Project Labor

Discussion Questions:

1. How satisfied are people at your job (or in your future industry)?
2. What is scary about your job or your future job?
3. Do you think you would be a good firefighter?
4. What’s important to consider when balancing risk and safety?
5. How can you be heroic in your life?
6. Does your job allow time and energy for a side-gig or paid hobby?

Carlos C. Figueroa

Carlos C. Figueroa is a career fire service professional with the Newark Fire Division, where he currently serves as a Deputy Chief’s Aide and has developed extensive experience in emergency operations, fireground safety, personnel accountability, training, and operational leadership.

Carlos is a second-generation first responder. His father served in law enforcement as a Newark police officer, establishing a family tradition of public service that Carlos proudly carries forward. His mother built her career in real estate as a real estate developer and current state-licensed real estate broker, providing Carlos with early exposure to property investment, development, and entrepreneurship.

Beyond the fire service, Carlos is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, developer, property manager, and construction professional. He is the owner of Figueroa Construction Company and has extensive hands-on experience in property acquisition, rehabilitation, construction management, real estate development, and the ownership and management of residential and commercial properties.

His work in construction and real estate has led him to develop an increasingly specialized background in building and life safety. Carlos has pursued advanced education and professional credentials in construction code enforcement, building and fire protection inspection, environmental inspection, lead and asbestos safety, and life-safety compliance. His professional experience gives him a unique perspective at the intersection of public safety, construction, real estate development, property management, environmental safety, and code compliance.

Carlos remains committed to continued education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities through both public service and private investment. Above all, he is a dedicated husband and father who places family at the center of everything he does.

Deputy Chief J. Kupko

Deputy Chief J. Kupko is a veteran member of the Newark Fire Division whose career has been defined by service, leadership, education, and deep ties to the City of Newark. A second-generation Newark firefighter, Chief Kupko comes from a family with a longstanding tradition of public service and connection to the city. His father, a Vietnam veteran, served as a Newark firefighter, while his mother was an educator in Newark Public Schools. Following both of those examples, Chief Kupko has built a career that combines the fire service and education while continuing his family’s legacy of service to Newark.

Born into a Newark family and raised with a strong connection to the city, Chief Kupko has spent his professional life serving the community his family has called home for generations. He worked his way through the ranks of the Newark Fire Division, from firefighter through the company officer (Captain), then Battalion Chief,  and to his current position as Deputy Chief (Tout-commander.) Today, he commands one of the Division’s operational tours, carrying responsibility for personnel, companies, resources, emergency operations, and major incident response throughout the City of Newark.

His rise through the ranks is backed by an unusually diverse operational career. Chief Kupko has served in some of the Newark Fire Division’s most highly respected, specialized, and operationally significant companies and assignments. Rather than experiencing the fire service from a single perspective, his career has taken him through virtually every facet of a large urban fire department.

Among those assignments, he served as Captain of Newark’s Truck Company 5, leading firefighters in a demanding urban environment where strong company-level leadership, technical proficiency, and sound fireground decision-making are essential. His background also includes extensive involvement in Urban Search and Rescue, service within Newark’s UASI capabilities, qualification as a Hazardous Materials Technician, and numerous advanced fire, rescue, emergency management, and technical certifications.

That breadth of experience has followed him into senior command. Having performed the job at nearly every level of the organization, Chief Kupko brings to his role as Deputy Chief the perspective of someone who understands firsthand what is expected of the firefighter, company officer, battalion-level supervisor, and incident commander. Training, mentorship, accountability, physical readiness, and the development of the next generation of firefighters have remained central themes throughout his career.

Education represents another important part of his family's legacy. Chief Kupko holds a teaching degree and is a second-generation educator, following in the footsteps of his mother. His background as an educator has complemented his fire service career, particularly in his approach to training and developing personnel. For Chief Kupko, teaching is not separate from leadership. It is an important part of preparing firefighters to eventually become officers and leaders themselves.

Outside of the Newark Fire Division, Chief Kupko is also an accomplished entrepreneur and the owner of CrossFit Bar Bending. Building and operating the gym has become a significant part of his professional life and reflects many of the same principles that have guided his fire service career: discipline, physical readiness, consistency, accountability, teamwork, and pushing people to reach standards they may not have thought possible.

