Leading With Empathy & Allyship

In Episode 82, Doc Jana, CEO & Founder of Doc Jana LLC and TMI Consulting Inc, joins Melinda in a conversation that gives individuals and organizations a clear approach to interrupting what Doc calls “subtle acts of exclusion,” also known as microaggressions, at work. They guide us through the steps in addressing our own biases, which are often the root of these subtle acts of exclusion. Doc also shares their latest work and their participation in pleasure activism as a way to reclaim joy and find liberation and healing from the pain of trauma.

About Doc Jana (they/them)

Dr. Jana (they/them) is a non-binary Awareness Artist and Pleasure Activist. They use their work and art to create a loving embrace of people and culture expansive enough to exclude no one. Their mission at Doc Jana LLC is to liberate hearts, minds, and bodies through joy, love, and knowledge.

As a certified meditation and yoga instructor, Doc Jana is also the author of several best-selling books, four on inclusion and one book of poetry. They are the founder of TMI Consulting Inc, the world’s first diversity-focused Certified Benefit Corporation. Doc Jana has been featured in numerous publications and media including Fast Company, NY Times, and Forbes for their work on diversity, equity, empowerment, and inclusion. They’ve done a TEDx on privilege and were named one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers by Inc.com.

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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 Doc Jana On Social

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTiffanyJana/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/twiffanyjana/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyjana/

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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 with photos of Doc Jana, an African-American nonbinary person with short curly blue hair, matching blue glasses, gray suit on top of blue and white t-shirt, and an electric smile; beside them is the white book cover of SUBTLE ACTS OF EXCLUSION: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions; 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 81, Melinda is joined by leadership and management experts LaTricia Frederick and Jared Seide in a live recording. They discuss important ways for us to recognize, as well as protect our well-being from, the impact of current events on our work lives. They also dive into how managers, companies, and allies can take part in creating safe, compassionate spaces for addressing our experiences—whether it be through showing support, harnessing the power of vulnerability, or sharing stories.

About LaTricia (she/her)

LaTricia “LT” Frederick is a Director of People & Communities focused on driving Workforce Planning, Organization Design, and People Strategies across the Cisco enterprise. She is also a Certified Executive Coach and a recent graduate of the McKinsey Black Executive Leadership program.

She is known for helping people discover their true passions, overcome barriers to achievement, and establish a plan for personal and professional success.

About Jared (he/him)

Jared Seide is the author of the book, “Where Compassion Begins.” He is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Council, a nonprofit organization that trains groups and individuals to promote wellness and resiliency, to foster compassion, and to build community.

Jared has led trainings and retreats focusing on compassion, reconciliation, and community-building around the world and has been a Resident Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center.

Visit https://ally.cc to find educational resources and highlights from this episode.

Connect With LaTricia

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ltfrederick/

Twitter: twitter.com/ltfrederick

Connect With Jared

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jared-seide-576b5572/

Facebook: facebook.com/jared.seide/

Twitter: twitter.com/Center4Council

Instagram: instagram.com/center4council/

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

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 with photos of LaTricia, an African American woman with short black curled hair wearing a black blazer and a red and black top; Jared, a White cis male with salt and pepper facial hair wearing a patterned blue and white button-down; and host Melinda, a White woman with red

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In Episode 80, Melinda is joined by her amazing co-producers from the Leading With Empathy & Allyship show, Christina Swindlehurst Chan and Renzo Santos, to discuss helpful ways for organizations to understand and support intersectional identities at work. Christina and Renzo describe how intersectionality has shaped their own experiences within their communities and workplaces. They also suggest practical steps that allies can take to foster an empathetic and inclusive work culture that is mindful of intersectional experiences.

About Christina (she/her)

Christina Swindlehurst Chan supports the marketing team at Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst) through content creation, event coordination, and brand marketing & communications. She also serves as the co-producer for the “Leading With Empathy & Allyship” podcast. She previously worked in marketing for music and financial services organizations, where she became passionate about addressing systemic inequality. 

About Renzo (he/him)

As the Finance & Operations Analyst at Empovia (formerly Change Catalyst), Renzo oversees the company’s finances across the planning, tracking, and evaluation stages. He also provides in-depth technical and data analysis support for research projects on diversity and inclusion.

He is passionate about supporting communities, especially underrepresented groups, to create safe spaces to pursue excellence. Through his expertise and love for data and numbers, he hopes to build more equitable opportunities for everybody. 

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 Christina Swindlehurst Chan On Social

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christina-swindlehurst-chan-1456976a/

Instagram: instagram.com/christinaashleysc/

Connect With Renzo Santos On Social

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rainierrenzosantos/

Twitter: twitter.com/IamRenzoSantos

Instagram: instagram.com/iamrenzosantos/

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 with photos of Christina Swindlehurst Chan, an Asian-White biracial woman with long wavy brown hair wearing an olive green dress with a beige cardigan; Renzo Santos, a Filipino man with black hair and white/gray striped button-down shirt; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a whit

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In Episode 79, Sherrell Dorsey, Founder & CEO of The Plug and Author of Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us, dives into an insightful conversation with Melinda about the future of work and strategies for supporting inclusive innovation. They discuss important ways for people from marginalized communities to thrive and actively take part in the tech-driven economy, whether that is by reskilling, upskilling, fighting coded bias, or getting started in tech.

