Planted In Miami

Paul Silitsky was working as the CEO of a tech company in 2008 when he woke up one morning believing he had laryngitis.  Although he got his voice back a few days later it started to disappear  again.  As the days went by and his voice didn’t improve, he sought out help to find out what was going on with him.  It took him 18 months of seeing various doctors to find out he had Spasmodic Dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder that affects the voice muscles in the larynx. Since he couldn’t and didn’t want to speak much during this time, he found himself with a lot of time on his hands.  That’s when he came across a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn called, Wherever You Go There You Are, which introduced him to the power of meditation and the simplicity of being still.  Since then, he’s dedicated himself to cultivating a strong meditation practice and sharing its many benefits with others by opening Innergy Meditation, the first meditation studio created in South Florida. Located in Miami Beach, Innergy offers classes for

To many residents in Miami, climate change is personal.  To Zelalem Adefris, climate change is her life's work. Building on her passion for public health and environmental activism, Zelalem moved to Miami a few years ago to become the Climate Resilience Program Manager at Catalyst Miami. Zelalem works to educate residents on the local impacts of climate change, connecting climate change to social justice initiatives and implementing programs that strengthen the resilience  of communities. It's no secret that South Florida is 'ground zero' for rising sea levels and that many scientists predict major flooding and inhabitable communities within this century if drastic measures aren't taken. Catalyst Miami has created CLEAR Miami (Community Leadership on the Environment, Advocacy, and Resilience) to provide the groundwork to bring about change by recruiting educators, leaders and innovators in their own communities and beyond. Participants will learn how to advocate for policies and practices that strengthen the

When Kathie Klarreich decided to end her decade long career of being a journalist in Haiti, she wanted to dedicate her time to focus on social change by expanding arts programs in prisons. In 2014, Kathie founded Exchange for Change, a program which facilitates anonymous writing exchanges between classrooms in correctional and court-mandated facilities, and classrooms in high schools and universities.   Exchange for Change’s mission is to teach writing in prisons, foster leadership, and promote dialogue across social and institutional barriers. They focus on collaborations that nurture empathy and advocacy and create individual and social change.   The inmates or “inside students” who participate in the program commit to attend class for about two hours every week and the program runs roughly eight to twelve weeks. Courses include memoir writing, poetry, songwriting, trauma writing and more.   Exchange for Change has grown to offer 23 courses in multiple institutions, award more than 400 di

Did you know? The amount of paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons disposed of annually could wrap the equator 300 times!  Spending summers in a country house on the border of Russia and Finland, Anastasia Mikhalochkina (Anna) grew to appreciate the outdoors and witnessed a direct correlation between the consequences of her actions and its effect on a contained environment. Fast forward to Anastasia taking these lessons and her trainings in product and graphic design to found the local start-up company, Lean Orb which specializes in providing plant-based food service packaging and catering supplies made from agricultural by-products such as fallen palm leaves, sugar cane, and wheat straw. Anna's entrepreneurial spirit and passion stems from her desire to find sustainable solutions to current environmental issues.  She believes in educating not only the consumer but the buyers as well by guiding them through the process of swapping out traditional forms of packaging to an alternative that is not only stylis

Inspiration is all around us.  For Mariana Cortez, it was her baby boy, Luke, who was allergic to dairy that inspired her to create dairy/gluten-free, vegan cakes that he could enjoy on his birthdays.  When she got the idea of taking her cakes and making them into mini cupcakes, it set her on a remarkable journey which led her to open Miami's first vegan bakery, Bunnie Cakes, and Miami's first vegan DIY cupcake/cake decorating studio, Bunnie Cakes Studio, to selling her creations at Whole Foods Markets and now being the first vegan cupcake to be offered in Starbucks locations throughout South Florida. Bunnie Cakes is more than a bakery, it's an experience. When you first walk through the doors you are greeted by an explosion of colors and a display of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, and more that are just as bright and lively.  The walls recount its humble beginnings and hearts are a central theme throughout the store and on the cupcakes.  The love for her family is reflected in photos and you can im

Nine years ago, Art Friedrich along with Melissa Contreras created the Urban Oasis Project, whose mission is to foster a local food movement that's accessible and available to everyone. The way they've achieved this goal is by planting gardens with low-income families, creating several thriving Farmer's Markets throughout South Florida (Upper East Side, Tropical Park, Adrienne Arsht, Bay Harbor) and accepting SNAP benefits at the markets and doubling their value for Florida grown fruits and veggies. Art believes that farmer's markets are more than just a place to buy food, they are connection hubs that foster community and support local farmers and vendors. The Urban Oasis Project works tirelessly to educate the public on the value of these markets and how they strive to connect people to their food by eating seasonally, protect the environment by sourcing from local farmers, and support economic viability for small businesses. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Alex and Jeanette For behind the scenes photos

