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A conversation about systemic racism in the realm of maternal and infant health with two women who have experienced it firsthand and have made it their mission to help others. Kimberly Novod is the founder and executive director of Saul's Light Foundation, an organization founded by Kimberly and her husband after the death of their son when he was 20 days old due to complications from prematurity. Saul's Light offers support and services to NICU families including: NICU family funds to assis...

Dianne Morales is an Afro-Latina single mother who is running to become the mayor of New York City. Dianne would not only be the first Latina mayor of NYC, but also the first female mayor. Her vision for her city is one in which all people are not just surviving, but thriving. As she says, "New York City doesn’t work until it works for everyone." In this conversation, we talk about her mission to center the voices of those most affected by our society's failures, about how our systems were i...

A story about pain and the search for a diagnosis, about trauma and the way it affects our bodies, about women and anxiety, and about the intersection of all of these complex parts. Cyndie Randall is a writer, poet, and therapist whose work can be found in various print and online journals. Visit cyndierandall.com for a list of publications and for more info. You can also connect with Cyndie through her Facebook page or on Twitter. Recommended resources for further learning: For more ...

Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane shares with us about how he believes whiteness has affected the theology of American Christians and what to do about it. Find out more about Shane on his website and his Twitter. Re...

Dr. Ayaz Virji is the author of the book Love Thy Neighbor: A Muslim Doctor's Struggle for Home in Rural America. He is also a practicing family physician and bariatric physician who now splits his time between Dawson, MN and Abu Dhabi. Ayaz shares with us his story of learning to love his neighbor in the wake of the 2016 election of Donald Trump and how he learned to bridge the divide of politics and religion to try to bring true understanding and empathy. You can purchase his book and fol...

Munchie Morgan Clement is a writer, business owner, and the founder of Someone Else's Sarah, a resource in addiction and suicide awareness and education, in memory of her sister, Sarah Keturah Marvel. The focus is to bring hope to "someone else's Sarah." You can find her on her website or on Facebook. Recommended resources for further learning: Books: Beautiful Boy by David SheffTweak by Nic SheffClean by David SheffIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor MatéUnbroken Brain by Maia Szal...

Jen Fry is a social justice educator who trains organizations, institutions, and businesses through an antiracist lens on issues of race, inclusion, intersectionality, diversity, and equity. She runs JenFryTalks, a social justice education firm that uses conversation to educate and empower those within athletics through an anti-racist lens on issues of race, inclusion, intersectionality, diversity, and equity. Jen shares with us today how to go beyond allyship and how to be a co-conspirator ...

One disease. Two families. Several different outcomes. Victoria Strong and Amy Medina share their experiences with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 and how putting hope into action can change a disease forever. Links from today's episode: Read more of Victoria's story, learn about the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, or shop Victoria's clothing brand at www.nevergiveup.org. Learn more about Amy Medina and her family at their CaringBridge site.Learn more about SMA here.

Dr. Victoria Farris is a disrupter, a truth teller, and a justice seeker, and through her 12+ years of a experience as a higher education professional, she has developed framework for effective allyship that outlines an action-based guide for disrupting racism on individual, group, and organizational levels. Victoria shares with us both her personal experience and growth as well as the product of her research, explaining how white people can disrupt and dismantle systemic racism. Definitions ...

Haley Moss is an advocate, author, artist, attorney and openly autistic. She talks about what her experience has been with her disability and how she has gone on to push for more neurodiversity in society. Links from today's episode: Haley's website for all her advocacy work. https://haleymoss.net/An article Haley recommended about Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage.Drexel University has done comprehensive research on the factors that influence the life of those on the autism sp...

Aiden Korotkin shares his story of becoming who he truly is. We take in what he has learned about identity, social responsibility, and how to be an ally to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Recommended resources from today’s episode: PFLAG is the nation’s largest family and ally organization. https://pflag.org/ “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves” is the book Aiden gave to his dad. You can buy it on Amazon here.For more information on statistics that were shared in this episode, please visit www....

"Screaming it from the rooftops if you have to: I have a problem. I'm powerless. I need help, and I don't want to die" Tiffany Jenkins is a comedian with wildly funny, viral videos about everything from marital spats to period pains, and she's also a recovering drug addict who actively battled her addiction for over 10 years. Her story is one about redemption, healing, and empathy. You can find out more about Tiffany and her work at https://jugglingthejenkins.com/ -------------------------...

"Everyone has something that breaks their heart... and many people don't go there with themselves, but there's so much value in going there." Jessica Lindberg is a mother, advocate and creator. Her story has caused her to dive to the deepest parts of herself and ask who she truly is. This episode is about her journey to this place and what it has taught her. To follow along with Jessica's story, you can visit https://www.ethanlindberg.com/ and https://www.jessicalindberg.com/

“We’re all hard working people and we’re living the dream one day and the next day it’s like is it still gonna be here in a few months?”Jenn and Mark are restaurant owners in the St. Louis area whose businesses have had to close their doors to protect the people they employ and the community they love. Despite the lingering fear that the restaurant space might be forever damaged by this virus, they're still finding ways to look after the people around them.

"I put my hand on her arm. I told her that I was sorry she was here...but I was gonna do everything I could to take care of her."Julie, an ICU nurse in Colorado, grapples with what it looks like to care for people in the middle of a pandemic. She and her colleagues are on the front lines of fighting this virus, and she's looking to the humanity and grit she's seen spring up around her to help her though it.

Lexi and Zach chat about why a pandemic has pushed them into making a podcast, and what their hopes and aspirations are for this show.