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The New York City area is home to thousands of professional dancers on working Broadway, as company members, as teachers, and as freelance performers. What are dance careers like in NYC, right now? Our guest is Candace Thompson-Zachery, Co-Executive Director of Dance/NYC, an advocacy group for dancers, with details from their NYC Dance Industry Census, and their campaign to address industry challenges. For more, visit dance.nyc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At just 16, Payalm Zamanie escaped religious persecution in Iran by crossing 1500 miles of desert, with a dream of becoming an entrepreneur in the U.S. Just ten years after he arrived, he was the founder of a record-breaking, billion-dollar IPO. Payam recounts his incredible story of survival, faith, optimism and grit in his book CROSSING THE DESERT: The Power of Embracing Life's Difficult Journeys. Payam Zamani is a serial entrepreneur, internet pioneer, angel investor and the founder of One Planet Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2024 there are a record number of jobs in New York City, and entrepreneurship is vibrant – 1 in 7 businesses were started in the past year, a rate four times higher than the 2019 average. In the fall of 2020, the five borough-wide chambers of commerce launched the Small Business Resource Network (SBRN) – a comprehensive approach to small business resiliency, offering free, personalized guidance and support to help businesses grow and thrive. Our guest is Tom Grech, President and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Small Business Resource Network. For more visit nycsmallbusinessresourcenetwork.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine the journey to becoming a mother without a partner. Our guest made the choice to take fertility into her own hands, and tells her story, while reporting on the fertility industry, for her memoir INCONCEIVABLE: Super Sperm Donors, Off-the-Grid Insemination & Unconventional Family Planning. Valerie Bauman is an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience. She is an investigative reporter at Newsweek. Previously, she was a senior investigative reporter and senior legal reporter at Bloomberg Law, where she covered pharmaceutical litigation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The non-profit El Sistema USA works to ensure very child has access to high-quality music education that celebrates their voice and potential, by supporting a national network of organizations and educators. Our guest is Elizabeth Moulthrop, Executive Director of El Sistema USA. For more, visit elsistemausa.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over 50 years, the legendary NYC Pride March has been a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ presence in our community. Heritage of Pride is the non profit organization that plans and produces New York City's official Pride events each year. For a backstage pass to this year's events, we're joined by Samantha Johnson, Associate Director of Entertainment and Events for Heritage of Pride. For more, visit nycpride.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social workers are real life superheroes who can help people navigate mental health challenges and trauma. Budy Garcia-Whitfield is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at JCCA, one of the great NYC organizations helping young people every day, particularly those in underserved communities and foster care.  For more, visit JCCANY.ORG.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety and OCD therapist Natasha Daniels joins us with a new workbook just in time for summer break! CRUSHING OCD WORKBOOK FOR KIDS: 50 Fun Activities to Overcome OCD with CBT and Exposures. Natasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist and has published five other books including How to Parent your Anxious Toddler and It’s Brave to Be Kind. For more, visit ATparentingsurvival.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fresh Air Fund is a New York City institution, providing summer adventures for urban kids, through a number of programs, including free sleep- away camps, and their signature Volunteer Host Family Program. Right now is the season to sign up!  Fresh Air Fund’s CEO Lisa Gitelson has details for campers, counselors and host families. For more, visit freshair.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jodi Wellman, Founder of Four Thousand Mondays, a UPenn positive psychologist, and an executive coach, is author of the new book YOU ONLY DIE ONCE: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets. Jodi Wellman is a former corporate executive turned executive coach. She has a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is an instructor in the Master’s program and a trainer in the world-renowned Penn Resilience Program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samaritan Daytop Village, the largest provider of support services for veterans in New York,  provides shelter, mental health, and substance use recovery services.  Assistant Vice President for Residential Treatment and former U.S. Air Force member Deirdre Rice-Reese explains some of the challenges veterans face after their service.  For more, visit samaritanvillage.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than 35 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $70 million to support programs that help farmers thrive. Farmer Services Network Manager Alexandria Ward to talks about their potentially life-saving health initiative aimed at helping ALL farmers in distress. FARM AID’s MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE is 1-800-FARM-AID.  Find out more at farmaid.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miriam Raccah, CEO of Black Latinx Asian Charter Collaborative (BLACC), explains the benefits and importance of recruiting, training, supporting, and retaining more educators and school leaders of color. BLACC is a nonprofit that serves 24 community-based public charter schools representing more than 14,000 students across New York. For more, visit blaccschools.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PetcoLove, a lifesaving non-profit bringing pets and people together, hosts the 25th Anniversary Petco Love Birthday Party & Pet Adoption Event in Union Square, on Sunday, June 2nd from 11am-4pm. President of Petco Love, Susanne Kogut, talks about how new pet recognition technology has already helped them reunite over 46,000 pets and with their owners. For more, visit petcolove.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 1985, the N.Y. Police and Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund—also known as Answer The Call—has provided support to the families of New York City’s fallen NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD members. Lauren Profeta is the Executive Director of the N.Y. Police and Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund/Answer The Call, and Caitlin Leavey, the daughter of FDNY Lt. Joseph Leavey, who heroically made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. For more, visit answerthecall.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stroke is the fifth most common cause of death in America and the leading cause of adult disability.  But, with quick action and appropriate treatment, patients can not only survive a stroke, they can live full, independent lives after the disease. For Survive Stroke Week, an annual effort to educate Americans about stroke symptoms and lifesaving treatment options, our guest is Dr. Violiza Inoa of Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis. Dr. Violiza Inoa is a board-certified neurologist with a focus on vascular neurology and neurointervention, and Chair for the Women in Neurointervention Committee at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS).  For more, visit getaheadofstroke.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Just wait until they’re teenagers!" That's the warning we’ve likely said or heard about the challenge of dealing with adolescents. But what if it doesn’t have to be that way? Our guest is child development expert Ellen Galinsky, with her new book THE BREAKTHROUGH YEARS:  A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens. In her role as President of Families and Work Institute, she challenges assumptions about the teenage years, offering new ways for parents and others to better understand and interact with adolescents in ways that help them thrive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Non-profits designed to assist the elderly offer myriad essential services, including access to food, healthcare and companionship. However, workers in the field earn wages—set by contracts with the city and state—that often place them below the poverty line. Despite calls from advocates for a significant cost of living adjustment, responses have been largely ignored.  Our guest is Jeremy Kaplan, Executive Director of Encore Community Services, one of the largest aging services providers in New York City.  For more, visit encorenyc.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stock market has hit record highs, but we’re also in a period of high interest rates and high inflation. What does that mean for your money? How and where do you invest in a volatile economy?  Our guest is stock market and asset management expert, Ed Long, Managing Principle of Avity, an investment management firm in Greenwich CT with over $1.5 billion in assets under management. With over a quarter of a century in managing both equities and bonds, Ed Long has also worked for U.S. Trust in Palm Beach, Florida, Lazard Asset Management in New York City, and Merrill Lynch Asset Management Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green City Force is an AmeriCorps program that prepares young adults who reside in New York City Housing (NYCHA), or low-income housing in NYC for careers through Green Service.  Our guest is Executive Director Tonya Gayle, who has spent her career in non-profit organizations focused on economic justice for young people of color.  For more, visit GreenCityForce.Org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.