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BLOC Coffee: Gathering a Community; Transforming a Neighborhood

From its compassionate mission to its food and drinks, BLOC Coffee, established in 2007 at the heart of the Incline District in Price Hill, has something really special going. The location may seem top-secret to many Cincinnatians, but this hidden treasure needs to be exposed.

Having just wrapped up a sweet conversation with one of its founders, Stephanie Young, it’s no secret why it’s a success. Not only does her very presence radiate joy, but her outlook of “I get to do this” is also so authentic. But what exactly is “it” that she gets to do?

July 2020, Outreach + Advocacy, Food + BeverageAbby FarrJuly 10, 2020Community Mix

Home Away From Home: Clara Matonhodze Strode on Creating a Home In A Complex Racial System

As the writer and creator of "Home Away from Home" I would be remiss not to speak on what it’s like to create a home as an immigrant in a country strife with racism – deliberately practiced or unwittingly doled out; institutional or personal. As such, I decided I needed to explore my own coming to America story within a racial context.

Your Next Must-Read: Books Written by Black Women from Cincinnati

This list began with a simple question that came to me one evening. It was after a long day of reading about the protests in Cincinnati sparked by the death of George Floyd. As the wave of peaceful protesters marched down the historic streets of our city, the question emerged, “What do I know about the history of Black people in Cincinnati?” The answer was a resounding, “Almost nothing.”

Re-Envisioning and Re-Energizing Healthcare with Ciara Staunton of Staunton Primary Care

When Ciara Staunton popped into our virtual meeting, she seemed excited and energized, but our healthcare-worker readers will know she’s had some exhausting months. Frontline workers of all kinds are donning their P.P.E. and masks and continuing to serve their clients, but there are still so many unanswered questions as our world works to respond wisely to the rise of COVID-19.

Staunton, however, is no stranger to new directions. She created her own private practice, Staunton Primary Care, as a nurse practitioner aiming to offer affordable and approachable family primary care in the Walnut Hills neighborhood. It was a joy to talk to her about her passion for accessibility and comfort in a healthcare setting.

Good (Man)ners: Discussing Compassion, Integrity, and Unity with Reverend Derek Terry

Signing on to our video chat with a joyful hello and a sparkly golden background, Reverend Derek Terry has calm but invigorating energy at 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night. He’s no stranger to being welcoming; as the head pastor of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Pleasant Ridge, he interacts with people of all backgrounds. The openly gay Black man has been noticed around the country for sharing the journey of discovering his sexuality in the shadow of the church. With the overwhelming uncertainty hanging over our heads due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, we turn to Rev. Terry’s message of hope, acceptance, and equality.

Black Lives Matter: What Needs to Change in Cincinnati?

As I knelt in the front line of the crowd and everyone around me chanted, “Hands up; don’t shoot,” I was struck by the simple privilege of being able to reach into my pocket for my phone while staring the police in the eye. I was part of a barrier of white people called forward to shield our Black cohorts – despite the fact that it was 1:30 in the afternoon and the event had been peaceful so far.

As white folks are called forward to literally place our bodies in defense of the oppressed Black community, the question on our minds shouldn’t be, “Has it really come to this?” but rather, “How the hell did we let it get this far?”

And more importantly: “What are we going to do about it?”

Sitting with the Uncertainty: A Conversation with Dr. Ashley Solomon

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist; that's my foundation, professionally at least. I'm also a wife and mom to four young kids: My daughter is almost six months old now and then [my other children are] two, five, and seven.

My professional background is specialized in the treatment of eating disorders; that’s where my dissertation research and all my clinical administrative experience was. I went to grad school at Xavier, and did the doctoral program in clinical psychology there. I love that work. I did it for almost 10 years following graduate school, and I never ever thought I would stop doing that – well, I haven't really stopped doing that work.

This Is Entrepreneurship: Christine Fisher on Managing a Start-Up Through COVID-19

We talked with Christine in late April about what it’s like to manage a company through a crisis (or two) with two young boys, a husband, and a dog in her immediate space. With characteristic candor and compassion, we learned not only about the struggles she and her colleagues are facing, but she talks first-hand about the struggles of the families, teachers, and school systems who are Possip users.

Home Away from Home: Claire Stewart

When you hear the word "immigrant," what picture does your mind conjure up? Whatever that picture is, I bet it's not a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, Australian dancing queen.

We met Claire Stewart at Lola's Coffee House, pre-COVID-19. Lola's, she would tell us, is her favorite Coffee Place in Cincinnati. She's Australian, but the coffee house is filled with French motifs. She loves Lola's, "because apart from Australian coffee, Lola's has the second-best coffee." Apart from her love of coffee, and her husband and son, her love is the Cincinnati dance group the Red Hot Dancing Queens, which she founded in 2015.

