The Human Experience

Susan's father was a pilot in World War II for the United States of America. While serving in France, his plan was shot down. Thus began a stranger than fiction story that impacted not only him, but the generations that have come after him.

Stories like Susan's are fascinating. The story itself is quite incredible, but I think what's more is how important our legacies are to those around us, and how sacred it is to preserve them.

📍 This episode was recorded in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

When she graduated high school, Kristen was set on going to university to eventually have a career in architecture. After a slight shift in her major, and a major left turn in her life, Kristen is now a global gender equity specialist. Her two years volunteering with the Peace Corps in Ghana, as well as the many other places she has traveled and worked since then, have made her a powerful ally for women worldwide, and an expert in her field.

📍 This episode was recorded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Kristen's Website & Socials

Kristen's Bio:

Kristen M. Vogel, M.A. (Yogini A.) (she/they) is a cross-sectoral cultural consultant and a global gender equity specialist. A global citizen with nearly a decade of professional experience in diverse cultures, Kristen is an advocate for equitable policy and women’s representation and voice. A transnational feminist anthropologist, she values diverse perspectives in/on leadership and recognizes indigenous matriarchies as valuable models for the achievement of gender parity at all levels of decision-making (UN SDG 5.5). Having worked across local governments, nonprofits/ NGOs, social enterprises, and civil society and multilateral organizations in Ghana, Costa Rica, India, and the U.S., she quickly adapts to new languages and cultures. As a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, Kristen creatively implemented equitable policy across sectors through national legislative research and network building for pay equity, the creation of scalable culture-centered operations models for racial and socio-economic equity, data visualization for transparent budgeting, and implementation of strategic City procurement processes for innovation equity. Kristen is currently a Public Policy Advocate with Black Women’s Policy Center, while seeking a full-time position to further her career in the pursuit of gender equity.

Kristen is also a yoga student/teacher, horseback riding teacher/ trail guide/ wrangler, barista and an aspiring social entrepreneur, among other things.

The content of this podcast is Kristen’s alone and does not reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corp, or the Ghanaian Government

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Part 2 of Ro & Bree's Story finds them facing down a global pandemic having both lost their jobs, with a baby at home. It was their dream or die moment, and they chose to dream.

To hear Ro & Bree explain it, this was always inside of them. Love The People has always been their heart. It's more than a company, it's a movement. One as radical as it is simple - love people well.

📍 This episode was recorded in Toledo, Ohio.

Ro & Bree have offered listeners of The Human Experience 20% off their purchase! If you visit their site and use the code THEHXPOD20

PLUS, 10% of every order goes directly World Central Kitchen.

Check out Love The People

Visit their Shop

Follow on Instagram & Facebook

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Ro & Bree are the ultimate husband and wife duo - raising a family and building their business together. Their love for each other, and for people in general, is inspiring.

After years of walking together through incredibly difficult, and mysterious, health issues, they came out on the other side wanting to leave a positive and lasting impact on the world. They know what it means to live as though you haven't got much time left, and they've dedicated their lives to one of the only things you can leave behind - love.

📍 This episode was recorded in Toledo, Ohio.

Ro & Bree have offered listeners of The Human Experience 20% off their purchase! If you visit their site and use the code THEHXPOD20

PLUS, 10% of every order goes directly World Central Kitchen.

Check out Love The People

Visit their Shop

Follow on Instagram & Facebook

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Winnie grew up enjoying the simplicity of farm life in rural Kenya; not one for the business of the city, she found her peace among the crops at her grandmother's farm. As an adult, though, Winnie traded the serene country life for one of turmoil; but it is within that life that she found her center.

Kakuma and Dadaab are two of the largest refugee camps in Kenya. In fact, Dadaab used to be the largest camp in the world. As a humanitarian aid worker in the camps, you live alongside those displaced and disavowed. Winnie's experience working in the camps are what she carries closest to her heart, they fuel her desire for justice and restoration.

At the time of the recording, Winnie was the Program Director for Neema, a nonprofit dedicated to the holistic thriving of young, vulnerable women in western Kenya. You can read more about Neema here.

Winnie is also a published author. While she dreams of publishing her novel one day, she contributed to a collection of short stories called Nairobi Noir. You can purchase Nairobi Noir here or wherever books are sold.

📍 This episode was recorded in Kitale, Kenya.

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Eric is bi-racial; his mom is white and his dad is black. His experience of being bi-racial is not one we often hear when talking about social complexities, but it's important nonetheless.

Eric is a counselor by trade, a job that seems to suit him well as he is able to access and express his emotions freely, a skill that not everyone has honed. His yearning for both justice and compassion are a well established tension, a tightrope, that he walks determinedly in his pursuit of understanding.

📍 This episode was recorded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Hannah is the co-founder of a drop-in center in Columbus, OH called Sanctuary Night. Serving vulnerable women on the streets, Sanctuary Night meets the practical needs that we often take for granted, while also offering a space free of judgement or shame for women to find refuge and rest.

Having experienced her own trauma early on in life, Hannah's learned capacity for compassion and grace have allowed her to champion others in pursuit of justice, love, and mercy.

📍 This episode was recorded in Toledo, Ohio.

Visit Sanctuary Night's Website

Follow Sanctuary Night on Instagram

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Irine's joy is contagious. She is exactly the type of person that lights up a room. But that doesn't mean that her life has been easy; on the contrary, Irine has had to fight against social and familial norms to get to where she is today. And she is helping other young women get there too.

📍 This episode was recorded in Kitale, Kenya.

Learn more about Neema

Learn more about Neema's capital campaign - Securing Her Future

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

In the beginning of 2022, Tyler was on top of the world; he loved his life, he loved where he lived, and he knew that he had no definite plans for the future - just the way he preferred it. But just a few short months later, so much of that would change.

Tyler's story offers a unique perspective - being the partner of someone that is dealing with a serious mental health condition.

Mental health is a topic that should be handled with care and respect. It is for that reason that we have focused mainly on Tyler's perspective during this story. Additionally, names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.

📍 This episode was recorded in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, murder, and suicide.

Shelly Edwards Jorgensen is the author of Beautiful Ashes, a memoir about her life growing up in a domestic violence household and the permanent consequences it can have on your life.

Shelly's father murdered her mother when Shelly was 15. It was both a shock and something that she had been waiting to happen. Shelly's story of growth and perseverance is hard-won. Her strength, wisdom, and humility are to be admired.

📍 This episode was recorded in Detroit, Michigan.

Shelly's Website | Shelly's Facebook | Shelly's Instagram

Buy Shelly's Book on Amazon or wherever books are sold online.

_______________________

The Human Experience Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

The Human Experience Legacies | Instagram

Connect with Jennifer on Substack | LinkedIn

Support the Podcast