One in five people have a disability, some visible, others invisible. And many times people with disabilities are not portrayed realistically in films and in TV shows, thus adding to the public’s misperception of these individuals and what they are capable of accomplishing. Respect Ability is a nonprofit that fights stigmas and advances opportunities for people with all types of disabilities. Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is Respect Ability’s president and she talks with Woman Around Town Editor Charlene Giannetti about what the organization is doing in many different areas to promote understanding and acceptance for people with disabilities. Top photo: Bigstock

When Tessa Souter was 28 years-old, she discovered that her birth father was not white and Spanish, but black and from Trinidad. The 12 beautiful songs on her new album, Picture in Black and White, carry listeners along on Tessa’s heartfelt journey as she explores her identify and newfound relationships. Picture in Black and White was named a top ten Jazz Record of the Year by the London Sunday Times magazine. Tessa will perform on Wednesday, April 10, at Blues Alley in D.C., and on Friday, April 12, at Bar 55 in New York. Her five albums can be purchased on Amazon or from her website, www.tessasouter.com. Charlene Giannetti, Editor of Woman Around Town, talks with Tessa about her career and her new album before the jazz vocalist’s upcoming performances. The podcast includes some of Tessa’s music – an excerpt from the title song, and “Lonely Woman,”which Tessa discusses during the podcast. 

April is National Donate Life Month and two women are shining a spotlight on this critical issue. Heidi Evans, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who worked at the New York Daily News, is now executive director of LiveOnNY, a nonprofit committed to helping New York live on through organ and tissue donation. Georgette Kelly’s new play, I Carry Your Heart, about a relationship that develops between two families involved in organ donation, will have its New York premiere at 59E59 Theaters, running through April 14. Ten thousand New Yorkers need a life-saving transplant and, according to LiveOnNY, one organ donor can save up to eight lives. Woman Around Town Editor Charlene Giannetti talks with Heidi and Georgette about this important topic. 

Jaime Black’s The REDress Project, now on display at D.C.’s National Museum of the Amercian Indian, aims to raise awareness of missing indigenous women, not only in her native Canada, but in the U.S. The exhibition consists of numerous red dresses, a fraction of the more than 400 that Jaime has collected, that symbolize the plight of these women whose voices have been silenced through violence, discrimination, and indifference. Jaime is an emerging, metis multidisciplinary artist based in Winnipeg, Canada. She studied English Literature at the University of Manitoba and has an Education degree from The Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. She has long been involved in the Aboriginal writers and artists communities in Winnipeg.  She is particularly interested in feminism and Aboriginal social justice, and the possibilities for articulating linkages between and around these movements. Jaime talks about The REDress Project with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti.

In 2007, Lisa Lawler was struck with a thunderbolt when her husband confessed that he had embezzled money, a total of $2.5 million, from the company he once worked for. He had previously told her that he had been having an affair with one of her best friends. Lisa divorced her husband, but because she had signed their joint tax return, the IRS sent her a $384,000 bill for taxes, penalties, and interest. On top of all that came the social stigma. How could she not have know what her husband was doing? But Lisa is strong and a survivor. She set out, not only to help herself, but to help others with first a blog, then an online support group, and now a book, The White-Collar Wives Survival Guide. Lisa talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her journey and what led her to try to help other wives suffering her fate.  The website: The White-Collar Wives Project The book: The White-Collar Wives Survival Guide

Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most popular fictional detective. In addition to the many novels and short stories penned by his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in stage, film, and TV history, having appeared on stage and screen more than 250 times, according to Wikipedia. Actors who have played Holmes include Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Charlton Heston, Christopher Plummer, Roger Moore, Peter O’Toole, and more recently Benedict Cumberbatch in the British TV series Sherlock, and Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary on CBS. All these productions are made possible because there continues to be an audience for stories featuring Holmes. Laurie King and Leslie Klinger, best selling authors, have brought together a group of talented mystery writers in a new anthology: For the Sake of the Game: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon. The instructions given to the authors was straightforward: be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and go where your imagination takes you. This is the fourth anthology Laurie and Leslie have produced and we are excited to talk with Laurie about this new collection of stories featuring Holmes, Dr. Watson, and other Baker Street characters in original and [...]

Companies – large and small – are now shifting some of their promotion dollars to influencer campaigns, using social media to sell their goods. Often these campaigns rely on an individual to raise the profile of a product on Instagram, Facebook, or another online forum. Some of the most popular and effective influencers are celebrities like Kylie Jenner. But many non-celebrities with social media followings are becoming influencers, too. Todd Grossman is CEO of the Americas for international social listening and analytics company Talkwalker. Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti talks with Todd to get the inside scoop on influencer marketing. If you’ve ever thought about becoming an influencer, or using one for one of your company’s campaigns, you won’t want to miss this podcast. Top photo: Bigstock

Paula Vogel’s Indecent uses Klezmer, a form of Jewish folk music, and Yiddish song to enhance the story, transition scenes, and underscore dialogue. But more than that, the musicality provided throughout the story brings a more personal look at Jewish culture and the lives of each character. Indecent’s actors perform Vogel’s words while also playing popular Klezmer instruments like the violin, the clarinet, and the accordion. In the new production at DC’s Arena Stage, Maryn Shaw is one of the actors who performs as both an actor and a musician. She portrays the character of Friedman (among other roles) and has fifteen years of violin training. Maryn talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about her career and Arena Stage’s Indecent.

Jennifer Knowles from a very young age developed a passion for fine dining and wine. After majoring in chemistry at Syracuse University, she moved to San Francisco so she could take a course in oenology at UC Davis. Her career has been on an upward trajectory ever since. She’s worked with a who’s who of people in the wine and restaurant industry, and has passed, well not only passed, but in one case, crushed, some of the most difficult exams for a sommelier. After helping to open Requin at The Wharf on the waterfront in D.C., she was eventually named general manager and beverage director of Mirabelle, an elegant restaurant that is winning rave reviews. We’re excited to talk with Jennifer about her own career and what advice she would give other women who aspire to careers in the restaurant business. For more information, go to the website for Mirabelle. Top photo: Bigstock

The holiday season is upon us and while those celebrations bring joy to many, for others it’s a difficult time. An estimated three million adults experience seasonal depression every year in the U.S. due to circumstances such as the loss of loved ones, a lack of family connections, financial hardships, and many other factors.  Christianne Kernes is a marriage and family therapist and director of clinical services at HealthRIGHT 360, a non-profit for those seeking treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues. She is also the co-founder of LARKR, a mobile platform that lets users have video therapy sessions in real time with licensed and highly vetted therapists. She talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about seasonal depression, who’s at risk, and what can be done to help. For more information, go to the website for LARKR. Top photo: Bigstock