r(E)volutionary Woman

Today, Tes talks with Yvonne Watson. Yvonne is an educator, designer and academic who has held a number of positions in art & design higher education. She currently serves as Dean Curriculum + Learning & Special Advisor to the Provost Office on Curriculum Parsons School of Design and is an Associate Professor in the School of Fashion at. Since 2010 she has served in key leadership roles in the School of Fashion, first as Director of Academic Affairs and then as School Associate Dean.

Yvonne’s expertise and experience have been integral to our curricular planning for many years, at the school, Parsons, and university levels. Her role as Advisor to the Provost’s Office on Curriculum will allow Yvonne to expand upon this work and ensure that the curricular needs and priorities of Parsons are well represented at the university level, while formalizing the role she already plays in supporting cross-college and university-wide initiatives. The transition to online delivery as a result of the pandemic, and the imminent return to onsite teaching and learning, has altered many of our long-held views of how pedagogy and curriculum can be shaped. Yvonne will use her time in this role to bring leadership to the broader enquiry of how we can approach inclusive and innovative pedagogy within this changing landscape.

Since 2018, Yvonne has served as Parsons’ Associate Dean of Curriculum and Learning. She previously served as the Associate Dean in the School of Fashion, where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of the BFA Fashion Design curriculum and articulation of pathways. She is also Associate Professor within the School of Fashion, where she has taught for over ten years. Yvonne’s career has spanned roles that have encompassed both undergraduate and graduate studies as Program Director for BA Fashion Knitwear Design, MA Textile Design and Innovation, and MA Decorative Arts at Nottingham Trent University. She holds a Master’s in Globalization, Identity and Technology from The School of Humanities, Nottingham Trent University.

Her interests are in transforming the current context for the global supply chain in order to raise awareness as to the inhuman practices that currently exist in the fashion industry, gender pay gap, below minimum or living wages for workers. The intention is to bridge the fashion industry and education so that we can collectively develop an alternative fashion supply chain with a vision to creating an industry where human rights and sustainable living goals are central. She has worked for developing and emerging communities and has travelled to areas such as Ethiopia and Mongolia, to work with communities of women to enhance their product development process.

Her career has spanned roles that have encompassed both undergraduate and postgraduate program director for BA Fashion Knitwear Design, MA Textile Design and Innovation, and MA Decorative Arts at Nottingham Trent University.

She holds a BA in Fashion Knitwear Design from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, and a Masters in Globalization, Identity and Technology from The School of Humanities, Nottingham Trent University. Early in her career, she worked for a mid-range knitwear design company in New York before returning to the United Kingdom, where she designed and manufactured her own fashion knitwear line, Alpha-Omega, which sold in the UK, US and Hong Kong, before becoming a full-time academic.

To learn more about Yvonne Watson: https://www.aarp.org/disrupt-aging/stories/ideas/info-2016/yvonne-watson-fashion-disruptor.html
Twitter: @yvonne_watson
IG: @yvonneny10

Today, Tes speaks with Sophia Neghesti-Johnson. Sophia is a visual artist, published author, and songwriter originally from Tanzania, now living in the U.S.

Sophia’s photographs and mixed media paintings have been on exhibit in various U.S. cities, and her latest song, So Good, can be heard on all major streaming services.

Having children, being an immigrant, and living far from her family has inspired Sophia to begin writing a children’s book series about the many tribes of Tanzania, with the first book, Koku’s Tanzania – Wahaya, being published on Amazon.

Sophia is an active contributor of World Moms Network, a Forbes Top 100 website for women.

As well as being a speaker in the award winning webinar series – GLOW – Heartfulness Webinars for women, Sophia is also a patron and pioneer of GLOW in its stages of inception and helped it grow and sustain.

Sophia and her husband, Don, own a company, Barefoot Baobab, with which they encourage a love for reading and literacy, through storytelling and music.

To learn more about Sophia Neghesti-Johnson:
IG: Sophiloveslife
IG: Sophi_the_artist (for her music)
IG: Barefootbaobab (for their literacy company)
Website: https://barefootbaobab.com

Twitter: thnksaybesnj

LinkedIn: Sophia Neghesti-Johnson

Today, Tes talks with Bette Levy. Bette has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio University and a Masters of Arts & a Masters of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Prior to retiring in 2011, she worked for the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) for 38 years with primary expertise in children/ families and residential care. She was responsible for the development of a family & Youth advocacy movement. She was also responsible for developing national program guidelines for children’s residential care.

