All in a Day's Work

November 1st marks the beginning of Native American Heritage Month. It’s a time to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American and Indigenous communities. The NYU community has many incredible Native American and Indigenous members, and in this episode, we highlight one of those members – Justice Shawn Baker. In this episode, producer Ahmed Ashour speaks with Justice Baker about her journey finding the law through trial and error, her time on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, and her advice for current and prospective members of the NYU community, especially those of Native American and Indigenous descent.

Justice Shawna Baker is a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice recognized internationally for her empowering representation of women and minorities. She is the first 2SLGBTQ+ person and only the third woman ever confirmed to the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. Justice Baker’s first written opinion was In re: Nash - a groundbreaking decision that granted full rights of citizenship to Cherokee Freedman descendants. In addition to her service on the Supreme Court, Justice Baker serves on Chief Hoskin’s Domestic Violence Task Force and Cherokee Nation Health Services’ Ending the HIV Epidemic Committee. Other roles include being a distinguished alumna in residence at the University of Tulsa College of Law, managing attorney of Family Legacy and Wealth Counsel, and a trustee of Oklahomans for Equality in Tulsa. She is an alum of NYU Law School, having earned her L.L.M in Taxation in 2015.  In addition to being Cherokee Nation citizen, Shawna is also of Muscogee Creek descent and resides on the Creek Reservation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]. 

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Vedika More interviews Zuleika Cuevas, CEO and founder of Global Woman Leadership and NYU Adjunct Instructor of Intercultural Business Communication at NYU School of Professional Studies. Vedika speaks with Professor Cuevas about her journey, the qualities of a good mentor, and how to best support working professionals.

Zuleika Cuevas is a dynamic leader in career strategy, intercultural communication, and women's leadership development. She is the founder of Global Woman Leadership, a platform dedicated to empowering ambitious women to build confidence, master high-stakes communication, and adopt a CEO mindset for their careers. In addition to her work with Global Woman Leadership, Zuleika serves as an Adjunct Instructor of Intercultural Business Communication at NYU School of Professional Studies. Zuleika holds two master's degrees, one in Communication Studies and another in Business Management, and has a rich background in financial services and banking. Her research interests focus on the intersection of culture, communication, and business, emphasizing how cultural differences impact negotiation, leadership, and collaboration in global settings. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Women’s Leadership and a Harvard Business Review Advisor, Zuleika is passionate about helping others own their careers and step into the leadership roles they deserve.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]. 

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Emily Ding interviews realtor Daisy Cui, founder of Honest NY Realty. What does it really take to succeed in the real estate industry? Emily and Daisy tackle that question by speaking about Daisy’s career trajectory, her tips for networking and brand establishment, and how every job can be a learning opportunity.

Daisy Cui is a real estate agent and founder of Honest NY Realty. In just one year, she went from a corporate marketing executive to a top-producing real estate agent in Manhattan, closing over $50 million in sales in 2024 alone. Balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and homeownership (with three mortgages), she’s now the top buyer’s agent for 520 Fifth Avenue, the best-selling project in 2024, and manages over 70 rental properties for investors. She has also built a personal brand through social media, amassing over a million views on WeChat Video in just a few months.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]. 

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Melissa Simplicio interviews Ar Ducao, NYU Tandon professor, artist, engineer, educator, organizer, and all-around multi-hyphenate. Together, they discuss Ar’s work in the intersection of arts and tech, their advice for career pivots, and how failing fast can help you find your passion and purpose. 

Ar Ducao (they/he) is  a creative technologist, startup founder, and NYU Tandon professor who is redefining the intersection of technology, storytelling, and social justice. Ar is the founder of DuKode Studio, where their product Multimer/Mindreader merges brainwave technology, spatial design, and fiction animation to reimagine the role of technology in marginalized communities. Their work, backed by NASA, the University of Chicago, and leading startup accelerators, has evolved from early experiments with wearable tech to shaping narratives that blend science fiction with social impact.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Somya Panchal interviews Manisha Singh, Project Manager at Goldman Sachs. Together, Somya and Manisha reflect on life’s transitions, both those that are planned and those that are unexpected. They talk about switching careers, making difficult personal choices, and handling unforeseen challenges, as well as busting some myths about professional life and the NYC work landscape.

