Leading With Empathy & Allyship

In Episode 102, Esther A. Armah, CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, joins Melinda in a discussion about how Emotional Justice serves as a roadmap for racial healing. This roadmap focuses on the important emotional work all individuals can do to end systemic inequity and help transform our workplaces. They touch on the systems and racial biases we need to unlearn based on the four pillars of the language of Whiteness. They explore how we can replace them with the love languages of Emotional Justice to relearn inclusive thoughts and behaviors. They also discuss how leaders and DEI practitioners can frame Emotional Justice to navigate personal politics across teams and drive structural change in a corporate setting.


About Esther A. Armah (she/her)

Esther A. Armah is an international award-winning journalist, playwright, radio host, and writer. She is currently CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, (The AIEJ), a global institute implementing the "Emotional Justice” framework she created. The AIEJ devises, develops, designs, and delivers projects, training, and thought leadership. The Emotional Justice framework has taken Armah as a speaker to a range of prestigious venues, including Netflix Inclusion Institute, Stanford, NYU, and Kenya’s African Women in Media Conference. She is based in Accra, Ghana, but the majority of her and The AIEJ’s work is in the U.S. She is the author of Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Esther A. Armah On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherarmah/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emotionaljustice
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theaiej1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emotionaljustice/

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Esther A. Armah, a global Black chick with aqua blue eye makeup and long bronze twists; beside her is the purple book cover of EMOTIONAL JUSTICE: A Roadmap for Racial Healing; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

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In Episode 101, Rhonda V. Magee, Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, joins Melinda in a conversation about the practice of mindfulness as a way to build sustainability into allyship and empathy. They look into ways we can deepen our mindfulness to support ourselves through healing intergenerational trauma. They explore how to be better allies by learning to stay open to making mistakes and being corrected when our actions cause harm to others. They also talk about how leaders and managers can help teams develop mindfulness practices to make everyone feel more included.


About Rhonda V. Magee (she/her)

A sought-after mindfulness teacher and a thought and practice innovator of mindfulness-based social justice principles, concepts, and practices, Rhonda V. Magee, M.A., J.D., is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco.

Magee has spent more than twenty years integrating mindfulness into higher education, leadership, and everyday social engagement. Her work explores the intersections of anti-racist education, social justice, and contemplative practices, offering trauma-sensitive practices to support healing, resilience, personal wellbeing, and flourishing together. Grounded in the science of mindfulness, wellbeing and resilience, she integrates storytelling, movement, journaling and other research-based experiential practices for strengthening our inner resources for navigating a world of constant change.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Rhonda V. Magee On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondavmagee/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.magee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rvmagee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvmagee/

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Rhonda V. Magee, a petite Black woman with short, curled black hair, plaid gray blazer, white button-down shirt, and pendant necklace; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

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In Episode 100 (recorded live), Melinda is joined by an incredible panel of disability advocates and experts to discuss how individuals and employee resource groups (ERGs) can drive important conversations and actions that create true disability inclusion in the workplace. Catarina Rivera and John Marble share how managers can build inclusive team environments by embracing accessible design for all and being proactive in providing accommodations at work. They also discuss the importance of supporting self-advocacy, normalizing disability, addressing intersectionality, and centering people with disabilities when working towards belonging.

About Catarina Rivera (she/her/ella)

Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a disability public speaker, DEI consultant, and content creator with over 14 years of experience in the public sector. Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy. Catarina has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old.

About John Marble (he/him)

John Marble is the founder of Pivot Neurodiversity and is a writer and speaker on innovation, autism, and neurodiversity. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama to the United States Office of Personnel Management. There, his work focused on workforce development, innovation, and incorporating Silicon Valley's best practices into government. He has also served as an advisor and aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator John Kerry, and Vice President Al Gore. John lives in San Francisco. He is autistic.


For more, visit https://ally.cc.


