Tishni, better known as Tish of TheBookthief28 on TikTok, has a romance with reading. Mixing her love of literature, social purpose and the critical thinking skills obtained in law school, this recent graduate has made her book reviews some of the most viewed on BookTok. In this interview, we learn how she has built her platform, what makes booktokkers tik (see what we did there?), and what's next.  

Lauren Sato, the CEO of Ada's Developers Academy, is changing the face of tech. A lifelong social justice advocate, Lauren's career has touched many different fields, but has always centered around one thing: progress for marginalized identities. In this interview, we learn what makes Lauren the leader she is today, how diversity in homogenous fields makes them better, and why social good is good business.  

Gamers are becoming the new rockstars, just ask Chris Mann. From what we wear to what we eat, we are taking cues from e-sports like never before. In Part 2 of his interview, Chris tells us how e-sports is more than gaming; it's a lifestyle and everyone is getting in on the action.  

Serial entrepreneur and e-athlete, Chris Mann, is helping redefine the role of "gamers" in our society. In part 1 of his interview, he describes the windy path to becoming COO of Subnation, a media start-up focused on esports and gaming, the stereotypes that once plagued the industry and how gaming has gone from geek to chic.  

"Inclusive" is Susan Freeman's favorite word. At her company, Freeman Means Business, Susan teaches businesses how to communicate both effectively and more inclusively lending to the support of diversity in the work place. From her amazing mentors to her current clients, we go on the journey with this badass business owner.  

Reese Tanimura cares about people. After being a music teacher in her native Hawaii, this serial volunteer moved to Seattle and participated in multiple non-profits before becoming the Managing Director of Folklife Festival. With a keen interest in inclusion and equity, she has worked to guide the mainstay organization to celebrating diverse culture and art as a means to connect us to a larger social consciousness.  

In part two of Alissa Leinonen's interview, we learn just how COVID-19 has affected Gourmondo and the rest of the Seattle restaurant industry. Alissa, whose motto is "never, never, never give up", explains how the pandemic sparked her commitment to philanthropy, focused her work on supporting the community and reignited her optimism and determination in the face of crisis.  

Fourth-generation Seattleite, Alissa Leinonen, isn't the typical food business owner. Having earned a Business degree at University of Washington and a self-proclaimed "not great" chef, she colored outside of the lines to find out how she could contribute to her passion - the culinary world. Founding Gourmondo, a local catering staple, was her ticket. In this first part, Alissa explains her journey from business student to business owner and why creating a family fosters talent.

From her time at Real Networks in Business Development to the corner office as a VP of Napster, Gabriela Junkin has steadily and expertly climbed the ranks as one of the most respected women in music streaming. Her knowledge and enthusiasm has guided her through challenges and triumphs as she has navigated through a male-dominated high-tech industry. We hear her story and are encouraged to welcome new opportunities and always take risks.  

From kindergarten, people noticed that Aimee Woodall had a gift for communications. That gift led her to work for several creative and marketing agencies, before founding her own, The Black Sheep Agency. At Black Sheep, Aimee focuses on creating messaging and activating communities centered around the common goal of making the world a better place. A branding agency dedicated to purpose, The Black Sheep Agency threw out the traditional rule book and built a marketing agency on kindness,...

From her first physics classes in middle school, Priyanka Raha was fascinated with science and mathematics. Growing up in India, she became a national level achiever in Olympiads, paving her way into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field from an early age. After she immigrated to America, working in engineering, and had started a family, she realized the foundation for her work’s mission. Priyanka always believed that technology is a magic wand that can solve the most...

Originally from New York, Eileen Quigley’s first career was in journalism. Eileen’s background and experiences as a young adult gave her a unique appreciation for the value of time, as well as a constant yearning to learn new things in new industries. This led her involvement in eight different startups, including Real Networks. Today, she is the Executive Director of the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI), an independent nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate the transition to a...

After having a preventative mastectomy, Kristen Carbone felt cold ALL the time. Out of curiosity, she started talking to other women and found out that she wasn’t the only one: warmth was a serious issue for post-reconstruction women. The idea of Brilliantly Warm came from a self-serving solution using a thermal fabric design. Then the product became an entire movement; Kristen developed a striking desire to change the dialogue about breast cancer and focus on women who have first-hand...

For Daniel Pak, the values he learned growing up in Hawaii walk with him today in his parenting, songwriting, and his work as the Executive Director of Totem Star, the non-profit he founded in Seattle. Growing up on Oahu, its rich, melting pot of cultures made Daniel the ultimate music man. As a music teacher, Daniel became part of a musical training intensive for young men recently released from juvenile detention. He immediately saw what an impact having a safe, creative space for youth had...

