Delighted to welcome JENIKA MAY GONZALES, a multi-talented Filipino-American graphic designer and always inspiring Cleveland foodie to the pod! Jenika works with diverse clients including Cleveland’s most beloved brands — Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Market Garden Brewery, Church and State, Fount, and Océanne to name just a few. Designing for independent artists, small boutiques, businesses, and editorial clients, all with a playful, clean, and elegant approach. JENIKA enjoys being outdoors, traveling, exploring new food adventures, and pretending like she’s a wannabe iron chef! Celebrating Filipino family faves like “pancit” (rice noodles served on birthdays promising long life) and “Kamayan” (traditional Filipino feasts eaten by hand on a tropical bed of banana leaves), we dive deep into her family’s remarkable resilience. From early morning trips to the Filipino open markets for her family’s catering gigs to Jenika’s own courageous journey emigrating to Parma as an #OtherBrownGirl teen coming-of-age after being raised by her grandparents in the Philippines, listen in to hear her inspiring advice to her 14-year-old younger self and younger nieces. “As a child, I was always in the kitchen, whether it was with my grandma or mom. I learned that there are many bridges that are built when it comes to food. Now, I also get to create those bridges and relationships through food.” In 2017, JENIKA GONZALES organized a Lumpia Po pop-up raising $6,000 to help her siblings immigrate to America. Delivering homemade Filipino eggrolls - a.k.a “Lumpia” - made with love along with delightful Bento of Joy boxes for the holidays, Jenika’s passion for food, family, and friends inspires us all. Featured as one of Crain’s Cleveland Business' “Notable Immigrant Leaders” and one of Cleveland Magazine’s “Most Interesting People,” JENIKA is an advocate and immigrant storyteller for OPAWL (Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership), a grassroots organization empowering women and non-binary people in the Asian American and Pacific Islanders community in the CLE and beyond. “I think home for me now is finding a genuine connection, whether it’s to your job or food or person. I am one with you. I see you, I feel your hurt, your anger, your frustrations. Our stories are complex, but they are beautiful. There’s something to be proud of…” Tune in as we dish on design, identity, generational storytelling, and Filipino-American AAPI culture. Follow along on Jenika’s swoon and spoon-worthy IG accounts @Jenikaeatsmeats and @lumpiapo for more. https://www.jenikagonzales.com/ https://www.opawl.org/advocacy/love-has-no-borders/ https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/people/articles/jenika-gonzales-most-interesting-people-2022 https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/07/cleveland-foodie-looking-to-elevate-filipino-cuisines-local-presence-one-lumpia-at-a-time.html https://www.instagram.com/jenikagonzales/ https://www.instagram.com/jenikaeatsmeat/

New on #NextThingWIthJing! Delighted to welcome writer STEPHANIE GINESE to the pod as she launches her potent debut book of poetry! Drawing inspiration from rap, comedy, and legendary international family love stories, join us as we explore GINESE’s proud Puerto Rican roots and early elementary school love of Edgar Allen Poe. Following in her grandparents’ footsteps as writers, poets, and political activists while drawing on her own rebellion, passion, sensitivity “superpowers” and love for “the island,” tune in to discover how GINESE came to title her book, Unto Dogs, and what she would tell her younger self about power and the faithful pursuit of agency. STEPHANIE GINESE is a writer & wannabe comedian from South Lorain, Ohio. She is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and an Italian immigrant father. She currently lives in Cleveland with her two children. Unto Dogs is her debut book of poetry. Ginese is the Residency Coordinator at SPACES. A published poet and writer, her work focuses on cultural identity, Caribbean politics, and the feminine experience. Her work has been featured in Palabritas Journal at Harvard, Chifladazine, St. Sucia, Homology Lit, and Wax Nine. Her debut collection of poems, Unto Dogs, is due for publication July 23, 2022 via Grieveland. She was the recipient of a 2021 Unidos Por El Arte grant from the Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center for her literary work. She currently sits on the planning committee for Cleveland Drafts and the programming committee for Literary Cleveland. She also led a series of workshops for the “Neighborhood Voices” project for Literary Cleveland, which culminated in a published anthology. She served as the Director of Programs in Residence for Twelve Literary Arts for three years, in which time she co-created and developed the Barbara Smith Writer-In-Residence program. As well as the publishing arm of the organization, Twelve Arts Press. Ginese is currently working on completing her Associate of Arts degree at Cuyahoga Community College, with plans to complete a Bachelors of Fine Art in Creative Writing. She hopes to find herself in a writer’s room for film or television in the near future. Order “Unto Dogs” by STEPHANIE GINESE https://www.grieveland.com/store/p16/unto-dogs.html Website: https://www.sginese.com/ Instagram: @st.ginese Twitter: @StGinese Literary Cleveland Inkubator Panel Talk: https://inkubator.litcleveland.org/

