Always Looking Up

In this week’s episode I sat down with Mark Povinelli. Mark is an activist as well as an actor on stage and screen. He is currently portraying Benjamin Lay, shepherd, sailor, revolutionary, the British Empire's first revolutionary abolitionist, and someone whose story for too long has not been told, in the Off-Broadway production of The Return of Benjamin Lay. We discuss who Benjamin Lay was, how this show came to be, the importance of telling this story at this time, much more.

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Get your tickets to see The Return Of Benjamin Lay (Use the discount code"LPA"): Here

Follow The Return Of Benjamin Lay Play: Instagram: @benlayplay

Follow Mark: Instagram: @markpovinelli IMDb: Mark Povinelli

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Rachel Wherley, Erin Elswood, and Shelby Holloway, the co-directors of the Mascots Matter campaign. Mascots Matter is an independent grassroots advocacy initiative calling for the retirement of offensive disability mascots. We discuss the origins of the “m” slur and its continued, harmful use through to present day, the founding of Mascots Matter and its advocacy efforts thus far, why discriminatory disability mascots are not just a local issue and much more.

For reference, this conversation was recorded on March 18, 2025. Also, the “m”-slur will be used in context when explaining it as a slur as well as referring to these mascots. It is important to note that neither myself nor my guests condone the use of this word nor is it a part of our vocabularies.

Follow And Support Mascots Matter:

Website: https://mascotsmatter.net Donate Here

Instagram: @mascotsmatter Facebook: Mascots Matter

Follow Rachel: Instagram: @thatlittlemom TikTok: @thatlittlemom

Follow Erin: Instagram: @erinkaseyhughes

Follow Shelby: Instagram: @shelbyhollowayy TikTok: @shelby_holloway

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Felicia Gans Sobey. Felicia is a deputy editor of content strategy at The Philadelphia Inquirer. She is also a retired theater kid, an avid watcher of 90s/early 2000s TV, a Kindle obsessive, a dark chocolate lover, and a longtime friend of yours truly. As we are two Pisces girls turning 30, celebrating a friendship that has lasted half our lives thus far, I invited Felicia to ask and answer more audience questions about turning a decade older and much, much more.

TW: Mentions Of Pregnancy Loss

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Felicia: 

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Melanie Waldman. Melanie is a multi-award-winning filmmaker with the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, a member of SAG-AFTRA, an on-air talent member at QVC, host of the Disability Reality Podcast (which, yours truly, will be making an appearance on very soon talking all things on Bravo), and she STILL somehow finds time to teach adaptive yoga to the disability community & beyond! We discuss disability as a collective and the healing power of connection within, turning adversity into joy, the opportunities that arise from authenticity and much, much more.

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Melanie: Instagram: @whereswaldman TikTok: @whereswaldman

Listen to Disability Reality Podcast:

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Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

For context, this episode was recorded on February 19, 2025.

In this week’s episode I sat down with Eliza Orlins. Eliza Orlins is a career public defender who has represented close to 4000 people charged with crimes in Manhattan over the last 13+ years. She’s an outspoken advocate and can be found raging against injustice on her social media platforms. We discuss the misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the criminal legal system, the ways in which the system and how it is designed impacts those in marginalized communities including persons with disabilities, how she is pushing for change within the system as an advocate and as an activist, and much, much more.

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Eliza: Instagram: @eorlins TikTok: @eorlins Substack: Objection: Everything

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode it is just me and the microphone as I sit down to answer your questions about my ongoing surgery recovery journey, healing in a world that was not necessarily designed for me, ending the chapter that was my twenties and preparing to enter the chapter that will be my thirties.

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

Read With Me:

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Allison Lang. Allison is a content creator, speaker, model, and a medal-winning Paralympian, having just competed in the 2024 Paralympics on Team Canada’s seated volleyball team. Her advocacy focuses on self love and body acceptance with the hope of helping others who may be on a similar journey. We discuss connecting with authentic stories, what can happen when you feel seen and heard by a brand, being inspired by our accomplishments, not our existence, and much, much more.

Learn more about and support the Mascots Matter Campaign using the link here: https://bit.ly/4h6XN16

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Allison: Instagram: @allisonelang TikTok: @allisonelang YouTube: Allison E. Lang Website: https://www.allisonelang.com

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Chuck Aoki. Chuck is an American wheelchair rugby, aka “murder ball” player, a 4-time Paralympic medalist and one of the most recognized and decorated athletes in the sport both on the court and off. He is also one of the co-founders of Culxtured, a media collective that is changing the ways in which the world views para sport. We discuss the evolution of wheelchair rugby and how he found the sport, the timelines it takes to become a Paralympian compared to an Olympian, how the Paralympics have evolved in regards to media coverage, brand development and partnerships and much, much more.

Learn more about and support the Mascots Matter Campaign using the link here: https://bit.ly/4h6XN16

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Chuck: Instagram: @chuckaoki TikTok: @chuckaoki

Follow Culxtured: Instagram: @culxtured TikTok: @culxtured_ Website: https://culxtured.com  

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this episode I sat down with Violet aka hi its vi. Violet is a disability advocate, filmmaker, and content creator with almost 100 thousand followers on TikTok. Violet’s advocacy focuses on the representation of people with dwarfism in the media. For context, we recorded this episode on February 3rd following remarks made by the President and the media about people with dwarfism. This is a conversation unpacking how society perceives, acts toward, and talks about people with dwarfism as well as the relationship between disability organizations and politics. Trigger warning for harmful rhetoric.

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf  

Follow Violet: TikTok: @hi.itsvi Instagram: @hello.itsvi

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

Read With Me:

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Adam Ayers. Adam is the current president of the Dwarf Athletic Association of America, also known as DAAA. DAAA is a non-profit organization that provides athletic opportunities for people of short stature. The organization consists of a core Board of Directors who are supported by volunteers and philanthropic contributors. We discuss how DAAA has evolved since its founding in 1985, what happens behind the scenes to make the games accessible and successful, the magic of DAAA and much, much more.

Learn more about and support the Mascots Matter Campaign using the link here: https://bit.ly/4h6XN16

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow DAAA: Instagram: @daaanationalgames Website: http://www.daaa.org Email: [email protected]

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

Read With Me:

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The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin