As is our tradition, this month is all about herstories. Kicking it off is fellow Stanford Cardinal and return guest, Stacy Kirk. Stacy has over 15 years of experience helping organizations and entrepreneurs achieve their visions through technology and process optimization. She specializes in strategies that drive sustainable growth and scalability, with a passion for supporting diverse, small businesses. Stacy excels at turning visionary ideas into practical solutions, enabling success for her clients. Her dedication to innovation and inclusion continues to make a lasting impact in the business world. As the founder of QualityWorks, she empowers visionary entrepreneurs to achieve their go-to-market goals through technology, AI, and an iterative release process. Continuing to expand on her tech activism Stacy is increasingly dedicating her craft to social impact and human progress for all. She recently teamed up with another fellow Stanford Alum, Dr. Anndretta Lyle as co-founder of Thrive Culture Box which is all about empowering families and educators to change the ways that we are building knowledge in Black communities.

Where to find Stacy?
@posture
@Quality Works Consulting Group
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Stacy Reading?
Life Is a Comeback : 299 Inspiring Success Stories of Redemption, Determination, Second Chances, Forgiveness, and the Amazing Force of the Human Spirit by Daron “Dr. Comeback” Fordham

Other topics of interest:
Thrive Culture Box in Black Enterprise
Black Arts Camp
The Bionic Woman Series

Special Guest: Stacy Kirk.

Kicking off February, we have a double-header in conversation with another Stanford Alum and fellow “Track Girl.” Born in Vietnam and raised in New York, Dana Weeks is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MedTrans Go, a healthcare technology start-up based in Atlanta, GA. Prior to MedTrans Go, she co-founded the Black Angel Tech Foundation, created to support and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in technology. She has also held positions at AT&T, Pfizer, and in several innovative entrepreneurial ventures. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools of Atlanta, and has served as Treasurer of the Atlanta Chapter of Jack & Jill, a Board Member for Blue Owl Capital, and a Board Member for the Alliance Theater of Atlanta. She also serves on several Task Forces and Committees at both Stanford and Columbia Business School, including serving as a co-chair of the Stanford LEAD Council, a member of the Stanford Humanities & Sciences Council, and a founding member of the Women’s Circle at Columbia Business School. It was lovely catching up on the many paths Dana has walked since our days hop, skipping and jumping at the Stanford Stadium.

Where to find Dana?
https://www.medtransgo.com/
On LinkedIn
On Facebook

What’s Dana watching?
The Hallmark Channel

Other topics of interest:
About the Peace Corps
Lusophone Africa
Islands of Cape Verde
Who is Jodi Kantor?
iPhone's launch @ AT&T
Atlanta Influences Everything

Special Guest: Dana Weeks.

Kicking off February, we have a double-header in conversation with another Stanford Alum and fellow “Track Girl.” Born in Vietnam and raised in New York, Dana Weeks is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MedTrans Go, a healthcare technology start-up based in Atlanta, GA. Prior to MedTrans Go, she co-founded the Black Angel Tech Foundation, created to support and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in technology. She has also held positions at AT&T, Pfizer, and in several innovative entrepreneurial ventures. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools of Atlanta, and has served as Treasurer of the Atlanta Chapter of Jack & Jill, a Board Member for Blue Owl Capital, and a Board Member for the Alliance Theater of Atlanta. She also serves on several Task Forces and Committees at both Stanford and Columbia Business School, including serving as a co-chair of the Stanford LEAD Council, a member of the Stanford Humanities & Sciences Council, and a founding member of the Women’s Circle at Columbia Business School. It was lovely catching up on the many paths Dana has walked since our days hop, skipping and jumping at the Stanford Stadium.

Where to find Dana?
https://www.medtransgo.com/
On LinkedIn
On Facebook

What’s Dana watching?
The Hallmark Channel

Other topics of interest:
About the Peace Corps
Lusophone Africa
Islands of Cape Verde
Who is Jodi Kantor?
iPhone's launch @ AT&T
Atlanta Influences Everything

Special Guest: Dana Weeks.