History has blessed us with some dynamic duos over time: Tom and Jerry; Thelma and Louise; Bert and Ernie and now, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer.  They are two peas in a pod(cast) and the creators of the immensely entertaining, outrageously raw and honest podcast called, Writing Class Radio where true and personal stories from students in Andrea's writing class are shared and where you can learn to write you own stories. The duo met years ago after Alison suffered a devastating personal tragedy and enrolled in Andrea's writing class in hopes of navigating through some of the pain she was going through. This serendipitous meeting would be the catalyst to an enduring friendship and collaboration that would change both of their lives as well as the lives of many others brave enough to be honest with themselves. Writing Class Radio is where "heart meets art" and where the goal of each episode is to make it equally about the craft of writing and the art of storytelling.  We think they nail it each and every t

It's said that necessity is the mother of invention. So if you take invention and mix it with an intelligent, driven and creative individual who understands the harmful effects of poisonous products on our skin, then you get Jacq's, a natural beauty brand founded by Barbara Jacques. Six years ago, when Barbara was pregnant with her first child, her doctor discovered an ovarian tumor that put her on bedrest with few medical answers.  After deep diving into holistic healing and the importance of self-care and diet, Barbara discovered that what she was using on her skin was just as important.  Turning to her kitchen, using natural and organic ingredients, Barbara birthed a non-toxic skin-care line that's designed to feed and heal the skin. Today, Barbara and her husband James, have grown Jacq's to offer an array of products designed for all skin tones with the goal of making every woman (and man) look good, feel good and slay naturally. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Alex + Jeanette Follow us on Instagram,

The activist in Elizabeth Jones peaked it's head out in 8th grade when she presented a research paper on animal testing to her fellow classmates. It wasn't until years later, after becoming vegan and being put on the spot about her activism efforts, did Liz allow her inner activist to come through.  Today, she's a Marine Biologist by day and passionate, bad ass animal protector by night/weekend and everything in between.  A quick visit to her Instagram page will reveal her passion and efforts to educate and bring awareness to not only animal welfare, but also the environment, health and human rights. We've admired Liz for quite some time and was eager to sit down and learn her story.  It takes incredible strength to stick to your convictions despite constant harassment and ridicule.  Yet, Liz understands her mission is greater than herself and continues each day to fight for the voiceless and marginalized. This interview is honest, raw and powerful and we don't shy away from asking the questions you may be th

In South Florida, there are a number of vacant lots ripe for transformation and Asha Loring, founder of Health in the Hood Inc., had an idea of what she could turn them into. Inspired by a project her father, Marvin Dunn, created years ago named Roots in the City, Asha began taking empty lots and converting them into nourishing gardens in food deserts throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County. Since it’s origin, Health in the Hood Inc. has planted gardens in Liberty City, Opa-Locka, Overtown and Hallandale Beach. These communal gardens have essentially become classrooms and meeting areas where people can learn things such as how to plant food in their backyards, understand complicated nutrition labels as well as the many benefits of exercise. In addition to providing healthy fruits and veggies, Asha’s organization is also responsible for creating jobs which helps keep the gardens running. Health in the Hood Inc. excels in putting children on the path to healthy futures, giving parents valuable information and

Five years ago, while Meena Jagannath was working with women in Haiti after the destructive Hurricane ravaged the island, an opportunity presented itself here in Miami.  Having never visited the city, she decided to take a chance and brought her expertise as a Human Rights lawyer and eventually co-founded the Community Justice Project, which is a group of community lawyers who represent community organizers and grassroots groups in low-income communities of color. She has been involved in such controversial and high profile cases such as the Michael Brown shooting and the tasering death of former Miami graffiti artist, Israel "Reefa" Hernandez-Llach. We spoke with Meena about the current state of affairs and challenges that are being faced from immigration to police authority and how the Community Justice Project plans to invite more people to the conversation through activism. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.co

When you throw something away, where is away? Six years ago, Dave Doebler found out the answer one afternoon on his kayak where he discovered 75 pounds of trash floating on the waters of Miami Beach. After wrangling his friends and family to help him clean up, he quickly realized that they either needed a bigger boat or more help. Eventually Dave and his wife Dara decided to create VolunteerCleanup.org, a free online resource which allows residents to lead and/or join a cleanup meetup to help rid the cities coastlines of the abundance of trash. Some of the most commonly found items in the water are single use plastic bottles, straws and cigarette butts (which are made from plastic and are not biodegradable). The trash is not only effecting the marine life (eating the plastic or being trapped by paper bags), and the oceans (acidity levels rising due to the plastic chemicals) but it’s also clogging our drains which prevent them from working properly which in turn contributes to the egregious flooding.  And as M

Carolina Pina is the Director of WIN Lab Miami - an eight month accelerator program for women entrepreneurs which helps them to grow sustainable ventures.  Originally launched in 2013 by Babson College in Massachusetts, the program expanded to Florida in 2016 where the first round of attendees just recently finished the program. Carolina studied Chemical Engineering in Venezuela and Industrial and Systems Engineering at FIU and attended graduate school at Rice University where she received her MBA.  She is an advisor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder of Ignitus - a consulting practice that helps organizations implement social impact initiatives After experiencing gender inequality early in her career she knew she wanted to get involved with helping to empower women to become entrepreneurs, shatter the glass ceiling and eliminate the disparity in pay that still exists between men and women.  Listen in to find out why Carolina is giving us all permission to fail. We hope you enjoy the conversation,

