The Loida Lewis Podcast

How do you fly an airplane, earn a 4th-degree Taekwondo black belt, and drive a car—all without arms? In our incredible Season 5 Finale, Tita Loida is joined by Filipina-American powerhouse Jessica Cox. Drawing from the fierce "Waray spirit" inherited from her mother (who hails from Eastern Samar), Jessica shares her raw journey from being a bullied child who prayed to be "normal,&q...

How does a working student in a call center eventually build a global streaming platform for independent films? In this episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida speaks with Karen Jane Salutan-Krukover, the Founder and CEO of EdukSine. Karen shares her incredible "rags to purpose" journey—from struggling to pay for school, to launching a social enterprise that brings socially releva...

How do you go from a high-powered Wall Street law firm to rebuilding healthcare in a country of 176 million people? In this episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida is joined by Sylvana Sinha, the Bangladeshi-American founder of Praava Health. Sylvana shares her extraordinary journey of earning a joint degree from Columbia and Harvard in four years, working foreign policy on the 2008 Obama c...

How does a kid from Cebu grow up to make Broadway history? In this episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida speaks with Clint Ramos, the brilliant Tony Award-winning designer, producer, and Lincoln Center artist-in-residence. Clint shares his incredible journey from participating in pop-up protest theater in Manila to becoming the first person of color to win a Tony for Best Costume Design o...

Can a Jeepney driver become a high-tech armored superhero? In this episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida sits down with Lee Troxell, the award-winning educator and founder of Balisong Media. Lee shares how his fierce Filipino upbringing inspired Heroes of Balisong, a mainstream comic universe designed to bring Pinoy culture, folklore, and values like Kapwa (interconnectedness) to the glob...

In this deeply inspiring episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida is joined by Monique Ong, a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor, author, and the founder of MindNation. After surviving a 21-day coma in 2017, Monique had to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat. Despite being diagnosed with aphasia and facing immense hurdles returning to the corporate world, she turned her pain into a global...

How far would you go to save a stranger's life? For Dr. Rick Hodes, the answer was adopting them. In this powerful episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida speaks with Dr. Rick Hodes, the Medical Director for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Ethiopia. Listen as Dr. Rick recounts his 40-year journey treating impoverished children with life-threatening spinal defor...

In this culturally rich episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Tita Loida is joined by indigenous master weavers who traveled to New York City for the YAMAN NYC exhibition. Listen in as we explore the centuries-old traditions, spiritual rituals, and painstaking dedication behind the Philippines' most exquisite textiles. Tita Loida speaks with: Maria Elena Balbas & Maria Elaine Balbas: Sharing...

In this deeply moving sister-to-sister conversation, Tita Loida sits down with her only sister, Imelda "Mely" Nicolas. A celebrated public servant, publisher, and women's rights advocate, Mely takes us through her fearless life journey. Listen in as Mely shares raw, untold stories of running an underground newspaper, her time as a political detainee in Camp Bonifacio, and the shockin...

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 5 of The Loida Lewis Podcast! Today, we uncover a vital, deeply emotional piece of US-Philippine history: the reality of Filipino Amerasians. Tita Loida welcomes the leadership and beneficiaries of the Philippine American Guardian Association (PAGA), an organization founded in 1921 to support the children of US military personnel left behind in the Philippines. Alongsi...

How do you survive 8,057 days in solitary confinement for a crime you didn’t commit, only to emerge with a heart full of love instead of anger? In this unforgettable episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast, Mrs. Loida sits down with the extraordinary Nick Yarris. Nick spent 23 years on death row before DNA evidence finally proved his innocence. He opens up about finding his humanity through literature,...

How does a mathematics teacher go on to conquer the world’s greatest concert halls? Today, Mrs. Loida Lewis sits down with Dr. Raul Sunico, an internationally celebrated concert pianist with an incredible five degrees - ranging from a Master’s in Statistics to a PhD in Piano Performance from NYU. Dr. Sunico shares his extraordinary journey, from getting accepted into Juilliard while recovering fro...

For our second episode of Season 5, Mrs. Loida Lewis sits down with Aimee Hofmann, a remarkable abstract painter and visual artist whose path to success was born out of an unimaginable life pivot. After a sudden onset of a rare neurological condition left her paralyzed from the waist down, Aimee found profound healing and a new voice through painting. In this deeply moving conversation, Aimee shar...