About Sherrell (she/her) 

Sherrell Dorsey is the founder and CEO of The Plug—a digital news and insights platform covering the Black innovation economy. Her work has been featured in VICE, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, The Information, and more. Sherrell has been a contributing writer for notable publications like Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, Black Enterprise, and others. In 2018, she was named an inspiring woman in tech by CNet, and the most creative people in business by AdWeek in 2021.

Prior to launching The Plug, Dorsey served as a marketing manager for companies like Uber and Google Fiber. She holds a Master's degree in data journalism from Columbia University. She is the author of Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us published by Wiley.


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 Sherrell Dorsey On Social

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherrell_Dorsey 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrell_dorsey/ 

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 with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Sherrell Dorsey, a Black woman with black hair in twists, silver and green statement earrings, and a yellow suit; beside her is the blue book cover of UPPER HAND: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us; 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 78, Dr. Komal Bhasin, Senior DEI Consultant & Mental Health Expert-in-Residence at bhasin consulting inc. and Founder at Insayva Inc., joins Melinda in a conversation about centering empathy and allyship in communities impacted by injustice during times of crisis, pain, and tragedy. 

Komal explains how individuals and organizations alike can learn the skill of empathy according to science. She recommends practical ways to drive inclusion and build psychological safety at work by creating an environment where managers recognize and address marginalizing behaviors. Throughout the episode, she shares how we can use our power, resources, and privilege to impactfully support others even when we experience marginalization ourselves. 

About Komal (she/her)

Dr. Komal Bhasin [KOH-muhl bah-SEEN], MSW, MHSc, DocSocsci, is BCI's Senior DEI Consultant and Mental Health Expert-in-Residence and an accomplished DEI facilitator, coach, and strategist. She has 20+ years of experience in providing strategic and advisory guidance and program development across a range of sectors, with a concentration in mental health equity, racial inclusion, and inclusive leadership. Komal is also the Founder of Insayva Inc., a social enterprise focused on providing accessible DEI and health equity support to charities and non-profit organizations.

As a doctoral trained mental health clinician, certified health executive, and registered social worker, Komal works with organizations to advance employee mental health inclusion and wellbeing by offering programs on inclusive dialogue, anti-stigma, burnout prevention, psychological safety, resilience, and self-care.

Komal is committed to advancing mental health and wellness across the life course; she currently serves on the board of the Alzheimer's Society of Ontario and previously served on the board of Children’s Mental Health Ontario and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. She is also a certified Yoga teacher specializing in mindfulness and resilience.

When Komal is not working, you’ll find her painting, cooking, or snuggling with her cats.

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 Komal Bhasin On Social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/komal-bhasin-a85aab63/

Connect 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 with the Change Catalyst logo and photos of Komal Bhasin, a South Asian woman with long, wavy black hair, nose stud, and black blazer, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a whi

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In Episode 77, Ruchika Tulshyan, Founder of Candour and author of “Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work”, joins Melinda to discuss how we develop an inclusion mindset that centers women of color, build empathy for people from a broad range of cultures and backgrounds, and focus on the importance of intersectionality and anti-racism in our work as allies and advocates.

About Ruchika Tulshyan (she/her)

Ruchika Tulshyan is the founder of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review, and as a keynote speaker, Ruchika has addressed audiences at organizations like NASA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and U.S. Congress.

Ruchika is the author of “The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality in the Workplace.” Her forthcoming book “Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work” is available for pre-order now (MIT Press, March 2022.)

Ruchika is on the Thinkers50 Radar list and named among Hive Learning's Most Influential D&I Professionals for the past two years. She is a former international business journalist who is now regularly quoted as a media expert in outlets like NPR, The New York Times, and Bloomberg.


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

For more aboutEmpovia, 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 Ruchika On Social

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtulshyan/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Ruchika-Tulshyan-102495005571311
Twitter https://twitter.com/rtulshyan
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rtulshyan

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 with the Empovia logo and photos of Ruchika Tulshyan, a South Asian woman with medium-length dark brown hair, a blue necklace, and a colorful red jacket. She is smiling at the camera and is accompanied by the multicolored cover of her book “Inclusion on Purpose.” Next to Ruchika is host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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Trigger warning: This podcast episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation.

In Episode 76 (recorded live), Dr. Vivienne Ming, Founder, and CEO of Socos Labs, joins Melinda to discuss her new research on the neuroscience of trust in the workplace. They explore why we tend to feel an innate sense of trust in certain people over others, how we can overcome these biases to strengthen the trust on our teams, and how working remotely can shift how we build trust and psychological safety.