As a business owner and coach, he has created more than simply a place to work out. CrossFit Bar Bending represents a community centered on fitness, personal development, and shared accountability. His experience successfully balancing the responsibilities of senior fire service leadership with the demands of owning and operating a business further reflects the work ethic and commitment that have characterized his career.

For all of his professional accomplishments, Chief Kupko remains equally proud of his role as a father. A devoted “girl dad,” family remains at the center of his life and continues the theme that has shaped his story from the beginning: generations of family, education, public service, and a lasting connection to Newark.

From the example established by his parents, to working his way through the ranks of the Newark Fire Division, serving in some of its most respected companies and specialized assignments, becoming an educator, building a successful fitness business, and ultimately leading an operational tour as Deputy Chief, Chief Kupko’s career represents a continuation of a multigenerational legacy of service, leadership, and commitment to the City of Newark.

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

To be an ironworker means being connected to a type of labor that's more than 5,000 years old. Ancient Egpytians worked with iron from meteorites. Iron ore, carbon and limestone are combined in a blast furnace to make usable iron. Iron is now used to make the biggest buildings in the world. 

In this episode, ironworker Francisca Garcia shares her perspective on union labor, managing family and work, and the strength of women in the trades. She builds hospitals, residences, and some of New York’s tallest structures.

Link to Francisca’s IG  

Link to Ironworkers Local 580

Discussion Questons:

1. What are your fears at work?
2. What is dangerous about your job?
3. Would you work a job that requires being at high elevations?
4. Some professions attract mostly men or mostly women. Which of these non-traditional jobs are you interested in?
5. How do you think having children changes your work?
6. Where is iron present in your life?
7. What would happen if you got hurt at work?
8. What something you learned by doing it, but prior to that, it was very difficult?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Joe Bongiovanni is the ultimate lifeguard. He's done hundreds and hundreds of rescues. He's now in charge of the Asbury Park beach. He's been protecting people for almost six decades. 

In this episode, we talk about what kinds of people work as lifeguards, what do they think of the work, and what are some of the tough and fast decisions they have to make.

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Scott’s the very informative manager of BCaf, a cannabis dispensary in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. With his big arms and intense eyes, you could tell Scott has built things. For more than twenty years, he worked building TV and movie sets.  When you notice his “I’ve Got Drugs” pins, and you see him carefully drop his reading glasses into place, you start to see a fuller picture of a well-rounded man, a lifelong student who’s built a career on trust: in himself, in his colleagues, and in hard work. Not only is BCaf a unique dispensary, but Scott’s also a one of a kind guy.

Discussion Questions:

• What laws do you think should change?
• Do you think you will have the same interests when you are in your fifties?
• How would you describe Scott’s philosophy of work?
• Why do you think dispensaries are so common?
• Research: People are expected to work into their sixties, but some physical jobs can be very difficult at that age. What are some promotions a person may get to have less physical responsibilities later in life?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

How do you teach kids discipline and self-defense? How do you succeed in a male-dominated, aggressive field?

In this conversation, Aliya talks about teaching, admin work and creative opportunities in her role. Like any good teacher, Aliya reminds us, “There’s no 'I don’t know's', no 'I can’t’s'. It’s just, 'I need to learn.'”

Guest Bio:

Aliya was born in Kazakhstan and moved to the states as a kid. Being an immigrant gave her a different perspective on life and responsibilities in comparison to her peers. Growing up, she always wanted to join the military specifically military psychology but due to immigration issues that was not available, so she ended up getting a part-time job in college working in a Pre-K class and loved teaching.  Before she knew it, she was 10 years in as the head Pre-K Teacher in a private school. During her time there, she started teaching at the jiu jitsu school where she was training and before long she changed it into her full time. She absolutely loves the world of jiu jitsu and the skills learned on and off the mats whether it's physical or mental. She gets to enjoy traveling and organizing camps all over the world and to meet amazing people from all walks of life that are bound through jiu jitsu. One of her big goals is to continue representing jiu jitsu as a way of life that can be for everyone and is not as scary or intimidating as some people may believe it to be, especially for women.

Discussion Questions:

Do you want to work in an industry that is mostly male or mostly female?

Do you like working with kids?

How would you enforce the rules at your workplace?

Why do you think Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become so popular?

