Positively Gotham Gal

Sharleen Ernster is the founder and CEO of We Are HAH, a company pioneering sustainable fashion in intimate apparel and redefining sexy for a new generation of women.I sat down with Sharleen in the pre-covid days and we talked about her many years of experience as a fashion executive, and the reasons that led her to launch her own company. A couple weeks after, our reality as we know it completely changed. So, we decided to revisit our conversation, and talk about how the pandemic has impacted her life & business.

Debbie Berebichez is a physicist and data scientist who dedicates her life to fostering women’s careers in STEM. Debbie and I got together over zoom to talk about her journey and her experience as a woman in one of the most male-dominated fields of academia.

Alicia Glen is the Founder & Managing Principal at MSquared, a nationwide real estate development and investment platform building the next generation of mixed-use, mixed-income projects in rapidly evolving cities. Alicia is a nationally recognized expert in urban development, infrastructure finance, job creation and housing policy. She’s worked both in the public and private sectors creating and implementing innovative solutions to enable cities to evolve and grow equitably. Alicia and I got together over zoom to talk about the role of cities, and about how to rebuild cities in a post covid world.

Stephanie Caudle is the owner and founder of Black Girl Group, an online freelance marketplace that connects African American women freelance creatives to companies seeking to market and advertise to African American consumers. Stephanie and I got together over zoom to talk all about how her company came to be, and about the future of freelance in a post-covid world.

Amanda Schutzbank and Deborah Benton are the team behind Willow Growth Partners -- Willow provides early growth capital to entrepreneurs building transformative consumer brands and the disruptive technologies that power them. I sat down with Amanda and Deborah pre-COVID and we talked all about the future of consumer brands, investments from the entrepreneurial perspective, and the thesis that brought them together.

Alexandria Lafci is the co-Founder and COO of New Story – an innovative nonprofit that builds inclusive social housing developments for families living in extreme poverty. Alexandria and I sat down pre-corona virus to talk about the incredible inspiration behind her life’s work, and what we believe housing can do to change the future. Thank you to Alexandria for joining me on Positively Gotham Gal. If you’d like to learn more about her organization, you can visit newstorycharity.org

This week, I got together with Kathleen Stetson, CEO and coach, to talk over Zoom about stress. Stress is a big part of every entrepreneur’s life, and even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. Kathleen and I chatted about her history with a failed startup, and how that informed her current views on work, entrepreneurship, and mindfulness.

In this current moment, with the COVID-19 pandemic taking over everything in our lives, the one thing at the top of everyone’s mind seems to be food. I sat down to talk about this major topic with my good friend Dana Cowin, an editor, author and radio show host, best known for her two decades as the Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine. Dana and I met over zoom to discuss food in the age of coronavirus, what’s changed, what’s remained, and what we see happening in the future.

Susan Feldman is the co-founder and visionary behind One Kings Lane, and the Founder & CEO of In The Groove. Susan and I sat down for my very first video-recorded podcast to talk all about aging, and the effects it does and doesn't have on us as women and entrepreneurs. To check out the video of our conversation, head on over to my YouTube channel, Positively Gotham Gal Podcast.

Rachelle Hruska is the co-founder and CEO of Guest of a Guest and Lingua Franca. Rachelle and I sat down to talk about her path from growing up in Nebraska to being a New York City entrepreneur of two companies, and all the complications in between.

Jacquelyn De Jesu is the Founder, CEO, and Inventor of SHHHOWERCAP -- a company that has turned the simple shower cap into a design-oriented, reusable, and chic item for everyday use. Jacquelyn and I sat down to talk about her inspiration for SHHHOWERCAP, and how she went about making her idea a reality.

Anna Lindow is the Co-Founder and CEO of Brave Health -- a tele-health company on a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable care for mental health and addiction across the United States. Anna and I sat down to talk about what inspired her to focus on mental health and addiction work, and what she sees for the future of her field.

Camilla Marcus is the founder of west~bourne cafe in New York City and the co-founder of TechTable, a hospitality technology thought leadership platform. Camilla and I sat down to talk about her journey into the intersection of food and technology, and the exciting new partnership she’s created to bring childcare to her employees. Thank you Camilla for joining me on Positively Gotham Gal this week. I highly recommend you stop by west~bourne cafe in New York City, www.westbourne.com. You can also learn more about TechTable by visiting www.techtablesummit.com.

Jeanne Pinder is founder and CEO of ClearHealthCosts, which brings transparency to the healthcare marketplace by telling people what stuff costs. ClearHealthCosts partners with media and other groups to discover and reveal prices for healthcare while supplying inspiration for healthcare related journalism. Jeanne and I sat down to discuss the inspiration behind her company, and what she sees for the future of healthcare.

Julie Samuels is the executive director of Tech:NYC. Tech:NYC represents New York's fast-growing, entrepreneurial high-tech industry with government, civic institutions, in business and public policy forums, and with the media. Julie and I sat down this week to talk about the work she does with Tech:NYC, and the future of tech in our city and beyond.