Fresh from the Hill: Inside Stories of Noteworthy Cornellians

From a young age, Kobina Ansah '08 was a budding entrepreneur, even before he knew what entrepreneurship really was. As a teenager he mowed neighbors lawns to earn extra spending cash. In college, he and his friends started a full service B&B for busy Cornell weekends (Air BnB eat your heart out!); "I remember feeling this great sense of satisfaction by identifying a client, identifying their needs, serving that need, and getting compensated for that."  Furthermore, entrepreneurship is in Kobina's blood. His grandmother started one of the first daycare programs in Ghana, West Africa (visited by the Queen of England!), and his mother created Alta Spa in Ithaca, a place he and his brother worked and really helped conceptualize from the ground up. Today, Kobina's company COVERR provides financial loans to workers in the gig economy, people who have difficulty getting financial support from traditional lending institutions. As Armon Sadler so perfectly put it, Kobina is "a human who is serving humans-- who are serving humans." Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by Armon Sadler '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.

Alex Kresovich '08 is a Billboard #1 and RIAA-Platinum certified music producer, songwriter, and composer from Ithaca, New York who's best known for his work with Panic! at the Disco, Cee Lo Green, Niykee Heaton, MAX, Hoodie Allen, Snow Tha Product, Chris Webby, and Jocelyn Alice. But when the music business took a toll on his own well being, he took take a break from the producing world to explore how music can affect mental health. Alex is now pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is studying the influence of popular music which references anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts on the mental health attitudes and behaviors of U.S. youth, and all that relates back to how he used music as a young person to regulate his own depression and anxiety. Hear this candid and vulnerable conversation about the less glamorous sides of the music business, why it's so important to talk about mental health, and if something isn't working for you, it's ok to change paths. Oh yeah and you'll hear some fun stories, including that time he danced with Rhianna.  "The main appeal of music to me as a young person was, it was this place I could go to escape.” 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.

From Halloween pranks to campus hauntings - tune in for tales of murder, mayhem, creepy classes and unsolved mysteries of Cornell’s spookier past from unofficial university historian Corey Ryan Earle ’07. This podcast was repurposed from a live online event that took place on 10/26/21. If you’re near a computer and would like to see the whole program with visuals, you can watch the recording here. Read the episode transcript.  Check out prior Cornelliana with Corey videos. Listen to season one of Ten Fold More Wicked about Edward Rulloff. Fresh from the Hill is 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.

You briefly met Armon Sadler and Nic Earley on the previous episode of Fresh from the Hill through their own podcast, Stay Busy with Armon Sadler. Now it's time to REALLY get to know them.  Hear their Cornell origin stories and how they met each other, along with some nuggets of advice for Cornellians pursuing creative fields. Do you remember a little fraternity called Alpha Phi Alpha that was featured last season?? Learn the role it played in their on-campus experiences and how it still impacts their lives today. And of course, you'll get a sneak peak into what their series has in store and what they're both up to today. It's all very exciting stuff that you DO NOT want to miss.  Read the episode transcript. Episode photo by Rubi Hernandez. 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.

Meet our new hosts of Fresh from the Hill through this promo of their OWN podcast - Stay Busy with Armon Sadler.  Stay Busy with Armon Sadler features responsible discussions about music culture and business. Hosted by Armon Sadler, executive produced by Nic Earley. Get a taste of Armon and Nic's podcasting style and be sure to check out their upcoming episodes of Fresh from the Hill to kick off season 5.  Read the episode transcript.  Fresh from the Hill is created and produced by Amanda Massa with music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Fresh from the Hill logo  was created 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.

Since last episode was all about the criminal justice system, we thought it appropriate to follow it up with this episode from season 1. Featuring Darnell Epps, a recent grad who, after spending almost two decades in prison turned his life around and earned his degree from Cornell. Originally aired June 26, 2019. Enjoy! ___________________________________________________________________________ From the Brooklyn housing projects, to private Catholic School, to a near 17-year incarceration at Five Points Correctional Facility, to Cornell University, Darnell Epps '19 is not your typical Cornell Senior. Hear Darnell's fascinating and inspirational story about taking the wrong path in life, lessons learned, and coming out the other side. “One thing that struck me deep was seeing the pain… When I walked in the courtroom and I would see a packed courtroom and I would see families on both sides, feeling pain. I would see the tears in my mother’s eyes, the embarrassment that I caused her, the shame that I brought. She was a New York City Police Officer, but yet had to explain to her colleagues that her two sons were incarcerated for murder. And she was at trial every day. She stuck by me. She came up on the visit practically every month to see Darrell and I. It was that. It was witnessing that. It was seeing that. That really brought me face-to-face with the need to ultimately become a responsible adult and to break out of this way of thinking that seemed to dominate my teenage years.” Check out Darnell's Op Ed in the New York Times. Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Lou Diamond '92. 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.

Maurice Chammah ’10, author of Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty and journalist at the Marshall Project, has dedicated his life’s work to illuminating the injustices in the American prison system through writing about individual stories while also shedding light on the larger issues at hand.  Tune in today and hear how his love of writing and a class at Cornell helped inspire him to pursue the work he does today. “People who have committed really horrific crimes, even the very worst crimes, they are more than the worst thing they’ve ever done.” Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by Camila Salazar '16. Episode photo by Tamir Kalifa. 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.

