“It’s my soul purpose in life to bring people closer to what they want to become, by helping them realize who they are now, and recognize what they are truly capable of.” - Anmol Sehgal

Many of you have probably heard of the book series about the ‘boy who lived.’ But, have you heard the true story of the 'girl who died'? Maybe I am being too vague. How about the 16-year-old that started her career because of a train, won an Olympic gold medal, died, and then won another Olympic gold medal eight years later? This is the tale of the most remarkable comeback story that you have never heard.

“I believe that when a person stands for something, rather than against it, the effect and energy is infinitely more powerful.”

Bliss.

So close yet      so far.

In the other room lies

The closest person to it.

The giver, the taker,

The arbiter of

Bliss.

She is

Bold,

Beautiful,

Born to RISE.

She is Mother.

Before this, she was just a mother.

Now, She walks for miles and miles

And m  i  l   e   s

To find home again.

Her Son is scared,

Her Daughter is flying, and

Her Husband is fighting.

There is no Bliss here.

The Two of them have anything but.

The shadows of Kyiv lie beneath them,

But Mother only looks up,

Dreaming of being with Her mother again,

Back when She was only a daughter.

Julia Varvara, a photographer, actress, producer and director is the CEO of Hollyfield Productions. Based in London, she and her partner, Adam Morse, work with established and emerging artists to create original and thought-provoking cinematic content for a global audience. In alignment with their mission to make commercial movies with visionary filmmakers while promoting inclusion on screen and behind camera, they unveil ‘Suppression’. What follows is a conversation not only about her film, but about herself.   

I'm here with Russ Pritchard, founder of the Afghan Medical Corps and the Afghan Supply Corps, who lives here in the United States. Joining us, we have Abdullah who is hiding in Herat, Afghanistan. While there are 6,600 miles between them, they have stayed connected with constant communication that began in September of last year after the Taliban took control upon the departure of U.S. and NATO forces. Almost every day, Russ and Abdullah speak about survival. Abdullah was previously involved in a U.S. Department of State project. He and his relatives are in constant danger now, as a promise of evacuation in exchange for information was not kept. Today, Russ and Abdullah join me to share the story behind the story. It's a story that's unknown until now. Our hope is that it is heard and never forgotten.

Offering developing worlds sustainable and secure solutions while educating and empowering the people, The 4North Project seeks needs and finds ways to fill them. Dedicating not only his career but his life to the service of others, the story of Matt Gewirtz, founder of The 4North Project, is one of ‘living for giving’.  

Air Force Major ‘Annie’ (as we’ll refer to her), who was born in Afghanistan, came to the U.S. as a teenager to get an education. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 and attained the rank of Master Sergeant. On September 11, 2001, Major Annie was the only Airman in the Air Force to understand Pashto (the same language spoken by the insurgent group known as the Taliban) and was immediately deployed as an Aircrew Linguist. After two deployments, she was assigned to the National Security Agency for four years. In recognition for her work in a global war on terror, a bronze statue of has been erected in the Veterans Park on Okaloosa Island. While retired, she still works to serve (and save) others.  

Her throne of success is built from hard work and determination. A queen holding court in an empire of her own design, Santia Deck (aka ‘Queen of Abs’) defied odds as a girl when advised she shouldn’t play sports and overcame obstacles as a young woman when told she shouldn’t play football. She attained a royal status forged in strength and fortitude making history not only as the world’s highest paid female football player but also as the first female athlete to own her own shoe company, Tronus. Hail Queen Santia, empowering women to go on even when told to turn back. Hoping women will see their own strength in hers, Santia uses her platform to inspire possibility and support gender equality.  

Reframing the view and rewriting the definition of disability on and off stage, Keely Cat-Wells, Founder & CEO of C Talent, is redefining disability as it’s been previously seen and heard in entertainment. She’s built a platform for those with disabilities to take center stage and claim the spotlight they more than deserve.