Episode 122: Sabrina Ehmke-Skokie Swifters
This week on Inside the Skev we meet Sabrina Ehmke, the founder of the Skokie Swifters Run Walk Club. Skokie Swifters is a run/walk club for anyone from beginners to experienced distance runners. Whether you just want to get moving outside, are looking to make some new friends, or are looking for a little motivation while you train for an upcoming race, you'll find a welcome community in the Swifters! Sabrina is also a former ETHS teacher, and has her own podcast called, “For Your Run.”
Episode 104: Jane Shapiro - Orot: Center for Jewish Learning
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jane Shapiro, the co-founder of Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning. Jane has been involved in Jewish education for over three decades, and is a pillar of the Evanston/Skevanston community. We first discuss her family's deep roots to Evanston and real estate, and then learn about her career in education.
Orot offers classes, programs, and retreats that provides opportunities for cultivating transformative habits of body, heart, and mind that lead to greater life wisdom, meaning, and compassion. Orot designs learning experiences that integrate ancient Jewish wisdom with meditation, yoga, music, art, and creative writing in an attempt to empower and support individuals as they open up new pathways into Jewish meaning and look to use Judaism as a source for personal, relational, and communal transformation.
Episode 89: Rebecca Cacayuran-Evanston Community Foundation
This week on Inside the Skev, we are joined Rebecca Cacayuran, the VP for Community Investment at the Evanston Community Foundation. Founded in 1986, the Evanston Community Foundation helps Evanston thrive now and forever as a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community. It builds, connects, and distributes resources and knowledge through local organizations for the common good. The Foundation builds endowments for current and future opportunities, fosters private philanthropy, focuses the impact of collective giving, finds solutions to community challenges, allocates grants, and provides leadership training. They have been instrumental in supporting Evanston organizations throughout the pandemic.
Episode 85: Robert Masliansky-First Class Moving & Storage
This week on Inside the Skev, we are joined we are joined by Robert Masliansky, my brother. Robert is the President of First Class Moving & Storage, which is a local, independent moving and storage company that has been in business since 2001. We discuss the history of the company, the moving industry and how it works to maintain its excellent reputation. We also discuss Robert’s connection to the community with Skokie Central Congregation and his many years as a musician and most recently as the drummer for Damaged Justice, a Metallica tribute band.
Episode 67: Linda Darragh-Northwestern University
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Linda Darragh. Linda is the The Larry Levy Executive Director and Clinical Professor Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative at Northwestern University. She is leading a program that is partnering Northwestern with the City of Evanston to help local businesses navigate the pandemic. To help Evanston's small businesses weather this current crisis, local Kellogg alumni and students will provide pro bono consulting to Evanston business owners in high-demand areas, including digital marketing and social media, public relations, financial planning and analysis, and human resources management. The program can be found by clicking here. In this conversation we also speak about her background in entrepreneurship, the program at Northwestern and how businesses are adapting to the pandemic.
Episode 66: Lena Kim-niceLena & Friends
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Lena Kim from niceLena & Friends. niceLena & Friends is a crafts shop located at 1235 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, in the Main Dempster Mile. Lena says incredibly innovative and custom crafts including prints, candles, mugs, cards and so much more. We talk about her innovative and engaging marketing efforts including the fairy door project, crafting parties in the store and her fun social media posts. We also talk about Lena’s background as moving to America as a 10 year old from South Korea and how that has taught her to be so creative.
Episode 64: Patrick Keenan-Devlin-The Moran Center for Youth Advocacy
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Patrick Keenan-Devlin. Keenan-Devlin is the Executive Director and Juvenile Justice Attorney for the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy in Evanston. In this episode we talk about the work they do, restorative justice and the effects of Covid-19 on the Center and justice work in general.
Episode 63: Jan Schakowsky on Inside the Skev
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 9th District, which include the Skev. In this episode we discuss the government’s response to Covid-19, the stimulus programs, and her work to protect nursing home employees and residents. We also discuss her story in getting into politics and her encouragement for more people to get involved.
Episode 62: Scott Rochelle-National Basketball Retired Players Association
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Scott Rochelle, the President and CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) which is headquartered in Downtown Chicago. In his role as President and CEO, Rochelle oversees the Retired Players Association’s day-to-day operations, including securing new cutting-edge partnerships for former players to thrive and prosper. In addition, he continues to strengthen and foster the association’s local chapters which has expanded to 12 cities during his tenure as President and CEO. Scott is an Evanston resident and former ETHS school board member.
