Rabbi Daniel Cohen, who has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years, is a popular motivator, mentor and inspirational speaker, who will bring his unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom and insight to help the Next Steps Forward audience better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Throughout his appearance on the program, he will focus on varying topics including Judaism in the 21st century, examining the human experiences found in the Torah, how ancient texts relate to our lives, inspiration for others to realize their own unique potential, and timeless stories and strategies which will enable the audience to maximize every moment while leading a life of impact and legacy.

Next Steps Forward host Chris Meek is honored to welcome legendary auto racing driver, Bobby Rahal, who most famously won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986 to the program. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA and CART, Mr. Rahal’s name is widely known across the world having garnered three CART championships, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. Chris is honored to know Mr. Rahal personally, having founded the nonprofit SoldierStrong which benefits greatly from Mr. Rahal’s many philanthropic efforts. Throughout the hour, Mr. Rahal will discuss his iconic career in auto racing, his role as a principal at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and his focus on philanthropy and bettering the communities in which his businesses serve.

Judy Isaacson Elias founded Heroes to Heroes in 2010 as a tribute to her father, Irving M. Isaacson, a World War II veteran, as a way to honor the service of all veterans, especially those with moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. She joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss how Heroes to Heroes invites U.S. military veterans of all faiths - and even no faith - who have attempted suicide, or are on a path to self-destruction, to join their 12 month, research-based, non-denominational program. She will speak on her profound belief that healing comes from a sense of belonging, a spiritual/faith connection and finding forgiveness. You won’t want to miss out on Judy’s appearance if you are interested in engaging more with the topics of overcoming shame and guilt, connecting with a “higher power,” and what it takes to achieve forgiveness.

Ashlee Boyson is the author of the blog and book series titled “The Moments We Stand,” which tells the story of her family’s journey of healing after the infidelity and murder of her husband Emmett in 2011, just months after giving birth to their fifth baby. In this installment of Next Steps Forward she joins Dr. Chris Meek to share Emmett’s story and the unique experience she has been given to reflect on her journey as a guest on national media platforms, such as Dateline, Dr. Phil, True Crime Daily, and many others. After feeling alone for many years she found her voice through the pain and will speak about her current work as an advocate for victims and families impacted by loss and grief and will also touch on other topics such widowhood, murder and infidelity. In an effort to help others not feel alone, she has grown to love sharing her story to help shine light on a path for others still stuck in the dark, a place she knows all too well. Ashlee believes that each day is a gift and feels grateful for the grace and hope she has found in her story and speaks to the truth of the light she knows shines within all of us.

In this installment of Next Steps Forward, host Chris Meek celebrates the 200th episode of the program! After first seeing Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, Senior Pastor at 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, on a news segment where he discussed his focus on the topics of faith, politics, human trafficking, race and mental health, Chris specifically invited Pastor Sewell to be the special guest as he encapsulates the focus of the program exceptionally well. Pastor Sewell was born and raised in Detroit and grew up in a physically and verbally abusive home. High school was a challenging time for him as his father went to prison and his younger brother was killed. He became heavily involved in drugs and drug-dealing and became a gang leader in east Detroit. His life ultimately took a dramatic turn when he had a “Damascus Road” encounter with Christ that set his heart on fire! Pastor Sewell serves as an example not only for how pastors should guide their congregations in matters of faith but also how faith leaders can play a role in guiding their congregations effectively and appropriately on the most pressing political issues of our time. He will surely leave a lasting impression on the Next Steps Forward audience, just as he has left a lasting legacy on his congregation and the wider community of the Motor City.

