Fresh from the Hill: Inside Stories of Noteworthy Cornellians

Dana Lerner '14 is currently the co-producer of the revival of COMPANY. COMPANY was recently nominated for nine Tony Awards and won five, including best revival of a musical. As a producer, Dana was nominated and won best revival of a musical. Revisit this episode from 2019 to get an exclusive look behind the scenes of Broadway. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dana M. Lerner '14 is a Tony-nominated theater producer and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Red Pelican Creative, LLC a social media consulting and management agency providing strategic advice and management consulting on social media, brand enhancement and development primarily in the live entertainment space . In this episode of Fresh from the Hill, Dana sits down with host Aaron Kominos-Smith '04 to chat about what life as a theater major at Cornell was like, how to get into the business side of theater, how Hamilton is changing the game in ticketing and subscription models, what it takes to be a Broadway producer, and how she got involved with the Tony-nominated show Indecent. Also hear about the numerous ways Dana stays involved with Cornell in her very limited free time! Learn more about Dana and Red Pelican Creative at  https://officialdml.com/ and https://redpelicancreative.com/.  Read the episode transcript. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

101.3 WKZB is Fall Church's only radio station. On Interview Hour, hosts Lauren and Peter interview the fascinating residents of Falls Church. Interview Hour is a completely fictional, improvised podcast, performed by Lauren Morrell and Peter Narby. In "Prance Therapy" (original air date 4/11/21), Lauren Morrell interviews Falls Church's hand washing timer, and then a psychotherapist with a deeply emotional approach to his sessions. Cornell alumnus Peter Narby '12 co-created this podcast, alongside Lauren Morrell. Read the episode transcript. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

"Innovation and Insurance with Shruti Kothari," first aired November 8, 2021. Nakin Bhandari MHA '18, Freddy Terrazas Escamilla MHA '19, and Joseph De Los Santos MHA '19 sit down live in San Diego to bring in the sixth episode of BYOB: The Healthcare Podcast. The team speaks to Shruti Kothari on Innovation and Insurance, Shruti is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Blue Shield of California. Shruti shares a great perspective on what early careerists should think of when they are looking to pursue a new opportunity, start a new organization/company, and what she learned from working in the Venture Capital space. Additionally, Shruti shares how striking statistics in early seed funding compounded by events that affected the entire nation, moved her to elevate the voices of women of color and call attention to the staggeringly low number of executives who are women of color. Learn more about BYOB at their website. Read the episode transcript.  *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

"Why failing more should be your goal with Susan Danziger, Founder of Eutopia Holdings," first aired May 24, 2021.  Susan Danziger launched her first business to solve a problem, and hasn’t stopped since! From making books accessible on your commute to combating the climate crisis with Wally Farms, Susan is a serial Entreprenista and investor with a deep drive to positively impact her community. You’re about to hear the lessons she learned building her businesses, key tips for raising capital, and more. Check out the Entreprenista website for more episodes. Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Stephanie Cartin '06 & Courtney Spritzer.  *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

"Gwen Whiting of The Laundress – Innovation, Big Risks, and Thinking Outside the Box," first aired March 23, 2020. Success as an Entreprenista involves innovation, taking big risks, and thinking outside the box. In the case of Gwen Whiting '98, Founder of The Laundress, a successful line of eco-friendly laundry and home products, it’s all of these. Inspired with an idea while working in the fashion industry at Ralph Lauren and trying to maintain her wardrobe while using the local laundromat, Gwen teamed up with her friend who had a complimentary skillset to create a solution. Gwen joins Socialfy co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success including how Gwen and her partner found money early on, from business loans to throwing for-profit parties, launching an e-commerce website over 15 years ago when Amazon was still a bookseller, the challenges of building an ecommerce brand and generating buzz in the pre-social media era, how The Laundress got  ahead of the market in creating detergents free of petroleum products (long before the trend of green eco-friendly products,) why the co-founders made a risky decision to fund the business by amassing considerable credit card debt rather than taking VC money, the process of selling the brand to Unilever, and why having the right lawyer and a team behind you during such a pivotal time mattered so much. Check out the Entreprenista website for more episodes.  Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Stephanie Cartin '06 *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Cornell University’s Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP) proudly presents “I” Statements, a podcast where complexity, vulnerability, and curiosity collide. Music written and performed by Evan Wilhelms. You can learn more about IDP here.  This episode, "Authenticity," was first aired September 8, 2021.  Three different people, three different perspectives on authenticity. We share stories about when our authenticity brought others closer to us or caused them to pull away, raise questions about the relationships between authenticity, conformity, and agency, and, at one point, don some rose-colored glasses to appreciate the vibrancy and humanity that can accompany authenticity. Hosted by Rachel Sumner PhD '15, featuring graduate students Janani Hariharan and Trevor Franklin. Read the episode transcript. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Enjoy the final revisited episode from the Wall of Wonder series celebrating Women's History Month! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hilary Lashley Renison '05, MEng '07, MBA '09 knows resiliency. Though she was one of three African American women in engineering during undergrad, she stayed at Cornell for almost a decade pursuing a bachelor’s, masters in engineering, and an MBA. Yep, that makes her a triple red! Now at the top of her game at General Electric and founder of her own company Tinker and Fiddle—promoting STEM education for K-12 students—prepare to be inspired.  As we all grapple with the new normal of 2020, Renison says, “Don’t be afraid of change, lean into it.” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Madeline Dubelier '20. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University

A second revisited episode from the Wall of Wonder series for Women's History Month.  ___________________________________________________________________________ Civil engineers help society. How can one ensure their infrastructure is safe and benefiting everyone in the community? This is Erica Fischer '07's mission. Hear about her journey from an undergraduate at Cornell to her current role as a Civil & Construction Engineering Assistant Professor at Oregon State University. Oh, and she’s part of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and Virtual Earthquake Reconnaissance Team. What’s that? Tune in for more! “How can you really help real people? Just everyday people in their lives and make an impact?” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Catherine Gurecky '20. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

