THE IDEALISTS.

Welcome back to break*through! In yet another exclusive complimentary episode, we're beyond excited to bring you another session from our new series under THE IDEALISTS. roster.

In today’s session, you’ll get to hear Marilyn’s breakthrough. Marilyn is a seasoned character actress and writer for stage and screen known for her rich, grounded portrayals of Latin women. A graduate of NYU’s prestigious acting program, Marilyn is transitioning from a number of successful supporting roles working alongside iconic performers Morgan Freeman, Jane Lynch, and Parker Posey to a larger role on the Tyler Perry show All the Queen’s Men. It’s a huge shift in how she presents herself in meetings, on set, and even in her own self-talk—one that’s leaving her feeling anxious and intimidated as she now tries to navigate stepping into more complex leading roles.

Marilyn is working with one of our phenomenally energetic coaches Alicia Dara. Alicia is a nationally recognized speech and presentation coach who has helped thousands of people including CEOs, Global VPs, Executive Directors, and Presidential candidates find their Power Voice, and put it to work. Her clients include Microsoft, Amazon, Kimpton Hotels, Planned Parenthood, The National Women's Political Caucus, Facebook, Merrill Lynch, and Twitter. Her most popular course helps women strengthen their voices and clarify their personal messaging—exactly what Marilyn needs right now on her journey to becoming a leading actress.

In this episode:

- Alicia leads off by working with Marilyn on her “Personal Power Pitch”—a living document for that defines her superpower and provides a north star for how Marilyn wants to be perceived when walking into a room.

- Next, Alicia dives deeper into the four pillars of public speaking: pacing, volume, enunciation, and clarity, and together she and Marilyn rehearse and refine Marilyn’s personal power pitch and set a practice schedule.

- Alicia then relates a piece of critical wisdom about how Marilyn can redirect unwanted attention or flirtation when it comes to people’s reception of her appearance and how to kindly refocus the conversation back on the project without creating undue conflict.

- Lastly, Alicia advises Marilyn on how to discern and read the room and modulate how much of her story she shares. There are some projects where her heritage and journey will be valuable and other times where she’s going to feel the need to protect that story and redirect the conversation. She has full permission to set her boundaries as she sees fit.

This week, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa speaks with globally-recognized Queer women’s wealth coach and high-net-worth money muse, Merel Kriegsman—known for empowering clients to grow their business bottom lines by over $25 million last year. A one-of-kind, neurodivergent mother of three, former opera singer, and regenerative farmer, Merel has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, ABC News, CBS News, and Good Housekeeping.

In this freeform and thought-provoking episode, Merel shares her thoughts on how the constraints engendered by the huge trend of “ethical marketing” can lead to a kind of “purity” culture that can prove so detrimental to a founder’s creativity. At its core, fear of “cancel culture” can hijack necessary bold decision-making and conversations women need access to in order to thrive. She also reflects on her journey to coaching through brand and web copywriting and what it means to be the first woman in your lineage to break through and make an authentic transition to sustained wealth.

In this episode:

- Merel leads off the episode by describing the controversy surrounding a recent article she’d written about ethical marketing being disguised as purity culture, and how important it is to not be hamstrung by all the so-called rules—or if you are going to play by them, do so, consciously—with intent.

- Next, Merel dives deeper into issues of “cancel culture” and asks what happens when women are “canceled” for pursuing money or ambition or power? How does that detract from overall social justice work so necessary for women’s equity?

- She then relates a piece of key wisdom: we tend to undervalue what comes to us most easily to us. Yet what comes to us most easily is usually our most valuable work and most often, we do not charge for that work. We don’t even consider creating packages around those specific skill sets. We so often feel discomfort at taking money for something that feels too easy or fun. It takes a recasting of the spell.

- Lastly, Merel shares her audacious wish to make more magic in the world and help women everywhere become the wealthiest in their lineage, to fund the kind of change they want to see—online, locally, or globally. For Merel, this has meant contributing to her own local indigenous community as it continues to cope with poverty, hunger, and addiction.

In this debut episode of break*through, host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa brings an entirely new show to life under THE IDEALISTS. roster. 

If you’re a fan of THE IDEALISTS in general, you know our guests are always talking about doing the work. Do the work, do the work, you’ve got to do the work. But what is the work and why is it so important? Well, now you get to see it in action as you listen in on visionary women journeying through an intimately personal session with their coach. break*through is a more intimate kind of show. You will hear transformations and insights from a whole group of visionary women seeking to change, clarify, and embolden their personal narratives through the work of coaching.

On today’s episode, you’ll get to experience Luz’s breakthrough. Luz is a new CEO transitioning from being a successful traveling midwife to running a luxury yoga resort in Guatemala. It’s a big adjustment—one leaving her with a tremendous lack of joy as she steps into the role of boss. She now has 30+ employees to manage, as well as a resort that in large part fuels the business ecosystem in that part of the region.

Luz is being coached by one of our phenomenal partners and coaches, Scharrell Jackson, who comes with over 35 years of experience as COO to some of the top accounting firms in the nation. A highly sought-after keynote speaker, known as the go-to “Corporate Fixer” for the Fortune 500, Scharrell’s style is authentic, intimate, and above all powerful--exactly what Luz needs on her journey to becoming a CEO.

