Representation matters. This podcast highlights real stories of people who’ve built careers and confidence by showing up as their full selves. Because you’re not “too much” or “unprofessional”; you’re simply redefining what success looks like.

Use the Plurawl app to process what resonates, track your growth, and start showing up as the real you. Download the app today!

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Pedro Cruz is the inaugural Executive Director of the City of Boston’s Office of Youth Engagement & Advancement (OYEA), launched under the Wu Administration in 2023. Over the past few years, Pedro has led the office in building its foundation and shaping a citywide vision for youth leadership, equity, and opportunity. Under his leadership, OYEA has built a network of 1,700 youth-serving professionals across 450+ youth-serving organizations to help break down the silos and to better serve the young residents of Boston. His office launched Boston After Dark to provide safe and vibrant evening programming, and deepened investments in civic engagement through initiatives like the Mayor’s Youth Council and the Mayor’s Youth Summit. His work has positioned OYEA as a central hub for elevating youth voices and ensuring young people are at the forefront of decision-making in Boston.

A lifelong Bostonian, first-generation Puerto Rican, and proud Boston Public Schools graduate, Pedro brings his lived experience and organizing background to every aspect of his work. Beyond his professional work, Pedro is a proud father of three daughters and an accomplished artist, and a lifelong youth advocate. He remains deeply connected to his roots and community, believing that every young person in Boston deserves access to safe spaces, creative opportunities, and pathways to thrive as the city’s next generation of leaders.

Representation matters. This podcast highlights real stories of people who’ve built careers and confidence by showing up as their full selves. Because you’re not “too much” or “unprofessional” — you’re simply redefining what success looks like.

Use the Plurawl app to process what resonates, track your growth, and start showing up as the real you. Android app launching this month!

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DJ David (@itsdavidthedj) is a renowned NYC-based DJ who has captivated the social media world with his viral DJ transitions and sets. Featured by The GRAMMYs, Essence, and NYTimes, David founded Club 1BD - the popular event series known for bringing the spirit of a house party to every event. David's sound is deeply influenced by his New Jersey upbringing, and his Ecuadorian & Guyanese roots. His nostalgic and vibrant sets create a carefree atmosphere that has charmed millions. 

Plurawl is a mobile app that helps you stop jumping to conclusions. It’s simple and safe. Just talk about what’s going on in your life and we will help you make sense of your thoughts as well as identify any limiting beliefs that you may be holding onto. 

Download here.

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This week's podcast guest is Kevin Caraballo Barrios - a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW-SIFI) based in New York. Fun fact, Kevin is one of our advisors for the Plurawl app.

Kevin is an Afro-Latino with experience in child welfare, school social work, mental health, carceral systems, and working with immigrant families. He is dedicated to collaborating with his clients to address their mental health challenges.

Currently, Kevin serves as a School Social Worker for the Department of Education at East New York Family Academy, providing mandated and at-risk counseling. Additionally, he works as a trauma therapist with adult clients through telehealth and is actively working towards clinical licensure. Kevin is also the Co-Author of the book "Latinx/e in Social Work Volume II: Stories that heal, inspire, and connect communities."

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Tasha, a 28-year-old Jersey native and first-generation daughter of Jamaican parents, is passionate about self-love, movement, and living life like there’s no tomorrow. A proud Black woman and career-driven professional, she’s learning that authenticity means trusting her ability to deliver results—without needing to code-switch or hide her true self. Tasha embodies what it means to chase success while staying rooted in joy, confidence, and her values.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Plurawl is a mobile app that helps you stop jumping to conclusions. It's simple and safe. Just vent about what's going on in your life, and we will help you make sense of your thoughts as well as identify the limiting beliefs that you're holding onto about yourself.

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This week, Pabel reflects on a recent panic attack that he experienced as he started feeling the pressure of Techstars. He starts to question..."Am I soft or am I just more aware of my emotions?". His panic attack leads to an interesting creative opportunity around branding Plurawl...as a place where you no longer need to be silent.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Plurawl is a mobile app that helps you stop jumping to conclusions. It's simple and safe. Just vent about what's going on in your life, and we will help you make sense of your thoughts as well as identify the limiting beliefs that you're holding onto about yourself.

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Kayla is a social media expert with a passion for culture, creators, and community. With seven years of experience at Instagram and TikTok, she has led high-impact multicultural creator campaigns, built scaled creator programs, and shaped strategies that drive engagement and trust. Kayla brings a wide range of expertise bringing new video features like IGTV, Reels and Live With to the forefront of the creator economy as the connective tissue between product, content funding, and talent. She operationalized $300M worth of bespoke content deals for thousands of public figures and creators, creating a flywheel of content. Through her creative vision, she has developed 360-marketing partnerships for cultural institutions like Afropunk, Latin Grammys, Paramount Pictures, and the NFL. Kayla brings a sharp strategic mind and a love for digital culture—ensuring content doesn’t just perform but truly resonates. As a seasoned public speaker, her work has been featured in Business Insider, Buzzfeed, Forbes, Teen Vogue, Deadline, and Billboard, among others. 

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Plurawl is officially a Techstars portfolio company!

In this episode, which is Part 2 of last week's conversation, Pabel and Samara discuss the Techstars interview process and why Tulsa, OK out of all the programs in the country.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Plurawl is a mobile app that will help you stop jumping to conclusions. It's simple. Just vent about your life, and we will help you identify and overcome your limiting beliefs.

iPhone users - Download the Plurawl app here

Android Users - Subscribe to the waitlist here

In this engaging conversation, Pabel opens up about his journey of leaving a stable job at TikTok to pursue entrepreneurship. Samara helps Pabel explore the motivations behind his decision, the birth of a new app aimed at providing mental health support through journaling and therapy insights, and the challenges faced in developing and funding the project.

The discussion highlights the importance of understanding market needs and the emotional rollercoaster of building a startup. This conversation delves into the journey of raising capital, developing an app, and navigating the challenges founders face, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://feeds.megaphone.fm/SCOSR3144394743

Hundreds of people have downloaded the Plurawl app, and it's receiving nothing but 5 5-star reviews! One user said, "Download Immediately, but fair warning...it may replace the homies". We are excited for you to try it for yourself.

Click here to download the iOS app. Android is coming soon. Click here for the waitlist.

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Jennifer Mota (here's her IG) is a Dominican-American multimedia journalist, music public scholar, multidisciplinary creative, and industry culture shifter. Mota first garnered media attention in 2019 with her article Recognizing Dominican Dembow: From Jamaica to El Alfa — the first investigated deep dive documenting Dominican dembow for U.S Latin mainstream media— highlighting the history and pioneers behind the sub-genre. Her expertise on the dembow scene scored her a monthly column in Remezcla, which she entitled “Si Tu Quiere Dembow,” as the first dembow columnist she reported on the genre’s past and present. In 2023, Remezcla included Mota in their annual Major Mujeres: Latinas Shaping the Industry list.

Throughout the years, she’s interviewed some of the most prominent Latinx artists in the world, writing for Rolling Stone, Highsnobiety, Teen Vogue, VIBE, Pitchfork, Tidal, Billboard, THE FACE, The Fader and many more. Her on-camera catalog includes platforms like Yahoo’s Live Build Series, The Fader, The Boiler Room’s “Deconstructed Series,” Rapeton, Twitch, and ABC News’s ‘The Latin Music Revolution: A Soul of a Nation Presentation’ and her visual productions and script writing have appeared on Foot Locker, Amazon Music, Afro Punk, People en Español and KEXP.

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