Mister Welfare

This week, Mister Welfare chats with April Hunt and Paola Zanzo, the duo behind Spark Plug PR: an art-world marketing, event-planning, network-fostering, brand-building team. They discuss their company's goals, how they got to where they are, and discover some surprising connections with co-host Sherry B. Bronfman. Stay tuned after the episode for a brand new segment of art-themed Gandy Trivia! http://sparkplug-pr.com/ https://misterwelfare.com/gandy-trivia

This week on Mister Welfare, we are joined by Maureen Connor and Eugenia Manwelyan, both artists, and the minds behind How To Perform An Abortion, a workshop and source of information on Herbal (non-medical) abortions. They discuss the philosophies and history of the project, as well as their goals for its growth. After listening, find out more at www.howtoperformanabortion.com/.

On this week's episode, Mister Welfare and Ronald take a trip to NYC's SPiN, a Ping-Pong social club that serves up drinks and eats, in addition to sporting fun. They meet up with SPiN's co-founder Franck Raharinosy, and chat about his journey from childhood to becoming a world-famous entrepreneur.

This week, Mister Welfare welcomes Mashonda Tifrere to the show. Starting her career as a singer, Mashonda has since completed her education at the prestigious Christie's, and has started her own platform, ArtLeadHer. Through ArtLeadHer, her goals include celebrating and bringing awareness to the women creating, curating and thriving in the male-dominated art world. In this conversation, Mashonda touches on her humble beginnings and grapples with her newfound title of 'curator.' ArtLeadHer's next exhibition, "Her Time Is Now," opens on International Women's Day, March 8th, at Donna Karen's Urban Zen Center in NYC (705 Greenwich St).

This week, Mister Welfare presents a lost-and-found gem from Season 2! It was recorded one sunny afternoon in Pasadena, CA, where Mister Welfare was enjoying a walk with artist/counselor Adia Millett. They discuss her art, her counseling, and how the two practices compliment and contribute to each other. www.adiamillett.com www.creativecounselingwithadia.com

On this week’s Mister Welfare, co-host Ronald Sosinski takes us to the Noho Star restaurant to chat with manager Julia Lisowski. Noho Star and its sister spot, Temple Bar, recently closed their doors on December 31st, ending their tenure as New York mainstays since the late 1980’s. Julia and Ronald talk about these spots, as well as others owned by restaurateur George Schwarz (who passed away in December 2016); how they are an integral part of their lives and history in New York. With Noho Star and Temple Bar’s closings, you can find Julia over at Keens Chop House, and find more food at Elephant & Castle (NYC and Dublin).

Happy New Year! In our final episode of 2017, Mister Welfare sits down with Ron Ben-Israel, one of America’s most prominent cake bakers. Along with co-hosts Sherry and Ronald, Mister Welfare digests the many facets of Ben-Israel’s baking practice, and how it has been informed by his previous experiences in art school, and his life as a dancer. When he’s not baking, you can find him teaching at the International Culinary Center in New York City, on reruns of the Food Network’s Sweet Genius and Cake Wars, and on his recently launched blog, As the Cake Turns (www.asthecaketurns.com).

This week, Mister Welfare returns with a very special guest, writer David Barclay Moore. His critically acclaimed debut novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, is soon to be adapted to film. Of course they discuss the book, but the conversation delves deeper - into Moore's childhood, identity as a gay black man, and how those ideas influence his writing. All this and more awaits you in a very special episode of Mister Welfare.

Mister Welfare returns with another in-depth co-host interview; this week we have Sherry B. Bronfman. Together, along with Ronald Sosinski, Sherry and Mister Welfare discuss her remarkable career as a dancer, her childhood, and growth as a spiritual being.

This week, Mister Welfare has an in-depth chat with our very own co-host, Ronald Sosinski. The two sat down at 208 Bowery, the site of a pop-up exhibition put together by Sosinski, the director of Proposition International Projects. The pop-up,"95-98," features the work of Mexican-American artist Ricardo Chavarria, and will be open until November 26. Ronald and Mister Welfare discuss the current pop-up, and delve into Ronald's long and illustrious career in the art world and New York City.

This week, Mister Welfare speaks with comedian Nate Jackson.Nate talks about the hard work and relentlessness in the comedy business that got him where he is today - about hosting his own comedy shows to becoming a cast member on MTV's Wild'n Out.

This week, Mister Welfare spends a morning with Kim Porché, a Los Angeles-based Lifestyle Designer and Doula. Kim talks to Mister Welfare about being the designer for Tickleberry Place, the start-up from last episode’s guests the McElroys, and explains what exactly a Doula is. Find more about her by listening to this episode and visiting KimPorche.com.

Lauren and Meghan McElroy are twin sisters and the co-founders of Tickleberry Place, a start-up which seeks to provide a safe and eco-friendly indoor play-space that will transform their South Los Angeles community. They swing by Mister Welfare to discuss their budding business, and the process of starting it. You can donate to Tickleberry Place at https://www.ifundwomen.com/projects/tickleberryplace

Mister Welfare travels to the top of Topanga Canyon to visit and talk with Tiffany Persons at her hideaway called "The Nest." Persons is the Founder & Executive Director of the highly respected non-profit organization Shine On Sierra Leone. Based in Los Angeles, Tiffany is also the founder of the high-profile commercial casting firm, Tiffany Company Casting, where she oversees the casting of national commercial campaigns for clients such as Nike, Apple, and Google.

Mister Welfare brings you Season 2, all the way from Los Angeles! Our first episode takes us inside One Of A Kind Hats, a milliner boutique owned by Meeka Robinson Davis, who has been a professional milliner (hat maker) for over 25 years. Meeka and Mister Welfare have a conversation about her career and the social role of dress hats. You can find One Of A Kind Hats at 4432 W. Slauson Ave in Los Angeles.