Local Voices (Miami)

Millah is..........the Founder, CEO and voice of the meditation app, YouTuneIn. Born in Brazil, she remembered her calling for music at an early age, putting on Millah shows for her friends & family, eventually going into acting with her passion for psychology and consciousness. She started her own acting school in Brazil, for three years developing her own method for psychic growth, until at one point she had a revelation that her path would be music. Soon following that, she started the Meditation app, Youtunein, (Youtunein.com), to create a guided experience for meditation, helping users become more present and access their higher consciousness. Having worked in social work, healing the people of Brazil, worked on acting sets for Prime level TV Shows, and directed her own screenplays, Millah is versatile and aware of her main mission, contributing to the growth of the collective consciousness of the universe, and helping people tune in to their higher self. Follow her Instagram @millahofficial, check out her app @YoutuneinApp, and come to one of her Vibrational Transformation Events in Miami, to discover deeper levels of peace and vibration in your life.

Maxxi is...........blessed. Well, Puerto Rican, so she knows IT. Born in San Juan, PR, she studied communication, and worked in TV, with Telemundo & Univision, getting transferred to Miami when NBC bought them out. Arriving here in 2008, she quickly went and got a human resources degree from Miami-Dade College, worked in hospitality at the Ritz Carlton, SLS, and Shore Club, was a manager at Blues Burgers, and now at her dream job, manager of La Placita, an authentic Puerto Rican joint in Little Haiti, lit with color and music. During COVID, she started her own company making vegan burgers, ThePlantDelicious, and now supplies them here locally, with a growing operation. Full of pride for Puerto Rico, and passion for good service, Maxxi's dream is to walk dogs for celebrities, and build out her network, since, the sky's the limit.

Raquel is................basically the queen of South Beach, if we're talking vibes. Born in Miami, to Cuban & Puerto Rican parents, she went to UCF for undergrad, switching majors many times, before settling on business entrepreneurship. Taking advice from one great teacher, she decided to pursue what she loves, hot yoga, and make a business out of it. First experiencing Bikram when she was 19 at UCF, Raquel fell in love with her awakening, getting her official teaching degree from the Bikram Yoga College of India in LA, then teaching in Miami at different studios for 10 years, before accepting the call to adventure, when one of the studios needed a new owner. After spending a few years at the Miami Beach Community Church, eventually a space "fell from the heavens, and in 2017 with a new name change, officially Glow Hot Yoga was born. Offering Bikram, hot pilates, Yin Yoga, and other creative sessions, the yoga studio has become a pillar in the community, and one of those most visited in Miami. Visit http://www.glowhotyogamiami.com/ to sign up for a class, and don't forget, to share your glow.

Sammy is...........ready for some more comedy. Born in the Bronx, New York, he moved to Puerto Rico at age 8 to live with his grandparents, after his father died, a heavy bohemian. Noticing his love of music at an early age, he decided one day that he was going to be a percussionist, and was able to attend music school in Puerto Rico. One day at age 18, he decided to go hotel hunting with some friends, and ended up landing his first gig. When his band was invited to come play and live at the Piedmont Inn in NYC for two months, Sammy fell in love with the Big Apple, and when the band broke up, he walked into a music department store, Sam Goodies, and got a job, claiming to be a "jazz expert", becoming a manager after 3 years. One day his life changed, when he was invited to tour the world with famous flautist, Herbie Mann, and ended up becoming the #1 call for any recordings in NYC, winning the DownBeat Poll award for best percussionist, and networking himself into the scene. Always one to answer the call, Sammy ended up hanging up on Miles Davis three times in the middle of the night, before showing up the next morning, and becoming his #1 sidekick. After a career working with the likes of Mick Jagger, Sammy's next chapter began when he met composer Michel Camilo and friend Rachel Faro, and began recording his own records, winning Grammy nominations for "And Sammy Walked in" and "The Magician". With South Florida as his home, he has been developing more and more his creativity, hosting a radio show weekly for WDNA, and recently winning a grant from the South Arts Jazz Road initiative, to tour the country, and honor his father with a new album. Passionate about healing the earth and supporting fringe science, Sammy is enjoying his voice and his role, advocating for a more sustainable world, and always, forever, rejoicing, in his story.

