Get Connected

Epic Players Theatre presents “A Christmas Carol”, December 10-15 at Theatre Row, Theatre 5, 410 W. 42nd Street in Midtown. Travis Burbee is the Associate Artistic Director of EPIC Players, a theater company created to highlight neurodivergent and autistic artists. For more, visit epicplayersnyc.org.

The Urban Assembly is a 30-year old organization working to close the opportunity gap for New York City public school students in underserved communities. Led by CEO David Adams, The Urban Assembly, has opened over 20 career-themed public schools and developed several successful education programs such as the Resilient Scholars Program. For more, visit urbanassembly.org.

What happens when success becomes too stressful and overwhelming? Without even being aware of it, some people may take an unhealthy path. For others, wellness may be the answer. The latter was the case for Nikki Walton, host of the popular GoOD Mornings podcast and founder of the haircare/beauty site Curly Nikki. In the midsty of the holidays, a conversation about gratefulness, mindfulness and quick tips to handle the stresses of life. Nikki Walton’s book is WAKE UP TO LOVE: MEDITATIONS TO START YOUR DAY.

The Children's Village, one of the great family support non-profits in our city, recognizes that housing alone isn't enough for those experiencing housing insecurity. A standout feature of the The Eliza, newly opened affordable housing Inwood, is an on-site teaching kitchen, in partnership with Emma’s Torch, a non-profit social enterprise that empowers refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking through culinary education. Our guests are Dr. Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO of The Children’s Village, and Kerry Brodie founder and executive director of Emma's Torch. For more, visit childrensvillage.org and emmastorch.org.

Everyone loves a great animal story—our guest has so many of them, she’s written a book:  Dr. Dawn Filos shares the highs and lows of vet care in TALES OF A PET VET: Stories From The Clinic And House Calls. Dr. Dawn Filos has been a practicing veterinarian for over 30 years, with a house call practice called Bucks Mercer Mobile Vet, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more, visit drdawnthepetvet.com.

There are close to 1,700 public schools in NYC today, yet only four of those are public all-girls schools. One of them, soon to open, will wear it’s identity as a feminist college preparatory school on it’s sleeve. Our guest is Christina Yi-Perry, founder and executive director of Kwenda Collegiate Girls School, a tuition-free public charter school for girls and gender-expansive youth, opening in 2025.  For more, visit kwendaschools.org.

Given the complexities of raising kids in our hyper-connected world, now more than ever, parents play a crucial role in their teens' lives. Our guest is family counselor Susan Caso, a mother of three, who also draws on her 20 years of clinical experience for her new book, THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships. Caso offers a roadmap for parents looking to cultivate what she calls "connectedness" within their families that safeguards teens in today's world. Susan Caso holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Development from the University of Kansas. For more, visit susancaso.com.

November is Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. To bring attention, show solidarity and raise critical funds, Covenant House is hosting Sleep Out—a transformative overnight experience—in 19 cities, including three events in our area—on Thursday, November 21. Our guest is Colleen Veldt, Vice President of P2P Fundraising at Covenant House International. Covenant House New York is proud to be New York City’s largest provider serving youth experiencing homelessness. For more, visit Covenanthouse.org.

For Veteran’s Day, our guest is respected military historian Stephen L. Moore, who takes us into the heart of the Vietnam War's covert Special Ops jungle warfare in BEYOND THE CALL OF THE DUTY, telling the story of the life and achievements of Robert Howard, the most decorated Special Forces soldier of all time.  Stephen L. Moore, a sixth-generation Texan, graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He is the author of two dozen books on World War II, Vietnam, and Texas history, including Patton’s Payback and Blood and Fury.

For Veterans Day, our guest is journalist and activist Bob Woodruff. Since founding the Bob Woodruff Foundation in 2006 after he was injured by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq, the foundation that bears his name raised over $160 million to support veterans and their families.  The 18th Annual Stand Up for Heroes is Veterans’ Day evening at Lincoln Center. For more, visit BobWoodruffFoundation.org.

