La Segunda

Christian Martinez, also known as “Poeta Galactico,” is an educator, artist, and innovator. He is also the founder of The Swim Good Brand and the cofounder of Latitude High School. He is from the deep East Oakland area of California. Christian paints his story for us of what it was like growing up in deep east Oakland, yearning for a sense of belonging but never quite feeling like he fit in. He knew he thrived as a creator and enjoyed dancing; however, his dreams were cut short when he was shot in middle school. Working through one setback after another, Christian found success and fulfillment. Today Christian uses his lifes experience to connect with others who, as he likes to say, “come from the mud," and know about the hustle and struggle. In this episode, Christians delves into his relentless journey of giving back to his community by becoming an educator and teaching outside of the bounds of a traditional education experience. Christian also shares with us his take on the art of being a cofounder and tapping into his creative process. “No matter where you are in this ocean called life, you are going to be okay if you Swim Good. Never give up on yourself." The music for this episode was composed by Humans Win, and the podcast editing was done by Bill Fires.

Osaze Akil Stigler is a painter and Urban Planner. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Osaze delves into his experience growing up and enjoying art but being unable to relate to it. This drove the motivation for him to create art representative of his culture, background, and experiences, which ultimately led to him being a featured artist on Beyonce's "Black Parade Route," A directory of black-owned businesses in 2020. "Art doesn't always have to feel good; sometimes it makes you upset. Sometimes it makes you think, question systems, and question our governments or our societies in general [..] and I think art and creativity are about pushing us forward. " Osazes art embodies the power of black subjects and women of color. Often depicting them in regality and positions of power. Scenery seldom seen in prior and even contemporary art. In this episode, we also explore the intersectionality between painting and Urban Planning. A way in which Osaze has been able to use his passion for art into a career that allows him to impact his community by using creative ideas to allow society to take pride in their surroundings by providing access. Osaze reminds us that acknowledging oneself as an artist does not come from having a following, notoriety, or publicity. Rather, it comes from the continuous action of creating. Find Osaze and his art on www.osazeakil.com and Instagram at osaze_Akil Featured Painting: “June in Atlanta” Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36. Music for this episode is composed by Humans Win and podcast editing is by Bill Fires.    

Kimiesha Jones is an entrepreneuer and recording artist She is based in Atlanta, Georgia. “ You can’t do this for anyone else, but you. I feel that all creatives have this fire in their heart that just burns, it doesn’t matter what you do. You can’t stop doing what you love to do. You can’t stop. ” In this episode we explore the intersection between secular and gospel music and the self fulfillment that is found in pursuing our creative talents. Kimiesha lends us insight into what is was like growing up in a family of musicians and the role that the church played in finding her voice. Kimiesha reminds us to be confident in the mastery of our craft and to use faith as an avenue to connect deeper with our art. Find Kimieshas' music, films and other content on her linktree. Music for this episode is composed by Humans Win and podcast editing is by Bill Fires.

Cold Medina is a musician, poet, teacher and rapper. He is also Senior Communications Manager at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. “ Music has this power - this vehicle for social change, to make waves, to have conversations that maybe people aren’t having. And if they are having them, it’s not really having a broad reach. But if you put it into the music, if you put it into that format it can travel a lot further. Once I saw the impact of that, the power of that […] I realized we can really take these political conversations and bring them to the masses in a way that maybe isn’t necessarily - it’s not that you are sneaking it in. It’s like putting a little cheese on the broccoli so people can eat their vegetables and get that good nourishment. Nourish their mind, nourish their soul.” Medina explains the power that music has for social change and as a medium to communicate to the masses. In this episode he shares with us how his experiences growing up in a Mexican and Nicaragüense household shaped his early interest in art. His parents shared with him varied music genres such as soul, rock and latin hip hop. Later through highschool art classes and sharing time with friends and family who had an interest in music his passion was ignited. Cold Medina reminds us to show the love to our craft that it deserves. Listen and view Medinas work on his LinkTree and album Knights in Tropicana wherever you listen to music. Music for this episode is composed by Humans Win and podcast editing is by Bill Fires.

