Danny Báez immigrated at 20 from the Dominican Republic to the US and worked for one week in a factory before realizing he had to find another route. Odd jobs paid the bills the next 5 years, until serendipity changed the entire trajectory of his life. A friend who worked for renowned Thai artist, Rirkrit Tiravanija, needed help for a 3-day gig. Danny showed up and worked hard, doing whatever was asked with a smile. On the second day, Rirkrit approached Danny and asked him what his dreams were. The rest is history. That gig lasted 3 years, followed by 7 years assisting legendary gallerist, Gavin Brown. Danny then launched out on his own. Co-Founder of the iconic collective, ARTNOIR. Co-Founder of MECA International Art Fair in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founder,  REGULAR NORMAL Gallery, Danny Baez is a regular and normal guy based in New York City. He firmly believes in the power of building upon community and has organized various exhibitions in New York since 2010, proving that love, hard work, passion ... and a little bit of "fake it till you make it" go a long way! 

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We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

“This kid was a bit of a unicorn … very much a life force. He  had this big energy, super kind, great humor ... this kid was loved ... when you met Sam, you didn’t forget it, even if you met him for only five minutes on a chairlift," says Ron Jackenthal of his son Sam. Ron left a very successful career as a senior telecom executive to found the Live Like Sam Foundation two years ago to honor Sam, a U.S. Junior National Freestyle Ski Champion who died in 2015 at 16 from a ski training accident in Australia. "So, my Swan Dive was leaving my high paid corporate tech career to follow my heart and start our nonprofit about 2 1/2 years ago,” says Ron. Live Like Sam supports youth from diverse backgrounds to develop a healthy sense of self-identity, character, purpose and connection to community by fostering positive well-being through educational programming and mental fitness initiatives. Swan Dive is deeply honored to share Ron's incredibly uplifting story, a glowing example of using darkness to find the light. And a glimpse into how we can assist today's youth through the many difficult psychological challenges they face in today's brutal world. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Christa Niven and her Journey Schools have made vast strides in creating a utopian template for learning, focusing as much on emotional intelligence as academic excellence. She began her career in education at the Institute of Child Development researching infancy, risk and resiliency in early childhood. She then directed a program supporting homeless teen parents and their children living in shelters. With a B.S. in Child Psychology and Masters in Education, Christa founded a school serving chemically dependent youth and their children, working in that space for ten years while also serving as a therapeutic foster parent. In 2005, Christa founded her first of several preschools based on Reggio-Emilia, Conscious Discipline, natural play, assessment and observation and natural foods. These schools were consistently voted the best in their areas and Christa was nominated Director of the Year in 2012 and 2016. In 2017, Christa created the Journey School Development Group and launched the first franchises in the Journey School brand in various US cities. She also relocated to Costa Rica, were she opened the Journey School of Costa Rica, the first birth-12 grade school in the Journey family of schools (Swan Dive host Stuart Sheldon's children are both students). Married for nearly 30 years, Christa and Jim are proud parents of five children and the frequent foster parent to 13-17-year-olds coming to them through foster care, private and therapeutic placements.

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

“I think of myself as a real-life advocate who argues in the court of public opinion rather than a courtroom.," says Sue Ariza, an Argentinian-Dominican Human Rights expert and producer based in New York City. With a BA in political science and law from the University of  Zurich and an MA in International Law, Sue began her career as an international lawyer before pivoting to social justice PR. "The common thread is changing the world,” she says. Sue is currently working as a communications strategist at The No. 29 Communications and has worked with TED, Pineapple Street Studios, For Freedoms, In Plain Sight and The Wide Awakes. She most recently co-produced season 2 of Poetry Unbound by On Being Studios. In her magnificent personal mission statement, Sue declares, "I am part of a forward-thinking movement that demonstrates that to advance justice, human rights, and environmentalism we do not need to sacrifice the art of design and aesthetics but rather the opposite." https://instagram.com/s_ariza?igshid=yhojkm6d2k2r

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Tanya Selvaratnam’s new book, Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence, speaks truth to power by exploring her journey through an abusive relationship with the very powerful politician, former NY Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, who was forced to resign based on Tanya's revelations. Covered extensively in Time Magazine, The New Yorker and beyond, Tanya's narrative has created profound conversations about violence against women and the next phase of the #MeToo movement. Tanya is a writer, artist, and Emmy-nominated and multiple Webby-winning producer with more than twenty-five years of experience in the arts & social justice. Selvaratnam’s producing range includes films, branded content, live events, large-scale convenings, and exhibitions. Her films have played on HBO, PBS, Showtime, Vice, the Sundance Channel and more. Born in Sri Lanka and raised in the States, she is a cofounder w the artist Laurie Anderson and the producer Laura Michalchyshyn, of The Federation: a coalition of artists, organizations, and allies committed to keeping cultural borders open and showing how art unites us. She has also been an advisor and producer for For Freedoms. “My Swan Dive was writing this book, because it helped me write my way out of the darkness which I found myself in after I had come forward against the former New York State Attorney General in 2018. And, I was inspired to write the book because I had so many people reaching out to me sharing their own stories of intimate violence, and I decided I would write this book for them and also for the millions of people that experience it ... to take the reader along my journey from victim to survivor and thriver and, hopefully, help others find their light.” says Tanya.