We are kicking off Season 5 with Assemblymember Steven Raga, the history-making first Filipino American elected to the New York State Legislature. His journey from a dedicated student leader to a legislative powerhouse is an incredible story of success, grounded in community service and the courage to stand up for what's right. In this candid conversation with Mrs. Loida Lewis, Steven opens up...

🎬 Season 4 Finale - Episode 14: Dolly de Leon - From Local Theater Stages to Global Spotlight For our Season 4 finale, Mrs. Loida Lewis sits down with the incomparable Dolly de Leon - the internationally acclaimed Filipina actress whose rise from theater student to Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee has inspired audiences around the world. In this intimate and energizing conversation, Dolly opens up...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 13 - Veejay Floresca: Breaking Barriers, Winning Project Runway & Redefining Modern Fashion In this powerful and deeply inspiring episode, Mrs. Loida Lewis sits down with Veejay Floresca - the history-making winner of Project Runway Season 21, a trailblazing Filipino American designer whose journey is defined by courage, craftsmanship, and unstoppable passion. From her ear...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 12 - Mon Abrea: Unpacking Flood-Control Funds, Transparency & the Leadership We Deserve Why do we pour billions into flood-control projects, yet so many Filipino communities remain underwater? In this powerful episode, Mrs. Loida Lewis and Mon Abrea - "The Philippine Tax Whiz" - confront one of the country’s most pressing questions: Where do our funds go, and wha...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 11 - Carmen Evelyn G. Nuyda: From Couture to Mindfulness to Bringing Elizabeth Keckley’s Story to Life In this inspiring episode, Mrs. Loida Lewis sits down with Carmen Evelyn “Carlyn” Nuyda — dressmaker, artist, author, and the creative force behind Lizzy: The Elizabeth Keckley Story. Together, they explore Carmen’s creative journey and the remarkable life of Elizabeth Keckle...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 10 - Dr. Kenneth B. Morris, Jr.: Carrying the Legacy of Freedom Forward Dr. Kenneth B. Morris, Jr. is the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great-grandson of Booker T. Washington - two of the most influential voices for freedom, education, and human dignity in American history. Today, he continues their legacy as Founder and President of the Freder...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 9 - Jessy Daing: Love, Leadership & Building Over A Glass Or Two From managing billion-dollar projects in New York to co-hosting the first Filipino podcast aired on The Filipino Channel (TFC), Jessy Daing’s story is one of passion, resilience, and heart. In this heartwarming episode, Jessy sits down with Mrs. Loida Lewis to talk about: ✨ How Over A Glass Or Two began - fr...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 8 - Herbert Hernandez: Creativity, Courage & Building GIGIL From the Ground Up From sketching as a kid in Manila to leading one of Asia’s most awarded independent ad agencies, Herbert Hernandez has turned creativity into a career that inspires millions. He’s the Co-Founder and Creative Partner of GIGIL, the powerhouse agency behind viral campaigns for RC Cola, Levi’s, Netf...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 7 - Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine: Purpose, Leadership & Transforming Philippine Education From her early days at Poveda in Quezon City to the halls of Harvard and Columbia, Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine has built a life dedicated to impact - in law, science, education, and cultural heritage. Once a corporate lawyer in Boston and New York, she later found her true calling in public...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 6 - Jeremiah Abraham: Elevating Filipino Voices in Hollywood From studying Computer Engineering at UC Irvine to becoming one of Hollywood’s most influential marketing minds, Jeremiah Abraham has built a career rooted in purpose, representation, and impact. As the Founder and CEO of Tremendous Communications, he has helped shape the success of groundbreaking projects such as Cr...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 5 - Georgina Pazcoguin: The Rogue Ballerina Who Dared to Break the Mold From the ballet halls of the New York City Ballet to the bright lights of Broadway, Georgina Pazcoguin has danced her way into history - as the first Filipina American and first Asian American soloist at NYCB, the author of Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina, and co-producer of Broadway’s Here Lies...

🎬 Season 4, Episode 4 - Butch Meily: From Manila to Wall StreetThis episode of The Loida Lewis Podcast features Rene “Butch” Meily - author of the book, "From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant’s Journey With America’s First Black Tycoon". His story is as much about his own journey as an immigrant from Manila to New York as it is about his extraordinary partnership with the late Regina...