Convos With Sazón

Dominican children’s book author, Luz Maria Mack, shares how she moved past seeking publisher approval to center her community, creating stories rooted in culture, truth, and lived experience. Along the way, she also opens up about the realities of self-funding her work and navigating rejection, while thoughtfully exploring how to translate complex themes like identity, struggle, and belonging int...

Most people see the shelves, but not the work behind them. The New York Public Library’s (NYPL) curator for Latin American, Iberian and Latine Research Collections, Paloma Celis Carbajal, pulls back the curtain on what librarians actually do, from building research collections to maintaining cultural memory. She also reflects on how those ideas guide her work preserving the stories, literature, an...

For architect-turned-mixologist Ximena Hoyos aka the Gin & Tonic Queen, hospitality has always been at the center of everything she does. From childhood memories of her parents entertaining guests to designing hospitality spaces and then hosting curated cocktail experiences across New York City, she shares why connection is the true ingredient behind every great gathering. She also talks about...

Growing up in a family of garment workers, Jenniffer Quezada’s parents experienced the harsh realities of the fashion industry firsthand. Today, they’re rewriting that story together by building a company that uplifts designers, immigrant workers, and small businesses alike. She joins me alongside her father, Pedro Quezada, to talk about Digital Moda’s inception, which is truly a family story deca...

Photographer and director, Rey Fernandez, shares how a decade in corporate America left him successful, but spiritually depleted. In this episode, he opens up about choosing uncertainty over comfort and how picking up a camera at 27 changed the trajectory of his life. Rey’s story is ultimately about courage: the kind required to believe in yourself before the world does.

Named among The Maldon® Salt’s 50 in 2025 as a globally renowned chef whose skill, talent and creativity is making waves and headlines at home and abroad, Colombian chef and entrepreneur Stephanie Bonnin left behind the “stable” path to follow a calling rooted in memory, migration, and intuition. In this episode, she shares how nostalgia, courage, and Caribbean flavors shaped a culinary project th...

Leandra Caprini-Rosica redefines wedding photography as emotional storytelling and legacy-building. In this episode, she shares how empathy, intuition, and presence shape her signature blend of editorial direction and cinematic documentary style images that outlive the day itself. She also announces her digital artist residency and her British Vogue feature on out on stands this week.

Professional ballerina, author, choreographer and activist, Ingrid Silva opens up about navigating race, class, and access in an elite art form not designed with her in mind. Through resilience and radical self-belief, she carved space not just for herself, but also for those coming after her. From the global performance stages to the United Nations, she unpacks how movement can also be a tool for...

Comedian, impressionist, media host and content creator, Andrea Lopez wears a lot of hats and has many voices. From Jennifer Coolidge to Kourtney Kardashian, Andrea explains how she builds impressions that feel sharp, specific, and human. This episode dives into craft, observation, and why her approach to comedy is more than just doing a voice. She breaks down how persistence, observation and embr...

Before fashion, Kevin Leonel dreamed of playing Major League Baseball and that competitive, disciplined mindset still defines his work today. In this episode, Kevin traces how sports shaped his identity, creativity, and resilience, ultimately leading him to fuse athletic culture with high-concept fashion in unexpected ways. Episode 38 is now live and available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,...

From Chile to New York City singer, songwriter, producer, and label founder, TONI, opens up about building an artistic identity across cultures, languages, and genres. In this episode, she shares how emotional honesty, creative risk, and independence shaped her path. She also announces the release of her first ever album: Gei-SHA, set for February 27th.

Dietitian and author, Dalina Soto, encourages listeners to enjoy food without shame by offering a blueprint for stepping out of restrictive diet culture and into empowered, culturally aligned nourishment. This episode is a reminder that reclaiming our relationship with food can reconnect us to identity, joy, and family.

Sisters, Camila and Catalina Pinzón, share how their bond and cultural roots shaped the creation of their clean make-up brand, Cidra. This episode dives into ritual, entrepreneurship, and the beauty of building something meaningful with family. We explore beauty as storytelling and wellness as lineage.

Gabriela Peralta, the Social Media Manager for The Guggenheim Museum, breaks down how she brings one of the world’s most iconic museums to life on social media. We explore creativity, identity, and the art of making art feel accessible to everyone.

Singer-songwriter, La Cassandra, opens up about the dualities that shape her — joy and sorrow, strength and softness, Dominican and American. In this intimate conversation, she shares how her music weaves identity, life stories, rhythm, culture, and soul together.

Anthony Alvarez, the founder and CEO of Project Feel, a Latinx-owned multimedia company born out of passion, purpose, and a need for representation, joins Convos With Sazón this week to talk about what it means to build community around love, vulnerability, and the radical belief in shared humanity through film.

In a world dominated by short-form content and fleeting trends, videographer, producer and social consultant Ace King reflects on how storytelling has evolved — and what it takes to stand out. He dives into the art of creating content that not only captures attention but also leaves a lasting impression.

Culture is more than content, it’s an engine for connection and growth. From relaunching mitúStudios in East LA to launching mitúTV and FIERCE by mitú, NGLmitú's Chief Revenue Officer, Joe Bernard has been instrumental in expanding Latino storytelling. He breaks down how NGLmitú balances creativity, community, and commerce to build a powerful platform for U.S. Latinos and brands that want to r...

Founder and CEO of the Future Now Media Foundation, Margaret “Peggy” Kim, reflects on her career milestones and the legacy she hopes to leave in the media industry. From her early days in production to leading FUTURE NOW, Peggy shares the moments that define her career and the impact she aims to have on future generations.

Around the world, thousands and thousands of people disappear during armed conflicts. Through forensic anthropology, Fredy Peccerelli and his teams at the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) and the Friends of FAFG, work with DNA to piece together narratives of loss and resilience, help return remains to families looking for answers, and offer closure at the intersection of science,...

Comedian, writer and actress Irene Morales opens up about the balancing act of chasing comedy dreams while juggling a day job to pay the bills – a reality many creatives can relate to. She talks about finding humor in life's messy twists and turns, how she keeps comedy passion alive amidst everyday struggles, and shares insights on using frustration and shortcomings as fuel for her sarcastic h...

Juan Felipe talks about his creative process as an actor, writer and model, and how he finds inspiration in his life and the world around him. He discusses the intersection of his passions, the challenges of balancing everything that comes with pursuing multiple creative roles, and how he stays motivated and inspired in his work.

Adriana Carrig, the Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Little Words Project, shares her experiences with bullying and negativity, and how these challenges inspired & shaped her company's mission to spread kindness.

Cindy Castro, a proud Latina fashion designer, joins Convos With Sazón as she shares her inspiring journey from Ecuador to the NYC Garment District, where she's disrupting the industry with sustainable style. With a mission to revolutionize fashion through ecofriendliness and social responsibility, she opens up about her path to leading her own brand, in a way that fashion meets purpose.

Camila Ramón, podcast host, recording artist and Peloton’s first bilingual cycling instructor, opens up about how her Latin heritage fuels her passion for fitness and music while embracing self love through movement, talks about being true to herself on and off the Peloton bike, and discusses the power of authenticity & empowerment when building community and finding personal strength.