NU Voices

William Parker grew up in a single-parent household as the youngest of six children, believing that his modest surroundings and family dynamic were the absolute norm. However, at the age of 11, tragedy struck when his 39-year-old mother passed away. Faced with the sudden loss of his main source of wisdom and confidence, William transitioned to live with his 24-year-old married sister, forcing him to adapt to a new family environment and navigate school without parental presence. To survive the trauma, he adopted a fiercely independent mindset, taking on a "me against the world" attitude that fueled a strong desire to succeed against all odds.

William Parker grew up in a single-parent household as the youngest of six children, believing that his modest surroundings and family dynamic were the absolute norm. However, at the age of 11, tragedy struck when his 39-year-old mother passed away. Faced with the sudden loss of his main source of wisdom and confidence, William transitioned to live with his 24-year-old married sister, forcing him to adapt to a new family environment and navigate school without parental presence. To survive the trauma, he adopted a fiercely independent mindset, taking on a "me against the world" attitude that fueled a strong desire to succeed against all odds.

Reflecting on his journey, William views every childhood hardship and career pivot as a necessary building block rather than an obstacle. By learning to shift from extreme independence to interdependence with loved ones, he transformed childhood trauma into an enduring foundation of resilience. Today, he balances his career in occupational and physical therapy with continuous entrepreneurial pursuits, grounding his life in faith, family, and lifelong self-improvement.

Mahal Ramos’s story spans continents and coasts, beginning with her birth in the Philippines before moving to the United States. As a child, she experienced a bi-coastal upbringing, attending elementary school in New Jersey before relocating to the West Coast to complete her schooling alongside family in California. Navigating the distinct energies of North Jersey street culture and West Coast life, Mahal learned early on to adapt to new environments. During her high school years, she channelled her energy into leadership and expression, becoming president of dance production to find her personal voice and identity.

Despite having a steady job, a car, and an active role in church ministry in California, Mahal hit a point where life felt hollow, unsustainable, and financially tight—relying at times on recycling bottles for gas money or spinach. Sensing a strong internal push that she needed a radical environment change to survive and grow, she applied for the Tulsa Remote program on a whim. Encouraged by her young daughter's open willingness to embark on an adventure together, Mahal made the leap and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, right before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Moving to Oklahoma provided Mahal with a crucial period of stillness and decompression, allowing her to step out of survival mode and untangle her identity from pure workplace productivity. In Tulsa, she completed her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership online and immediately transitioned into her master’s program. Today, Mahal embraces her identity as an "adopted Tulsan," using her lived experience across cultures and environments to empower and mentor emerging leaders.

La doctora Cartagena nos cuenta su historia de vida recalcando que una persona debe de reinventarse para seguir creciendo como emprendedor. También nos regala varios consejos para los emprendedores hispanos de Tulsa y nos invita a participar en el Festival Americas 2026 en el corazón de Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Acompáñanos a escuchar esta valiosa entrevista enfocada en el emprendimiento y crecimiento cultural de nuestra bella ciudad.

Annie Chang is a 1st-generation Taiwanese American whose family landed in Norman, Oklahoma where opportunities to live a culturally-connected lifestyle were limited. Despite this, Annie was able to experience culturally-significant experiences that grounded her in who she was: a thoughtful, community-oriented, communicator that shares her passion for people through her work. In this conversation, Aaron and Annie discuss pivotal moments in Annie’s life that shaped who she is today as a storyteller, digital strategist, and place-based entrepreneur.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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Leslie Maxie is a determined and powerful woman who has embraced the frequent transitions in her life by knowing who she is in every scenario. Leslie and Aaron discuss her life experiences that led her to interviewing Jesse Owens at 12 years old, the Olympics Games in 1988, and to a fulfilling career in journalism. Throughout the changes in her life, one thing has remained constant: the ability to be bold. Through this conversation about transformational change, Leslie shares with listeners what lessons she learned from moments in her life where she was challenged and on the verge of breaking, but she made the decision to be unbreakable.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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Abi Bermudez is a serial entrepreneur and strong woman of faith and integrity. Many times in her life she has proven her fortitude and determination can take her places beyond the obstacles in her way. Abi and Aaron discuss the moments of her life that built her character and confidence from growing up in a community often stereotyped for being resource-barren. To her, the experience of growing up with her circumstances built a woman that faced challenges head-on, that was not afraid to take risks, and that was willing to bet on herself to provide for her family. Abi exemplifies the principles of NU by having experienced transformational human development that supported her in actualizing the 2.0 version of herself.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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David Tran is a deep thinker, an intentional analyst, and a lifelong learner. By sharing his story through trials and triumphs, David’s perspective from entrepreneurship and success in and beyond corporate America ground him as a game-changer to an organization that is trying to figure out how to tell its story to its customers. In this conversation, Aaron and David discuss pivotal moments in David’s life that changed his trajectory towards success, altered his perspective of what he knew, and positioned him to be a valued contributor to any project in which he became a part. To David, his human development is never-ending and the humility to accept that as fact is also a motivator to keep learning and discover new things about himself.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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Amarilis López es consejera financiera en Tulsa Responds y ha ayudado a muchas familias de Tulsa a afrontar sus desafíos económicos. La forma en que una persona gasta su dinero tiene un impacto enorme en su sustento, en su capacidad para mantener a su familia y en su futuro. Amarilis acompaña a las personas a través de los cambios transformadores que conlleva el empoderamiento financiero, al tiempo que ella misma atraviesa su propio proceso de desarrollo personal. En este episodio, Jenifer y Amarilis reflexionan sobre el impacto de New U en la trayectoria de Amarilis y en la huella que deja en la comunidad de Tulsa.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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Joelle is a quiet, creative, and caring individual who explores her passions and shares them with others. Going through her life, Aaron and Joelle analyze transformational changes as a constant disruptor for change. Her fearlessness to pursue her passions and her callings allowed her to pivot many times in her life to find the 2.0 version of herself. Through the New U program, she felt that she was given permission to jump to her next professional venture in her career. In this episode, Aaron and Joelle navigate reflections from her experiences of transformational change and powerful pivots.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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Tori’s passion for people development has led her to become an innovative leader in Tulsa. She has taken her experience in career development for emerging talent pools and applied it to grander ventures at Tulsa Innovation Labs where she is a key figure to the cutting edge workforce and talent development. From her time in New U, Tori took the opportunity to reflect through introspection and return to herself through her travels across the world. In this episode, Tori and Aaron discuss her journey to being a key decision maker and advocate for economic mobility in cross-sector initiatives that are propelling Tulsa forward.

NU Voices is a Pod For Good Media network podcast. You can learn more about Pod For Good Media and other network podcasts at: www.podforgoodmedia.com

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