Fittingly named after speed performance brand “Mallory Ignition,” I had a blast connecting with Multidisciplinary Visual Artist MALLORIE FREEMANS’s creative spark, spunk, and spirit – mesmerized by her family’s fierce Filipina-Irish entrepreneurial adventures full of “wild energy,” charisma, and family legend-making. Whether pursuing intuition and teenage dreams to looking for truth and the real story behind her larger-than-life 1960s pop singer mom, Mer-Lyn, and fierce leather pants-donning Filipina seamstress grandma “Lola” Fe, we explore where their stories began and blend with Mallorie’s own creative fire and highly original work. From cosmetology school to art conservation to her 800-piece sugar-coated chocolate exhibit in abandoned homes, we trace Mallorie’s intriguing, non-traditional journey and quest for family folklore. Tune in as we tracer trails of online stardust and “the many lives” left behind by her then rising Filipino-American starlet mom. Like a Netflix series and one-hit-wonder that lingers in your heart and imagination, Mallorie’s first-generation immigration story – by way of Atlantic City, Las Vegas, The Johnny Cason show, Dick Clark, and Frank Sinatra – may leave you starstruck, too. MALLORIE FREEMAN was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio by her mother, Mer-Lyn, a pop singer who recorded music with ABC Paramount at just 16 years old. Her mother later became a modeling agency owner, television producer, and makeup artist. Mer-Lyn’s entrepreneurial spirit and DIY nature influenced Mallorie from a young age. Mallorie attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago after graduating High School. She also attended the Cleveland Institute of Art but is mostly self-taught. As a multi-disciplinary artist, she works with non-traditional media, such as chocolate installations in abandoned spaces, and text-based textile works using synthetic hair. Mallorie has participated in a number of regional + national exhibitions. In addition to her art practice, Mallorie is also a professional art handler, specializing in archival conservation, preservation, and installation. She has been employed at a number of galleries and art institutions including, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Progressive Art Collection, and has recently moved to Detroit, MI after accepting a position as Production Associate with Library Street Collective. Exhibition at BRICK for the CAN TRIENNIAL All venues open July 8th - August 31st. Reception August 5th 5-9 pm https://cantriennial.org/event/north-collinwood-reception/ Cleveland Print Room: The Suitcase Project https://www.clevelandprintroom.com/the-suitcase-project SCENE: Cleveland Artist Mallorie Freeman Explores Her Mother's Past For Next Series https://bit.ly/3OGOE0X ABC Paramount: Promise by Mer-Lyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwHnFFFbFWg ABC Paramount: You’re The Only Boy I’ll Ever Love by Mer-Lyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OALsiycaTyI Artful Cleveland: ARTworks Profile https://artfulcleveland.org/2016/05/17/artworks-profile-on-mallorie-freeman/