Check your privilege. It’s a phrase that you’ve likely heard, but what does it really mean? Prior to her involvement in Cornell’s Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP), Sydney Mann ’18 didn’t like the term. Who’s to judge what privilege one may have based on the color of their skin? But through having tough conversations and listening instead of taking up space in those talks, Sydney started to understand the privilege white women hold in America. She now devotes her time to allyship through her work with From Privilege to Progress and in her personal life. “When you have a white person uplifting a person of color or somebody who’s marginalized, more white people are going to listen.” Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Camila Salazar '16. 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.

The journey post-film school is not an easy one. And that’s why Dawn Kamoche ’07 recommends you think long and hard before deciding it’s the route for you. Her experience was not smooth sailing, as is the plight of many aspiring filmmakers. After graduating in 2007, it was HARD for anyone to find a job, let alone someone going into the ever-competitive film industry; “Go to an Ivy League they said. You’ll get a good job, your future will be set. And it wasn’t.” But Dawn’s undergrad from Cornell as a double major in Film and Africana Studies, along with a chance encounter with a former professor who believed in one of her scripts, set Dawn up for success as a story teller. She's now an award-winning writer and director, known for projects like Sharp Objects, The Gifted, and Cloak & Dagger. Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Camila Salazar '16. 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 2017, with limited knowledge about cryptocurrency and bitcoin but a dream of founding her own startup, Flori Marquez ’13 co-founded BlockFi. The financial services company for cryptocurrency now has over 800 employees and 500,000 clients worldwide. So what is cryptocurrency? And how is BlockFi revolutionizing it to make it more accessible to the average consumer? You’re going to find out. Think earning 8% in an interest-bearing account is impossible? Think again! Is a crypto credit card a possibility for the (not so distant) future? Yes!  It's Flori's love of building things from the ground up that landed her as Co-Founder and SVP of Operations at the fastest growing fintech company in history; "It's been wild." Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Camila Salazar '16. 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.

“Every time a movie gets made in Hollywood, ten million miracles have to happen.” Will Gluck '93 is certainly no stranger to some miracles (and apparently luck as well -- his advice to aspiring filmmakers is to “get very lucky”), but don't let him fool you, all of his success didn't simply fall in his lap. Known for box office hits like Easy A, Friends with Benefits, Annie, and Peter Rabbit, Gluck's grit, determination, and work ethic has earned him a celebrated career in show biz. After all, working in Hollywood is not easy, but “if you know deep down in your soul that you really want to do it, there’s nothing more fun in the world.”  *If you're sensitive to strong language, please note that there is swearing in this episode. Read the episode transcript. Hosted by Camila Salazar '16 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.

Through working for companies like NPR, Buzzfeed, Vox, and Stitcher, Camila Salazar ’16 knows podcasting. And she’s also our next host for Fresh from the Hill! Learn how she first got into podcasts (anyone heard of the show Serial?) and how she was able to make a career for herself in the podcasting world; “I saw the potential of the industry.” *If you're sensitive to strong language, please note that there is swearing in this episode. 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.

In this Cornell Black Alumni Association (CBAA) series, you’ve heard from the organization’s founders and its past presidents. You’ve heard how CBAA has evolved since 1976, both in the great progress made and the unfortunate obstacles we still endure. In this last episode of the series, we chat with CBAA’s current executive board highlighting their pivot to virtual programming in the pandemic and the future of the organization. Don’t forget to learn more about CBAA, including how you can get involved at cbaa1976.com. “There is something special about Cornell, and about CBAA, that keeps it near and dear to my heart. And that’s why I stay engaged.” – Shannon Cohall '14 Featuring: Wilma Ann Anderson '92 Shannon Cohall '14 Kamillah Knight '13, MPA '15, EMBA '22 Yvette Lapompe '10  Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. 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.

This week, we take just a bit of a departure from our normal format. Listen in to this reflective episode as John talks about allyship and the importance of amplifying Black and minoritized voices in everyday life. We invite you to listen, learn, and reflect as we begin to wrap up this incredible series partnership with CBAA. “As we think about underrepresented groups, marginalized groups, minoritized groups in our community, how do we continue to amplify their stories? To give them space, to give them voice, and allow them to be seen and heard.” 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.

In part two of our CBAA (Cornell Black Alumni Association) roundtable, we hear from six more former presidents. Learn about their individual contributions and their shared goals for the next 45 years of this historic association. Featuring: Michael Littlejohn ’79 Lisa Jones ’84 Linda Gadsby ’88 Jonelle Bradshaw de Hernandez ’96 Anika Daniels-Osaze ’96 Ruby Saake ’84 “It was important for me to see us as being part of the fabric of Cornell at all times, not just through our reunions, but coming back to Homecoming and feeling like this was our campus as well.” - Anika Daniels-Osaze '96 Read the episode transcript.  Hosted by John Rawlins III '06. 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.