In this episode of THE IDEALISTS. podcast, host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Anisha Singh, entrepreneur, former CEO of Mydala.com, and Founding Partner of She Capital, India’s leading early-stage venture fund devoted to nurturing and growing the next generation of female-focused businesses.

Anisha’s own journey as an entrepreneur has been full of breaking stereotypes, glass ceilings, and shifting traditional perceptions. Now as she dons a new role of investor, she is on a mission to cultivate female unicorns and role models that resonate with younger women aspirants.

A role model herself, Anisha was ranked amongst the Top 7 Global Women CEOs by Crunchbase in 2018. Prior to Mydala.com, she founded and ran a digital content company called Kinis Software Solutions. Anisha began her career working with the Clinton Administration on an initiative that’s still close to her heart—Springboard helped women entrepreneurs raise funds to start new businesses and lives. Inspired by these women, Anisha knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur back in India. Now recognized as one of The Top 100 Global Diversity Leaders in 2019 and ranked among the 50 Most Influential 2018 in Asia, Anisha is also the President of the jury of the Cartier Women’s Initiative for South Asia.

In this remarkable episode, Anisha shares what it means to bristle at being labeled a “female” founder, and how that notion shifted with the birth of her daughters when she realized there simply weren’t enough women’s voices in the mix, and that real representation needed to start with her—even if it was only one voice. She reflects on what it means to take a big leap, how to persist to get to the breakthrough, and how the startup journey is never quite what you think it’s going to be. She also discusses her journey from founder to investor and potentially back again. More than anything, Anisha’s audacious wish to create an international community of role models that women everywhere can access will leave you asking who your role models are and how can you be a better one?

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- Anisha starts off the episode by talking about how she has always believed in taking the leap—that jumping in the proverbial deep end and having to figure it all out has always served her best because, in the end, there’s never any sure path. She also reflects on how women are so often trained to overthinking things, which can leave you on the sidelines and missing the key moments of your life.

- She shares her journey of growing up in Delhi, being raised by a conservative father who was a struggling entrepreneur, then going to graduate school in the US, and on to work in the Clinton Administration to help women entrepreneurs raise funds to ultimately return to India to become an entrepreneur—as founder and CEO of Mydala.com.

- Anisha then recounts how her discomfort (or annoyance) being thought of as a “female” founder shifted with the advent of her daughters. She also recounts the hardships of raising funding only to lose it in the 11th hour, and also relates her humbling self-reinvention in bringing She Capital to life.

- At the end of the episode, Anisha shares her audacious wish for creating a world of brilliant founders and generations of role models who finally make real equality possible for women.

In this episode of THE IDEALISTS. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Tai Beauchamp, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brown Girl Jane, a disruptive, plant-based wellness and beauty collection named by Refinery 29 as Beauty Innovator of the Year and winner of Best in Beauty Awards by Instyle, Allure, and Popsugar. Formerly a top editor for Harper’s Bazaar, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Seventeen magazines, Tai uses her vast platform to empower, educate, and entertain women of all ages.

In this episode, Tai shares what it means to grow up with the gifts of strength and self-reliance as well as what it means to unlearn old habits to forge the kind of partnerships that make a company Brown Girl Jane possible. Most of all, her audacious goal to impact ten million women will leave you inspired and enlightened.

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In the episode:

- Tai starts off the episode by describing why self-reliance is so historically ingrained in women’s ideals and belief systems and why she believes it's so important women realize they don’t have to go it alone—not in business and not in their personal lives.

- She shares her journey of being raised by a single mother and grandmother, going to an all-girls high school, and then on to Spelman College to become the youngest magazine editor at Seventeen—all under the messaging of: “You’re going to achieve this all on your own. And keep going!”

- Tai then recounts the story of how she reconnected with her Spelman sisters to co-found their groundbreaking beauty innovator startup Brown Girl Jane and how that partnership led to some of the crucial unlearning that’s set her on her path now.

- At the end of the episode, Tai shares her audacious vision for impacting the lives of 10 million women and how much the ripple effect matters even with our smallest actions.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Kaisa Keranen, a personal trainer, fitness entrepreneur, and social media influencer with over 1 million followers on Instagram and Facebook. Kaisa has been featured in Vogue, Shape, SELF, Harpers Bazaar, Oxygen and ESPNW to name a few. She was featured on the Greatist as one of the most influential people in health and fitness and most notably was asked by Michelle Obama to be one of the go to trainers for her “Let’s Move” digital campaign. In this episode, Kaisa shares why health is a feeling not a look and how she is redefining fitness.

Can you do us a favor? Please take our quick 3 minute survey so we can keep creating the content you love. Go to www.theidealistspodcast.co and click on the bar at the top of the page to take the survey.

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In the episode:

- Kaisa begins the episode by describing why it is not sustainable to practice fitness with the sole intention to lose weight.

- She then shares her own journey of overcoming hardship and depression through movement.

- Kaisa outlines how she built her 1M following on Instagram and how she leverages her content to build her business.

- At the end of the episode, Kaisa shares her audacious vision for the world.