Connect W/ Catarina

LI: linkedin.com/in/catarinarivera/
FB: facebook.com/blindishlatina
TW: twitter.com/catarinarivera
IG: instagram.com/blindishlatina/

Connect W/ John

LI: linkedin.com/in/johnmarblejr/
TW: twitter.com/JHMarble
IG: instagram.com/pivotdiversity/

Connect W/ Us

YT: youtube.com/@empovia
TW: twitter.com/empoviaco
FB: facebook.com/empovia
IG: instagram.com/empovia/
LI: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production

Creator/Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.


[ID: LEA promo and photos of Catarina, light-skinned Latine woman with brown hair, hoop earrings, a black and beige top, and a beige jacket; John, a White man with blond hair and a brown beard, a black t-shirt, and a navy z

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In Episode 99, Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, joins Melinda to discuss how leaders can build psychological safety and trust on their teams. They explore the benefits of a psychologically safe workplace, signs that may indicate if a workplace is safe, and how psychological safety enables innovation and positive team performance. They also discuss effective strategies for establishing and maintaining trust on diverse teams and in hybrid workplaces.


About Amy Edmondson (she/her)

Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.

Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, and California Management Review. Her most recent book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (Wiley, 2019), offers a practical guide for organizations serious about success in the modern economy and has been translated into 15 languages.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Amy Edmondson On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amedmondson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyCEdmondson

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Amy Edmondson, a White woman with short silver-blonde hair and black coat; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

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In Episode 98, Dr. Victor Pineda, President & Founder of The Victor Pineda Foundation / World ENABLED, joins Melinda in a discussion on his work to create disability inclusion, accessibility, and equity through a comprehensive and integrated approach to policy. They discuss the importance of thought leadership, culture change, and training programs to address the barriers to inclusive innovation in communities and organizations. They also explore top strategies for companies and individuals to build a disability-inclusive workplace.


About Dr. Victor Pineda (he/him)

Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is a human rights expert, scholar, investor, and philanthropist. His work focuses on inclusive and accessible smart cities. A two-time presidential appointee on the US Access Board, a senior Fellow at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, and the Chairman of The Victor Pineda Foundation / World ENABLED. His foundation supports global non-profits and campaigns promoting the rights of people with disabilities and older persons. Dr. Pineda's research and humanitarian work advance urban resilience, inclusion, and sustainability both at home and abroad.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Dr. Victor Pineda On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorpineda/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.vsp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/victorpineda
Twitter (World Enabled:) https://twitter.com/WorldEnabled
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cities_4_all/

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Victor Pineda, a middle-aged man sitting in an electric wheelchair with black hair, white shirt, and black suit; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]

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In Episode 97 (recorded live), Melinda is joined by an incredible panel of experts to discuss actionable steps to creating a culture of belonging for Latina colleagues. Gabriela Chavez-Lopez and Maica Gil share meaningful ways to support Latina colleagues by addressing systemic challenges in the workplace and amplifying the voices of Latinas beyond Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month. They also dive into the importance of choosing the right vendors through supplier diversity programs and improving the workplace ecosystem to increase Latinx equity & inclusion.


About Gabriela Chavez-Lopez (she/her)

Gabriela is the first Executive Director of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley. She is a community catalyst; passionate about uplifting and championing voices around challenging issues in our community — particularly those that disproportionately impact Latinas & people of color. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is committed to systems-change work that removes structural barriers for women and the underserved. She is dedicated to empowering and cultivating Latina leaders prepared to make a collective impact now and into the future.

About Maica Gil (she/her)

Founder and Organizer of the SF International Women Entrepreneurs Forum and Co-Founder at Heroikka. Maica’s experience has helped her create a platform for diverse international organizations to collaborate, share resources and give visibility to various projects and initiatives. Maica is passionate and committed to closing the gap by connecting women-led projects, funding and support systems around the world. In 2020, she started organizing the Woman Impact Summit, the global conference that gives visibility to businesses, initiatives and programs created for or by women.


For more about Empovia, to find educational resources, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc.