In the second part of Megan Jasper’s interview, we learn about Megan’s journey from intern at Sub Pop to eventually becoming CEO of the entire company! Megan’s famous “Lexicon of Grunge” interview helped turn the world’s attention to Sub Pop and Seattle where she was part of the team that helped evolve the Seattle label into a diverse worldwide enterprise. Megan shares some behind-the-scenes insight into the massive challenges record labels have faced in the digital age and during COVID...

Megan Jasper is the ultimate punk rock goddess. From a young age, she resonated with punk’s unique energy, DIY spirit, and acceptance of being your unique, self. In a world of misfits, Megan fit right in. In Part 1 of 2, Megan and Joleen dive into her early days of their work in the music industry. The ultimate badass, as a high-schooler Megan DJ-ed in Boston on the weekends amidst dreams of becoming a schoolteacher. Fate intervened (thankfully) and while on tour in Seattle with Dinosaur...

Jodi Milstein always loved music and turned an internship at A&M Records into a full-fledged rock-and-roll career. Her go-getter spirit led her to rise through the ranks at the label, working with artists like Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Temple of the Dog and Soundgarden (which is when Joleen and Jodi first met). After overseeing marketing and touring for Lionel Richie’s company LBR Entertainment, Jodi grew weary of the road and became a therapist. Her entrepreneurial spirit gave her that “aha”...

Grace Bradley, was always an avid lover of all things literature. After starting out reviewing books, she soon discovered her natural knack for editing and joined the very first digital publishing company as a professional editor. As the publishing world shifted, Grace decided to follow suit and founded Grace Bradley Editing. I can personally vouch for her awesomeness, as Grace edits my Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance series. Her work is so much more than correcting grammar, she ensures that...

In the 2nd part of their interview, Joleen and Karim Meghji discuss the values which guide Karim’s work outlook today. After a successful trek at RealNetworks and his own startup venture, Karim developed a keen awareness about the value of company culture, which he now takes to every company he works at. Today, as the Chief Technology Officer at Remitly, Karim challenges his team to think beyond any constraints. He spends time creating value within the workplace not only to create a great...

Karim Meghji was always a “tech-y” guy. From his early days writing code in high school, he loved the creative side of computer engineering. In the first of a two-part interview, Joleen dives into Karim’s early career days. Karim originally started in tech support answering phone calls, which gave him a unique appreciation for customer service which he carried on to all of his future roles. After taking some initiative and creating a customer-help software, Karim’s career in engineering took...

Growing up, Shari Siadat always stood out. As a first generation Iranian-American growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, she felt singled out in her community which lacked diversity. Before she formed her own thoughts about beauty and appearance, people told her how she should look. After years of enduring mixed messages about beauty, Shari took control of her identity - realizing she belonged to herself. From this realization, she created a new beauty brand, TooD Beauty. With its first...

Rika Nakazawa, the founder and CEO of BoardSeatMeet was an overachiever at a young age. Growing up in a multi-cultural family in both Japan and the US, Rika’s desire to master everything from fine arts to physics served her well as one of the first business development executives to integrate entertainment into digital experiences. On this episode of The Lawyer Who Rocks, Rika shares how she built her pioneering career using skills of engagement— and how she was able to parlay these...

Lily Cornell Silver is taking IGTV by storm with her amazing show, “Mind Wide Open” which was borne out of Lily’s belief that having open conversations about mental health is the best way to destigmatize it. Her work has led to worldwide media coverage and accolades. A recipient of the 2020 Leader of Mental Health Awareness Award by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lily’s interviews with guests ranging from leaders in the health and wellness industry to musicians like Duff McKagan and...

The Seattle International Film Festival, or SIFF, began in 1976 and has become one of the top film festivals in North America. Executive Director, Andrew Haines began his tenure right before a global pandemic. Artistic Director, Beth Barrett has been a grounding force in curating the festival. Together, these two leaders have banded collaborated to help guide this important arts organization forward despite all obstacles. This is a must-listen for anyone who loves and supports film and wants...

Regina Wamba’s love for art started when she was just 5 years old. Despite a lack of arts education in Idaho, Regina was determined to go to art school and apply her natural talent in visual communications and graphic design. After a stint in the “real world,” Regina’s natural entrepreneur tendencies took over. She founded her brand and built her reputation as an expert in creating designs, imaging, and projects with emotion and story. Today, Regina has several complimentary ventures...