For this two-part conversation, I catch up with Oakland-based serial cultural entrepreneur, Isis Asare. Born in Harlem, New York to Ghanaian parents Isis, a fellow Stanford University alum, has called New York, Houston, Ghana (as a Peace Corps volunteer), Seattle, and now Oakland, California home at various times in her life. She once described herself as using her over-priced education, love of technology, and acumen for experimentation to hack Hollywood. And this is where her first entrepreneurial enterprise—Sistah Sinema emerged. With Sistah Sinema her goal was to be a part of a movement to create a global market for independent film fostering deep, engaging discussions about the difficult issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class. In 2015 she successfully exited by selling the platform to community investors.

With over a decade of finance and business development experience at Fortune 500 companies such as T-Mobile, Microsoft, Shutterfly, and Amazon, in 2019 she went on to launch Sistah Scifi, the first Black-owned bookstore focused on Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, Science Fiction, and Fantasy in the United States. Between 2019 and 2020, Sistah Scifi sales increased tenfold through expanding physical book selection; launching private label shirts, sweatshirts, and bags; and offering audiobooks and ebooks. Sistah Scifi has been featured in The New York Times, Oprah  Magazine, BookRiot, Buzzfeed,  VentureBeat, and Facebook's Boost My Business. Sistah Scifi has also hosted author interviews with John Jennings, NK Jemisin, LL McKinney, Jewelle Gomez, and Nisi Shawl to name a few. Sistah Scifi has developed strong collaborations with major international publishers such as Hachette/Orbit, Akashic, Abrams, Macmillan/Tor.com, and Simon and Schuster.

Tune in to hear even more exciting now and nexts for Isis and the Sistah Scifi brand!

Where to find Isis?
www.sistahscifi.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On TikTok
On YouTube

What’s Isis reading?
Skin Folk: Stories by Nalo Hopkinson
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

What’s Isis watching?
Good Trouble
The Last of Us

What’s Isis listening to?
Therapy for Black Girls Podcast
Float by Janelle Monáe

Other topics of interest:
Keta, Ghana
Lovers and Friends Show
Ujamaa and the theme House \@ Stanford University
Bronze Restaurant - Washington, D.C.
African Folktales Reimagined
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and on Television
Logan’s Run
Octavia E. Butler
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Beauty in Truth Documentary
Pariah Film
Uhura on Star Trek
Marcus Books, Oakland
American Writers Museum
Northwest African American Museum

Special Guest: Isis Asare.

For this two-part conversation, I catch up with Oakland-based serial cultural entrepreneur, Isis Asare. Born in Harlem, New York to Ghanaian parents Isis, a fellow Stanford University alum, has called New York, Houston, Ghana (as a Peace Corps volunteer), Seattle, and now Oakland, California home at various times in her life. She once described herself as using her over-priced education, love of technology, and acumen for experimentation to hack Hollywood. And this is where her first entrepreneurial enterprise—Sistah Sinema emerged. With Sistah Sinema her goal was to be a part of a movement to create a global market for independent film fostering deep, engaging discussions about the difficult issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class. In 2015 she successfully exited by selling the platform to community investors.

With over a decade of finance and business development experience at Fortune 500 companies such as T-Mobile, Microsoft, Shutterfly, and Amazon, in 2019 she went on to launch Sistah Scifi, the first Black-owned bookstore focused on Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, Science Fiction, and Fantasy in the United States. Between 2019 and 2020, Sistah Scifi sales increased tenfold through expanding physical book selection; launching private label shirts, sweatshirts, and bags; and offering audiobooks and ebooks. Sistah Scifi has been featured in The New York Times, Oprah  Magazine, BookRiot, Buzzfeed,  VentureBeat, and Facebook's Boost My Business. Sistah Scifi has also hosted author interviews with John Jennings, NK Jemisin, LL McKinney, Jewelle Gomez, and Nisi Shawl to name a few. Sistah Scifi has developed strong collaborations with major international publishers such as Hachette/Orbit, Akashic, Abrams, Macmillan/Tor.com, and Simon and Schuster.

