The Minority Report

In this episode, I will divide into minority activism in my own community of New York City by speaking with the head of Friendship Circle of the Upper East Side in Manhattan, Sara Gutnick. I am so excited to feature a local community leader advancing the position of those in society! Friendship Circle is a non profit that services the needs of the Jewish special needs community. Friendship Circle UES was created to fill the void in the need for social activities for children and young adults with special needs. Hear Mrs. Gutnick share how her sister Bracha inspires her and how Friendship Circle UES has grown by utilizing community members as volunteers. 

This episode is dedicated to all the men and women who are serving and have served our country. Thank you for your service. Listen to this episode to learn about Mrs. Hallie Johnston, who grew up in a military family and served in the aviation unit of the army as a Black Hawk assault helicopter pilot. Hear Mrs. Johnston share her personal experiences from her time at West Point and beyond, and how she acclimated to society after the army. Mrs. Johnston remains committed to honoring fallen soldiers and educating the youth about the army through her work as a Board Member at Carry The Load, an organization created by two Navy SEAL veterans Steven Holley and Clint Bruce as a way to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. 

This is an episode you are sure to enjoy! Hear from Mr. Tayo Rockson, diversity, equity, and inclusion expert, who transforms change makers into global leaders by teaching them how to communicate effectively across cultures, on stage, and with impact. Learn about the role his upbringing played in “planting the seeds” to pursue his career in social justice. By living in four continents by the time he was 17, Mr. Rockson utilizes his global knowledge when tackling today’s challenges. Mr. Rockson explains the art of diplomacy and shares ways you can embrace it. His approach, “Educate, Don’t Perpetuate. Instead Communicate” will help you build bridges with people who have different views.

Dr. Dayani is a trailblazer in the social justice world. She started her journey of fighting for social justice at a young age as a girl is South-East Asia and continues to be a pioneer and advocate for minorities today. In this episode Dr. Dayani shares her earliest memories of helping educate other children in South-East Asia and talks about the work she has done to help immigrant families upon moving to the US. Dr. Dayani has served three decades of civic leadership in gender equity. She has worked for the UN, is a strategic communicator, and created "World Women Global Council" and Lead 2 Empower. This episode is extremely special to me since Dr. Dilshad Dayani is the lady I credit for inspiring me to create my podcast.  I was moved by her stories of activism, her passion for social change, and am inspired by her knowledge and depth of her experiences.

This episode features a conversation with Ms. Hanine Mohamed, Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at CAIR, Council on American Islamic Relations, New York. Ms. Mohamed speaks about her upbringing, about moments where she faced discrimination, and her current role at CAIR New York. Ms. Mohamed speaks about what has led her to become an advocate for the Muslim minority. Ms. Mohamed provides insight and advice about ways in which people can get involved in social advocacy.    

This episode features a discussion with Ms. Ellie Cohanim, Assistant Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the U.S. Department of State. During the interview you will hear Ms. Cohanim describe how she combats antisemitism in the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America.  As a Persian Jew born in Iran, Ms. Cohanim speaks about what it is like to  work with the country in which she lived her early childhood. She also speaks about the journey that has led to her current position. This episode is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the Jewish minority and shows how Ms. Cohanim advocates for this minority.  

Founder and CEO of the Magical Bridge Playground and Magical Bridge Foundation, Mrs. Villarreal, discusses her journey of creating the Magical Bridge Playground, a playground where "everyone can play." In this episode she discusses the challenges she and her daughter Ava faced prior to the creation of the Magical Bridge Playground. She stresses the importance of advocacy and how a person can create change in their community and beyond.