Can you do us a favor? Please take our quick 3 minute survey so we can keep creating the content you love. Go to www.theidealistspodcast.co and click on the bar at the top of the page to take the survey.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Michaela Boehm, a gifted speaker and counselor whose unique body of work centers around the intersection of intimacy and embodiment. Michaela travels and teaches internationally as an expert in intimacy, relationship and sexuality, and in her private practice, she coaches high-performing individuals and couples, including Oscar-winning actors, producers, writers, multiple Grammy-winning musicians, CEO’s, and multi-billion dollar fund managers. You can also see her on Netflix’s Unwell, as well as, Sex, Love, and Goop, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk. In this episode, Michaela tackles how high achievers can love and connect more intentionally.

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In the episode:

- Michaela begins the episode by describing why high-achievers feel they must sacrifice the relational in order to become successful.

- She then explains how she teaches using the body to reconnect with others and self.

- Michaela outlines how people self-sabotage and how to create a new baseline for wellness regardless of one’s patterns.

- At the end of the episode, Michaela shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Jenny Atout Ahlzen, one of the Managing Founders of Amam Ventures, an impact investment fund based in Jordan that provides risk capital to Small and Medium Sized enterprises that are committed to diversity and inclusion. In this episode, Jenny shares how her and her business partners are moving the needle on women’s economic participation in the Arab world.

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In the episode:

- Jenny begins the episode by describing why funding “Zebra” businesses makes the most sense in Jordan.

- She then describes the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in Jordan.

- Jenny shares the ways her and her business partners have designed their impact fund specifically for Jordanian women.

- At the end of the episode, Jenny shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Joy Harjo, who served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022. She is the author of nine books of poetry, several plays and children's books, and two memoirs. Her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, two NEA fellowships, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. In this episode, Joy shares how she moves between the physical and mystical in order to make sense of the world around her.

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In the episode:

- Joy begins the episode by describing how her work as a writer is to see humanity’s beauty and atrocity.

- She then describes how she sees the world in both the physical and metaphysical sense.

- Joy shares the tensions she’s experienced trying to bring her indigenous wisdom traditions to academia.

- At the end of the episode, Joy shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Sonya Erickson who is a lawyer, partner, and member of the board of directors at Cooley Law Firm. The recognition for Sonya’s work is vast. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America Venture Capital Law category since 2004 and is listed as a leading attorney in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2013. In this episode Sonya shares why she believes more women at the table means better resources for women as a whole.

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In the episode:

- Sonya begins the episode by describing how her Midwestern values informed a fear of talking about money.

- She then describes how she began investing (including in Yahoo) and mapping her own financial destiny outside of her cultural values.

- Sonya shares where she sees women dropping out of their careers before reaping financial upsides and how she is trying to mitigate this.

- At the end of the episode, Sonya shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Minette Navarrete the President and Vice-Chairman of Kickstart Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Globe Telecom, the largest mobile network in the Philippines. Not only does Minette manage Kickstart Ventures $180 Million fund, she is also a member of Globe’s Innovation Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of AdSpark, Globe’s wholly owned digital advertising subsidiary. Minette has held a number of CEO/COO positions in various industries, ranging from scrappy Philippines startups to iconic global companies like Levi Strauss in Philippines.

In this episode, Minette shares what excites her about the innovation coming out of the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

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In the episode:

• Minette begins the episode by describing why she believes “fake it til’ you make it” hurts entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• She then describes her non-linear career path to Venture Capital, as well as, managing Kickstart Venture’s $180M fund.
• Minette then shares what excites her about the innovation coming out of the Philippines.
• At the end of the episode, Minette shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Jillian Haslam, an internationally bestselling author, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker, who grew up in the slums of Calcutta where she faced a bruising childhood of extreme poverty, discrimination, abuse, and disease. Jillian’s gift of seeing beauty amongst the grit led her to rise to success as President of Charity at India’s Bank of America and launched her career as an internationally renowned motivational speaker. She has been honored with a growing list of awards, including the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial International Award, The True Legend Award from The Telegraph, and the Asian Woman of the Year Award by The Independent.

In this episode, Jillian uses her story to show how to derive meaning from hardships and how to find grace in adversity. She shares how she integrated her darkest moments in order to find her light.

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In the episode:

- Jillian begins the episode by describing her childhood and the adversity those living in third world poverty experience.

- She then describes how she was able to become the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Bank of America and later the President of Charity at Bank of America.

- Jillian then shares her take on the canon of female leaders like Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale, etc.

- At the end of the episode, Jillian shares her audacious vision for the world.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Dr. Sian Proctor, who was launched into Earth orbit, on September 15, 2021, as the pilot of the Crew Dragon with SpaceX. A geoscientist, artist, poet, and astronaut, not only was she was on the cover of Times Magazine but she was also in “The Colony” on The Discovery Channel, “Genius by Stephen Hawking” on PBS,  “Strange Evidence*”* on the Science Channel, and “Countdown” on Netflix.

During the show, Sian takes us into space with her. It is quite a marvel.

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In the episode:

- Dr. Proctor begins the episode by explaining the history of space travel.