New on the pod! Humbled and honored to welcome international artist, activist, educator, and documentary filmmaker EMILY HANAKO MOMOHARA. Listen in as we explore 1940’s AAPI feminism, patriotism, resilience, perseverance, leadership, and “gaman (我慢)” – Japanese for “silent endurance” from Zen Buddhist origin meaning "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.” Tune in to a riveting behind-the-scenes glimpse into Momohara’s upcoming film premiere of NAMBA, inspired by the true story of May Namba. From Japanese American grandparent FBI files to incarcerated Japanese American Omikuji cookie makers in the San Francisco Bay area unexpectedly inspiring counter-culture fortune cookie branding and marketing, we share tales of Momohara’s Okinawan family and my Filipino family journey to the States by way of Hawaiian pineapple plantations. (I promise you will never look at a fortune cookie or pineapple the same way again!) A true time capsule tribute, Momohara masterfully transforms multi-generational trauma, revealing how her own family’s incarceration story intertwines with May and May’s granddaughter, Miyako. NAMBA will premiere at Cincinnati’s National Underground Freedom Center Harriet Tubman Theater on July 16th with additional screenings at Seattle’s Wing Luke Asian Art Museum Takeuchi Story Theatre on July 30th, and future Portland and virtual dates forthcoming. NAMBA is a coming-of-age journey in the midst of war and bravery, introducing us to May Namba, a Japanese American woman incarcerated during WWII, a portion of American history not often told. We learn the story of May Namba, narrated by her granddaughter Miyako Namba. Beginning with the summer of 1941, Momohara chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor and President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 that sent Japanese Americans to prison camps, and the impact it had on those Americans. May was incarcerated in Minidoka, Idaho, one of 10 such prison camps. Of Japanese-British-American ancestry, EMILY HANAKO MOMOHARA grew up outside of Seattle, Washington in a mixed-race family. Her work centers around issues of heritage, multiculturalism, immigration, and social justice. Momohara has exhibited internationally including in the Changjiang International Photography & Video Biennale, Chongqing, China; a 2-person exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum titled Sugar Islands; and the Okinawa Prefectural Museum in Naha, Japan. Momohara was featured in a number of public art projects such as the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative billboard campaign and 2021 AAPI Heritage Month program. Her billboards have been featured at the International Center for Photography, NY; Utah Museum of Contemporary Art; and StandBy in Tokyo, Japan.  She serves as Associate Professor of Studio Art at the Academy of Cincinnati. She is currently a board of trustee at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center and member of Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership (OPAWL). Emily Hanako Momohara ehmomohara.com https://www.instagram.com/ehmomohara/?hl=en "NAMBA - A Japanese American’s Incarceration and Life of Resilience" https://namba-movie.com/ Minidoka National Historic Site I National Park Services https://www.nps.gov/miin/index.htm

Get fascinated and tune in with Pakistani-born, Toronto-raised fashion phenom AIMON ALI, the iconic influencer bringing impeccably chic, sophisticated community events to a runway near you. (Oh, and fun facts? Her name means “elegance” and she loves to unwind and de-stress by watching Korean variety shows!) Blending her psychology and business background with her love of all things fashion, AIMON is the creative force behind her megawatt brands Fashion Talks, Fashion Talks Magazine, and Fashion Talks Foundation for the Cleveland Museum of Art and the NBA All-Star Games. Sharing how she is “a lot for a lot of people” and how experiencing culture shock and being “the other” and “the only” in the room helped her pivot and elevate in unexpected ways personally and professionally, Aimon gives us a captivating glimpse into her imaginative mix of drive, design, diversity and inclusion – while creating high fashion and high impact on and off the runway. Now based in Cleveland, Ohio AIMON ALI is a fashion entrepreneur as well as an experienced Fashion Runway Show Producer, Stylist, and Creative Director from Toronto, Canada. With 7+ years of experience in the Canadian Fashion Industry, she has done events in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver. After her move to Cleveland, she started exploring the creative industry in Cleveland in search of the fashion she loved and was used to. She soon realized there was something missing. There were so many amazing creatives with some amazing work but no outlet when it came to elevated fashion. So she made it her goal to bring elevated and diverse events to Cleveland. Events you don’t have to think twice about before attending. Events based on quality, high fashion, and community. The Runway at Cleveland Museum of Art on Juneteenth : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ft-foundation-presents-the-runway-tickets-290115010807 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_fashiontalks/ Webiste for Fashion Talks: https://fashiontalkss.com/ Website for FT Foundation : https://www.fashiontalksfoundation.org/ Aimon: https://www.instagram.com/aimon.ali/