Connect With Gabriela

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gchavezlopez09/
Facebook: facebook.com/gchavezlopez/
Twitter: twitter.com/gabsRhere
Instagram: instagram.com/gabzrhere/

Connect With Maica

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/maicagil

Connect With Us

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


This episode is sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution that is powered by a people-before-profit philosophy. Learn more at https://www.firsttechfed.com/.


[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Maica, a Latinx, Atlantic Islander with short brown hair, glasses, and a navy blue shirt; Gabriela, a Latina with long brown hair, chunky gold earrings, and a bright aqua dress; and host Melinda,

Support the show

In Episode 96, Melinda starts Season 8 with an extensive discussion with Dr. Nika White, President & CEO of Nika White Consulting, about inclusive leadership as a key to building empathy and understanding in a distributed workforce. They explore how to overcome proximity bias in a hybrid workplace, support team members’ well-being, and provide equitable opportunities for everyone. They also delve into how we can improve our cultural intelligence to encourage effective collaboration within diverse teams and how DEI practitioners and HR managers can approach resistance to DEI efforts across global teams.


About Dr. Nika White (she/her)

Nika White is a national authority and fearless advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. As an award winning management and leadership consultant, keynote speaker, published author, and executive practitioner for DEI efforts across business, government, non-profit and education, Dr. White helps organizations break barriers and integrate diversity into their business frameworks. Her work has led to designation by Forbes as a Top10 D&I Trailblazer.


Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Dr. Nika White On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikawhite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikacwhite
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikaWhite
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikacwhite/

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Nika White, an African American woman with short curly brown hair, fuchsia dress, grey blazer, and bird-shaped drop earrings; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black leather jacket.]

Support the show

In Episode 95, Rajkumari Neogy, Executive Coach at iBelong, joins Melinda in an in-depth discussion about how exclusion and epigenetics, the study of how behavior and environment can affect the way our genes are expressed and inherited, can impact our sense of belonging. They explore meaningful practices of empathy and representation to address transgenerational trauma and recover the affected parts of our brains from discrimination, racism, and other stressors that destroy our psychological safety. Rajkumari also suggests how managers and employees can work better together to create pathways for healing and cultures of belonging in the workplace.


About Rajkumari Neogy (he or she)

Rajkumari has worked with organizations worldwide, including HelloSign, Slack, Glympse, Salesforce, Gainsight, Twilio, Google, Guidewire, Intera, WhiteOps, Trumaker, Stratus, Ever AI, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wells Fargo, Cisco Systems, Facebook, United States Digital Service (USDS), Shuddle, HopSkipDrive, Autodesk, Amazon, and Adobe. In 2013, S/He founded iRestart, which provides expertise in the areas of leadership development and organizational epigenetics. S/He is the creator of the iRestart coaching framework, the Disruptive Diversity Boot Camp, and the author of The WIT Factor: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm by Becoming Your Optimal Self.

Possessing a rare blend of techno-babble and touchy-feely, Rajkumari brings my keen insight and systems-thinking perspective to provide holistic and integrative solutions when addressing complex problems. S/He believes that the qualities of passionate self-reflection and dedicated curiosity (two sides of the same coin) define true leadership.

Find Leading With Empathy & Allyship useful? Subscribe to our podcast and like this episode!

For more about Empovia, and to join us for our monthly live event, visit https://ally.cc. There, you’ll also find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

Connect With Rajkumari Neogy On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rneogy

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler

Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Rajkumari Neogy, a French-Canadian/East Indian nonbinary person with short salt and pepper hair and a navy blue button-down with a black suit jacket; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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In Episode 94, Melinda speaks with Dr. Rohini Anand, Principal & CEO of Rohini Anand LLC and author of Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations. Dr. Rohini describes her work to advance DEI across different countries and cultures. She addresses some common missteps that global leaders make when localizing their work and how we can disrupt our own biases and worldview to foster inclusion and cultural competence in the global workplace. She also shares how we can be better allies across global teams by understanding local contexts and bringing outside perspectives to challenge harmful and oppressive practices.