Saqib Qureshi is a Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he received his PhD in International Relations and Epistemology. His work has been featured in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur. He has produced two films and, in 1996, the BBC One documentary, Al Dawaah, the first television documentary about the Muslim community in any Western country. He joins program host Dr. Chris Meek to discuss his most recent book “Being Muslim Today: Reclaiming the Faith From Orthodoxy and Islamophobia.” Throughout the hour he will discuss key topics regarding his book including his inspiration for writing a book on Islamophobia, his goal for the book and hopes for the audiences’ take away from it, common misconceptions about Islam that he seeks to address, and some of the most significant impacts of Islamophobia on Muslim communities. In addition, he will speak in-depth about what people of other faiths should understand about the origins of Islam and its early history, how Muslims view God and the key attributes of God in Islam, and how Islam addresses the issues of justice, compassion and loving one another. Please join their informative discussion!

Kristi Wells joins program host Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward as a leading expert in the fight against human trafficking in the United States. She co-founded Safe House Project, a nonprofit organization combating trafficking in America, in 2017. Inspired to take action after becoming aware of the high volume of this criminal activity, juxtaposed with the lack of safe and supportive housing options for those who have experienced trafficking, under Kristi’s leadership Safe House Project has quickly become a unifying leader of the anti-trafficking field. Through her efforts the organization has raised millions of dollars which have allowed them to support the launch of new safe homes across America for trafficking survivors to find healing. Throughout the hour she will discuss the importance of a coordinated, collaborative, public-private national response to trafficking, how her vision and commitment via Safe House Project have significantly impacted the lives of survivors through survivor identification, serving survivors as they depart trafficking situations and prevention, as well as how to address the policy side of eradicating human and sex trafficking.

Dr. John Berger, an environmental science and policy specialist and a Senior Research Fellow at The Pacific Institute, joins Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss his book “Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth,” a book he spent more than six years researching as he traveled the nation and abroad to gather a sweeping array of perspectives. A graduate of Stanford and the University of California, Dr. Berger has written more than 100 articles on climate change and transitioning to clean energy for such publications as Scientific American, the Los Angeles Times, and the Boston Globe. He has also been a consultant to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, corporations, utilities and Congress. In addition to his book, he will discuss how the understanding of climate change evolved over the past few decades, what a national climate plan could look like, why he believes climate-change denial exists, and the most pressing challenges the world faces today due to climate change.

Tony Trzeciak is a Philadelphia native, husband and father of four. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012. Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Kilo Company, Tony completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and a humanitarian mission in Haiti with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Sadly due to injuries and medical malpractice Tony was paralyzed, which led to many life-saving surgeries, depression, suicide ideation and drug abuse. Tony has triumphed over those daunting challenges and is using his life experiences to help other veterans and military members in need of help and support. Today, he channels his passion for finance into his roles as an angel investor, entrepreneur, and work on AI projects in finance and sports with chata.ai. As the personification of resilience, personal empowerment and personal well-being, Tony joins Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss how he managed to navigate through the worst times and come out on the other side stronger, how his experiences with paralysis changed and reinforced his sense of purpose, his transition from a military mindset to a business mindset and how he evaluates risk as an entrepreneur.

Special guests Dr. Adaira Landry and Dr. Resa Lewiss join program host Dr. Chris Meek on this installment of Next Steps Forward. Dr. Landry is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She has nearly a decade of experience mentoring students and early-career professionals. She’s also a healthcare contributor for Forbes, an entrepreneur, and a keynote speaker. She co-founded Writing In Color, a nonprofit that teaches the craft of writing. Dr. Lewiss is a professor of emergency medicine at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She’s also a TEDMED speaker, TimesUp Healthcare founder, entrepreneur, award-winning educator, mentor, and point-of-care ultrasound specialist. She hosts the Visible Voices Podcast, amplifying content in the healthcare, equity, and current trends spaces. Dr. Landry and Dr. Lewiss speak about “MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact,” the book they authored which was published by HarperCollins in April 2024. During their conversation they will define what MicroSkills are and how they are different from “regular skills” or what are thought of as traditional workplace skills, what inspired them to focus on MicroSkills as opposed to larger competencies or hard skills in the workplace, and how hard it is not only to develop MicroSkills but develop and maintain the right ones so that we’re effective and continue them.