Tell Me About X

In this episode X speaks with Daniel Fabelo and Diana Guizado.

Daniel (he/him) is a Latino filmmaker originally from Austin, Texas. He is the son of Cuban and Puerto Rican parents. He graduated from UT Austin with a degree in Radio-TV-Film and, for a time, was a writer/director for online powerhouse Rooster Teeth. There, he directed numerous web series, documentaries and the sci-fi feature, Lazer Team 2. His latest short film, El Gato Feo, is a historical drama about the women who fought in the Mexican Revolution. It premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival and has gone on to play numerous others including the New York Latino Film Festival and Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival.

Born and raised in Mexico, Diana Patricia Guizado (she/her) received a degree in Theatre and Dance from UT Austin. An actor, singer, writer and producer, she seeks to develop work that is inclusive, and that explores untold and relevant stories of Latinas. She was a fellow for: the UT Urban Research Program in LA led by Dr. Omi Osun L. Jones and playwright Sharon Bridgforth, and the New South Young Playwrights Festival in Atlanta. She also studied Writing for TV & Film at the Wofford Denius UTLA Center and at CASAZUL in Mexico City. In 2021 she co-produced the short film "El Gato Feo" written and directed by Daniel Fabelo. She has also worked for different film festivals and community organizations. Since 2020, she's been pursuing creative projects both in Mexico and the US.

Connect with Daniel and Diana: 

• El Gato Feo's Website: https://www.elgatofeomovie.com 
• El Gato Feo's IG: @elgatofeomovie
• Daniel's IG: @dfabelo
• Diana's IG: @diana.guizado
• Diana's website: https://www.dianapatriciaguizado.com 

In this episode X speaks with Polet Guzmán. Polet (she/her) hails from the town of Río Grande, Puerto Rico, where her artistic journey began to take shape.
During her college years, Polet established her own brand, Muza, initially as a
modest collection of screen-printed t-shirts. Over time, Muza flourished into a
sustainable clothing brand, earning placement in five stores across Miami and
Puerto Rico. In 2013, Polet graduated with a BFA in Painting from the esteemed
School of Fine Arts of Puerto Rico before embarking on a new chapter in New
York.

Upon arriving in the city, Polet founded Casa Muza, a dynamic space in Lower East
Side NY. It quickly transformed into a beloved concept store and studio in
Williamsburg, championing Latinx brands and empowering the local Hispanic
community, especially in the southern sector, known as “Los Sures.” Casa Muza
has garnered attention from broadcast networks and collaborated with influential
figures like Ile and Alvaro Diaz.

Connect with Polet: 

• Casa Muza IG: @casamuza
• Polet IG: @polet_muza
• Casa Muza Website: https://www.casamuza.com/ 
• Casa Muza Links: https://msha.ke/casamuza 

Note about the episode: I wanted to note that throughout the episode my audio is a little funky but the good news is, you can hear Polet's audio! Apologies for the wonky audio on my end. :) 

In this episode X speaks with Hannah Bae. Halmi (a loving nickname for “grandma” in Korean) is a brand of light sparkling beverages inspired by traditional Korean flavors, and made with real fruits and spices. Halmi was founded by Hannah Bae (she/her), a NY native and daughter of Korean immigrants. She began brewing traditional Korean drinks that have been heralded for their digestive qualities, based on memories of her family’s recipes. Crafting these beverages is a way to honor our roots, strengthen ancestral connections and celebrate our hyphenated identities with something unique, refreshing, and with better-for-you ingredients.

Connect with Hannah: 

• IG: @drinkhalmi
• Website: https://drinkhalmi.com/ 

In this episode X speaks with Joey Montoya. Joey Montoya (Lipan Apache) (he/him) is a multimedia artist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur whose work is aimed at increasing the visibility of Indigenous peoples. He is the Founder and CEO of Urban Native Era, a fashion brand aimed at creating Indigenous visibility through fashion and design. He is from San Francisco, California and holds a degree in advertising from San Jose State University.

Connect with Joey

• IG: @joeyymmontoya
• Urban Native Era IG: @urbannativeera
• Urban Native Era Website: https://urbannativeera.com/ 

As a note to our listeners, we had some audio and WiFi connection hiccups here. Please show some grace as we moved through the conversation. :) 

In this episode X speaks with Andrea Camacho McCracken. Andrea Camacho McCracken (she/her) is a first generation, Mexican-American writer and director, based in LA and Arizona. Her work uses genre to reimagine underrepresented stories, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and the complexities of the American Dream. With a strong passion for breaking stereotypes and promoting inclusivity, Andrea is dedicated to bringing vibrant stories and diverse perspectives to the forefront of cinema. She strives to create thought-provoking narratives that authentically represent her community both behind and in front of the camera.

Andrea has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work. She was awarded "Best Female Director" at the Georgia Latino International Film Festival for her short film IN WONDERLAND. The same film is currently nominated for the "Narrative Student Shorts Jury Award" at the 30th Austin Film Festival.

She earned an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory and was selected as an AFI Awards Audi Scholar. Additionally, she received scholarships such as the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation Scholarship, the Irwin & Sheila Allen Endows Scholarship, and the Dr. David M Milch Scholarship.

Her films have been selected for various film festivals, including the Austin Film Festival, New York Latino International Film Festival, Georgia Latino International Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, and the Chicago Children's International Film Festival.