About Rohini Anand, Ph.D. (she/her)

Dr. Rohini Anand is Founder and CEO of Rohini Anand LLC providing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advisory services to clients in the public and private sectors. She is a strategic business leader and trusted board member who has successfully transformed cultures and built an iconic brand with an enduring reputation, resulting in accelerating new business creation. Rohini is recognized as a pioneer in the DEI field, a thought leader and is a sought- after expert by leaders around the world. She is a published author. Her book, Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations, has become the go-to resource for DEI professionals and for inclusive leaders.

Most recently, Rohini was SVP Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer for Sodexo. She reported to the Global CEO and was a member of Sodexo’s North American Executive Committee. Rohini successfully positioned Sodexo as a global leader in DEI and Corporate Responsibility. Sodexo’s remarkable global culture change, led by diversity and inclusion, is featured in a Harvard Business School case study entitled Shifting the Diversity Climate: the Sodexo Solution. She serves on the boards of several organizations, including WomenLift Health, a Gates Foundation initiative, Aspen Institute’s Family Prosperity Initiative, Tent Partnership for Refugees, and the Galt Foundation. She also serves on the external diversity advisory boards for Sanofi and for Charter Communications and chairs the Catalyst Board of Advisors. Rohini is a Senior Fellow with the Conference Board and is on the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Center for Inclusive Governance’s Advisory Council.

To join us for our monthly live event and find educational resources, visit ally.cc.

Connect With Dr. Rohini Anand On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohinianand
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadingglobaldei
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RohiniAnandPhD

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth


[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo and photos of Dr. Rohini Anand, an Asian American female with short black hair, apple green dress, and emerald-and-olive green beaded necklace; beside her is the grey book cover of Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

Support the show

In Episode 93, Melinda is joined by visionary activists for disability and social justice, Eleanor Lisney and Eddie Ndopu. Throughout the live recording, they discuss the importance of having leaders who cultivate empathy and inclusion for global teams to work better together across different cultures, genders, disabilities, and intersectionalities. They share how we can be better allies against systemic ableism to support disability and social justice worldwide. They also explore the first step that organizations can take to align their strategic priorities and objectives with the Sustainable Development Goals and promote sustainable economic growth, inclusivity, and accessibility for everyone in the workplace.


About Eleanor Lisney (she/her)

Eleanor Lisney is a campaigner and activist rooted from an intersectional perspective. Eleanor is a founding member of Culture Access and Sisters of Frida. She is an access and equality advisor. She is also on the web team of the International Network of Women with Disabilities. She writes on intersectional issues as a disabled woman of color and is passionate on campaigning for social justice and inclusion.

About Eddie Ndopu (he/they)

Arguably one of the most influential social justice leaders in the world right now, Eddie Ndopu is a disability innovation pioneer, and the Founder and Chairperson of A BILLION REASONS. In 2019 and again in 2021, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed Eddie as one of 17 SDG Advocates, the global body’s most high profile champions in the fight to defeat poverty and defend the planet. Eddie also sits on the Boards of the UN Foundation, Valuable 500, and IMAGINE, and is a Global Future Council member at the World Economic Forum. Eddie holds degrees from Carleton University in Canada and the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University.


To join us for our monthly live event or find additional resources, visit https://ally.cc.


Connect With Eleanor

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eleanorlisney
Twitter: twitter.com/e_lisney
Instagram: instagram.com/elle_in_uk/

Connect With Eddie

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eddiendopu
Facebook: facebook.com/edward.ndopu
Twitter: twitter.com/eddiendopu
Instagram: instagram.com/eddiendopu

Connect With Us

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth


[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Eleanor, an East Asian woman with short brown hair, glasses, a woven hat, black t-shirt, and red/white plaid flannel; Eddie, a Black man with short black hair and mustache, light grey turtleneck, and jacket with green/blue

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