Celebrating PRIDE month and recorded live on Memorial Day, I caught up with my friend Cleveland Heights MAYOR KAHLIL SEREN to talk about his vision and inspiration behind his historic 100-year win, his deep love of family, his admiration for his activist moms, and how his childhood shaped him to be the modern leader he is today. Named after a Lebanese poet and a certain pink water dragon, Serendipity – Seren for short! – by his 4-year-old-brother, we discover how MAYOR SEREN never wanted to run for office or become a politician. We also dive deep into “learning over knowing” and how facing our fears without flinching (and liking a little danger even...) can lead to your next thing in the new now. Kahlil Seren was sworn in as the 1st elected Mayor of Cleveland Heights on January 1, 2022. Born in Cleveland Heights, Kahlil grew up in East Cleveland and Beachwood before moving back to Cleveland Heights where he served on City Council from 2015 to 2021. During his time on Council, Kahlil focused on improving housing policy in Cleveland Heights by introducing legislation requiring banks to pay a bond to maintain foreclosed vacant housing and mandating that landlords pay their property taxes and code violations in order to renew their rental occupancy permits. As Vice Mayor, Kahlil also championed the adoption of grant-funded CitizenServe software, which streamlined the building permit and housing inspection processes of the city. Kahlil Seren previously worked as a Policy Advisor for Cuyahoga County Council, the legislative and budgetary authority for Cuyahoga County. In that capacity, he advised Council on policy design and program management, primarily in the areas of Workforce, Economic, and Community Development.  https://www.clevelandheights.gov/1448/Mayor-Kahlil-Seren https://twitter.com/kahlilseren https://www.instagram.com/kahlilseren/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/MayorSeren [email protected]

Recorded live from chic Zhug with a huge thanks to the always gracious, generous and gastronomically gifted Doug Katz and staff, I had the chance to interview (and photograph!) LISA SANDS of CLE Foodcast, NEO's All Local Food Podcast to celebrate her one-year podcast anniversary. With candid, heart-opening fun facts about her Pittsburgh family roots, baby elephant petting in Thailand, and love of – wait for it – sloths! To her days competing as a child gymnast against Olympian Mary Lou Retton, we explore LISA’s love of food and adventure. But mostly? We discover how she found her “fork and the road,” “creative pandora box” and why she’s never looking back. LISA SANDS is the producer of the CLE Foodcast which will hit a milestone in May – 1 year anniversary and 45 Episodes! It was a project borne out of an unexpected pandemic pivot and led her to the discovery that she was in control of her creative life. She says the mission of the CLE Foodcast is to amplify the stories of people growing, cooking and sharing local food as told through their own voices. She's been following the food scene and writing for almost ten years. Lisa's career in marketing and communications has spanned more than 20 years – she's worked in advertising, media, PR, and everything in between. Now she considers herself a communications strategist and she likes working with clients to develop branding, messaging and media opportunities. https://myforkandtheroad.com/cle-foodcast/ https://myforkandtheroad.com/ https://myforkandtheroad.com/about/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasandspr/ https://www.facebook.com/CLE-Foodcast-102901481499904/ https://www.instagram.com/clefoodcast/

Swooning over priceless bar mitzvah “Mom Prom” photos while questioning how “words up to heaven without meaning never go,” tune in as we dive delightfully deep into “KEN-ness” with the fabulously fun and always funny KEN SCHNECK. Join us as Ken stuns and drops the pod mic on big BIG project news and his thrilling “next thing.” (And shares how he discovered his true superpowers as a kid — you heard it here first, kicking off Season 2 of #NextThingWithJing!) So much fun swapping 6th-grade religion class tales, a.k.a. when Ken was suspended from Hebrew school for “always asking why.” And when I left Catholic school after challenging “Sister-Mary-Margaret-With-A-Mustache” on who was “allowed in” at church. We explore the nuances of the current legislative landscape, how #DontSayGay is a catchy slogan but not the whole story, and how “holding space” as an ally is what’s needed most. Ken Schneck is an “Action-Oriented Rabble-Rouser.” Amplifying voices to create actual change (instead of creating more meetings about creating actual change). And he’s funny, too. As insightful as he is irreverent, Ken employs inspiration as deftly as he wields irony. He is a highly sought-out speaker who regularly presents on the topics of LGBTQ identity, community change, and racial justice. Ken Schneck is the Editor of The Buckeye Flame, Ohio’s LGBTQ+ news and views platform. He is also the author of the books "Seriously, What Am I Doing Here? The Adventures of a Wondering and Wandering Gay Jew" (2017), "LGBTQ Cleveland" (2018), "LGBTQ Columbus" (2019), and "LGBTQ Cincinnati" (2020). In his spare time, he is a professor of education at Baldwin Wallace University, specializing in issues of diversity, ethics, law, and student development theory. All that and a nationally syndicated radio/podcast host, a freelance writer for national publications, a total social justice nerd, and a gent who is just trying to use his voice to make a difference. To learn more: http://www.kenschneck.com https://thebuckeyeflame.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenschneck/ https://tinyurl.com/elevatorpitchplease