- She then describes her emotional and physical preparation to launch to orbit (which included a phone conversation with Michelle Obama).

- Dr. Proctor shares details about her experience in space and recites a poem she wrote while in the space craft.

- At the end of the episode, Dr. Proctor shares why she believes innovations made for space will better humanity as a whole.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Shellye Archambeau who has over 30 years of experience in technology ranging from her role as the former President of Blockbuster.com, as well as, the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based software company. She currently serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta.

During the show, Shellye shares the sacrifices she made to get ahead, as well as, how she tackles goal-setting when confronted with complicated, high risk crises.

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In the episode:

- Shellye begins the episode sharing why she left her high-ranking position at IBM to become CEO of a MetricStream, a struggling startup. 

- She goes on to describe her personal decision-making matrix and how it helps her during moments of crisis.

- Shellye then shares the personal and financial decisions she made in order to become MetricStream's CEO.

- Shellye shares the process of being invited to apply for Verizon's board.

- At the end of the episode, Shellye shares why she believes women should be unapologetically ambitious. 

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa talks to Dr. Anna Pechenkina about Russia’s recent military invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Pechenkina received her PhD in Political Science at Penn State University and works as an assistant professor at the Political Science Department at Utah State University. Her research seeks to understand how peace emerges out of war and why it succeeds or fails.

During the show, Dr. Pechenkina provides insights into what is currently happening in Ukraine and the context for Ukraine’s relationship with Russia prior to the invasion.

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In the episode:

- Dr. Pechenkina begins the episode by describing the relationship between Ukraine and Russia after Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2014.

- She then explains alternative political strategies Vladimir Putin could have employed instead of military invasion.

- Dr. Pechenkina goes on to describes the various “alternate realities” that may happen if the invasion lasts longer than expected.

- At the end of the episode, Dr. Pechenkina explains how people around the world can support the people of Ukraine during this time.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Alicia Dara, a nationally recognized speech and presentation coach who has helped thousands of people including CEO’s, Global VPs, Executive Directors and Presidential candidates find their Power Voice and put it to work. Her corporate clients include Microsoft, Amazon, and Planned Parenthood. Her private clients include the National Women's Political Caucus, the Female Founders Alliance, and members of Facebook, Merrill Lynch, and Twitter.

During the show, Alicia explains the importance of a power voice and why her clients sometimes need to overhaul their entire way of communicating to reach the next level of their career.

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In the episode:

- Alicia begins the episode by describing the 4 pillars of public speaking and why these pillars are necessary for finding one’s power.

- She then explains the common mistakes women make when communicating due to social conditioning.

- Alicia shares different techniques women can do practice to better their voice and communication styles.

- At the end of the episode, Alicia describes her audacious vision for the future.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Alisa Jacobs, a serial entrepreneur who co-founded and served as CEO of Queens Gaming Collective, a venture backed startup for women gamers, streamers, & competitors. Alisa also founded LOOP, a women-run marketing agency that executes across sports, music, fashion, spirits, gaming and tech for the likes of Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, The Kardashians, The Recording Academy, the NBA and NYFW.

During the episode, Alisa breaks down the new world order of NFTs, the Metaverse, and Web3. You might want to grab a pen and paper for this episode!

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In the episode:

- Alisa begins the episode by describing her thesis for her marketing firm, Loop Agency: that diversity and representation is lucrative for companies. She shares how she continues to prove her thesis by executing on projects for Lebron James, Sean “Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled, and more.

- She then explains how Web3 is the next frontier of the internet.

- Alisa breaks down the opportunities in the Metaverse, in Crypto and in NFTs, while also sharing why it’s important for women to understand what these terms.

- At the end of the episode, Alisa shares why she stepped down from her venture backed startup and how she plans to support Web3 entrepreneurs moving forward.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Dawn Dickson, a serial entrepreneur and inventor with over 20 years of experience in technology entrepreneurship, marketing and business development. She has founded five successful companies and since 2017, Dawn has raised over $1M from venture capital and angel investors and she has raised over $4.5M via equity crowdfunding.

In this episode, she shares why she believes equity crowdfunding is a better alternative to venture capital.

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In the episode:

- Dawn begins the episode describing the difference between institutional investors and equity crowdfunding.

- She describes her experience raising $1M through venture capital and why she decided VC money does not work for her.

- She then shares how she built her current business (valued at $32m) and how she has leveraged her network and community to grow the business.

- Dawn ends the episode with practical advice for listeners who may be interested in launching their own equity crowdfund campaign.

About Episode:

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Fariel Salahuddin, the founder and CEO of UpTrade, a bartering service that enables rural communities in Pakistan to exchange livestock for solar-powered water pumps and solar home systems. Over 40% of Pakistan lives off the grid and without lights in their homes and electricity to pump water, women can spend up to four hours a day fetching water from distant wells.

The BBC calls UpTrade a solution for the desert and after listening to this conversation, you'll understand why. Fariel is both a 2021 TED fellow and a 2019 finalist with Cartier's Women's Initiative.

In this episode, this World Bank consultant turned self-described goat herder shares her vision for an inclusive economy that values more than just fiat currency.