Currently, Andrea is developing her narrative feature film, IN WONDERLAND, based on the short film she wrote and directed in 2022.

Connect with Andrea:  

• IG: @uhhndrea
• In Wonderland IG: @inwonderlandthefilm
• Website: https://www.iamandrea.io/ 

In this episode X speaks with Giuseppe Lanzone. As a two-time Olympic rower for Team USA, Giuseppe Lanzone (he/him) is the driving force on the business side to match his brother, Mario’s prowess in the kitchen. The brothers were born and raised off the coast of Lima, Perú, in a close-knit community of “La Punta” where family and the ocean reigned. The only time they didn’t spend in the ocean was spent feasting on fresh fruits, vegetables and meats prepared by loving hands. When developing Peruvian Brothers, Giuseppe and Mario wanted to give Washington D.C. not only delicious Peruvian ingredients and flavors, but also a piece of their unique heritage. 

For the last 16 years, Giuseppe Lanzone has been training & coaching all over the world and competing in a series of national & international regattas.In 2010, Lanzone was named the 2010 USRowing Male Athlete of the Year and as a part-time Wilhelmina model, was selected as brand ambassador for Ralph Lauren at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. As the Varsity Coach for Men's Lightweight Rowing at Georgetown University from 2013-2016, Giuseppe coached a quad to win Georgetown's first National Championship in the sport. At the same time, he founded a fast growing food enterprise called Peruvian Brothers catering company, featuring three food trucks and concession stands all across the Washington DC metro area. Lanzone also provides private personal training, private instruction and coaching, international scouting and talent recruitment, as well as CrossFit Master Classes from his extensive rowing expertise. 

Connect with Giuseppe

• Peruvian Brothers: 
  • IG @peruvianbrothers
  • Website: https://www.peruvianbrothers.com/ 
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peruvian-brothers/ 
  • FB: https://www.facebook.com/peruvianbrothers/ 
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@peruvianbrothers3550/videos 
• Website:
  •  https://www.giuseppelanzone.com/ 

In this episode X speaks with Jenny Xie. Jenny Xie (she/her) is the author of Holding Pattern (Riverhead Books), a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. Her short fiction has appeared in AGNI, Ninth Letter, Joyland, Adroit Journal, Narrative, The Offing, and the Best of the Net Anthology, among other publications. Her writing on design, travel, and culture has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, Them, and Dwell, where she was previously the Executive Editor. Jenny holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University, and is the grateful recipient of fellowships from Bread Loaf, MacDowell, Yaddo, Kundiman, Aspen Words, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Loghaven, and other organizations. Born in Shanghai and hailing from California, she’s currently based in Brooklyn, New York.  

Connect with Jenny 

• IG: @jxie03 
• X: @msjennyxie

In this episode X speaks with Erica Stanley-Dottin. Born and raised in Brooklyn NYC, Erica (she/her) is a mom of two boys, a producer and 10-time marathoner! Erica is also co-captain of running crew Black Roses NYC, founded and coached by Knox Robinson. Over the past 4 years of her marathon journey, she's learned mostly from group training that marathoning is a lifestyle and goes hand in hand with a mindfulness practice, community connection and being open to new ideas and experiences. On September 25th 2022, with  a time of 2:52 at the Berlin Marathon, she became the 25th Black American-born woman to run a sub-3 hour marathon. Erica works for Boston based, running apparel brand Tracksmith where she manages the NYC marketing programs, events and community initiatives. 

Connect with Erica: 

• IG: @estanleydott
• Linktree:
  linktr.ee/ericastanley_dottin 
• Black Roses NYC IG: @blackrosesnyc

In this episode X speaks with Kirsten Liu-Wong. Born and raised in San Francisco, Kristen Liu-Wong (she/her) attended Pratt Institute where she graduated with a BFA in Illustration. She has shown extensively in numerous galleries both domestically and abroad and in addition to her gallery practice, she has worked with an extensive range of clients on projects ranging from murals to editorial illustrations to clothing lines. Kristen now lives and works in Los Angeles. 

Kristen’s work blends everyday occurrences from her life with abstracted nightmares and crude humor. Trained as an illustrator, she tries to tell a story with every piece she makes, developing a personal and slightly sinister narrative within each painting. Using vibrant colors, heavy patterning, and tight compositions, the work draws inspiration from a variety of sources including but not limited to American folk art, the cartoons she watched as a kid, Shunga, and her appreciation for architecture. She is always striving to make work that is highly personal but altered enough to allow individual interpretations to be applied to every story she paints.

Connect with Kristen 

• IG: @kliuwong
• Website: www.kristenliuart.com 

In this episode X speaks with Ari Luna. Ari Luna (she/her) is an Afro-Latinx trans woman born and raised in Central Texas. She has almost ten years of non-profit administration experience, focusing on radical approaches to People focused work. Since settling in Austin, she has been engaged with various movement spaces and autonomous projects focused on Black liberation, health equity, and trans autonomy. By day she’s excited to support Trans Lifeline’s mission, vision, and staff as the Director of People & Culture and supports local and remote organizations through consultation. By night she’s a comedian, hanging with friends and/or eating delicious hot chips.

Connect with Ari 

• IG: @dangerduna
• TransLifeline website: https://translifeline.org/ 

Resources 

• IG: @thenapministry
• Organization: Mama Sana Vibrant Woman
• Book: Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• Book: Afropessimism by Frank B. Wilderson lll