Manisha Singh is a Project Manager at Goldman Sachs and a former Vice President of the Project Management Student Network (PMSN) at NYU. With a background spanning healthcare, academia, and project management, Manisha has made pivotal career shifts, embracing uncertainty and adapting to evolving industries. She is currently pursuing an MS in Project Management in IT at NYU. She is deeply passionate about leadership, change management, and guiding others through life’s unpredictable moments.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]. 

Check out this re-air of Episode 49 featuring Callie Hitchcock, a freelance writer and journalist.

In this episode, Sarah Rosenthal sits down with Callie to discuss discuss the ups and downs of a freelance career, how she went about building her network, and the ways in which working in podcasting has made her a better journalist.

Callie Hitchcock is a writer and graduate of the NYU journalism Master’s degree for Cultural Reporting and Criticism. She has published writing in The Believer, The New Republic, Los Angeles Review of Books, Slate, Real Life Magazine, and elsewhere.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Check out this re-air of Episode 2 from Season 3 featuring Ashley Thaxton-Stevenson, co-director of YouthWorks at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange and an Adjunct Faculty Member with NYU’s program in Educational Theatre.

In this episode, NYU student Saya Jenks speaks with Ashley Thaxton-Stevenson, Ashley works as a director, dramaturg, performer, and theater educator. Join us as Ashley shares her nonlinear yet incredibly fitting journey to becoming a theater educator. She opens up about her creative new perspectives and insights on work, life, and career after stepping into the roles of both an educator and a mother.

Ashley Thaxton-Stevenson (she/her/hers) is a director, dramaturg, performer, and theater educator originally from the foothills of Southern California, with British, Black, and Korean ancestors. Ashley specializes in new play development, theater for young audiences, and contemporary applications of Shakespeare. Ashley is the co-director of YouthWorks at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, an Adjunct Faculty Member with NYU’s program in Educational Theatre, for which she received a Spring 2021 USG Departmental Award, Faculty Member and Community Engagement Coordinator with Fiasco Theater, and a Core Ensemble Member of the Verbatim Performance Lab.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Check out this re-air of our 48th episode from Season 1 featuring Robert Lee, founder of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine.

In this episode, Emily Anderson chats with Robert Lee, founder of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine. Together, they discuss why he began his fight against food waste and hunger, how he juggled starting a new company with a full-time job at JP Morgan, and what steps he took to leverage his business degree into a career that was meaningful to him.

With a Bachelor's degree in Finance & Accounting from New York University, Robert left a career in finance at various Wall Street firms to fight food waste and hunger. In 2013, Robert created a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting food waste and hunger called Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Inc (henceforth "RLC"). In 2015, RLC was incubated by the Robin Hood Foundation's Blue Ridge Labs program which grew the proprietary technology and business model. Since then, RLC has expanded nationally to 9 cities across the nation, rescuing over 9 million pounds of excess food that would have otherwise gone to waste, feeding 8 million meals for the hungry, and preventing nearly 1,700 tons in carbon emissions.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Aditi Jha interviews Sahil Saluja, software developer at Amazon AWS Wickr, an end-to-end encryption messaging app, and a recent master’s degree graduate of NYU Tandon’s Computer Science program. In his free time, Sahil enjoyed creating videos about NYU to give back to the community, recognizing that important information about NYU can be difficult for prospective students to access, especially international students. Aditi speaks with Sahil about his journey to NYU, how he managed a demanding course load with the internship and job search, and his top tips for networking.

Finally, All in a Day’s Work goes to Washington Square Park to ask graduating students: what advice do you have for incoming students and new members of the NYU community? 

Congratulations to the NYU Class of 2025! We'll be re-airing some of our favorite episodes over the summer before returning with all-new episodes in September.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected]. 

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Stella Adler interviews Steve Zagor, adjunct faculty member at the Nutrition and Food Studies Program at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Together, they discuss Steve’s career in the restaurant, hotel, and food consulting industries, tips for establishing a successful restaurant, and how the New York City food scene has changed over the years. They also answer one of the hardest questions ever: what’s the best slice of pizza in New York City?

Steve Zagor’s multifaceted career has included owning a multi-concept restaurant/retail/club group, directing a $10 million NYC restaurant, serving as a regional consulting leader in food business advisory for a worldwide financial firm, and sitting on boards of businesses and non-profits. He is quoted and appears frequently in major media. Currently, Steve is a faculty member at both NYU and the Columbia Business School, where he developed courses in food/restaurants and the business side of nutrition. He has a food business consulting company and performs satirical ventriloquism on The Food Freneticks.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].