December 26er Podcast

Slice Magazine's Fiction Editor and Writing Programs Manager at the Center for Fiction, Randy Winston discusses working as a groundskeeper after withdrawing from junior college, hosting poetry slams in a chicken coop turned event space, pivoting to a degree in English after returning to college to study architecture, and building an academic and professional career as a writer and editor.

Stabilization Advisor for the U.S. Department of State, Otis Holloway discusses making the transition from his working class Georgia community to Trinity College in Connecticut, seizing opportunities in both South Africa and Mozambique while completing his education, and forging a career in civil service after graduate school.

Brand & Design Strategy Consultant, Isata Yansaneh discusses being raised by a single father in Portland, Oregon, broadening her views on race while attending Spelman College, working as a marketing professional in the publishing industry, and overcoming the scarcity mindset as an entrepreneur.

Visual artist, clothing designer, and DEI leader, Zan Truluck discusses being raised in Baltimore by a single mother, overcoming homelessness to attend Morehouse College, making the switch from Finance to HR, and promoting equity and inclusion both inside and outside of his day job.

TV critic, editor and entertainment journalist, Mekeisha Madden Toby discusses coping with a toxic work environment as a recent college grad, finding her niche after an editor sees her comedy act, overcoming challenges during red carpet coverage, and sustaining her career in the face of an ever-evolving media landscape.

TV critic, editor and entertainment journalist, Mekeisha Madden Toby discusses discovering her love for books and words as a small child, finding her tribe at a newspaper internship, and launching her journalistic career while also working as a standup comic in Seattle.

Hip-Hop artist, songwriter and music entrepreneur, Jamar Nolan discusses forgoing college to pursue music full-time, monetizing his music through sync licensing, and fostering education and economic growth within the independent artist community.

Host Delisha and Producer Damarcus offer their thoughts on the complex legacy of two Black public figures, and discuss their efforts to facilitate radical honesty via the December 26er platform.

President of Tech Valley Hospitality Shuttle and CEO of GB Logistics, Trent Griffin-Braaf discusses being raised in upstate New York after his father's passing, climbing the ranks in the hospitality industry after serving a prison sentence, launching and sustaining a shuttle business despite unforeseen obstacles, and expanding his enterprise by becoming an Amazon Delivery Service Partner.

Founder of Serene Health Center and Vice President of Legal and Compliance at an investment management firm, Tarik McDermott discusses working as a math tutor and security guard after graduating from college, turning a contract position into an investment banking career, and launching a medical facility during the pandemic to meet the needs of an underserved community.