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In the episode:

- Fariel begins the conversation describing how UpTrade works and the ways she gets off-grid, rural communities to opt into bartering their goats for solar water pumps and solar home systems.

- She then shares what inspired her to start UpTrade and how her model is based on community and self agency versus traditional charity focused interventions.

- Fariel then describes her vision for tech-enabled marketplaces that are not bound by fiat currency.

- Fariel ends the episode sharing her vision for rural, unbanked communities to be able to participate in the mainstream economy using the resources they have.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Olayemi Keri, one of the foremost Women in Technology in Nigeria. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Heckerbella, a Technology Business Transformation company, and while her list of accolades and titles runs long, she is especially committed to Rising Tide Africa which she cofounded in 2018. Rising Tide Africa is a women’s movement of women angel investors harnessing their power, network, passion and capital to positively impact and actively create a New Africa. Yemi also sits on the board and is the Director of the Lagos Angel Network. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Nigeria's Climate Innovation Centre and is a member of the Science and Technology Policy Commission of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group. 

In this episode, Yemi gives us an amazing breakdown of Nigeria's investment ecosystem and what the climate is like for women entrepreneurs.

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In the episode:

- Yemi shares how her and her co-founder founded Rising Tide Africa to introduce investment as an asset class to Nigerian women.

- She then describes the gaps she saw in the general angel investment space which led to a lack of funding for women entrepreneurs.

- Yemi describes how she and her co-founder have grown Rising Tide Africa with an emphasis on intentional and structured mentorship.

- She then describes the difference between the older generation and younger generation of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

- Yemi ends the episode sharing her goals to shift the funding landscape so that women entrepreneurs in Africa can thrive.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Jenn Harper, founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, a Canadian, Indigenous-owned beauty brand that gained popularity after being on the hit show, Dragons Den. And excitingly, on November 6th, Cheekbone Beauty products will be available in Sephora. So make sure to support and pick up a Warrior Woman Lipstick on Sephora's website because as anyone listening to this podcast knows— our money and patronage matter.

In this episode, Jenn shares her deeply personal reasons for building a business that helps indigenous youth see themselves and their beauty.

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In the episode:

- Jenn begins by describing the different worlds she inhabits and how they collide in her mission to make indigenous youth feel seen.

- She then goes on to describe what fuels her and the emotional work she has had to do. She explores her childhood and how her consistent desire to be seen as worthy continues to propel her today. She also vulnerably shares how her sobriety allows her to thrive.

- Jenn shares her familial history starting with her grandmother's experience in Residential Boarding Schools where many indigenous children in North America were sent between the early 19th century through the mid-20th centuries.

- Jenn ends the episode sharing her goals to expand her brand and her hopes for indigenous youth.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Charlotte Luzuka and Lee Zuks, two of the four co-founders of Dazzle Angels, South Africa's first female-focused angel fund. They chose their name because a group of Zebras is called a Dazzle and after you hear how they describe the potential of African entrepreneurs, you'll understand why they root for Zebras instead of Silicon Valley Unicorns. In this episode, Charlie and Lee share how, from the ground up, they are building South Africa's women's angel investment ecosystem. 

*Note: The article mentioned in the podcast refers to wives in Botswana being given the right to own property alongside their husbands (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-botswana-women-landrights-trfn/botswana-opts-to-make-land-owners-of-wives-with-new-law-idUSKBN2682XF) 

Also, African solo women founders have raised 0.3% of funds raised on the continent. All-female founding teams 0.4%. This excludes mixed teams with female co-founders (https://thebigdeal.substack.com/p/of-men-and-men)

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In the episode: 

- Lee begins the episode by describing the South African investment ecosystem and why her and her three co-founders founded Dazzle Angels. 

- Charlie and Lee then provide their investment thesis and why Dazzle Angels seeks to invest in zebras instead of unicorns. 

- Charlie shares what a Minimum Viable Investment Framework is and how they are using it to grow their portfolio. 

- Charlie and Lee break down the founders' learning curve and the infrastructural gaps they notice entrepreneurs face as they try to scale. 

- Charlie and Lee end the episode explaining why owning assets is a major tool for women to achieve self-sufficiency. They also describe their vision for a Pan-African women angel investor ecosystem.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Dr. Silvia Mah, the founder and Chairwoman of Stella Labs, an accelerator for women-owned businesses. Silvia is also the founding member of Stella Angels, a female angel investment group, and a founding partner of Ad Astra Ventures, a fund that invests in female founders who are redefining the future of business. In this episode, she breaks down how she is cultivating the next generation of women angel investors.

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In the episode:

- Silvia begins the episode by explaining her investment thesis and the types of businesses she invests in.

- She then shares the details of a company in her portfolio that exited earlier this year.

- She also describes the investment boot camp she hosts for new and current angel investors and venture capitalists to neutralize bias during the founder screening process.

- Silvia goes on to share how she coaches and prepares underrepresented entrepreneurs to neutralize biases in front of investors and during pitch competitions.

- She then details she validates traction when an underrepresented founder does not have strong revenue.