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Laetitia Deweer is the founder and development director of CEPIA (Culture, Education and Psychology for Infants and Adolescents), an internationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit that serves over 1000 at-risk children, teenagers, their families and adults in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. CEPIA provides a wide array of education programs, psychological, legal and medical care as well as recreational activities, sports and arts and has been instrumental in feeding, clothing and providing mental health care to many who lost jobs and suffered hunger during the pandemic. In recognition of her decades of extraordinary work in rural Central America, The Aspen Institute invited Laetitia to be a fellow of its Central America Leadership Initiative. Each July, she joins hundreds of the world's leading thinkers to brainstorm ways to solve the world's most pressing crises. Born in Belgium, Laetitia speaks  Spanish, English, French and Dutch and participated in social projects in Guatemala and Mexico as a university student. At 23, she moved to Costa Rica, deeply immersing herself as a volunteer with PANI (government child protection agency in Costa Rica). Ever since, she has dedicated her life to solving the problems of extreme poverty and human distress. With a Masters in Clinical Psychology and Educational Sciences with emphasis on Family Education, Laetitia also works with trauma patients as a private EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), transpersonal psychotherapist, and transformational breath work facilitator. To balance the intensity of her work life, she loves surfing, yoga and meditation. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

As a mother of two bright and healthy children, writer and professor, Sarah Clarke Stuart, never imagined she’d hear the words, “your child will either end up in prison or dead” from the ravages of drug addiction. It's a trauma no parent can ever prepare for, yet she and her young adult daughter have faced the fire together for 5 yrs now, and “today is a good day,” Sarah tells us. Sarah currently teaches English at Florida State College. Her non-fiction books underscore Sarah’s passion for storytelling, fantasy and metaphor, both on screen and on the page: "Literary Lost: Viewing Television Through the Lens of Literature" and "Into the Looking Glass: Exploring the Worlds of Fringe." A freelance writer for local and regional publications, Sarah is preparing for a TEDx talk on her journey w her daughter's addiction and working on her first novel, a story she says could not have been written without the life-changing experience of the past 5 yrs. Listen at Swan Dive or wherever you podcast. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Joshua Deitch changed the game in residential real estate in tony Marin County, CA, setting sales records and amassing a legion of ecstatic clients. Josh started as a professional basketball player in Israel and brings an athlete’s passion and competitive spirit to work each day, setting him apart in what can be a cookie-cutter profession. He then built a thriving, decade-long career as a successful Bay Area chiropractor, delivering care with bedside charm. After enjoying the renovation of several Mill Valley homes for himself, Josh decided to turn his avocation to his vocation. He left his successful chiropractor gig to focus on luxury real estate full-time. From day 1, he did things differently, trusting his aesthetic intuition and strategically spending money to make money. Each property is staged and presented in all its potential glory. The results speak for themselves: countless 7-figure transactions and multiple awards. During his time as a pro basketball player, all Josh wanted was to play the game—inside, outside, it didn't matter. It was about hustle and excitement. He brings that same intensity to real estate. It’s more than just his career: it's his hobby and his passion!

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

In the late 70s, Scot Nicol, was a young hippie living on the coast in Mendocino County (CA), when an article appeared about this new “Clunker Bike” movement happening in Marin County, CA and Crested Butte. A handful of guys were essentially retrofitting old Scwhinn bikes to ride on the dirt. Scot reached out to these kindred spirits (now cycling legends: Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly among others) and, basically, they collectively invented what we now know as mountain bikes. It will be 40 years ago this April Fools day that Scot, AKA Chuck Ibis, launched IbisCycles.com with­out mon­ey or a plan. Today, his bikes are considered some of the most sophisticated and coveted ever built, with a waiting list over a year long. Nicol always found a way to turn bikes into art, pioneering a “function follows form” philosophy that has made believers out of everyone lucky enough to ride one of his creations. Inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, and beloved worldwide in the passionate world of riding, Scot still rides every day and defines the idea of turning avocation into vocation. He also happens to be one of Swan Dive's host, Stuart Sheldon's dear friends and favorite people on the planet.

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

In 1960, Rodney Lawrence Hurst, Sr., the 16-yr-old president of his local NAACP Youth Council, led a sit-in at a local segregated lunch counter. All this young black leader desired was basic respect and dignity. In no time, a mob of 200 angry whites showed up with axe handles, spitting and shouting epithets, in what came to be infamously known as "Axe Handle Saturday." Sixty years later, this Southern gentleman is still fighting for fairness and speaking truth to power. “When I interact with whites, I say to them, ‘When you come into my community, I don’t want you coming into my community being as black as me. You don’t understand my problems. You don’t understand the circumstances of living in a black life. You have not walked a mile in my shoes. And, I’m not gonna hold that against you. All I’m asking you to do when you come into my community, when we have conversations ... all I ask you to do is to listen to what I say and be fair. Don’t don’t try to be an expert on me,'” says Hurst, author of three award-winning books on black history--It was never about a hot dog and a Coke®! A personal account of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations in Jacksonville, Florida, and Ax Handle Saturday, Unless WE Tell It…It Never Gets Told! and Never Forget Who You Are: Conversations about Racism and Identity Development, which he co-authored with Dr. Rudy F. Jamison Jr.  

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]