Sandi Klein's Conversations with Creative Women

Past guest Jennifer Baumgardner's back and for good reason. The feminist activist, journalist, author and former publisher of The Feminist Press has launched a new venture. She's the founder of Dottir Press, an independent publishing house. Dottir is Icelandic for daughter and speaks to its mission of passing down and building upon feminist intellectual and creative legacies to fill the void in our history and present culture through storytelling in all forms and for all ages. Join us for yet another important and powerful conversation.

Shannelle Armstrong Fowler is the owner and founder of Haute & Co. Bridal Boutique, Chicago's only luxury plus size bridal shop that caters to women sizes 14-32. By the way, the average woman in the U.S. happens to be a size 16. Shannelle is also the star of the PeopleTV series, "The Perfect Fit." It follows a dozen curvy women as they search for their 'perfect' wedding dress. We cover a lot of ground with this fashion entrepreneur and body positive advocate.

Growing up, Gizel Jimenez had no idea she would wind up a successful and celebrated actress.  Painfully shy, she couldn't imagine performing in front of a live audience, much less making it a career.  But that all changed after Gizel got her BFA at the University of Florida's New World School of the Arts.  She never looked back - and has worked ever since. Her credits include: Olivia, the teenager estranged from her mother, an undocumented immigrant in the acclaimed Off-Broadway show, 'Miss You Like Hell.'  Gizel played the Mistress in 'Evita' and Rosalia in a National tour of 'West Side Story.'  Regional Theater includes roles in 'Oklahoma,' 'In The Heights.'  She's also appeared on HBO's 'Divorce,' 'Law & Order SVU,' and 'The Tale of Two Jimmy Chins.'   This is an open, honest, emotional conversation with one helluva creative woman.

Meet visionary and fashion activist, Sugandh Agrawal who shares with us her "American" dream story. Born in India, she moved to the U.S. to attend college and work in the industrial design field. And... it is here that she founded Gunas, an ethically-sourced, 100% vegan line of luxury handbags, backpacks, wallets, totes, satchels. That means no silk, no fur, no wool, no down feathers, no leather. Gunas products are made from a variety of fabrics and in sweatshop-free environments. What began as a NYC-based label in 2010, Gunas has gone global. You don't want to miss this inspiration conversation.

There are yoga instructors - and then there's Halle Becker, founder of New York City's Home Girl Yoga.  Halle, who "teaches from the parts of her life that have need healing and spiritual examination," shares her very personal story of overcoming addiction, starting her own production company and adopting a daughter from Russia.  This is one honest, raw and 'out there conversation!'

Darci Picoult is a force to be reckoned with. She's an actress, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, producer, teacher. Her credits are long and varied and include her powerful and very personal one-woman show, "My Virginia," which was presented in theaters and solo festivals around the country and broadcast on National Public Radio. Darci also wrote the screenplay for "Where is Kyra," starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Keifter Sutherland. It premiered at Sundance in 2017 and tells the story of a middle-aged woman who loses her job and struggles to survive on the income of her ailing mother. Join us for a very personal, open and honest conversation with this accomplished woman.

It is an honor to introduce Lek Chailert, an award-winning conservationist, who has spent the last 20+ years working tirelessly to improve the condition and promote the welfare of elephants in her native Thailand and throughout Asia. In 2005 she was named "Hero of Asia" by Time Magazine and in 2010, was honored by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as one of six Women Heroes of Global Conservation. Not only has her work been documented by National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, CNN and the BBC, she is also the focus of the moving documentary, "Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story." This is a fascinating conversation with an absolutely remarkable woman!

You're about to meet yet another accomplished, creative female powerhouse. Deborah Grace Winer is an: author, dramatist, historian and producer. And...she's also a leading expert on the American Songbook and Musical Theater. Her shows have celebrated such icons as Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. As you'll hear, Deborah's career is a rich and varied one.

Rachel Israel is an artist on several levels. She studied painting at Rhode Island School of Design and went on her to get Masters in Fine Arts at Columbia University. Rachel also happens to be a filmmaker, having directed numerous shorts that have been shown at various Festivals, including Sundance. One of them, "Keep the Change," premiered at the Columbia Film Festival in 2013 and went on to win the top award of Focus Feature Best Film. The feature-length version took home Best US Narrative Feature honors at Tribeca in 2017. The romantic comedy tells the story of two autistic adults who strike up an unlikely and transformative relationship.

Julie Maloney is a woman of many talents. A former dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Julie Maloney Dance Company, she is also an acclaimed poet. Her book, "Private Landscape" is an intimate look into the heart of a woman negotiating life after a cancer diagnosis. Julie's debut novel, "A Matter of Chance," tells the story of an 8 year old girl's disappearance from a town on the Jersey Shore and her mom's relentless search to find her. Julie is also the founder/director of Women Reading Aloud, a non-profit that promotes female writers. Needless to say, we cover a lot of ground in this conversation.

You're about to meet and get to know a Hollywood trailblazer. Susan Silver is one of the first female sit-com writers, whose career began in 1971 at "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Her mentor was none other than the great Garry Marshall. Susan went on to write for "The Bob Newhart Show," "Maude," "The Partridge Family" and "Square Pegs." She was also the Casting Director for "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." Oh, there's more. Susan dishes about the highs and lows of both her comedy career and her love life in her memoir, "Hot Pants in Hollywood: Sex, Secrets and Sitcoms." This is one helluva conversation with one helluva creative woman!

Michelle Walshe finds herself in a unique category - one of the very few female filmmakers to direct a sports documentary. And what a documentary it is. "Chasing Great," follows 34 year old Richie McCaw, considered by many to be THE best rugby player ever, through his final season as captain of the All Blacks. "Chasing Great" happens to be the highest grossing documentary in New Zealand history and one of the top 100 highest grossing documentaries of all time. Michelle and her husband also happen to be the co-founders of the production company, Augusto. They're expanding their reach to include the U.S. - opening an office in New York City. In a word, Michelle is a dynamo!

When in a restaurant, how much attention do you pay to the outfits worn by the wait staff? Probably, not much. That's so not the case for Deirdra Jones. Along with her husband, they founded Jones of Boerum Hill, a high-end uniform and apron company to: "fill a void in the market for a workwear company to take a more fashion forward approach to uniforms and aprons." And have they ever! Their line can be found in top bars, restaurants and hotels all over the world. Meet and get to know yet another creative woman.

It's both an honor and pleasure to introduce Melissa Salguero: teacher, musician, role model, mentor and...2018 Grammy Music Educator Award winner! She joined the faculty of P.S. 48 Joseph R. Drake elementary school in New York's South Bronx neighborhood in 2010. In the years since, Melissa has built its music program from the ground up, raising more than $160,000, including the $50,000 she received on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Melissa combines science and musical concepts by transforming her classroom into a Mad Scientist lab. You're about to listen to one uplifting, inspiring, feel good conversation.

You're about to meet and get to know award-winning stage, film, television actress and playwright, Sharon Washington. Her eclectic career spans more than 25 years and with it a long list of credits.   She recently made her debut as a playwright with her highly acclaimed one woman-show, "Feeding The Dragon." It's set in the St. Agnes branch of the New York City Public Library. Why? Because that's where Sharon lived with her mother and father, the library custodian. Sharon takes us on her creative career path in this fascinating, honest, engaging conversation.