- Silvia ends the episode explaining why she wakes up every day to nurture and grow the women's investment space.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews the second man on the show, John E.B. Myers, an authority on child abuse and domestic violence. He has written fifteen books and more than 100 articles and chapters on child maltreatment, domestic violence, evidence, criminal law, and family law. Professor Myers’ writing has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and nearly 200 other courts. He has given more than 400 presentations on maltreatment across America and abroad.

In this episode, John breaks down the history of the United States court system's skepticism of women and the ways in which this legacy continues.

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In the episode:

- John begins the show by describing what legal literature from 1880 to 1975 says about the rape of adult women. He breaks down the four themes the court believed as to why women were not credible victims.

- These themes were: the fear of fabricated allegations, the fear of crazy women, a preoccupation with consent where no really means yes, and that if a woman testifies in court about being sexually assaulted she should not be believed without corroborating evidence because a woman's testimony by itself is unreliable.

- He then describes how the theories of female instability by prominent psychologists influenced legal practitioners even if later these theories were debunked.

- He then shares how at one point Sigmund Freud believed the mental illness he saw in his female patients could be explained through their experience of sexual assault and rape, especially by fathers. John then explains how Freud controversially abandoned this theory and replaced it with the Oedipus complex.

- John ends the episode explaining where he thinks the court system still needs to expunge these archaic ideas about women.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Dr. Faten Ghosn, a Political Scientist and Professor at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy. Dr. Ghosn received her Bachelors and Masters from the American University of Beirut, and her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. Her research and teaching focuses on the interaction of adversaries and how adversaries handle their disagreements. Her articles have appeared in the British Journal of Political Science, Conflict Management and Peace Science, International Negotiation, International Studies Quarterly, Middle East Journal, and more.

In this episode, Dr. Ghosn breaks down the last 20 years of America's presence in Afghanistan and the circumstances that allowed the Taliban to take over so quickly.

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In the episode:

- Faten begins the episode by providing a brief recap of the circumstances around 9/11 and why the United States initially invaded Afghanistan. She then describes the United States' strategic shift in 2015 from trying to destroy Al Qaeda's terrorist network to focusing on supporting Afghani security forces.

- She breaks down the financial costs of the war, as well as, the lives lost. She also describes the needs of veterans and how the cost spent on veteran care does not adequately cater to their needs.

- Faten describes the difficulty of post 9/11 wars which have involved the United States fighting para-military groups and not states. She describes the short-term military decisions the United States made during this time.

- She then describes the difference between what the Taliban were able to offer rural Afghanis versus what the Afghani democratically elected government has been able to offer. She also describes the difference between the Taliban today and the Taliban 20 years ago.

- Faten ends the episode by linking the issues in Afghanistan to larger global issues like climate change and why it is important for all people to hold politicians accountable regardless of the political party.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Elise Loehnen Fissmer, writer and editor best known for being the former chief content officer of goop, the lifestyle and e-commerce company established by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. You may have also seen and heard Elise co-host The goop Podcast and The goop Lab on Netflix. Now she's writing a book on how women rise in the world and the deep wounds all women carry. In this episode, we dig deep.

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In the episode:

- Elise begins the conversation by sharing one of the thesis in her upcoming book: how easy it is to claim women should rise in the world, but how difficult it is to tactically and tangibly support women. She breaks down how often history is confused with nature solidifying tropes around women's cattiness towards each other or around the ways women compete for the attention and protection of men.

- She discusses the trauma of witch-hunting over centuries and the millions of women killed during the hunts. One of the mechanisms of witch-hunting was getting friends to turn on friends and daughters to turn on mothers, which Elise describes as having left women with a collective sense of scarcity and fear carried over from generation to generation.

- Melissa asks if intergenerational trauma includes the fear of being disconnected from one's deep sense of power, how can women trust each other if we do not even trust ourselves?

- Elise answers by explaining the role of the crone, the third archetypal stage of a woman's life. The crone is an initiator and healer, as well as, the representation of life and death, which our society has a fierce resistance to. She explains without the crone, young women are now going at it alone and suffering loss and disconnect.

- Elise describes what has replaced the crone and what the ramifications are for our political, economic, and social structures. She then describes how the binary of gender keeps men and women at odds with each other versus understanding masculine and feminine in all of us.

- She then outlines how various spiritual modalities help as a guide in healing the disconnection and getting back to our humanity. She then goes on to describe how policy can be a tool for wellness when social measures are improved for the most vulnerable of society.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Brigette Romanek, one of Los Angeles’ most sought after Interior Designers and one of Architectural Digest’s 2019 “AD 100,” which lists their picks for the one hundred top designers in the world. In this episode, Brigette shares the importance of filling your life with what is marvelous and beautiful.

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In this episode:

- The episode begins with Melissa describing the new changes to the podcast and why we rebranded.

- Brigette then shares that to be an interior designer is to be in the service industry and that clients’ needs surpass the designers’ need for individual expression. Melissa shares a story about the legend of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s mischief and his lack of practicality when designing a home.

- Brigette tells her designing origin story stemming from living in London while her husband was shooting a film. After returning back to Los Angeles, she and her family moved to Hancock Park because the homes and neighborhood reminded them of London. She designed the home in six weeks and friends began asking her to design theirs.

