FEATURED INTERVIEWS
Each month the editors will choose one interview to feature.
These interviews are with women of distinction, those who have made an incredible difference in their local or global communities.
Click on photo for interview.
These interviews are with women of distinction, those who have made an incredible difference in their local or global communities.
Click on photo for interview.
2026
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Nichelle Laus (March 2026 Featured Interview) is a former police officer, entrepreneur, author, and personal safety educator dedicated to empowering individuals — especially women — to feel safer, stronger, and more prepared in everyday life. After a 15-year career in policing, Nichelle transitioned into education and entrepreneurship, combining her frontline experience with a passion for prevention, fitness, and practical safety strategies. She is the co-owner of 416 Tactical, a Canadian safety-focused business, and the author of The Safety Blueprint. Nichelle is also a professor in the Police Foundations program, a strength and conditioning coach, and a frequent keynote speaker and media contributor on personal safety, situational awareness, and crime prevention.
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Celebrating 10 Years of Empowering and Inspiring Women: It was extremely difficult, but we've chosen a few features to revisit. These are representative of all the women who have appeared in Sanctuary -- amazing artists, nonprofit founders, and business leaders who have been an inspiration to others through their life's work. ~ Sanctuary Editors
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Featured Interviews: 2025
Photo Courtesy: Karly Godoy
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Karly Godoy (September 2025 Featured Interview) was born in Los Angeles, California, to a South African mother and a Mexican father. Her mother, an educator with a deep passion for supporting children with special needs, played a central role in shaping Karly’s life path. When Karly was three, her family relocated to Mexico, where her mother opened a yoga center. Later, they moved to a serene mountain town about an hour and a half from Mexico City. In 2003, her mother founded Tashirat, a home for children who had little to no chance of being adopted — many with physical or developmental disabilities. Karly joined the project in 2005 and gradually took on more responsibilities. A few years later, she became the director of Tashirat, where she continues to live and work today.
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Photo Courtesy: Sharon Strauss
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Sharon Strauss (July 2025 Featured Interview) worked for 20+ years in consultative B2B sales and leadership, but decided to make a bold pivot and never looked back. Today, she gets to do what she loves most: building meaningful connections, creating community, and helping professionals grow their businesses through the power of networking. As CEO of ProVisors, a membership-based community built on trust and referrals, she has found the perfect place to mix her passion for relationship-building with her background in sales enablement and operations. She values collaboration, connection, and a little bit of fun along the way.
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Photo Courtesy: Deborah Koenigsberger
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Deborah Koenigsberger (May 2025 Featured Interview) is the founder and CEO of Hearts of Gold, a New York City nonprofit organization that provides the support, tools, education and training necessary to overcome the key elements that define poverty. Inspired by a personal encounter with a homeless family and driven by her belief in what’s possible, Deborah created an organization that empowers women to break the cycle of poverty through education, job training, and support. A graduate of New York University, her life’s work is centered on reimagining futures and making lasting change, one family at a time. Hearts of Gold has enabled over 40,000 mothers and children “reimagine their futures together.”
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Photo Courtesy: Ann Cutbill Lenane
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Ann Cutbill Lenane (March 2025 Featured Interview) is rated as Elliman’s #1 Manhattan Broker for both gross commission income and transactions. She was also voted REBNY’s Broker of The Year (2018) and has transacted billions of dollars of sales in her 41-year career. In 2019, she founded Wise and Wonderful Women to help inspire and inform women over 45 through its Facebook page and free, monthly dinners. She is regularly quoted in notable publications, such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and she has been featured on national and international television programs, such as Good Morning America and The Today Show. Along with her daughters, she is involved in helping several charitable organizations, including the literacy summer camp they founded in the Bahamas over ten years ago.
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Photo Credit: Susie Lang
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Grace Gonzalez (January 2025 Featured Interview) is an inspiration for women everywhere. She was born with scoliosis, and the condition defined and constrained her for most of her life. Her aunt first noticed the curve in her spine when Grace entered puberty. Her parents immediately took her to see an orthopedist, and she subsequently endured three surgeries. Grace hopes to "inspire other women who may be feeling insecure and are afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone to begin their journey toward loving and embracing themselves." Researchers continue to study possible causes for idiopathic scoliosis and surmise that a combination of several factors may lead to the disorder. These include: genes, hormones, and changes in cell structure.
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