NINA WEST (Andrew Levitt) He rose to international prominence on the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Other notable credits include Weird: Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, The Al Yankovic Story (Divine), “Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch” (Alice), and voiceover work for Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” “Baby Shark’s Big Show,” “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race,” the recent “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9,” “Drag Me To Dinner,” Bobby Moynihan’s “Loafy,” Hulu’s “The Bravest Knight”,  and documentaries Lady Like and Kings, Queens, and In Betweens. On stage, he starred as Edna Turnbald in the national tour of Broadway’s Hairspray The Musical.

Nina has hosted events around the world. Of note: 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards, Disney+ Pride Special, events at San Diego Comic-Con, and galas for SAGE and Bring Change to Mind, among others.

His charitable foundation, The Nina West Foundation, has raised over $3 million dollars for charities in central Ohio and around the world.

His first children’s book, The You Kind of Kind was published in 2022 by PA Press.

Nina has performed with Kermit the Frog and The Muppets. It does not get better than that.

Links: 

https://www.ninawest.com/

Steven Sawalich’s latest work, Case for Kindness, is an award-winning documentary exploring the transformative impact of kindness on society and emphasizes its critical role in shaping our future. The film has earned over 75 awards worldwide.

Sawalich is President & CEO of Articulus Entertainment, combines a passion for humanitarian work with a commitment to capturing emotionally compelling and thought-provoking human experiences on film. Under his leadership, Articulus has consistently delivered commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies, television shows, and original programming to audiences worldwide.

His directorial debut was Music Within (2007), which won the Audience Award at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival and was distributed by MGM.

In 2015, he launched Operation Change on the Oprah Winfrey Network, a documentary series featuring global changemakers like the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, and Elton John. His 2019 film Where the Light Shines followed two Afghan skiers striving for the Olympics and offered a rare hopeful look at Afghanistan.

Sawalich has worked with numerous organizations, including Starkey Hearing Foundation, Eastern Congo Initiative, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program, Sentebale, X-Prize, THORN, Virgin Unite, Special Olympics, and Clinton Global Initiative.

Links:

https://caseforkindness.com/

https://www.starkey.com/

https://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/

https://www.citizensofsound.com/

*Interview recorded in February 2025.

Rewiring America is looking to electrify the country!  Whether it’s replacing your gas stove top, changing out your heat pump, adding a solar roof, or getting solar panels, going electric can save you money and save the planet.  

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, business owner and political leader whose innovative approach has continued to break barriers and support transformational progress. She served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, tackling policy issues and building a more equitable future. Abrams founded Sage Works Productions, Inc., a media company dedicated to leveraging the power of storytelling to craft creative solutions.

Link:

https://www.rewiringamerica.org/

https://www.staceyabrams.com/

Habitat for Humanity has been helping to put roofs over people’s heads for decades and in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in January of 2025, CEO of Habitat for Humanity San Gabriel Valley has promised to build 200 homes for those fire survivors.  Caitlin and John Stamos recently volunteered at a build day and want to get more people involved in the many upcoming build days on the road to recovery for the Altadena area.

Bryan Wong has been leading a team of 50+ individuals in the mission of building homes, community and hope in the San Gabriel Valley since April 2021. Prior to his role as SGV Habitat CEO, the Cal Poly Pomona graduate founded his own affordable housing nonprofit, The American Homeownership Foundation, served 10 years on the board of directors for Los Angeles Nation Bank, and on the Monrovia Board of Education for about 17 years – highlighting his greatest passions, education and homeownership.

Link:

https://sgvhabitat.org/

Ed Diab is a leading wildfire litigation attorney who has recovered over $1.65 billion on behalf of wildfire victims against power companies. He has secured numerous landmark settlements, including $415 million in the 2017 North Bay Fires, $582 million in the 2018

Camp Fire, and $210 million in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. In 2020, he received the prestigious Daily Journal - California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award for recovering $360 million for 20 public entities affected by the 2017 Thomas Fire, Montecito Mudslides, and 2018 Woolsey Fire. Recently named to the Daily Journal’s Top Plaintiffs Lawyers list for 2024, Diab has represented numerous counties and municipalities, including Los Angeles County, Sonoma County, and the Town of Paradise. He has also been court-appointed to serve in multiple leadership positions in wildfire litigations.