- She shares her life philosophy regarding interior design and how it is a love letter her clients are writing to themselves and their families. She also shares the one time a world-traveler client asked her to design their home in a way that would both invigorate and challenge them.

- Melissa asks Brigette how she reframes beauty for her clients and Brigette describes how she supports and nurtures her clients to take risks. She sees her work as expanding how her clients imagine they can live and inhabit a space.

- Brigette ends the episode by sharing a bit about her childhood growing up on the south side of Chicago and her advice for women entrepreneurs navigating a high-powered and marriage.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Scilla Owusu, the face of Africa Forbes last 30 under 30 cohort. Scilla is a Ghanaian-British director and producer. Working in both narrative film and music videos, she is best known for directing music videos for some of Africa's most prominent musicians like Burna Boy and Mr. Eazi. In this episode she shares her stories working alongside heavyweight musicians and how she became an unaccidental-accidental creative.

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In the episode:

- The episode begins with Scilla explaining why university is not necessarily the only path for building a creative career. She describes how she left university for a gap year to shoot a project with her brother (photographer and artist, Danny Wonders). During her gap she honed her craft despite being fired from her job at Sainsburys. They ended up receiving two nominations for their series, and Scilla understood the creative life was the path for her.

- She then describes how she transitioned from working with her brother to producing and directing music videos by DM'ing artists all over Europe and Africa. The first big artist she produced a music video for was Nigerian artist Mr. Eazi.

- Scilla shares why she is selective with the projects she takes on and her vision for the future of AfroBeats music videos including AfroBeats Grime, AfroBeats House, AfroBeats R&B, and more. She then shares stories working with artists while navigating budgets, labels, and egos.

- Scilla ends the episode describing how being featured on Africa's Forbes 30 under 30 has transformed her life and why she hopes young people will take more creative risks.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa partners with Sadie Nash Leadership Project, a not for profit that strengthens, empowers, and equips young women and gender-expansive youth of color as agents for change in their lives and in the world.

Melissa co-hosts this episode with a Sadie Nash student, Sammi Lin, and together they interview Karen Washington. The New York Times calls Karen Urban Farming’s de facto Godmother and in 2014 she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award. In this episode, Karen delves into food sovereignty and acknowledging the history around our food systems.

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In the episode:

- Sammi Lin describes why she wanted to interview Karen Washington on her work with community gardens and urban farming in New York City.

- Karen introduces herself and shares that she has been a farmer for over 30 years. She then explains how the farm subsidies provided in the early 1930s helped farmers get through hard times, but now many farmers are subsidized to grow particular crops, like corn. The surplus has led to a substantial increase in high fructose corn syrup based products that are then sold en masse in poor neighborhoods.

- Sammi asks Karen how she works with communities who have developed food traditions around unhealthy food. Karen provides an analysis on displacement and the erasure of indigenous food and agricultural systems. She then describes how community gardens are a tool to educate young people about their food traditions.

- Karen also provides an overview of how enslaved Africans originally brought knowledge from Africa to cultivate crops in the swampy south of the United States.

- Melissa asks Karen about solutions and Karen offers ways for local communities to come together and support their local economies. She also describes a Black Farmer Fund she and community members are building. Karen ends the episode with a reimagining exercise on what a healthier world would look like.

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa partners with Sadie Nash Leadership Project, a not for profit that strengthens, empowers, and equips young women and gender-expansive youth of color as agents for change in their lives and in the world.

Melissa co-hosts this episode with a Sadie Nash student, Tasnuva Shehrin, and together they interview Imani Ellis, Director of Communications at NBC and the CEO & Founder of  CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC. CultureCon is a first of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative life. Past speakers include Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, Lena Waithe, Spike Lee, John Legend, Nick Cannon, and more.

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In the episode:

- Imani introduces herself and describes why she started The Creative Collective, a community and creative agency dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for creatives of color. In particular she describes the intentionality involved in scaling the collective from her living room, to events with 300 people, to a conference that now boasts an attendee list of more than 4000.

- The conversation delves deeper when Melissa and Tasnuva question why Imani values "bringing her full self to work." Imani shares the ways in which this "fullness" is a means of countering imposter syndrome and the sense that assimilation is the only path for upwardly mobility. She also shares her philosophy around the luxury of being able to "show up" and how it drives innovation.

- Imani then briefly shares her career trajectory starting as a Coordinator at Bravo and working her way up to Director of Communications. Imani advises Tasnuva on her own career progression and how to cultivate and leverage relationships without feeling transactional.

- The conversation ends with Imani sharing her audacious vision for the world which involves creators embracing a communal narrative over an unhealthy lone ranger narrative. She also shares where we can get free tickets to Culture Con's next digital event!

In the twenty-seventh episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa talks to the amazing Dr. Vivienne Ming. Frequently featured for her research and inventions in The Financial Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Quartz and the New York Times, Vivienne is a theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and author. She co-founded Socos Labs, her fifth company, an independent institute exploring the future of human potential. In this episode we discuss her exciting work around working memory and human potential alongside the phenomenal life path that set her on this journey.

In the twenty-sixth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa talks to Anna Jones and Debbie Wosskow, the founders of Allbright which connects smart-minded women through digital and physical spaces all over the world.

