Hawk to Hawk Podcast

Daileann Hemmings is a mastered prepared RN with over 20 years of nursing experience. She is certified in Lactation Counseling, Case management and is a Sickle Cell Disease counselor. Hemmings is currently, the Program Director of Maternal Health Equity at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.Her role responsibilities include to:• Raise the quality of life for all individuals served through the Women’s Health service line• Address health disparities and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly among individuals of color• Promote the health of birthing persons throughout the life-course• Create innovative ways to discuss the importance of health equity in maternal health• Provide oversight of program development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to achieve health equity and improved maternal outcomesHemmings is an alumna of the University of Hartford class of ’06 – BSN and ’11- MSN with a focus in community and public health. During her graduate education at UHart, she studied abroad in Australia. Daileann has many ties to the university including having served as adjunct professor in ENHP. She is a fellow of the Connecticut Health Foundation leadership program (2012). Hemmings participates on state collaboratives such as the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls Health & Safety subcommittee, CT’s Reproductive Justice Alliance and Help Me Grow to name a few. She serves on boards including the University of Hartford Nursing Advisory Board, Preventing Maternal Mortality due to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Advisory Board and is involved in community projects/initiatives both domestic and international.Daileann is currently pursing her doctorate in the Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Program at Yale University with an anticipated graduation of May 2024.

Mike leads Technology for the Product Incubation team at Synchrony, with responsibility for building and launching new products and capabilities into market. Focusing on trends further out on the horizon, the team takes a human-centered design approach to find product / market fit for new solutions in fintech. Prior to joining Synchrony, Mike led Digital Banking for GSB and had stints building digital marketing teams at various organizations. He teaches a master’s course on Fintech at Brandeis University, holds an MBA from UHart and a BS in Marketing & International Business from Wagner, and is always looking for another good podcast recommendation.

David Cornue is the Creator/Writer/Executive Producer of TRIAGE, an ABC medical drama with director Jon M. Chu (IN THE HEIGHTS, CRAZY RICH ASIANS) and 20th Television. He is also a Writer/Consulting Producer on an upcoming series with Team Downey. Currently, he is developing a television adaptation of Stephen King's novel, INSOMNIA. He is also the Writer/Director/Composer of the horror short LET IT KILL YOU, now on the festival circuit. David wrote, produced, and scored TEMPORARY, and episodic pilot presentation, UNSPEAKABLE, which premiered at SXSW and won Best Pilot at multiple film festivals. As the founder of New Core Productions, David produced and sold three indie features and wrote/produced the sports comedy, #LUCKY NUMBER, starring Tom Pelphrey and Method Man. He has developed television projects with studios and networks, including ABC, FOX, A&E, and USA Network. David was selected for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s inaugural class of Imagine Impact, and the Fox Writers Lab. He also formed an exclusive writing group and popular script development service. He's a classically trained composer with film scores, acclaimed musicals, and songs on produced albums. davidcornue.com

Jolie draws from her total life experience when she takes the stage or works with aspiring young artists. For over 25 years, she has passionately shared the gift of song through producing concerts, developing community arts programs, as well as training and mentoring aspiring singers. While her performing career continues to soar, her dedication to training and providing opportunities for young artists is unwavering.

Jennifer originally hails from a previous universe in which she was first a medical technologist, then an elementary school teacher. She spent her free time carefully planning ahead in a desperate attempt to avoid anxiety-provoking situations. Due to a twist of fate (or perhaps a cosmic conspiracy), Jen now resides in this universe with her husband and son and spends her days in anxiety-provoking situations. Her debut memoir, My Alternate Universe: Anxiety, Autism, and Adventure in a Parallel Reality, won the 2023 Independent Press Award for Memoir and is available online wherever books are sold. Please visit her website at jennifer-rosado.com.

