Teen G.E.N. Talks

In this weeks episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Cindy Whitehead! Cindy is an American professional skateboarder, writer, and activist. At fifteen years old, she was the first girl to have a 2-page article and centerfold in a skateboarding magazine, where she spoke out about the impact of being one of the only females in the male-dominated sport. Cindy was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2016 by legendary rocker Joan Jett. Cindy is the author of four books and is the founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word, a multi-platform movement that supports and encourages girls and womxn to skateboard.

In this weeks episode, hosts Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Tracy Badua! Tracy is a Filipino American author of books about young people with sunny hearts in a sometimes stormy world. By day, she is an attorney who works in national housing policy and programs, and by night, she squeezes in writing, family and pup time, and bites of her secret candy stash. We hope you enjoy the interview!

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview two special guests Celine,and Gia. They are the co-founders of the future-focused agency NinetyEight. All born in the year 1998 (hence the name!)co-founders Celine Chai, and Gia Lee, along with Bryant Lin started NinetyEight shortly after graduating from Loyola Marymount University in May 2020. NinetyEight creates collaborative relationships between Gen-Zs and brands – driving our generation's voice to the forefront of digital marketing. As a company rooted in innovation, impact, diversity, and community, NinetyEight strives to create a new generation of respectable yet resonant brands that work for consumers first. Their  small but mighty team is driven by the hope of Gen-Z and is focused on bringing Gen-Z digital expertise to every brand that needs it. Today, NinetyEight works with clients across all industries including PepsiCo, Fabletics, Paul Frank and IMVU - finding new ways to foster authentic conversations between brands and Gen-Z. 

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Crystal Maldonado! Crystal is a young adult author with a lot of feelings. Her debut novel, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, is a 2021 New England Book Award winner, a Cosmopolitan Best New Book, and a POPSUGAR Best New YA Novel. Her next novel, No Filter and Other Lies, explores teenage life in the social media age—and the lies we tell to ourselves and others. By day, Crystal works in higher ed marketing, and by night, a writer who loves Beyoncé, shopping, spending too much time on her phone, and being extra. Her work has also been published in Latina, BuzzFeed, and the Hartford Courant. She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Andrea Arango! Andrea was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She has an EdS in reading education, and works as a public school ESOL teacher by day and as a writer by night. Andrea balances her life in Virginia with trips home to see her family and eat lots of tostones de pana. When she’s not busy, you can always find her enjoying nature in the nearest forest or body of water. Iveliz Explains It All is her debut novel. 

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Shany Monroy, Latinx lifestyle and beauty influencer. Shany shares what influenced her to become an influencer and the growth she’s had in her social media and herself. Listen in to hear the balancing Shany’s had to learn for her personal and work life, how she is defining herself and her influencer brand, and the evolution of her style and content that now includes her husband.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Nathalia Segoviano, founder of Mom Money Boss. Nathalia describes the steps of how she navigated through credit card and student loan debt to become debt free with thousands of dollars in savings. Listen in to hear more on how her helping friends and family eventually grew to becoming a money coach as well as her journey through creating programs, helping others, and making her brand.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Duncan Tonatiuh, an award-winning author-illustrator. Duncan is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and graduated from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College in New York City. His artwork is inspired by Pre-Columbian art, particularly that of the Mixtec codices. His aim is to create images and stories that honor the past, but that are relevant to people, especially children, nowadays.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Molly Stevens, award-winning cookbook author and instructor, and recipe developer. Molly describes how the atmosphere and interactions at the dinner table with family,  friends, and neighbors influenced her to pursue cooking despite the difficulties that would come of studying abroad and the opposition her family had at the time. Listen in to hear her discovery of how food is a life, the influence her teachers and mentors had to have her pursue being and instructor herself, the challenges she pushed herself to overcome, the steps she took to become and author, and the origin of her podcast.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview special guest Adrianna Cuevas, author and former ESL teacher. Adrianna shares how her passion to become an author started in fourth grade due to her teacher, and the path it took for her to gain the courage to share her stories with the world. Listen in to hear how her experience as a teacher, family and culture influenced her stories and characters as an author.