FEATURED INTERVIEWS
Each month the editors will choose one interview to feature.
This featured interview will be linked from our Home Page and mentioned throughout social media.
Click on photo for interview.
This featured interview will be linked from our Home Page and mentioned throughout social media.
Click on photo for interview.
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Elizabeth Spencer (May 2021 Featured Interview) is the current president of the Salmagundi Club, a not-for-profit organization and one of the oldest art clubs in the U.S. She is also a practicing full-time artist who works mostly in watercolor and oil. Elizabeth teaches painting classes at Salmagundi and at her studio in Union Square. She has been a member of Salmagundi since 2004, serving on the board and in many other leadership roles for several years before being elected president in 2019. Elizabeth has been painting and exhibiting for over 20 years. She is a Life Member of the Art Students League and has studied with Max Ginsburg, Daniel Greene, Richard Pionk, Nelson Shanks, Mary Beth McKenzie, Peter Cox, Frank Arcuri, and other notable artists.
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Photo Credit: Warner Prokos Photography
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Michelle Rubin (April 2021 Featured Interview) successfully works with young adults on the autism spectrum through her nonprofit Autism After 21. As the founder and president, she developed the SOAR program – Summer Opportunity for Adult Readiness. She collaborates with the State of Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to serve customers needing transition services to join the workplace and learn independence. Michelle is growing this program based on college campuses around the State of Florida while retaining the very elements that have made the program so successful. Autism After 21 is now adding On-the-Job Training programs as part of its services. She sees this as the next step for students in transition.
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Cameron Myler, Esq., OLY (March 2021 Featured Interview) is a four-time Olympian in the sport of luge, a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and an intellectual property and sports lawyer. She served on the Anti-Doping Division of CAS at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Cameron is an Athlete Ambassador and Vice President of Kids Play International, a nonprofit that uses sport to promote gender equity in countries impacted by genocide, an Olympic Ambassador for Athlete Ally, which advocates for inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in sports, and a Champion for the Sports Integrity Global Alliance. She also supports Champions for America’s Future, a nonprofit organization that promotes policy solutions for at-risk kids to compete in life.
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Yekaterina (“Katie”) Chudnovsky (January 2021 Featured Interview) is an attorney, entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, and president of the GI Research Foundation Board of Directors. She is passionate about and deeply involved in philanthropy. For the past seven years, she has served as a GI Research Foundation Board Member and, in 2019, Katie was named the first female President of the Board. She is also a strategic advisor of an innovative telehealth technology company, a Trustee of a private healthcare organization, and Board Member and investor of Vertiport, Chicago’s Helicopter Airport. Katie is a mother of four and enjoys spending time with her family and teaching them the importance of giving back and helping others.
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Featured Interviews: 2020
Photo Courtesy: Grace in Healing Hands
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Dr. Grace Smart, DDS, (December 2020 Featured Interview) was a pediatric dentist in private practice for 26 years. In 2015, she sold her dental practice and began full-time ministry with a Christian nonprofit organization, operating nutrition centers, orphanages, foster homes, schools for the poor and needy as well as medical and dental clinics in forty different countries throughout the world. In the fall of 2016, Grace formed her own nonprofit organization, Grace in Healing Hands. She began leading teams of volunteers through her dental healthcare ministry on international mission trips to administer to people's physical and spiritual needs. Grace realized there was also a great need in her local community, so she began to raise support to establish The Grace Center Texas, a Garland-based dental facility that offers both dental and vision care to those lacking the resources to seek care elsewhere.
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Photo Courtesy: Stop Foodborne Illness
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Mitzi Baum (November 2020 Featured Interview) is the CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness. Prior to beginning her tenure at Stop Foodborne Illness, Mitzi cultivated a 23-year career at Feeding America, initially as a network services representative and then rising to the senior level position of managing director of food safety. Mitzi holds a Master of Science in Food Safety and a certificate in Food Law from Michigan State University. She has earned certificates in Non-Profit Management from the University of Chicago, Quality Management from DePaul University and Food Safety Management from Cornell University. She is a certified seafood HACCP instructor and is a certified PCQI. Mitzi is a member of the International Association of Food Protection, the Conference for Food Protection and the Association of Food and Drug Officials.
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Photo Courtesy: My Choices Foundation
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Elca Grobler (October 2020 Featured Interview) is the founder of My Choices Foundation, a Hyderabad, India-based NGO dedicated to ending violence, abuse, and exploitation against women and girls in India. Since its founding in 2012, the My Choices Foundation has grown to become a national leader in addressing domestic violence and sex trafficking in India. Under Elca’s leadership, the foundation has helped to peacefully resolve over 8,828 cases of domestic violence and has equipped over 2.3 million individuals, those living in high-risk areas across eight states, to stay safe from sex trafficking. Through its anti-trafficking initiative, My Choices Foundation has established the first national helpline exclusively for trafficking and is leading the coalition effort to prevent sex trafficking.