Ed Diab’s Trusted Resources:

Mental Health & Counseling Services: Adrienne O’Neal, MS, MFT,

www.redrockcounseling.com;

Medical: Dr. Brandt Maloney, MD (646) 416-1233; Offering free telehealth consultations for wildfire victims/evacuees

Public Insurance Claim Adjuster: Iron Claim, Michael Fusco, [email protected];

(404) 456.3333; (404) 875-5866 www.ironclaim.com;

https://meetironclaim.com/california (Free resource guide for insurance)

Realtor: Michael Ragazzo, (818) 200-3040, [email protected]

Wildfire Lawsuit (Eaton Fire) – property damage, business losses, injuries/wrongfuldeath:

Ed Diab, Esq.; https://www.dcfirm.com; https://www.fireattorneys.com; [email protected]; (626) 248-8660

Construction/Rebuild Consultant: OHS Construction, Sam Oh (818) 913-0638; [email protected]

Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith: Renee Callantine, Esq.,

https://www.cornerlaw.com/attorneys/renee-c-callantine

Tax Lawyer: Robert Wood, Esq.; (415) 834-0113; https://www.woodllp.com

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Additional General Resources:

Visit https://www.ca.gov to replace important documents, such as driver’s licenses, state tax records, birth certificates, and more.

Los Angeles County Parks is offering free youth and teen camps for those impacted by the Eaton Fire. Visit www.parks.lacounty.gov to register https://RESPONSE.CA.GOV provides Californians with information and resources for current incidents, transportation impacts, vital health services information, shelter and housing locations, unemployment assistance, and other state information.

Information about filing an unemployment claim with the California Employment Development Department. Call 800-300-5616 if you have questions.

Help for military veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

Apply for food assistance from the state.

Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance through the state.

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For other resources, see LawHelpCA.org listings on disaster assistance and recovery. Your recovery may start with establishing who you are or where you lived. The State Bar provides a list of agencies and next steps to get a duplicate California driver’s license or identity card, birth certificate, marriage license, or other documents. Get help with a lost document or find duplicate documents.

Christopher Carlin
Founder
MGMT Partners
Project Management / owners representative
Help manage the projects and streamline the process from permitting to completion of build.
http://mgmtpartners.com

In 2010, Christyn Taylor’s life took a drastic turn when her then seven-year-old daughter, Rebecca, was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. She immediately immersed into the world of pancreatitis as her daughter subsequently endured over 1,400 hospitalized days and 150 surgical procedures that also involved the removal of seven organs, including a Total Pancreatectomy and an Auto-Islet cell transplant. Through this process, Christyn realized the immense lack of knowledge and specialized care in the world of pediatric pancreatitis, which eventually led to the creation of Rebecca’s Wish.

In this episode, we deep dive with Christyn on how she and her family take whatever life hands them and uses it all to make life better for others.

LINKS:

www.civicsoul.org/events 

www.Howcanihelppod.com 

www.Citizenofsound.com 

Gretchen Sisson is the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood and a sociologist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She studies adoption and abortion in the United States.

Books Gretchen recommends:

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity and Transracial Adoption by Angela Tucker

Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Susan Devan Harness

What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption by Melissa Guida-Richards

We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxana Asgarian

Surviving the White Gaze by Rebecca Carroll

LINKS:

www.civicsoul.org/events 

https://www.gretchensisson.com/

https://caringacross.org/

www.Howcanihelppod.com 

www.Citizenofsound.com 

Heather Alexander and Lydia Callins lead St. John’s Committed to Black Wellness & Health Program which aims to provide support to Black Women and their families.  The goal of the program is to improve the health and quality of life of Expectant/ New Mothers and Babies within a culturally competent and affirming environment that empowers Black Women to:

• Build Resilience
• Reduce Stress
• Promote healthy behaviors that support relationships and overall wellness. While making connections in a social or 1:1 setting
• Develop and Set long-term life goals and plans
• Education for nurturing and building bonds with their babies
• Learn more about giving birth and what to expect before and after

LINKS:

www.civicsoul.org/events 

https://www.sjch.org/committed-to-black-wellness-and-health/ 

https://cancercartel.org 

www.Howcanihelppod.com 

www.Citizenofsound.com 

Ciera Payton’s father spent time in prison while she was growing up, and her arts teachers were instrumental in shaping the incredible person she is today.  With Michael’s Daughter Foundation she provides free and low-cost enrichment programs to youth and families in underserved communities. These programs include, creative writing workshops, creating original plays, monologues and short films along with documentaries, and music. Her vision is to create a world where arts and scholarship funds are easily accessible to youth and families dealing with the challenges of having a loved one in the prison system. Oftentimes this impacts underserved and inner-city communities. The arts provide the power of creating something special and original, which results in a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

Links:

https://michaelsdaughter.org/

https://civicsoul.org

http://www.projectbubaloo.org

https://Howcanihelppod.com

https://Citizenofsound.com

Our guest, Gianna Mulkay is Executive Director of Foster Love, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care.  Through collaborations with individuals, companies, and community partners, they provide essential resources and educational opportunities for foster youth.

fosterlove.com

https://civicsoul.org

https://cancercartel.org

https://Howcanihelppod.com

https://Citizenofsound.com