Bsidez is a Visual Artist and Sound Designer from the Oakland, California. He is also a member of the rap group Barbaydose. “ You have to be vulnerable because you’re basically telling people your story, through; rhythm and rhymes, sounds and frequencies. To be authentic is the smartest way to go about it […] If you don’t it’s going to be hard for people to resonate with your music if its not true to who you are. Things can all change, but you have to be on that path […] Music is a lifelong journey, and there is no point in which I think you can quit […]” Bsidez shares with us his passion for authenticity & vulnerability in music, film and pictures as he walks us through his own journey of finding his artistic passion. From loving record artwork as a child, being in the rap battle scene as a teenager and growing up as a young adult spending quality time in the studio Bsidez continues to hone his craft. He reminds us how important community is for creators as well as mental and physical health during the creative process. Music for this episode is composed by Humans Win and podcast editing is by Bill Fires.  

Gisselle Loera is the Writer and Director of the award winning film: It’s not a Big Deal she is also a Digital Production Coordinator for TVGla. She is based in Phoenix, Arizona. “ Representation in entertainment is something that we desperately need, I was told when I wanted to study Film that being a woman and being Mexican was my disadvantage - I disagree, it is my advantage because you will never see me coming […] Hollywood is very late in updating with the times. Being creative and having stories to tell has the potential to bridge the gap in bringing in new perspectives and voices to the table of change.” Gisselle recounts how she discovered Directing as a career and how her experiences as a first-generation Mexican paved the way to produce films that would bring visibility and resonate on a personal level with first-generation immigrants. Music for this episode is composed by Humans Win and podcast editing is by Bill Fires.

Nick Tabron  is a Musician and Songwriter based out of Nashville Tennessee. Nick walks us through his journey of falling in love with music and recounts how growing up in a home with religious values created friction in pursuing secular music as a career. In his journey of self discovery he took a leap of faith and moved on his own to Tennessee in his 20s facing financial hardships and homelessness yet found his way through perseverance. Nick encourages us to be vulnerable, to love ourselves and be unique. "I have had my fair share of deterrents - im not going to put a limit on myself. Weather I go on to be the biggest artist in the world or a local artist who has my scene and does my thing - I am always going to do to music. Its like breathing, It's what I do. It's what I was put on this earth to do."     

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, bilingual Emcee/Rapper Deuce Eclipse and co-founder/vocalist of Bang Data, draws influence from both his Nicaraguan heritage as well as the culture of Hip-Hop he grew up with in the United States. At nine, he began rapping with a middle school friend, the two adopting the names Ace Moon and Deuce Eclipse, which he carries with respect to this day. He toured the world alongside one of his best friends the late Zumbi as an accompanying voice to Zion I Crew and also acquired an extensive international and local list of collaborations including Mega Banton, Eva Ayllon, Pep Love, Louie Culture, Chico Trujillo, Asdru of Ozomatli, The Grouch & Eli, and more. He has released a variety of albums some of which have been featured on TV shows, commercials, and movies most notably the song ‘Bang Data’ on AMC’s show Breaking Bad.  Deuce’s true talent will continue to be his ability to paint a vivid picture of where we are as a society by weaving compelling personal stories into his rhymes.  The music for this episode is by Simon Sharp and the podcast editing is by @100firesmusic_ 

Michelle Miller better known as DJ Shellheart is as an International DJ producing events all over the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She grew up in Richmond, California and was introduced to music when her father bought her turntables in high school (3:10). During the same time she was working with youth, she taught herself how to DJ and surrounded herself with friends that pushed her to work in the music industry and build out her DJ career (5:34). In each performance, DJ Shellheart transmits her self-confidence to the audience. "I'm giving the people what they want, and that's me. It's authentic to me. Everything that I've come up with is from me." Music for this episode is produced by Humans Win and the podcast editing is by 100fires. Listen to the full episode on our website.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Bomani Mintz, Founder & CEO of Crave It based in Los Angeles, California. The driving force of Mintz's business is to ensure that food creators and food lovers have a space where people can easily find and share the best places to eat based on recommendations. Since college Mintz wanted to build a business and make an impact on his surrounding community, leading him to take on many risks before starting an app for foodie lovers (11:56). “I want to make sure that food creators and food businesses truly have a home. I want to break down cultural barriers and I think the best way to do that is by breaking it literally with food, dishes, and understanding who we are as a people,” Mintz said (02:04). Mintz's passion started as a side hustle, taking photos and videos for restaurants, and event companies. Later on, he started looking into how to get to Silicon Valley eventually landing a job at LinkedIn. Working as a Mid-Market Enterprise Customer Success Manager at LinkedIn, Mintz acquired the skills necessary to create a successful business focused on tech and food (6:24). For Mintz, consistency has become a key factor in creating innovative, disruptive ideas for a business at the intersection of food and tech (29:15). Music for this episode is produced by Boris Skalsky and the podcast editing is by 100fires. Listen to the full episode on our website.