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Photo Credit: Captured Moments
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Michelle Moore (September 2020 Featured Interview) is the founder of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit organization that addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events. She is also a senior vice president for Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp). Michelle is the recipient of several awards including the highly coveted Hon-Kachina Award and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Philanthropy in Action Award. She was granted a State of Arizona Commendation by First Lady Angela Ducey for her extraordinary service to the people of Arizona. Michelle’s book, A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time, which chronicles the compelling stories of ten women who transformed adversity into a positive impact on their communities, was released in August 2020.
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Renee Gorman (August 2020 Featured Interview) is the founder of She Believes in Me, a nonprofit on a mission to empower girls by providing life skills and hope to those who come from diverse backgrounds, difficult socioeconomic conditions and/or traumatic experiences. Through enrichment activities and mentoring, the organization strives to teach girls that they are valued, cared for and can accomplish anything they set their minds to, allowing them to become confident and strong members of the community. Renne is a true believer in establishing a support system for young girls in order to help them become confident and strong community members.
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Cami Hawkins (July 2020 Featured Interview) has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry and is the CEO of Marathon Kids, a nonprofit organization that's on a mission to motivate kids to lead a healthier lifestyle. In the past, she has held a variety of other roles, including CEO of a multi-disciplinary group practice, business owner and managing consultant with GE Healthcare Camden Group. A proven leader, Cami has significant expertise in process improvement, strategic planning and activation, and management. Cami has volunteered in her community throughout the years, including her enthusiastic stint as a volunteer coach for Marathon Kids.
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Photo Credit: Julien McRoberts
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Aysha Saeed (May 2020 Featured Interview) is the CEO and creative director of the luxury fashion brand AYSHA NY. For ten years, Aysha worked for various financial service institutions in New York City, but her first love has always been fashion. Prior to launching her brand, Aysha created a design and production consulting business. She worked with various European luxury fashion houses, including Dior in Paris, under John Galliano, and Dolce & Gabbana in Milan. Aysha is also dedicated to helping women in her community. She supports the nonprofit Her Justice and connects women in business by hosting networking and educational events. "Every hour matters when you're trying to make an impact," she says.
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Photo Courtesy: Autism Speaks
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Angela Timashenka Geiger (April 2020 Featured Interview) is president and CEO in of Autism Speaks. In her first year, she revised and relaunched the organization’s mission to explicitly include people with autism both across the spectrum and throughout the life span. While huge progress has been made in increasing awareness of autism, the new mission goes a step further, striving to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism. Beyond creating a strategic vision for the future, Angela also led efforts to improve the financial position of Autism Speaks, producing positive net assets for three consecutive years. Before joining Autism Speaks, Angela was the chief strategy officer for the Alzheimer’s Association and held leadership roles at the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association of Western Pennsylvania and other organizations.
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Photo Courtesy: Autism Speaks
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Valerie Paradiz, Ph.D., (April 2020 Featured Interview) is the Vice President of Services and Supports at Autism Speaks. A person with autism and the parent of an adult son on the spectrum of autism, Valerie is the author of numerous books and articles relating to advocacy, education and services, including Elijah’s Cup (Simon and Schuster), the Integrated Self-Advocacy ISA Series (Center for Integrated Self-Advocacy) and Lesson Plan a la Carte (AAPC).
In previous roles, Valerie has served as co-founder and director of the ASPIE School for middle and high school students with autism, Director of Education of New York University’s Asperger Institute, Director of the Autistic Global Initiative (a division of the Autism Research Institute), and Director of the National Leadership Institute of First Place Arizona. She is the 2015 recipient of the Autism Society of America’s Adam Heavener Memorial Award. |
Photo Credit: Dan Demetriad
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Nikki Feirt Atkins, M.D., (March 2020 Featured Interview) is a former dancer, pathologist, and founder and producing artistic director of American Dance Machine of the 21st Century (ADM21). Nikki studied ballet as a scholarship student at New Jersey Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, where she performed briefly with the Joffrey Ballet. After a brief career as a professional dancer, Nikki went on to obtain her medical degree and became a practicing pathologist and researcher at Columbia University Medical Center. While working as a part-time pathologist in private practice, Nikki became involved in several dance projects, including The Jack Cole Project. In February 2012, Nikki founded ADM21, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to creating a living and vibrant archive of classic and current notable musical theater choreography.
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Photo Credit: Grapevine Photo
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Hattie Hill (February 2020 Featured Interview) is a renowned speaker, author of multiple books and a global thought leader. She has spent more than three decades developing successful global diversity and gender equity strategies that drive culture change and create inclusive environments for corporations, nonprofit organizations and foundations across 70 countries, including IBM, Southwest Airlines and McDonald’s. Currently, Hattie serves as the president and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, a fund with a goal of raising $100 million to work toward improving disadvantaged communities and providing economic growth globally through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
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Stacia Wagner (January 2020 Featured Interview) is President of the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF). She wants to guarantee no family goes through this journey alone. As a leader in the childhood cancer/brain tumor community for over 20 years, Stacia began her work with CBTF 13 years ago as Director of Survivor Programs. She supervised the creation of career programs for survivors, the first father/survivor program in the country, and many on-going face-to-face and online support groups. She has published and presented in multiple areas related to survivorship issues.
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