15 million American adults have social anxiety—roughly 7% of the entire population. More than two-thirds of those adults showed their first symptoms during their childhood years. And yet, it often takes up to ten years to seek help. In her memoir, OUT OF MY SHELL, therapist Natasha Daniels brings her own social anxiety into the open, on her journey to find healing through self-acceptance. Natasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist who has published six other books including How to Parent your Anxious Toddler, It’s Brave to Be Kind, and Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids.

A 2024 Goldman Sachs survey found that 77% of small businesses were concerned about their ability to access capital. In addition, in 2023, a majority of small business owners had to tap into their personal funds or use cash reserves to maintain operations. The Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) is trying to alleviate some of those concerns for small business owners by offering low-interest loans, tailor made for small and mid-sized businesses operating in, or moving to, The Bronx. Our guests are Rob Walsh, President of The Bronx Economic Development Corporation, and Britney Moss, Founder of Cupcake Me!, a client of BXEDC. For more, visit BXEDC.org and cupcakemenyc.com.

As we near election day and early voting continues, we discuss the six ballot proposals for New York City voters with Eric Friedman, of NYC Votes, an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the independent city agency that ensures local elections are fair, inclusive, and open. For more, including detailed info about each proposal, visit nycvotes.org.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're joined by Dr. Patrick Borgen, Chair, Surgery and Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Maimonides Medical Center. After working at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. Borgen came to Maimonides to work with patients from under-resourced communities. Maimonides Health is Brooklyn’s largest healthcare system, serving over 320,000 patients each year through the system’s three hospitals, with 7,000+ employees, 1,800+ physicians, and more than 80 community-based practices and outpatient centers.  Patients with advanced breast cancer treated at Maimonides lived longer than the national average. For more, visit maimo.org.

At a time when it feels like you can visit anywhere in the world with a mouse click, the new book ATLAS OBSCURA: WILD LIFE finds a way to reinvigorate a sense of wonder about the natural world.  With hundreds of entries -- gorgeous images, first person interviews, and engaging details, ATLAS OBSCURA: WILD LIFE covers every continent—from the deepest fathoms of the ocean, and into the heart of our densest cities. Our guest is CARA GIAIMO, co-Author of Atlas Obscura, with JOSHUA FOER. A former staff writer at Atlas Obscura, Cara now covers our fellow species for the New York Times, The Plant, The Drift, and elsewhere. For more, visit atlasobscura.com.

John Capobianco is President of the Long Island Chrysanthemum Society, host of the 69th Annual Long Island Chrysanthemum Show Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3 in Farmingdale, Long Island. John has a wealth of knowledge about mums and bonsai, as he’s also active with the Bonsai Society of Greater New York, and taught the art of bonsai at the New York Botanical Gardens for 20 years. For more, visit http://www.limums.org and bsgny.com.

Every fall, Hungerthon is annual radio tradition, organized by Why Hunger to educate listeners across the U.S. and raise critical funds to end hunger in America. WhyHunger’s Amplified concert kicks off  Hungerthon 2024 on Tuesday, October 15 at Irving Plaza. Our guest Jenique Jones, Executive Director of Why Hunger, talks about addressing the root causes of hunger and how to support the ongoing work for food justice. For more, visit WhyHunger.org.

November 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis. And while the current hostage situation in the Middle East also continues, a new book about one of history's most harrowing hostage situations and rescue attempts could not be more timely. Our guest is Ben Macintyre, author of THE SIEGE, an unprecedented account of The Six-Day Hostage Crisis In London, in 1980, and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World.

Like other cities, New York City has a growing crisis of homelessness, and a systemic challenge of using housing vouchers to secure housing. Our guest is Laura Lazarus, co-founder of Anthos | Home, which works to make every step of the voucher process easier for both future tenants participating landlords. For more, visit anthoshome.org.

In his new book, SOMETHING IN THE WOODS LOVES YOU, Jarod K. Anderson explores the inherent ways nature can help fight mental illness. Jarod K. Anderson is a writer, poet, and creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast - a scripted show about real adoration for fictional wildlife. He has built a large audience of social media followers and podcast listeners with his vibrant appreciations of nature. For more, visit jarodkanderson.com.