Tune in to hear even more exciting now and nexts for Isis and the Sistah Scifi brand!

Where to find Isis?
www.sistahscifi.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On TikTok
On YouTube

What’s Isis reading?
Skin Folk: Stories by Nalo Hopkinson
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

What’s Isis watching?
Good Trouble
The Last of Us

What’s Isis listening to?
Therapy for Black Girls Podcast
Float by Janelle Monáe

Other topics of interest:
Keta, Ghana
Lovers and Friends Show
Ujamaa and the theme House \@ Stanford University
Bronze Restaurant - Washington, D.C.
African Folktales Reimagined
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and on Television
Logan’s Run
Octavia E. Butler
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Beauty in Truth Documentary
Pariah Film
Uhura on Star Trek
Marcus Books, Oakland
American Writers Museum
Northwest African American Museum

Special Guest: Isis Asare.

Anna was also previously the First Partner of Stockton. In her role, she co-authored the “Report on the Status of Women in Stockton” to help guide future policy decisions with the experiences of diverse women in mind. As a result of this work she was named one of six pivotal powerbrokers in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine in 2019.

Anna has published articles on topics ranging from the importance of inclusivity and feminism to addressing the unique burden Black mothers carry in the U.S. for Time Magazine, New York Magazine, The Guardian, CNN, Motherly, Blavity, Huffington Post, Darling Magazine, and For Harriet.

She currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and two children, where she is discovering a new chapter in her creative career with multiple writing projects in the works which you'll learn more about as you listen to our lively conversation.

Where to find Anna?
www.annamalaikatubbs.com
On Instagram
On Twitter

What's Anna reading?
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

What's Anna watching?
Ted Lasso

Other topics of interest:
Hiking in Cold Spring, New York
Kokrobite, Ghana
Oshiyie, Ghana
About Isabel Wilkerson
About Margot Lee Shetterly
About Brit Bennet
About Melissa Harris-Perry
About Marc Lamont Hill
About Alicia Garza
About Bryn Clark
About Peleton
Remy Ma Music

*When you click and purchase books using the link(s) above, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!

Special Guest: Anna Malaika Tubbs.

Following her athletic career, Jackie was a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and had a flourishing coaching/personal training business in Los Angeles, California. She worked with a wide range of clients from middle and high school aged kids to adults and professional athletes as a coach, a trainer and a Sport Psychology Consultant.

Five years ago, Jackie decided to take on a new challenge and transition into the very competitive field of event planning. She always had a passion for creating beautiful spaces and memorable events but with no formal training in this industry, it was no easy task. However, her years of overcoming obstacles and rising to the occasion, along with her “if it’s hard, let me try it” attitude, helped her to set her sights on her new goal. Her journey began in interior design and has progressed into a career where her feet are firmly planted as the Project and Special Events Coordinator in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Northridge where she truly feels that the sky is the limit.

Recently, while working from home due to the pandemic, Jackie was spurred to add to her portfolio by creating a full-service home staging business, Gold Medal Home Staging & Design. She launched her company in late October 2020 and has already completed 30 projects. She says that her work at CSUN is her job and her staging business is her joy and that the combination of the two is extremely fulfilling.

Where to find Jackie?
Gold Medal Home Staging and Design
On Wikipedia
On Facebook

What's Jackie watching?
HGTV
The Bachelorette
The Bachelor
The Real Housewives of Atlanta

What's Jackie reading?
Crushing: God Turns Pressure into Power by T.D. Jakes

Other topics of interest:
Thomas Robinson Stadium
Frank Rutherford
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Brooks Johnson
Mike Powell
Dr. Ross Flowers
Thumbtack App
Altra Running Shoes

*When you click and purchase books using the links above, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!

Special Guest: Jacqueline "Jackie" Edwards-Flowers.