Posts in February 2020
Dr. Zaria Davis: 'Incarcerated people are still people.'

While most of us are content living what we jokingly call “our best lives,” Dr. Zaria Davis is dedicated to not only achieving the best version of her life, but striving to create opportunities for others to thrive, too. As a formerly incarcerated person, Dr. Davis has worked diligently to overcome the odds against her and right her wrongs, while helping others find a path to success through her nonprofit, Filling the Gap. We sat down with her via Zoom to discuss dehumanizing language, the effect of COVID-19 on incarcerated people, and what gives her hope.

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Introducing 'Home Away from Home': Illuminating Cincinnati's Immigrant Women

It's always nice to feel like you belong. To feel like you are among your tribe of people. To feel like you have people you can relate to, and that what you say resonates with them. I have many of these tribes, and each fulfills a different need in me. 

Among them all, the one I can say feeds my soul is the tribe of immigrant women. I’m excited to introduce a new column here at Women of Cincy called “Home Away from Home.” I’m thrilled to be involved with this fab publication and to share illuminating stories of Cincinnati's immigrant women.

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This Is Entrepreneurship: Jackie Roberto on Family

Sitting down to interview a female business owner on how she balances work and family is a little daunting. There’s the obvious question: Would we even be having this discussion if she were a man? And, how do we not make it sound like a version of the book I Don’t Know How She Does It – part awe and part comedy? Talking with Jackie Roberto, founder and partner of Madison Design, the importance of having these authentic conversations becomes clear. Over a glass of wine (but, of course) at Hotel Covington, Jackie candidly shares how she creates space for herself, her family, and her business. Sometimes it’s rocky; sometimes it’s smooth. But it’s all worth it. 

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The Barre Code Cincinnati’s Michelle Ziegler

Michelle’s studio is the result of a desire to uplift others and share confidence with everyone who walks through her door, and it shows. My chat with Michelle was memorable, enthusiastic, and even a bit emotional. And you better believe I tucked a few of her quotes away for days I need a little reminder that I, indeed, am capable of most anything.  

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Home Away from Home: Zvisinei Dzepasi Mamutse

Zia is humble, but don’t let that fool you: She has fierce ambition. The world she lives in now is quite different from the life she knew in her native Zimbabwe, and I’m looking forward to uncovering her story. She offers us fruit and water before we settle in to talk.

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The Power of Her: A Conversation with ArtsWave’s Alecia Kintner

Cincinnati is a city alive with art, music, and theatre. Art is the heartbeat of our culture. It is present in every corner of the city, and it didn’t happen by accident. ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) focuses on funding the future of the arts and bringing it into the community. Alecia Kitner, president and CEO of ArtsWave, strives to keep the organization’s focus on what Cincinnati needs from the arts. That focus also helps ArtsWave make its funding decisions. We sat down with Alecia to discuss the upcoming POWER OF HER project and what that looks like for the community. 

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Behind the Scenes with Continuance: Honoring Community Memories with Art 

Continuance is a community arts collective that takes memories and turns them into art. For the past year, they have collected memories in response to the prompt, "tell me about a place you cannot return to." The memories come in many forms: handwritten notes, letters, emails, audio recordings, Instagram messages, photographs, video interviews, and family dinners.

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