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.