Episode 61: Reavens Lee-SparkRaw Media
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Reavens Lee from SparkRaw Media. SparkRaw helps entrepreneurs and businesses to "videolize" the buyer's journey to close the gaps between prospects, customers, and teams without losing their authenticity. They are video experience designers. We talk about Reavens’ journey from Taiwan, her struggles with explaining the value of her work to her family and having the bravery and dedication to become a huge success. SparkRaw has also been instrumental in helping Inside the Skev with the creation of the trailer video, the video of the MWRD O’Brien Facility and the interview of TM Garret.
Episode 60: Michelle Friedman-Keshet and Institute for Therapy through the Arts
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Michelle Friedman, a Skokie resident and fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities. Michelle is a life coach, writer, and board member of Keshet and the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), both of whom have been featured on this show. Michelle speaks to many schools and students of her experience living with blindness. We also talk about how she and the disabled community are adapting to the world of Covid. This episode can be watched on Youtube or listened to on any podcast app or Skevanston.com
Episode 59: Nia Tavoularis-Connections for the Homeless
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Nia Tavoularis. Nia the Director of Development for Connections for the Homeless. Connections is THE agency in the northern suburbs leading the effort to deliver essential services to people who are homeless and unstably housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Connections for the Homeless partners with the community to provide comprehensive, compassionate, well-resourced, and effective programs in an exceptional workplace.They are the recognized as a leader on the causes of and solutions to homelessness in the northern suburbs. This episode can be watched on Youtube or listened to on any podcast app or Skevanston.com
Episode 58: Shana Erenberg-Libenu
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Shana Erenberg. Shana is the co-founder and Executive Director of Libenu. Libenu’s mission is to provide residential, vocational, and respite opportunities for people with disabilities to live with dignity and respect, as fully included members of the community.
Episode 57: Shalom Klein-Get Down to Business
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Shalom Klein. Shalom Klein is a master networker and connector and a true champion of Skokie. When he’s not meeting people for coffee (or now Zoom meetings), Shalom is accomplishing more in a day than most do in a year.
Episode 56: Harry Nathan Gottlieb-Unify America-Jackbox Games-Jellyvision Lab
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Harry Gottlieb. For the last 25 years Harry has focused on making learning and decision-making delightful and creating unique games that bring people together. In this episode we discuss Harry’s latest initiative which is Unify America, which is working to help us see that we are far more unified than we believe, and that there is a way to address our greatest, most intractable problems in a spirit of unity and cooperation. We also discuss Harry’s ventures of founding Jackbox Games and The Jellyvision Lab.
Episode 55:Tenzin Jamyang-Tibetan Alliance of Chicago
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Tenzin Jamyang from the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago which is located in Evanston. Tenzin was born and raised in Dharamsala, India. He came to the United States after winning the lottery for an immigration visa under the Tibetan Resettlement Project. Tibetan Alliance of Chicago (“TAC”) is a registered 501 3(c) not-for-profit organization seeking to preserve Tibetan heritage and serving the needs of the Tibetan community in Chicago.
Episode 54: Stacey Masliansky-Brainlinks Academics, Inc.
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Stacey Masliansky, the President of Brainlinks Academics, Inc, and wife of Aaron Masliansky. Stacey is a licensed Reading Specialist with SLANT System Certification (Structured Language Training). She provides tutoring services to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Episode 53: Marnie Dawson-Dawson Relocation Services
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down Marnie Dawson from Dawson Relocation Services. In this episode we talk about the services Dawson Relocation offers, the challenges of moving and the solutions they provide. We point out that move management is above and beyond what a moving and storage company provides, and how Marnie works hand in hand with the clients, the movers and the property managers to make transitions be seamless.
Episode 51: Ilene Uhlmann-JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival
This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down with Ilene Uhlmann who is the Director of Arts and Ideas Programming for JCC Chicago. Ilene is in charge of running the JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival. Come see me moderate two discussions with the filmmakers during the festival; the first being, Shepherd, the Story of a Jewish Dog on March 8th, and the second being, Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations on March 15th.
Episode 50: Aaron Masliansky-Inside the Skev
This week, the 50th episode on Inside the Skev, I flip the table on myself, and take up an offer from former guest Victoria Reeves to interview me, Aaron Masliansky! In this episode, you will learn what inspired me to start Inside the Skev, my life, passions and profession.