After self-proclaimed native, Meg Daly, broke both of her elbows in a biking accident and was forced to slow down and smell the asphalt on her walking commute to physical therapy, she got a crazy idea.  Transform the unused space underneath the Metrorail into a 10 mile linear park, urban trail and living art destination called, The Underline.  You might say it's Miami's response or ode to New York's immensely popular, The High Line, flipped upside down. In this interview, we talk about who was the first person she told about her "crazy idea" and how she went from never having been involved in the community to overseeing a $120 million project and what the future holds for creative public spaces in Miami.  We are very excited about The Underline, the business opportunities and jobs it will create, the art and culture it will invite people to interact with and once you know more about this highly anticipated project, you will be too. We hope you enjoy the conversation, Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes show

When Chris Adamo left New York City with the love of his life five years ago and exchanged his muted, cold weather wardrobe for bright and colorful Jams World t-shirts, he didn't only want to look like a local, he wanted to live like one too. So he joined the folks at WhereBy.Us as the Director of Business Development. These folks are the creators of the very helpful and practical online resource for Miami locals, The New Tropic and other initiatives that help people connect and engage in their respective cities. We met up with Chris at the uber cool co-working space - CIC, where we learned all about his disconnected life in NY, how his wife completely changed the trajectory of his life and how his mission of connecting people to their cities has earned him the moniker, The Dot Connector. Hope you enjoy the convo. Jeanette + Alex Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube @plantedinmiami For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero In the age of digital consumption and immediate gratification, Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books and Books is inviting Miami and beyond to slow things down by stepping into 'The Great Good Place,' in this case, one of his multiple landmark bookstores. A Miami native and lover of literature, Mitchell has devoted his life to providing the city with community spaces to engage and discover literature. Miami hasn't always had the best reputation for book lovers but through his persistence and the addition of the Miami Book Fair, the city is now on the map for authors and literary enthusiasts. We sat down with Mitchell to discuss his path to bookseller, how the store has stayed relevant in this digital era and how community and small businesses are the heart of any city.  It's a good one. We hope you enjoy. Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Fac

Since a very young age, Nathi Alarcon has been a go-getter.  She knew at 7 years old that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine and worked hard to achieve that goal.  What she wasn’t expecting was being derailed in college with an auto-immune disease that eventually changed the course of her life.  Her passionate nature took her down a path of healing and eventually lead her into the kitchen where she discovered the power and connection of food.   Today she is the co-owner of Fresh and Easy, the first cold-pressed juice bar and restaurant in Colombia as well as Cold Pressed Raw right here in Brickell. As if that wasn’t enough, she also teaches at the Matthew Kenney school on the weekends and is training for a half ironman. Talk about a go-getter! Nathi’s outlook on life is infectious and we hope you will be as inspired by her story and mission as we are. Jeanette + Alex For behind the scenes photos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and

Here in Miami when you say the name, Frankie Ruiz, chances are it conjures up memories of the incredibly popular and late Puerto Rican salsa singer belting out, "Bailando"or another one of his many popular hits.  But to many in Miami's athletic circles, Frankie Ruiz is synonymous with the Miami Marathon which just celebrated its 15th year this past January.  Inspired by his father from a young age to run, he found it a great way to explore his hometown and as a sport he could always compete in. Looking to inspire his team of runners at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Frankie invited a 12 year old athlete and double amputee by the name of Rudy Garcia Tolson who had aspirations of running a marathon. This fortuitous meeting eventually set the wheels in motion for Frankie and his partners at the time to create a marathon in Miami that could stand toe to toe with other reputable races such as New York City and Chicago. Faced with Miami's bad reputation of being a hot, humid, and crime ridden city, many may have

Korin Sutton is a dedicated individual.  In high school, he started lifting weights and paying attention to his nutrition to get in shape (and to get girls).  He then joined the military to serve his country because the men in his life served honorably and he wanted to do the same.  And then in college, after hearing a lecture given by Gary Yourofsky about animal abuse and veganism, he was so affected that he decided he could no longer continue contributing to the cruelty and suffering of animals.  That lecture completely changed the trajectory of his life and he is now a fitness trainer and nutritionist, vegan activist and a competitive bodybuilder. We had a great conversation with Korin, getting to know what makes him tick and diving deeply into why he's so passionate about challenging the status quo in the bodybuilding field. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For show notes, photos and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest @planted

The Messengers is a documentary by Chris Krimitsos, Niel Guilarte and Willie Harper, that tells the story of podcasting and the people behind this relatively new form of storytelling and digital media.  It follows and focuses on several podcasters as they tell their story of why they love podcasting, the growth podcasting has seen in recent years, and its future.  One of the podcasters featured is Miami local and Gamertag Radio (GTR) founder, Danny Peña.  (Episode 11) Danny recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of GTR at Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando, Florida where he delivered an extraordinary keynote that left us misty eyed and inspired.  He has that effect on people.  Today we speak to him about the film and his role in it which makes its Miami debut on May 5th at 7:30pm at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana. We hope you enjoy listening, Jeanette & Alex For behind the scenes photos, videos, show notes and more visit www.plantedinmiami.com Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtu