In this final convo with the founder of Pink Roses by Kizzy, Kizzy brings her colleague and photographer to sit and weigh in on the challenges faced by young women of color in the times we live in.

In this episode of SpeakVolumes we meet social activist, Jennifer Ching of North Star Fund as she describes her journey from the wilds of suburban New Jersey as the child of Korean/Chinese immigrants, through a chapter as a community organizer in Boston and long nights as a corporate lawyer to her present role leading a NYC non-profit. 

In their opening conversation, our host Hanna G and Jennifer tackle everything from the failure of the American Dream, to racism and white supremacy, to the struggle to find the right substitute for designer jeans.

In this episode of SpeakVolumes Jennifer Ching, Executive Director of North Star Fund, joins host Hanna G to talk about the work and the inspiration behind funding NYC community non-profits. 

They jump from Black Panthers to Frederick Douglass; acknowledging the importance of grassroots leaders willing to buck traditional philanthropy and the corrosive power dynamics that traditionally dominate it.

In this final installment with guest Jennifer Ching, Executive Director of North Star Fund, Hanna G plumbs the issue of “what keeps us up at night” touching on financial insecurity, privilege, apocalypse, social media echo chambers, and the world we leave our kids.

Today’s generation is undoubtedly hurting. Pain, we learn is unfortunate, but is the motivator that pushes our lives towards urgency and purpose and real change.

In this episode of SpeakVolumes, we introduce you to the charming, charismatic and exceptionally talented Ty Jones, Producing and Artistic Director of the Classical Theater of Harlem.

In this opening episode, Ty and Hanna discuss discovering their blackness, poverty, different regional flavors of racism, seeing KKK signs and being kids of divorce.

This is a journey of childhood that took him from East NY to trailer parks in Missouri, Germany, St. Louis and Delaware only to come back to his roots, settling in Harlem. While sharing memories of playing in the ’hood, code-switching, and treasuring banana seat bicycles, Ty and Hanna explore how one can find an unlikely passion in theater and turn that into community activism.

In this episode of SpeakVolumes, we continue the conversation with Ty Jones, Producing and Artistic Director of the Classical Theater of Harlem and leading actor in the TV series, “Power”.

Here, Hanna G and Ty take on the ironic concept of “black excellence” and the power of language to define the edges of racism.

They discuss Martin and Malcolm, Nate Turner and ultimately choosing the long game to drive change. Using Shakespeare and Dickens to demonstrate that we are all more similar than we are different; Ty focuses on the message that what makes art powerfully universal is when it is made authentic and relatable to all communities: Choice is key.

In this episode of SpeakVolumes, we wrap up the conversation with Ty Jones, Producing and Artistic Director of the Classical Theater of Harlem.

Hanna G and Ty talk about the financial struggles that non-profits and arts organizations, in particular, face. Their convo weaves through the intricate relationships between the limousine liberals, local politics, gentrification, racism, immigration, historically black colleges and cultural heritage and creating a powerful black middle class in America.

Host Hanna Gebremedhin and her business partner Lisa Shalett have launched Speak Volumes to bring conversations about non-profit innovation to the next generation of social justice warriors, advocates, and artists.