Her secondary expertise at OMH was Disaster Risk Reduction. On September 11th, her office was forced into action due to the terrorist attacks and she served for 10 years as the lead disaster mental health & emergency preparedness liaison for NY State OMH to NYC Office of Emergency Management, NYS Emergency Management Office and to US Department of Homeland Security.

After retiring, she became an independent Management & Culture Change Consultant as well as a consultant at the US Department of Health & Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services and the Building Bridges Initiative, where she was responsible for developing and facilitating a National Youth Advisory Council. She has been the author or contributor to chapters in several books, guidelines, tip sheets and articles on working with youth and their families in residential care and Peer movements (youth & family). She also served as a consultant to the US Department of Justice, Fraud Division for Children’s residential care services.

Her role at the UN/NY, is as SI’s Main Representative and serves as Special Advisor to the International President for Relationships & Strategic Planning.

Soroptimist International (SI), a large Women’s Rights organization working to transform the lives of women and girls in all their diversity across the life course. Soroptimist International and their five (5) Federations is a network comprised of over 72,000 club members in 121 countries, located in 3000 communities.

Final thought : a quote from Antoine de Saint Euxpery ..
“A Dream without a Goal is a Wish – A Goal without a Plan is just a Dream’

Today, Tes talks with Valerie Bennis. Valerie is an award winning aromatherapist who created the Essence of Vali line of therapeutic products. She recently started a new chapter with the launch of her company, Fragrant Notes, a lifestyle blog for women over 50. Her mission is to inspire women to love and appreciate ALL that they are through all the phases of their life with purpose, self-care, passion and creativity.

To learn more about Valerie Bennis:
For Fragrant Notes:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefragrantnote
Website: www.fragrantnotes.com

For Essence of Vali:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essenceofvali
Website: www.essenceofvali.com

Today, Tes speaks with Dr. Ada Cheng. Ada is a professor-turned-storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling show producer. She was a tenured professor in sociology at DePaul University from 2001-2016 when she resigned to pursue storytelling and performance full time. She has been featured at storytelling shows and done her two solo performances all over the country. Ada is the producer and the host of five storytelling shows, including Pour One Out, Am I Man Enough?, Talk Stories: An Asian American / Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show, Speaking Truths Series, and This Is America: Truths through My Body. She creates platforms for people to tell difficult and vulnerable stories as well as for communities who may not have the opportunities otherwise. She is an adjunct faculty at Dominican University and a speaker for Illinois Humanities Speakers Bureau Program. She works full time as the Education and Outreach Specialist with Women’s Leadership and Resource Center at UIC. Her motto: Make your life the best story you tell.
Ada Cheng, Ph.D.

Most Recent News:
This Is America: Truths through My Body is part of programming for 2020 Cook County Racial Equity Week
Recipient for Asian Giving Circle Grant with National Cambodian Heritage Museum (2019-21)

Speaking Engagements:
Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, Illinois Humanities (2019-2022)
https://www.ilhumanities.org/program/road-scholars-speakers-bureau/

Storytelling Show Producing/Hosting:
Am I Man Enough?
Pour One Out: A Monthly Storytelling Series
Speaking Truths Series
Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show
This Is America: Truths through My Body

Contact Info and Social Media:
Email: sj.ada.cheng@gmail.com
Website: www.renegadeadacheng.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ada.cheng.98096
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dr.adacheng/
Instagram: sjadacheng
YouTube: Renegade Ada Cheng

Today, Tes talks with Melissa Kuch Lamothe. Melissa is the author of the Amazon bestselling YA fantasy series, The Hypothesis of Giants, and co-author/editor of The MARA Mindshift Guide: A Trading Beliefs Workbook. Melissa co-hosts the cutting-edge new podcast/YouTube show, The Trader’s Mindchat Show, where she, along with her husband Michael Lamothe, explore the full spectrum of ways to improve your trading and your life.

Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Melissa is mom to a 5-year-old daughter, Lily, and an advocate for literacy and women’s health. She inspires the next generation of authors through her writing workshop and mentoring programs. She is a contributing writer for The World Moms Network, and a volunteer writer for the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network) to assist those challenged by hunger and homelessness.

You can follow Melissa on FB/IG @melissakuchauthor and her website www.melissakuch.com and check out The Trader’s Mindchat Show on Apple Podcasts/Spotify, as well as on YouTube.