Jecoliah Daniels graduated from the University of Hartford in 2005 where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism. At UHart, she was involved with STN, Lambda Pi Eta honor society, a founding member of the Delta Zeta sorority, and was a Resident Assistant. She has lots of experience, between different volunteer experiences and working as a morning news anchor, general assignment reporter, senior account executive, director of public relations, which has led her to her current role as the Director of Communications and Marketing for Infinite Legacy.

Mari Reisberg, MA, LPC is a therapist, performer, creativity coach, and host of the Sustaining Creativity Podcast. She holds a BFA in Acting from the Hartt School and an MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology, Dance/Movement Therapy, from Naropa University. She currently splits time between the traditional 9-5 world as the director of utilization review and internship programming for a substance abuse treatment center, and her own Sustaining Creativity business where she works with performers and non-performers to spark, grow, sustain, share and transform creativity in their lives. Mari believes life is way more fun when we tap into our creativity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainingcreativity/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sustainingcreativityWebsite: https://sustainingcreativity.com/Podcast: https://sustainingcreativity.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-reisberg-b1320151/

Julia Winer graduated from the University of Hartford in 2005 with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education with a concentration in psychology. Julia is a recent recipient of the Impact on Social Responsibility/Civic Engagement Anchor Award! This award is given to an alum whose professional success is rooted in bettering community and has made significant and notable contributions in this space. She is currently serving as the Vice President of Operations for MD Ally. Tune in to see what this amazing hawk did once she spread her wings and left the nest!

Gregg Katzman '07 is the director of marketing and publicity at Valiant Entertainment—a leading character-based entertainment company that owns the largest independent superhero universe in comics. With more than 81 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. Since joining the company in 2018, Gregg has remained focused on expanding Valiant’s outreach by building and maintaining authentic press and fan relationships. As you'll hear, his studies at UHart—and the experience he gained as a member of the student-run STN2 television network—were crucial in shaping his career. "I would not be where I am today, without those experiences," says Gregg.

Lorena Garay '98 is an award-winning guitarist from Puerto Rico who performs classical, Spanish, and Latin guitar as a soloist and as leader of the group, Surcari. The Hartt School graduate will have a chance to return to her alma matter in December to play at the Presidents' College, as she continues her career as a guitarist and band leader. Here, Lorena, who is equipped with her Yamaha guitar, takes us through her musical journey and shares some of her guitar-playing techniques. More of Lorena's musical talents can be found on her website.

Doug Goodstein '92 has been a storyteller for 30 years. A graduate of the School of Communication and current executive producer at Dozgood Media, Goodstein's career in the media spans everything from entertainment and talk to comedy and news. He has produced, directed, wrote, edited, and everything in-between. Goodstein's credits include ABC News, Comedy Central, The Lincoln Project, Fox News Channel, and 19 years with the Howard Stern Show—in a mutlitude of positions, including executive producer. What's it like to work for Howard Stern? Goodstein shares all in this interview. Read more about Goodstein on his website.

Lauren Chante '03, is the founder and owner of Lauren Chante Media, a health strategy company. Her company is targeted at women who are looking to find out what works for their unique bodies and lives. Chante has a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from UHart. Chante started her college education earlier than most, at the age of 13, after spending middle school not feeling challenged enough academically. A former professional dancer who trained in New York City, Chante suffered an injury that halted her dancing career. Her debilitating injury led her to pursue a master's degree in exercise science with a concentration in strength and conditioning. “I really wanted to understand what was going on in my body so that I could fix it, and then eventually it turned in to a passion for helping other people in their lives” says Chante. To learn more about Lauren Chante and her health strategy programs, visit laurenchante.com. 

