What is Home? Alex Poppe on Her New Memoir, ‘Breakfast Wine’
Sally “Alex” Poppe has worked in conflict zones like Iraq, the West Bank, and Ukraine. In this captivating interview, she shares her life journey from a burnt-out actress and marketing professional to a highly impactful career in international aid. With grace and strength, she recounts the raw, emotional, and real stories from her new memoir, […]
Planting Seeds of Change in Nigeria with Umar Shiru
Umar Shiru is an Employee and Labour relations manager with the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos, Nigeria. Most importantly, Umar is a Nigerian reformist who believes in a safe, stable, and successful future for Nigeria. He has founded an initiative called ‘A Nation Called Nigeria’ (ANCN) to unite Nigeria against segregation and injustice. Umar has […]
Growing Up Multicultural & Sustainable Agriculture Inspired by the RGV with Suzanne El-Haj
Suzanne El-Haj is a Palestinian and Argentinian-American from the Rio Grande Valley. She shares the incredible story of the two cultures of her parents coming together in America to start their careers and family. Suzanne was inspired by her environment and community growing up in the Rio Grande Valley to begin her journey in Sustainable […]
From Healing Hands to Empowered Voices in Afghanistan with Mahboba Islami
Mahboba Islami is one of the strongest women I know. Starting from life in a Pakistani refugee camp to surviving in Afghanistan, Mahboba endured many challenges while becoming a trauma surgeon. Her story tells only a glimpse of her strength from becoming a surgeon to discovering her true passion for advocating for human rights and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]