In today's episode, Joanna speaks with Dr. Doris Walker-Bennett and Lisa White of the local non-profit organization Sister to Sister. The organization works with the Montclair Board of Education to provide free mentorship to girls to support them from 4th grade through high school, including the college admissions process. In town for over 20 years and serving hundreds of students in their after school programs, they have had 100% of their graduate on time and accepted to college, mostly as first generation college students - and in a testament to the cohesive community they create, many alumni of the program return to be guest speakers mentors themselves for the next generation of mentees. 

In this episode, Joanna speaks with Zina Floyd, the lively and dynamic serial entrepreneur and owner of Cafe MOSO on Orange Road. Coined MOSO, for Montclair South, Zina and her husband, Michael, a native Montclairian, sought out a chef to partner with to open the space in July 2019. Together they crafted seasonal menus with elevated comfort food and BBQ classics that has become a staple both in Montclair's South End VIllage and beyond. Zina explains what called her to the restaurant business, the surprising pivots of adapting to the pandemic, and the impact of Black Lives Matter as they approached their first year anniversary.

In today's episode, we are featuring a guest that would be helpful to the many businesses in town that are rethinking their business approach as they gear up for the post-Covid world. And if you are just starting a business, being clear about your process and goals can help your marketing strategy succeed in the new future we're facing.

In today's episode, Joanna speaks with John Sullivan of the advocacy group, Bike & Walk Montclair.  In town for 17 years, the non-profit organization has been dedicated to creating bikeable and walkable options in town.  Through their determined efforts, they were able to have the town agree to a "SAFE" street framework for the upcoming town master plan, which will consider ways to ensure the "streets are for everyone" when designing and planning new streets and developments starting in 2021. John discusses the work of the non-profit over the years and what keeps the organization going both before and after the pandemic. 

New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition:

Safe Streets Initiative:

https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/business/localaid/safe.shtm

In this episode, Joanna speaks with Emilio DeLia, owner of Dream Martial Arts. Emilio details what brought him into martial arts, the inspiration behind opening his studio, and how he sustained his mental health and resiliency during the pandemic lockdown to re-envision how to continue serving the children of Montclair and neighboring communities with classes and community.

In today's episode, we speak with life counselor and therapist Jeree Wade.  Born in Atlantic City, she lived between there and Harlem for a good deal of her life.  Montclair became her home many years ago after marrying actor, singer and producer Adam Wade.

Jeree has had a distinguished career herself in showbiz as a singer and actress, but her training as a life coach started calling to her in mid-life.  So she got her Masters Degree and switched gears to inspire others to manage their lives in the best way possible to achieve their goals and dreams. 

In today's episode, Joanna speaks with Ahava Felicidad, the Holistic Hair Healer. A true native of Montclair, born right at Mountainside Hospital, Ahava first started working with hair in 1986. In 2013, she started her first solopreneur location uptown on Bellevue Ave. Her current studio is located on Midland Ave near our previous podcast guest, Fleet Feet. ⁠ Ahava tells Joanna what started her journey in hair as a young girl, the benefits of a natural, chemical-free approach for curly hair, and how making her own soaps and scrubs led her to develop her own locally-made hair care product line.