About Dr. Vivienne Ming (she/her)

Dr. Vivienne Ming explores maximizing human capacity as a theoretical neuroscientist, delusional inventor, and demented author.

Over her career, she’s founded 6 startups, been chief scientist at 2 others, and launched the “mad science incubator”, Socos Labs, where she explores seemingly intractable problems—from a lone child’s disability to global economic inclusion—for free.

Vivienne’s other companies apply machine learning to lessen the corrosive health effects of chronic stress in communities, fight bias in hiring and promotion, develop neurotechnologies to treat dementia and TBI, and promote learning at home and in school. As a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley's Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, she pursued her research in cognitive neuroprosthetics.

In her free time, Vivienne designs AI systems to treat her son’s diabetes, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers, and reunite orphan refugees with extended family members. For relaxation, she writes science fiction and spends time with her wife and children.

Vivienne was named one of “10 Women to Watch in Tech” by Inc. Magazine and one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2017.


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. Vivienne Ming On Social

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivienneming/
Twitter https://twitter.com/neuraltheory

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

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: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of Dr. Vivienne Ming, a White trans female with shoulder-length blonde hair, who is wearing a black sleeveless blouse and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a la

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In Episode 75, Deepa Purushothaman, author of THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, joins Melinda to discuss the structural and cultural dynamics of what women of color are experiencing in the workplace, how women can get comfortable sitting in positions of power, and why it’s important to shift away from a scarcity mindset to allow more women of color a seat at the table.

Bio: About Deepa Purushothaman (she/her)

Deepa Purushothaman is the co-founder of nFormation which provides a brave, safe, new space for professional women of color. Deepa is also a Women and Public Policy Program Leader in Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Prior to this, Deepa spent more than twenty years at Deloitte and was the first Indian American woman to make partners in the company’s history. Deepa was also Deloitte’s national WIN (Women’s Initiative) leader, the firm’s renowned program to recruit, retain, and advance women.

Deepa has degrees from Wellesley College, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics. Deepa is an Aspen Fellow and speaks extensively on women and leadership. She has been featured at national conferences and in publications including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Harvard Business Review.

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 Deepa Purushothaman On Social

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

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deepa.purushothaman.75

Twitter https://twitter.com/deepapuru

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepa.puru

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

Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos

Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth

[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of Deepa Purushothaman, an Indian woman with black hair who is wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, resting her chin on her hand, and smiling at the camera; her orange, red, and pink book cover for ‘THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY’; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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In Episode 74, Tim Goldstein, Neurodiverse Communication Specialist, joins Melinda to explore what it means to have a neurodistinct team. They discuss the breadth of neurodiverse experiences, how we can be good allies to neurodistinct colleagues, and the significant benefits of having neurodiversity in the workplace.

About Tim Goldstein (Autistic he/him)

Diagnosed with Asperger’s at 54, Tim Goldstein is a global trainer for a major tech company, a Neurodiverse Communications Specialist, and a Roger Love method vocal coach. He trains all employees neurotypical and neurodistinct how each other functions and strategies to communicate.

With deep experience in business and consulting, Tim, helps companies recognize and overcome the challenges to excelling the neurodistinct face. Using his Neuro Cloud™ concept, he explains the Spock-like logical approach common among many autistics. Tim has lectured on his concepts at Cornell, Vanderbilt, major global companies and coached privately. His book, Geeks Guide to Interviews: 15 Critical Items for the Technical Type, helps to better understand the challenges the autistic face in joining the workforce.


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 Tim Goldstein On Social

LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/timgoldstein

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

Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos

Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth

[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of Tim Goldstein, a White cis male with grey hair and facial hair who is wearing a white shirt and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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In Episode 73, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO & Founder at ReadySet and author of How to Talk to Your Boss About Race, joins us to discuss how our labor history has informed the racism and microaggressions we observe in our workplaces today, how we can create change through difficult but important conversations, and how we can rethink the role of power as we discuss these issues with our bosses. 

About Y-Vonne Hutchinson (she/her)

Y-Vonne is the author of How to Talk to Your Boss About Race and CEO of ReadySet, a diversity and inclusion training firm that helps tech giants, political leaders, media outlets, and Fortune 500 companies speak more productively about racism and turn talk into action. To date, ReadySet has worked with hundreds of companies around the world to build, manage, and grow diverse teams. In a former life, prior to founding ReadySet, Y-Vonne worked as an international labor and human rights lawyer for nearly a decade.


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 Y-Vonne On Social

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/y-vonne-hutchinson-5884903/

Twitter https://twitter.com/hutchamachutch

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

Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos

Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth

[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with theEmpovia logo and photos of Y-Vonne Hutchinson an African-American Woman with brown curly hair who is wearing a multicolored floral top and smiling at the camera, and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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