In celebration of Women's History Month, the next three episodes will be rebroadcasts of our Wall of Wonder series from last summer, featuring interviews of three women profiled in the book by authors Madeline Dubelier, Catherine Gurecky, and Abigail Macaluso, all Class of 2020. Need a refresher on the book itself? Go back to season 3, episode 8 to hear an interview with Madeline, Catherine, and Abigail and how the book came about. And for the next three episodes of Fresh from the Hill, enjoy this look back on these interviews with some incredible women. ______________________________________________________________________ The world is better when women succeed. Joanna Dai’s eight year finance career in New York and London instilled a sense of effortless style with cool attitude, but lacked the comfort and ease from her Californian upbringing. Yet, when it came to workwear shopping, she felt increasingly discouraged by a market where fabrics restricted movement, designs lacked function and versatility, and quality mismatched value. She had the vision of a brand where none of these factors were compromised – a brand of tailored performance wear where comfort empowers confidence. Listen in to the second episode of our Wall of Wonder series as Abigail Macaluso '20 chats with Joanna about her journey - from being one of five women in an incredibly difficult major at Cornell, to landing a job at Bear Stearns right before the Great Recession, to eventually finding her footing in the fashion world by creating a brand committed to sustainability, empowering women, and promoting comfort and style. “I really believe that brands have that power, they have the platform. And through their platform and voice they can really impact change.” Read the episode transcript. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Featuring Matthew Zucker '92. Episode #55. "Hike Your Own Hike." First aired Oct 21, 2021 What’s the rush with hiking? What's the difference between a walk and a hike? This episode Mat Zucker ’92 talks to Sean O’Dwyer, who runs Mountain-Hiking.com, a popular blog for Catskills, Hudson Highlands, Adirondacks and beyond. You’ll hear what Sean loves about mountain hiking, where to go (including Cornell Mountain!), advice for bears, a warning about radios, how to be a good citizen on a mountain, and why Reese’s Pieces should sponsor him. Shout-outs to family Cornellians including Brian Fuhr ’93, Andrea Fuhr Saporito ’96, Alex Saporito ’97, and Rebecca Barnett ’17. Thanks for listening to Cidiot, the award-winning podcast about moving from the city to the Hudson Valley. Visit Cidiot.com to join the mailing list for updates, rate and review the show, shop the Cidiot store, read the blog, and find links to social feeds, destinations and resources in the area. Read the episode transcript. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

In celebration of Groundhog's Day, we thought we'd revisit our VERY FIRST full-length episode of Fresh from the Hill. First aired October 31, 2018. Enjoy! _________________________________________________________________ At age 24 Svante Myrick won a mayoral race to become the youngest mayor in Ithaca's history and the first mayor of African American heritage. In this exclusive interview, host Alex Zalben '99 and Svante will chat about Svante's childhood, the first time he visited Cornell ("I thought I had stumbled on something magic, and I was right"), the opioid crisis in Ithaca and his plan to combat it, his learnings from President Barack Obama, his advice to young people getting into politics, and much more. Learn more about Svante. Read the Episode Transcript. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. Episode transcribed by Cait Collins. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Law & Society Talk is a bi-weekly podcast series hosted by Co-Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Harris. This conversational component of the Review will feature discussions pertaining to recent case law, happenings from the steps of the Supreme Court and federal courts, and projects and articles underway by our current writers and contributors. Learn more on their website. In this episode of Law & Society Talk (first aired April 19, 2021), Jonathan Harris '21 and Andrew Gilmore '21 are joined by Joseph Margulies, Professor of Law and Government at Cornell University, to discuss the City of Ithaca's proposal to restructure its police department, and how the conservative leaning Supreme Court has and will interact with the Biden Administration. Read the episode transcript.  *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

We've got a fun series in store for you over the next few months! Tune in to learn what's coming down the pike. Read the episode transcript. Hosted, created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

UPDATE: Since this episode aired, Enongo earned her PhD from Cornell in 2019 making her a triple red! And because we've been on a music theme lately, we thought it was a good time to rebroadcast this episode from the very early days of the podcast. Hope you enjoy! ________________________________________________________________________ Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo '08, MA '15 aka Sammus is an Ithaca-raised, Philadelphia-based rap artist, producer, and PhD student in the Department of Science & Technology Studies at Cornell University. Through her music she has spent the past several years cultivating a strong following of activists, hip hop heads, punks, and self-identified nerds and geeks, among others. Enongo will talk about growing up in Ithaca and the different lenses she's seen Ithaca through, and how she never felt like she had to choose between her "Ithaca-ness" and "Cornell-ness." You'll also hear about her musical influences, her heroes, what role video games play in her music, sexism in the music industry, and what we can expect from her next project coming out in 2019. Not only that, Enongo is currently pursuing her PhD from Cornell (triple red!) and is exploring the politics of studios and community studios in low-income areas and how there's a need for studios in the public space. Learn more about Sammus. Read the Episode Transcript. Hosted by Alex Zalben '99. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly.  Episode transcribed by Cait Collins. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Jazz musician and historian Colin Hancock ’19 is an old soul. As a young kid, he was drawn to the sound of early jazz, gravitating towards the likes of Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and other others of the pre-bop era. Since then, he’s built his musical career around playing and recording in that style of music. In fact, he owns and operates the only acoustic studio that cuts 78 rpm flat records in THE WORLD. Yes, you read that right. Hear about how Colin has carved out his own niche in the music world and how his research and work ultimately led to his album notes Grammy nomination. Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Armon Sadler '17 & Nic Earley '17. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.