Teen G.E.N. Talks

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Savannah, member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation, organizing manager of Illuminative, ex board member of the National Indian Association, and ex diversity-equity and inclusion consultant in New York City. Savannah shares how her desire to work in Indian Country and to help people influenced her determination to create change at a higher level as she navigated through college. Now she is a bridge between her community and for the advocacy that she is a part of.

Fun fact: Black Belt Eagle Scout is a group that Savannah enjoys to listen to.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Itzel, a freelance graphic designer and illustrator inspired by Mexican culture and is the founder of Yayitzel. Itzel shares how she was drawn to art with drawing when she was younger and how she found which art medium to pursue as she grew older. Listen in to hear more as Itzel shares her journey as a freelance artist, from her start as a freelancer to choosing to be full freelance and more!

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview educator & author Dawn Quigley! Dr. Dawn Quigley is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, ND,and  is an assistant professor at a Midwest university Education Department. She taught English and reading for 18+ years in the K-12 schools along with being an Indian Education program co-director. In addition to her debut coming-of-age Young Adult novel, Apple in the Middle (NDSU Press), “Joey Reads the Sky” in Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, the chapter book series Jo Jo Makoons: The Used to Be Best Friend (book #1), and Native American Heroes (Scholastic Books). Dawn has over 30 published articles, essays and poems. She lives in Minnesota with her family.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview founder and entrepreneur of Xolo Books Oriana Peñaranda! Oriana Peñaranda is the founder of  Xolo Books, an online bookstore that is dedicated to promoting stories written by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She is a proud Latina passionate about decolonized learning and finding a balance between activism and rest. When she’s not reading, Oriana is often out with her dog  or is enjoying a delicious meal.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Elsa Iris Reyes who is the proud daughter of Mexican-Immigrants and is currently on a journey to explore what it means to be Latino in the U.S. through her series of interviews on the podcast, "The Latinx Identity Project". Elsa was raised in Cicero, a working class suburb of Chicago, IL and had big dreams of traveling the world and building a successful career in Finance. In 2016, Elsa decided to pack up and leave the cold behind for a new life in Austin, TX where she now resides. Elsa hopes listeners of her podcast feel a sense of connection to her diverse guests that share their stories of hope, resilience, success, and resistance to lose what makes them unique.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Elsa Iris Reyes who is the proud daughter of Mexican-Immigrants and is currently on a journey to explore what it means to be Latino in the U.S. through her series of interviews on the podcast, "The Latinx Identity Project". Elsa was raised in Cicero, a working class suburb of Chicago, IL and had big dreams of traveling the world and building a successful career in Finance. In 2016, Elsa decided to pack up and leave the cold behind for a new life in Austin, TX where she now resides. Elsa hopes listeners of her podcast feel a sense of connection to her diverse guests that share their stories of hope, resilience, success, and resistance to lose what makes them unique.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Michelle Barrionueveo-Mazzini who is the small business owner of Casita Michi, a Latinx handmade candle shop. Michelle is a proud Latina and a California native who loves the ocean, riding her bike, spontaneous road trips, live music and spending time with her familia! She created her business as a way to share and celebrate her Latinx culture with anyone and everyone.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Yesenia Cisneros who is a veteran producer who has worked on multi-award-winning titles such as Batman: Arkham City, Minecraft, and Pokemon. She has always been passionate about creating a space and better representation for Latinx, and other marginalized communities in the gaming industry both on and off the screen. She currently works as a producer at Brass Lion Entertainment; a studio that focuses on creating original universes for Black, Brown and other marginalized characters, stories and cultures.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview Fernando Reyes, a multi-award game designer currently working with 343 Industries on the upcoming Halo Infinite, co-founder of Latin America Director for Latinx in Gaming. Fernando tells us his story of how his love video games sparked his interest in using video games as an art medium has gotten him to where he is in 343 Industries. Listen in to find out more on Fernando and a look into the video game industry.

In this week's episode, Melissa and Desiree interview game designer and podcast host John Diaz! John is a 1st generation Dominican-American with a B.S. in Game Design & Development from Full Sail University. John is a prominent industry figure who has contributed to the design of the most revered games of the last decade including Grand Theft Auto V & Red Dead Redemption which have combined to sell over 200 million copies worldwide. He has over 15 years of experience as a Game Designer for studios all across North America.