From “climbing the ladder” changing marquee letters at the Capitol Theatre to literally stumbling his way into the Literary Cleveland offices, MATT WEINKAM gives us a peek into his fascinating journey becoming LIT CLE’s executive director. (Umm, get your tissue box out…) Matt also shares how “hogging the mood” can be a good thing, and how Literary Cleveland re-imagined and re-invented itself during the pandemic – exploring other voices while discovering its own. Inspired by his 4th-grade teacher Mrs. Robers, Matt shares junior high tales of reading classics like "Gone With The Wind" to earn bonus points and dinosaur erasers, and how getting lost in the woods and in books was a good thing for a Cincy kid like him in search of self-discovery and “shaking things up.” MATT WEINKAM is a writer, editor, instructor and the executive director of Literary Cleveland. His work has been published in Hobart, Split Lip, DIAGRAM, Electric Literature and others. He holds an MA in creative writing from Miami University, an MFA in fiction from Northern Michigan University, and he has taught creative writing in many places including Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai, China. To find out more: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.weinkam https://twitter.com/MattWeinkam https://www.instagram.com/matt.weinkam/ Literary Cleveland: https://www.litcleveland.org/ The Land article link: https://www.thelandcle.org/stories/why-write-how-the-pandemic-reinvented-literary-cleveland Documenting Cleveland: https://www.litcleveland.org/events-programs/documenting-cleveland-may-12-2020 Voices from the Edge: https://voices-from-the-edge.litcleveland.org/ Lakefront Cleveland Poetry Festival: https://www.litcleveland.org/events-programs/lakefront-cleveland-poetry-festival June Fundraiser link: https://www.litcleveland.org/events-programs/2022-fundraiser Amplify Projects: https://www.litcleveland.org/events-programs/amplify-projects Annie Bilancini: https://booth.butler.edu/2013/11/01/little-miss-bird-in-hand/

From dancing in Rio to rocking the runway to SambAmor-ing in fab showgirl feathers, I caught up with my multi-talented phenom friend, the one and only fierce Nola Movement fire-starter NIKE OLABISI-GREEN. Celebrating Part II of Women’s History Month + International Women’s Day, we explore Nike’s love of Brazil; her Nigerian-American immigrant upbringing; and her deep spiritual connection “covered” in community, family love, and servant leadership — seeded by her ancestors. A true queen in every sense, Nike (a.k.a. Olanike Adunola Olabisi-Green) shares the touching tradition and regal meaning behind her beautiful Nigerian name embodying “treasure.” We go deep on what it meant growing up as “the other” as Black and Brown girls in the Midwest re-defining beauty, strength, identity, cultural brands, and belonging – then and now. NIKE OLABISI-GREEN shares her contagious energy for movement and wellness with everyone she meets. As the Creator and Chief Movement Leader at Nola Movement, she and her team believe that when women are well from the inside out, it causes a chain reaction of transformation - in the family, in the community, and in the world. Nola Movement provides movement classes, wellness coaching, workshops, and retreats to move this mission forward. Nike specializes in wellness coaching for high-achieving, busy women entrepreneurs and those in senior leadership. Her intuitive approach provides the space for women to prioritize themselves and create lives they truly love living. Through physical movement, positive mindset practices, and community connection, Niké and her team work to create meaningful change in womens’ lives. In the community, Nike serves as an advocate and mentor for women and marginalized groups. She is a committee member at The Art Therapy Studio and a committee member and presenter for the Black Diamonds Women’s Conference (Cuyahoga Community College). A Northeast Ohio native, Nike graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising and a Masters of Business Administration. She has been leading dance fitness and other movement formats for nearly 15 years. She is a Beyoncé fan, and loves a good coffee in the morning and cocktail in the evening. Nike and her husband currently reside in Lakewood, Ohio. To learn more: Nola Movement: https://www.nolamovements.com/home Ignite Coaching: https://www.nolamovements.com/ignite Ignite Retreats: https://www.nolamovements.com/retreat-2021 Nola Classes: https://www.nolamovements.com/new-page-joinclass Nola SambAmor: https://www.nolamovements.com/sambamor Nola Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nola_movement/ Nike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikeolabisi_green/