Anna Jones is the former CEO of Hearst Magazine and Debbie Wosskow (OBE) is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits. Debbie is also a Member of the Mayor of London's Business Advisory Board. In this episode they discuss the power of working as cofounders and how female founders can tap into their dark.

In the twenty-fifth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa talks to Ti Chang, award-winning industrial designer and co-founder of CRAVE which makes luxury sensual products for women. Ti has been the leading voice in bringing modern sex toys to the mainstream and her work has helped pioneer the category of sex jewelry. She shares why it's so important to design products that push pleasure products out of the dark shadows of stigma and into mainstream conversations. 

Correction: The podcast teaser mentions 30% of women, but it is actually less than 18% of women who can orgasm penetratively.

In the twenty-fourth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa talks to iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali about her survival instinct and perseverance. Norma is best known for popularizing shoulder pads in the 80s; designing the red one-piece bathing suit worn by Farrah Fawcett in Farrah's famous 1976 poster, as well as, the bathing suit worn by Whitney Houston on the back cover of her 1985 debut album; and designing the popular Sleeping Bag Coat.

In the twenty-third episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Marianne Williamson, a #1 New York Times best selling author and spiritual thought leader. You may have seen her running for president during the United States 2019 presidential race or on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday as Oprah's spiritual friend and counselor. In today’s episode, she talks about her campaign, why she advocates for reparations, and the role of conscience in politics. 

In the twenty-second episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Dr. Nina Ansary. She is an author, a historian, a Board Member for The Center for Human Rights, and a United Nations Women Global Champion for Innovation working alongside Fashion Designer Rachel Roy and actress Zoe Saldana.

In this interview, she speaks to the transformative role women have played throughout history and why as writer Virginia Woolf wrote so many years ago, “I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.”

In the twenty first episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Irene Ikomu, a lawyer and consultant on civic spaces in Eastern Africa. Irene co-founded Parliament Watch Uganda, a civic tech parliament monitoring initiative and received the Young Female Lawyer of the Year Award by the Uganda Law Society in recognition of her contribution to Uganda’s democratic development. She talks to us about the recent election in Uganda, the internet shutdown, and the unlikely campaign of one of Uganda's top celebrities.

In the twentieth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Stefanie Mach, former congresswoman who served as a Democratic Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017. Stefanie and Melissa recorded this interview a week after the siege on the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. and in true Stefanie style, she reorients the focus back to the bigger picture of democracy and its potential. 

In the nineteenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Julee Wilson, Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan. Julee currently leads the brand's robust beauty coverage across all print, digital, and social platforms. Previously, Julee was Global Beauty Director at Essence and Senior Fashion Editor at Huffington Post. She shares her stories about trying to make it in the fashion industry— including charging a $5000 dress for an interview— and how transparency is necessary to move social media culture forward. 

Correction in audio: Helen Gurley Brown was Cosmo's Editor in Chief for 32 years, but she was not the founder.

In the eighteenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Cindy Gallop, the founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, a social sextech platform launched at TED 2009 designed to promote good sexual behavior. Cindy’s background spans over 30 years in brand-building, marketing and advertising — she started up the US office of ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1998 and in 2003 was named Advertising Woman of the Year. Cindy is many things, but maybe what best describes her is her tagline: 'I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business.' In this episode, Cindy tells us why sex tech is the next frontier and why investors are terrified of it. 

In the seventeenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Reese Scott, former heavyweight, registered amateur fighter and licensed USA boxing coach, who trained over 1,000 women and girls on her mission to open New York's first women's boxing gym.

She founded Women’s World of Boxing Club in 2007 and opened the first women’s boxing gym in New York in 2018. Reese has received Citations from U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and has been featured in Bloomberg News, MSNBC, the 2018 Global Reebok Campaign, Vice, Shape, ESPNW, Refinery29, and so much more.

In this episode coach Reese shares how boxing saved her life and how awareness of personal space saves women’s lives. 

In the fifteenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Jane Murray, a former lawyer who spent decades running a venture capital fund overseeing investments in start-up/early stage companies in a broad cross sector of industries. With first-hand experience of the world of cut-throat competition, individualism and isolationism, now Jane is reimagining the role of the entrepreneur and recently authored The Path of the Entrepreneur, Understanding Your Shadow with the London School of Economics accelerator LSE Generate. She talks to us about understanding one’s shadow and understanding power. 

In the fourteenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews Ankita Bansal star of the hit Netflix reality series, “Indian Matchmaking.” Ankita runs a successful denim brand called THERE! with her sister Gayatri. THERE!, an antithesis of fast fashion,​ has been featured in Vogue, Forbes and other media outlets. Ankita talks to us about taking risks, dating as an entrepreneur, and being on Indian Matchmaking. 

In the thirteenth episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), entrepreneur and host Melissa Kiguwa interviews the founders of Bold, an award-winning, Ugandan-based, retail outlet that houses over 30 emerging designers from countries across the African continent. The founders, Nunu, Janet, and Angel create opportunities for designers to retail their collections. Recently featured on Beyonce’s Black Parade, in this episode they dish on African excellence.