Ethiopia and The Best Travel Advice
For the second episode of my ‘Uprooting Passions’ series, I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and colleague, Elisa “Eli” Aceri. Eli and I met last year when I interned under her during my study abroad in Rome. Many of the skills and career paths I chose today were sparked by my experience […]
How to Stay Faithful to Your Roots With Julissa Quiñonez
Can you talk about your family’s history and where you were raised? I am American-born and my parents are Mexican immigrants from Durango. They immigrated here when they were 19 years old so they were really young. Ultimately they continued to grow up here which is really cool. It’s also cool to hear what times […]
Life with Memory Disease: The Soul Remembers What the Brain Forgets
We hear about Alzheimer’s and dementia more than ever as the World Health Organization reported this year that it now affects over 55 million patients around the world. The Lancet Public Health released data projecting global dementia cases to triple by the year 2050. The prevention and cure for memory diseases are vaguely emerging but […]
5 Things I Learned After 1 Year of Living with my Italian Nonna
For the last semester of my undergrad, I moved in with my 82-year-old Nonna for a little over a year. My Nonna’s name is Santa which means “saint” in Italian. I think this name could not fit her any better, she is a blessing to all who are lucky enough to meet her. My Nonna […]