What made Aliya's career change successful?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

I ran into Robert at a bar where we went to watch a mutual friend play music. I found out he’s the dad of one of my former students and our wives work together. I learned about his son’s success as a welder and Robert’s own past as a farmer, mechanic, tool tech, valet, collector and fixer of various vehicles. When he started talking about embalming people, I had to learn more.

Robert reflects about standing up for yourself at work, persevering, family encouragement, and making changes when you need to.

Discussion Questions:
What do you think would be difficult about working with the deceased?
What’s another job that was affected by COVID?
What do you think is the next big thing to affect our jobs and how can we prepare?What "trades' are you interested in? 

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Happy May Day!

A person can be calm, genuine, modest, and hard-working while still demanding dignity. That’s what Culinary Worker Heather proves. Heather simply demands dignity and with her brothers and sisters in UNITE HERE LOCAL 226 at her side. 

Heather works as a food runner and busser in a unionized casino restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip and has been a Culinary Union Union member and Shop Steward for 5 years. Having experienced low wages, harassment, and insecurity in non‑union restaurants, she knows first-hand how the union difference - strong contracts, guaranteed benefits, and job protections can change lives. Heather spends her time on and off the clock defending her co-workers’ rights and she is currently canvassing with her union to get out the vote in Nevada ahead of the Primary Election.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you worked at a restaurant? What was it like?
2. 25,000 steps in a day is a lot! How many steps do you get at work?
3. What industry or kind of work do you think should unionize?
4. What characteristics or skills do you think Heather needs?
5. How do you celebrate labor?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Mikkele has a little bit of a good witch witchiness to her. She nurtures plants and people’s feelings.  While working full time as a mother, the healing power of nature revealed itself not only as curative but as a career as well.

Mikkele Lawless is a dedicated professional with a passion for harnessing the healing power of nature. She is currently an instructor at The New York Botanical Garden and a horticultural therapist at Parker Health, working with older adults in memory care, skilled nursing, and assisted living. Mikkele is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, holds a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from NYBG, and a B.A. in Psychology. She is also currently serving on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network. Mikkele focuses on enriching the lives of seniors battling dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Drawing inspiration from her creativity as a biophilic artist, Mikkele infuses her programs with innovation, offering a thoughtful and imaginative approach.

Discussion Questions:
How does being around plants and nature make you feel? Why?
What can therapy help with?
How would you feel if one of your clients or patients died? What would you do to feel better?
Think: Do you prefer to work with a certain age group? Why or why not?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Jeff Simon is an immigration lawyer based in the Inland Empire outside of Los Angeles, CA. He currently works as a Staff Attorney at the Immigration Center for Women and Children ("ICWC"), a nonprofit in Los Angeles representing immigrant minors and survivors of domestic violence and other crimes. Jeff is a former high school teacher passionate about using law to eliminate barriers to education and opportunity for immigrants. Jeff started his career as an immigration lawyer at Innovation Law Lab in Portland, Oregon, and he also worked at Kids In Need of Defense in Los Angeles. Jeff was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit. His hobbies include running half marathons, alternative rock music, cookies, and sketch comedy (SNL and Key and Peele are his favorites). 

Discussion Questions:

Where did your family come from?

What do you hope will happen regarding immigration?

What do immigration lawyers do?

What would happen if there weren't immigration lawyers?

Do you know any immigrants?

Organizations for listeners to check out below. 

Immigration Center for Women and Children (CA)

Twin Cities Food Justice (MN)

Dios Habla Hoy (MN)

Interfaith Movement for Immigrant and Refugee Justice (OR)

ACLU (National)

Innovation Law Lab (OR)

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.

Teacher and union leader Pat Frain joins us to discuss the creative, caring and tiring work of an educator. From his career in construction to his work in education, Pat has spent decades building the future of the United States using blueprints and lesson plans.

Listen to learn about how special education functions in a school, how being in a union can impact one's career, how to become a teacher who can connect with students, and how the profession is changing.

Discussion Questions:

• Who was your favorite teacher and why?
• What seems scary about making a career change?
• What are the possible benefits of a career change like Pat’s?
• What are some important qualities for a teacher to have?
• Research: What are some example union jobs? How are they different than non-union jobs?

Please send suggestions for future guests to [email protected]. 

Our instagram is @projectlabor. Leave a comment or question and we’ll be happy to answer.

Music by Brotheration Records

Project Labor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of New Jersey. All donations to Project Labor are tax deductible in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. 

Help get the word out with a small donation here. Thank you.