Sandi Klein's Conversations with Creative Women

Ann Jacobs has worked in the criminal justice field on both the local and national level for more than 40 years. Since 2011, she has been the Director of the Prison Re-entry Institute at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. At PRI, Ann oversees numerous projects, including the Prison to College Pipeline. During her career, Ann has designed and implemented innovative programs for men, women and families involved in the criminal justice system. Meet this committed, passionate woman on a mission.

Katie Hannigan is a Brooklyn-based comic by way of Indiana. She's been performing stand up since 2009: her bent is theatrical with a wholesome midwestern darkness. Go figure. Katie's been featured on The Oxygen Network, Laughs on Fox, and Good Day New York. Listen in as she shares her backstory with us.

Get to know British performance maker Kathryn Hamilton, the founder and director of the New York-based company Sister Sylvester. Kathryn uses theater as a platform to address social issues. Her latest production, They Are Gone, But Here I Must Remain, examines the relationship between art and rebellion. Kathryn spends half the year in New York and the other half in Turkey, where she is a member of Kose, an art space in Istanbul. Listen in - it's a good bet you haven't met anyone like her!

Elizabeth Van Meter's acting career includes live theater, independent films, comedy and video game voice overs - but it's her work as a documentary filmmaker and founder of The Purpose Project that drives her today. Its goal:  to find individuals here and abroad, who against all odds, are making positive changes in their corners of the world.  In Elizabeth's documentary Thaos' Library, we meet a young Vietnamese woman, who despite physical deformities caused by agent orange, wants nothing more than to bring books to the children of her village. Elizabeth says she didn't choose Thaos' story - it chose her and she had to tell it for her own sanity.  

Little did Leanne Brown know that a project for her Masters Degree in Food Studies at NYU would change her life and the lives of thousands of others. Stunned by the number of Americans on food stamps, Leanne asked herself, how well can someone really eat on $4 a day - the amount provided by the government? She answered that question by developing recipes made of whole, unprocessed foods that promote the joy of cooking and show just how delicious and inspiring an inexpensive meal can be when made at home. The result? Her book - Good and Cheap - Eat Well on $4/Day. Meet Leanne, named one of Forbes 2015 30 Under30 - Food & Drink.

Meet Elizabeth Paradiso, owner and main ingredient of Sweet Elizabeth's Cakes and Bakeshop, a fixture in Philadelphia's Manayunk neighborhood since 2011. Elizabeth's been baking since childhood. Her specialty back then? Pie rugs! Her creative juices haven't stopped flowing, so join us for a delicious and mouth-watering conversation.

Caren Merrick - risk-taker, business-woman, philanthropist. She and her husband co-founded a business-to-business software company in their basement, took it public on the Nasdaq and eventually sold it for $540 million dollars. Caren's also the Founder and CEO of Your Pocket Mentor a mobile app and digital publishing company. She's a founding investor of Venture Philanthropy Partners, AND sits on numerous company boards. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Emma Willmann is one funny lady. The comedian, who grew up in rural Blue Hill, Maine (population 2,000) riffs about life in a very small town, dealing with dyslexia and coming out - which happened as soon as she got to college in Boston. And it was while in Boston that she made a name for herself on that city's comedy circuit. Then it was on to New York, where Emma's appeared at Caroline's and headlined her own sold out show in the New York Comedy Festival at Stand Up New York. She was also featured on the cover of TimeOutNY as one of the top ten funniest females in NYC. Spend the next 30 minutes getting to know and enjoy Emma Willmann.

If you want more Friday Jones, you're in luck! Listen in to Part 2 of my conversation with this creative, engaging, out there, impressive woman who's not afraid to tell it like it is.

It's estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. has at least one tattoo. One of the body artists responsible for that statistic is Friday Jones. She has a studio on Manhattan's 5th Avenue and in Porto, Montenegro. Tune in to Part 1 of this no-holds barred conversation with a classically trained artist who shares what it's like to make it in a mostly man's world.

With high level jobs in government and business, Roseanna DeMaria has put a dent in organized crime, held top executive positions, and impacted the leadership skills and decision making of countless executives. Roseanna's 20+ years of business and management experience led her to form The DeMaria Group, through which she delivers high performance transformation to leaders and organizations. In addition to her consulting work, Roseanna's the Chief Learning Officer and Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University's Leadership and Human Capital Management Program. Needless to say...she's got plenty to say.

Yoga has played an integral role in Charlotte Stone's life for decades. She was first introduced to the practice in 1973 while a student at the University of Zurich - and then some 20+ years later, opened The Stone Center for Yoga & Health in Teaneck, New Jersey. Spend the next 30 minutes listening to this soft-spoken, passionate, woman share her adaptive yoga style and path of self discovery with warmth, compassion and humor. You'll feel your body relax and your stresses melt away.

Houston native and New York-based artist Mary John Frank's creativity has taken her in several different directions. The choreographer and director has worked in film, on stage, music videos, fashion, multi-media and installation art. Her latest project - Debutaunt, is an inter-active dance-based show that explores the age old tradition of being presented to society. In her adapation, the audience is invited to attend a debutante ball and gets to know 5 VERY different debs. In a time when 'coming out' has taken on an entirely new meaning, the concept of a young woman being formally introduced to society is jarring. Oh, by the way, Mary John is a former deb herself.

Meet Seret Scott, actress, director, playwright, cultural historian. She won the prestigious Drama Desk Award for her Broadway debut in My Sister, My Sister. Seret's also appeared in several movies and film and television shows. Her work as a Director is a rich, varied and rewarding one and includes Off-Broadway and regional theater - from the Old Globe in San Diego, to Yale Rep to New York's Roundabout Theater. She recently directed The Whipping Boy, the powerful play about the Civil War that featured an all-male cast. Join us as we shine the spotlight on the decades long career of the multi-talented Seret Scott.

Jessica Oliveira's goal is to educate and empower women who don't have the resources we take for granted. And to that end, the OB-GYN Physician Assistant with a Masters in Medical Education, is involved with Saving Mothers. The aim of this non-profit is to eradicate preventable maternal deaths and birth related complications in the developing world. In 2013 Jessica became the Guatemala Program Coordinator and then last year launched The Saving Mothers School of POWHER - Providing Outreach in Women's Health and Educational Resources. Tune in to meet this committed and compassionate go-getter.