Jenna Close, Creative Director, Photographer, Explorer

Today I would like to welcome Rosie Kamdem to the podcast. Rosie is friend and a bit of a hero of mine. A mother of 5 she is an award winning women and education rights activist in Cameroon working in the countries major cities and most remote villages, and at times across the African Continent.   She spends her time visiting tribes and villages that can only be reached by hiking into the bush as she teaches women how to make soap and other goods necessary to provide a more safe and sanitary lifestyle while producing income for these small women run businesses. In most villages women have never run a business before. In many of these areas women to not know a word for their private parts, or for menstruation.   Rosie also focuses on the empowerment of women on the nationally, locally, and tribal level where women most often do not have a voice. Helping women and young girls understand that they have options in life that include education, owning a business, having the right to have their voices heard, and that child marriages are not necessary are primary focuses of her work.

Today I would like to welcome Asmita Aggarwal to the podcast. Asmita is the former editor in chief of the fashion magazine L’Officiel India. Prior to that she was a writer for the Hindustan Times, the India Today group, and the Asian age as a national Features Editor.  A leading women's rights advocate Asmita now writes for the Fashion Design Council of India. We will be joining the conversation in progress.   As guests on the podcast live around the country and the world. You may hear an occasional click, and at times ambient sound in the interviewees space. My apologies in advance for any of these sounds and may appear in the podcast.

Mia MacFarlane and Julien Crougneau, also known as French Cowboy, are a creative force du jour, and an absolute pleasure to collaborate with. In addition to creating imagery for fashion clients across Europe and a career as exhibiting artists they are the Co-Editors-in-Chief at IRK Magazine a Paris based fashion and culture print and web site publication distributed internationally at trend stores and museums, and have recently opened IRK Gallerie in Arles, France, site of the Recontres D’Arles one of the world’s leading photography festivals. They have recently founded the publishing company Les Loupes des Steppes Publishing in Arles, France, and launched their first book Le Sud.

Maria Moyano is a Creative Director, Experience Designer, and the Executive Producer for the Museum of Ice Cream in New York, Singapore, and previously Miami. Maria specializes in producing the kind of high engagement interactive experiences that businesses and audiences crave. The creation and execution of the exhibits at the museum on a short pressure filled timeline admirable and speaks to the focus, dedication and professionalism necessary to achieve success at this level. Her ability to problem solve and evolve is both informative and inspirational.

Jenna and her collaborator Jon’s career have evolved along with the changing business of image making and story telling. They have always approached their work with grace, a sense of humor, and deep respect for their client, their craft and the final outcome. In a nutshell Buck the Cubicle specializes in authentic storytelling for Purpose Driven Brands with a focus on green industries and sustainability. They also happen to love anyone who follows their own heart and vision, as you will see at https://buckthecubicle.com/

Today my guest is Kodo Nishimura. When I first met Kodo he was an art student interested in becoming a make up artist. His goal was to do make up for the Miss Universe Pageant. Since then Kodo has become a Buddhist Monk living an openly gay life, a successful make up artist, and a humble activist and active supporter of LGBTQ rights. Equally important, he is a bit of an expert in making his dreams come true. Kodo, welcome to the podcast. Available in Apple, Google, Spotify and Pandora

Please join me in welcoming David Kennerly to the Podcast. At the age of 25 David won the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Feature Photography for his work in Vietnam. He has photographed 10 presidents, and all 3 impeachment trials. He was with Hillary Clinton when she received news about FBI Director Comey and with Donald Trump the evening he won the election. He photographed the summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikail Gorbachov, the legendary Ali -Frazier Prize Fight, and the Miracle Mets. The range of iconic events that he has covered is hard to fathom. To quote his friend James Earl Jones, “David is like Forest Gump, except he was really there. Photo by David Kennerly First Lady Michelle Obama greets former President George W. Bush with a hug at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC on September 24, 2016. Photo by David Hume Kennerly while on assignment for Bank of America.

Joanna Lily Wong moved to New York from Shanghai via Paris, and built a career as one of New York’s leading make-up artists working with the world's best known fashion and portrait photographers. At the height of her career she left to establish herself as one of San Francisco's most influential residential developers and designers. Joanna specializes in the creation and renovation of multi-million dollar properties for individuals who desire style and sophistication with a creative contemporary edge. There are a series of beliefs that are central to Joanna's phenomenal rise in both professions, learn more about them and Joanna on Thomas Werner Podcast.   Available on Apple, Google and Spotify      

Today I would like to introduce you to Elinor Carucci. The breadth of Elinor’s career has been extensive, she has just published her 4th monograph Midlife by Monacelli Press, now part of Phaidon Press. Represented by Edwynn Houk Gallery in New York her work is included in the collections of Museum of Modern Art New York, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Houston Museum of Fine Art, among others, and has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, Aperture, ARTnews, and numerous other publications. Elinor has exhibited extensively, but one of her greatest achievements is the personal and professional honestly and integrity she brings to her work and career. She is an obsessive image maker with patience and vision. Elinor, welcome to the podcast.    

Today, I’d like to welcome Maria Baltazzi to the Podcast. When Maria graduated with her MFA from The Art Center College of Design she decided that she wanted to travel and create adventure television. She is now a 2 time Emmy award winning producer and creator of TV shows, was one of 4 Senior Producers for the first 7 seasons of Survivor, has traveled to all 7 continents, twice, and that is just the beginning. Maria is an innovator whose career is an inspiration. Maria is the founder of Sojourn Experience. A company comprised of three divisions. Sojourn Explorers                                                                                                       Curating Transformational Luxury Travel Experiences Picture Happiness: Take A Shot Working intuitively with her clients to help them name their goals and values, examine any beliefs they perceive as blocking those goals and guide them to a new perspective of what is possible. Maria has a PhD in Conscious-Centered Living. Sojourn Media Group: Producer and connector Maria introduces talented content providers to A-list producers and production companies, as a show business veteran and Emmy® winner with multiple nominations. Learn more at: https://sojourn-intl.com/     Maria is an innovator whose career is an inspiration. Maria, welcome to the podcast.