Lian is.........glad she is helping save us humans. First joining the faith-based Rescue Mission back in 2012, originally thinking it was an animal shelter, she has since become an indispensable part of the organization helping more than 15,000 people in need each year. Born in Cuba, she moved to the US at age 15 with her family, attending FIU for a degree in education, and eventually joining the mission as an assistant, moving to volunteer coordinator, and eventually senior community development associate. As bubbly and joyful as can be, Lian has excelled at raising awareness for the organization's mission, helping both fundraise and attract volunteers with a mix of top shelf responsiveness and flexibility. Now spread over across Miami-Dade and Broward with several locations, the Miami Rescue Mission is soon to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, and is showing no signs of slowing its growth, as a pillar in the community. Check out one of their radio shows, Saturdays and Sundays at 8am, and consider becoming a much appreciated Meals a Month donor, helping feed and advance the less fortunate, with just a few dollars out of your paycheck each month. You won't regret it >> https://www.caringplace.org/meals-a-month.php

Jeff is.........bringing bliss to South Florida. Born in Miami, and raised in the Fort Lauderdale area, he went to UF Gainesville for an undergrad degree in business, entrepreneurship, and real estate, before studying law and working at a startup in the area. When that project failed, he went out to San Francisco to work for Google, traveled the world for 9 months working remotely, and when COVID hit he was in New York, dealing with the lows, before making the decision last November to move to Miami, like so many others. After taking a handstand class in Bali, and learning acro yoga in NYC, he discovered an opportunity in Miami, to go stay on a Cacao farm in Nicaragua for 6 weeks. There he discovered ecstatic dance, the power of vasodilators, and met his girlfriend, coming back to Miami a changed man with a new connection to sustainably sourced cacao. Together they started their company, Cacao Sol, first selling at the farmers market in Coconut Grove, and now have plans for their very own store, in addition to providing cacao for all kinds of enlightened events here in Miami. Never tried raw cacao or experienced a ceremony? Follow @jeffmoves and @cacao.sol on Instagram, and open yourself to the power of Anandamide, the bliss molecule.

Hannah is.........living her dream. Born in Santa Cruz, California, she was put into ballet by her parents at an early age, and graduated high school in just 3 years, focused on her goal of pursuing dance professionally. After being initially rejected by the Juilliard School in New York City, she went to go study at the University of Utah, where she was introduced to modern dance, and fell in love with a new kind of technique, eventually quitting college to go back to NYC and dance professionally. She ended up re=auditioning for the Juilliard School and being accepted with a half scholarship, speeding through the program in 3 years. When love led her to move to Miami in 1994, she was immediately very active in the scene here, teaching dance in Miami Beach, when one day one of her students introduced her to her now professional partner Diego Salterini. Together they started Dance NOW Miami in 2020, and have now grown the contemporary dance school into an active force in the community, exposing more than 45,000 students at Miami schools over the years, to elite dance education through their partnerships with local programs and grant subsidies. Check out their website at https://www.dancenowmiami.org/ and come check out a live performance, next one happening this Sunday at the North Beach Band Shell, titled Fall for Dance NOW.

Daniella is.......the mayor of Miami-Dade County. Born in New York City in 1955, she had the opportunity to travel Brazil and Chile in her youth, before going to high school in Brooklyn, and studying psychology at Yale University. Having helped her mom in the slums of Rio de Janeiro as a little girl, she realized that community welfare was always her main ambition, and went on to graduate school at Colombia Law with a focus on Social Work. After meeting her husband in Atlanta, and relocating to Miami over 40 years ago, she eventually founded Catalyst Miami, an organization focused on helping low and middle income families through education and advocacy. There she launched the Prosperity Campaign to help those same people increase their income and savings, and gain more financial independence. Always looking for ways to better the community, Daniella shares with us her initiatives this year for more affordable housing, more walkable urban life, and more sustainable local trade employment. Down to volunteer more this year? Listen in for some great opportunities and the Mayor's very own suggestions.

Julie is the encouraging writing coach, respected nationwide, and based here in Miami. After studying English, and getting her Masters and Phd in Literature, she taught at the university level for 10 years, before starting her own company 3 years ago, to help writers, mostly adults, learn how to better tell their stories. With the barriers to publishing being much lower nowadays, Julie is passionate about helping more prospective authors get their thoughts organized and into a finished product. Follow her on IG @storybold, and send her a DM if you are interested in beginning a project or accessing her self study material. More interested in just journaling a bit more? Start a weekly habit of writing your life memories in chronological order, and wake up to a personal memoir someday!