Meet the Women of Cincy Residents: Summer 2020

When Kiersten Wones and Chelsie Walter (former editor-in-chief and residency director, and executive director, respectively) came to me with the offer of becoming the new residency director, I was eager to start. I’m an alumna of the Women of Cincy residency, and my experience profoundly changed my perspective on work, careers, communication, and life in general.

The residency isn’t like any other journalism or communications internship; our residents are not nameless fact-checkers – we want them to leave with both professional and personal growth; we want them to go out into the world more confident and capable human beings.

June 2020, Meet the TeamWomen of Cincy StaffJune 5, 2020Community Mix

Luna Malbroux: At the Intersection of Comedy, Equity, and Inclusion

I am a comedian, a writer, a playwright, and I also write articles. Really, I think my thing is exploring creativity and conversations in as many different genres as possible. By day, I do a lot of cultural humility and equity training with organizations in Cincinnati and across the country. The work all bleeds into itself, whether it's focused through humor or focused through dialogue. I just started picking up playing a few instruments, so that’s going to be in the mix as well.

A Celebration of Cincinnati Moms: 2020

The moms we got to celebrate this past year are all at once kind, gentle, strong, hardworking, fierce, badass mothers who overcame struggles and set an example by the way they lived.

Around TownKiersten WonesMay 10, 2020Community Mix

Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Spring 2020

In this weird, uncertain time it is more imperative than ever to showcase female-owned businesses in our area and financially support our plucky entrepreneurs. It’s also not a bad time to treat yo’self as we hole up at home.

This Is Entrepreneurship: Tia Rochelle on Preparing for the Loss of Benefits

We sat down with Tia back in February at First Financial Bank to talk about the toll that planning, organizing, and prioritizing for others took on her mental, emotional, and physical health. And, more specifically, she talked to us about how she prepared for the loss of the corporate benefits she and her family relied on – healthcare, life insurance, employee assistance – as she prepared to leave a secure corporate job for the journey of entrepreneurship.

Home Away from Home: Radha Lakshmi

For the three hours we visited with Radha, Emily and I were transported into her enchanting world. We drank refreshing herbal tea in a home filled Indian artifacts on walls, tables, couches - even the teacups felt unique. The most seemingly innocent item in the house has its own story, and Radha is a beautiful storyteller who knows how to invite you in her world in which, for those moments, the enchantment is quite real.

Write Without Fear. Edit Without Mercy: A Farewell

During my time here I’ve spent hundreds of 12-hour days at my computer, fallen asleep on the Union Hall couches, taken home teeny-tiny paychecks, worked 5 extra jobs, cut off all my hair, and, painfully, grew it all back.

May 2020, Announcements, EntrepreneurshipKiersten WonesApril 28, 2020Community Mix

Jeannette Jones: Changing the Status Quo in Finance

When Jeannette Jones started out in finance in the 1980s, she couldn’t find a workplace that reflected her values or that appreciated her friendly and kind personality. So, she decided to create her own workplace where she could live her values and be her bubbly, lovely self. At the time, the Asset Advisory Group and its people-first attitude were considered unusual. But today, people-centered and value-driven financial planning companies are more and more common. By refusing to compromise on her vision or change her personality to fit the status quo, Jeannette was ahead of the curve.

Features, EntrepreneurshipTracy P. Van WagnerApril 16, 2020Features

This Is Entrepreneurship: Rachel DesRochers on Guilt

You have everything inside of you to do whatever you feel like you're put on this earth to do, but you have to start. You have to take that first step; you have to try. You have to break away from the fear, which is terribly hard because you're going to fail. You're going to be laden with guilt because you've messed something up, or you've mixed up days and you've missed something. Or, you could not.

Sex Talk, Chapter 7: Books and Sex in the Time of Quarantine

Babes – it’s crazy out here. I can’t lie that I have been overwhelmed, underwhelmed, overworked, and lacking sleep the past couple of months. This quarantine comes at an interesting time for me, and I hope it finds you able to step back from the complexities of your typical day-to-day life to find positive changes to come. I hope everyone is staying safe, above all. This month I wanted to give you a few sex reminders for this strange time, and my book recommendations as of the past week.

Seasonal Affective Disorder in The Queen City: How to Promote Positive Mental Health Year Round

I had gone from being a happy, energetic college student to someone who could sleep for 12+ hours and still lack the zest necessary to pour a cup of tea. The transformation was truly bewildering. This was no simple vitamin deficiency or hormonal imbalance. I was suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

Health + Wellness, April 2020, Arts + CultureJesse CarsonApril 1, 2020Community Mix