Sabrina Trocchi M'96, is the President and CEO of Wheeler, a community health center that provides healthcare, addiction treatment, behavioral health, special education, and many other services to patients across Connecticut. Born and raised in Hartford, Trocchi graduated from UHart with a master’s degree in public administration. Trocchi credits her time at the University of Hartford for giving her a foundation for her role as President and CEO of Wheeler by preparing her for nonprofit management and administration, as well as developing her leadership and management skills. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trocchi and her team at Wheeler had to adapt quickly, with the help of telehealth services, to ensure that their patients get the proper care that they need. “I’m in absolute awe in what my staff has been able to accomplish in this very difficult year,” says Trocchi. “We’ve had so many challenges and in spite of all of that we continue to be there, we continue to deliver care, we continue to be responsive to our patients and to our communities.”

Shanta Lee Gander M'07, is a multi-faceted professional and artist. Shanta Lee has experience in writing prose, poetry, investigative journalism, and photography. Her work has been featured in PRISM, Rebelle Society, Ms. Magazine Blog and The Commons—a weekly newspaper covering Windham County in Vermont. Shanta Lee graduated from the University of Hartford in 2007 with a MBA in management and marketing. While working and managing her own and other’s arts, Shanta Lee noticed that artists don’t have the entrepreneurial skills to promote their art. “One of the things that was missing is for creatives to think about entrepreneurial inclination or see themselves as businesses or business owners”. This has led her to establish Obsidian Arts L3C, where creatives can attend workshops and develop a connection between their creative practice and business. Shanta’s latest book of poetry, GHETTOCLAUSTROPHOBIA: Dreaming of Mama While Trying to Speak Women in Tongues comes out on June 15. To discover more about Shanta Lee Gander and her extensive work, visit her website:https://www.shantaleegander.com/slg.

Ryan Speedo Green '08 is a world-renowned opera performer sought after by international opera houses for his powerful bass-baritone voice. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music from The Hartt School, Green has performed at the Vienna State Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera regularly since his debut in 2012. Green is a Grammy Award-winning musician as part of the cast of The Metropolitan Opera’s 2019/20 production of Porgy and Bess which received the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. Green is also the subject of a biography titled Sing for Your Life, written by New York Times journalist Daniel Bergner. The biography details Green’s life story, from his troubled childhood growing up in a violent home to being incarcerated in a Virginia juvenile detention center. “At 12-years-old—that was the bottom my life has ever been,” said Green. With a strong will to survive a difficult environment, and with the help of supportive educators—including the late Joanna Levy, a Hartt School voice teacher—Green developed a passion for opera singing. Learn more about Ryan Speedo Green and his distinguished opera career at his website, https://www.ryanspeedogreen.com. 

Anyone who watches TV or movies has likely heard the voice of Steve French ’03. He has been the voice for National Geographic nature documentaries, NASCAR commercials, and is currently the promo voice for the Disney+ hit show, The Mandalorian. Steve had always had an appreciation for voice-over performers, such as Mel Blanc of Looney Tunes  characters, however, he didn’t realize that voice-over acting was a viable option for a long-lasting career. In 2011, he got his first steady voice-over representation and began pursuing the craft of voice acting seriously. Thanks to his voice and speech training from The Hartt School, where he earned a degree in theater arts, in addition to his training as an actor, French was able to forge a successful career in the voice-over acting world. In this episode, French discusses the process from auditions to the recording booth, what it’s like to voice act from home, and how it can be strange to hear his voice during commercials. Samples of his impressive work can be found at https://www.stevefrenchvo.com.

Jessica Floyd '18 has already forged an impressive career in the media, with stops at MSNBC, NBC News, and WNPR—gaining experience at these organizations while still a student at UHart. Jessica first pursued her love of writing as a writer with the campus publication, Heartbeat Magazine, and went on to become editor-in-chief. She says her work with Heartbeat Magazine elevated her writing and led to other broadcast-related opportunities such as one at Hartford Public Access Television, which served as a springboard for internships with MSNBC and WNPR. After UHart, Jessica earned her Master of Science in Journalism at Northwestern University, after which she worked as a national field producer for the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Jessica joined us from Washington, DC, where she is currently a Politics Producer and Correspondent at TheGrio.