Aspire: The I Have The Right To Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode of Aspire offers a grounded conversation about empowered sexual health, consent, and agency in a world where young people are often navigating confusing or harmful messages about sex and relationships. Hosts Katie M. Shipp and host Chessy Prout, along with student co-host Maria Halter, welcome registered nurse, certified midwife, and author Dena Moes, whose boo...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode of Aspire is a conversation about making “good trouble” for gender equity, and how friendship, courage, and voice drive lasting change. Co-founders Susan and Chessy Prout, are joined by Georgetown student and intern co-host Maria Halter. They welcome guests Bari Harlam and Meredith Curran, the duo behind Trouble and proud “troublemakers for good.” Bari and...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of Aspire, Hosts Katie M. Shipp and Chessy Prout, joined by student Co-host Maria Halter, speak with Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic, who discusses the new blueprint “Understanding and Preventing Sexual Misconduct and Abuse by K-12 School Employees”. She explains the continuum from low-level misconduct to criminal abuse, the visual, verbal, and physical forms these beh...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode of Aspire features a deeply reflective conversation with retired Allegheny College professor and longtime Bonner Program mentor Dr. Dave Roncolato. He joins host Alex Prout and student host Gabriel Viscogliosi to explore what it truly means to grow into a whole, authentic man in a culture that often narrows masculinity to roles like “warrior,” “athlete,” or “br...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, co-hosts Chessy Prout and Katie Shipp, joined by student co-host Maria, sit down with Tracy DeTomasi, CEO of Callisto and a longtime leader in the movement to end gender-based violence. Tracy traces her journey from supporting youth and survivors to creating Callisto’s encrypted platform, which discreetly connects people harmed by the same perpetrator so...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of Aspire, hosts Hugh Eastman and Gabriel Viscogliosi talk with multifaceted artist, composer, rapper, and producer, Benjamin Maffa. Known in the music industry as Maffa, he talks about his journey from nationally-ranked student athlete to creative storyteller in the studio and on stage. Ben shares how his early passion for tennis gave way to making music, b...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, Katie Shipp and Chessy Prout welcome Erica Thompson, Assistant Head of School for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, and her seventh-grade student Annalise. Erica shares how she uses hair, a public, personal, and changeable part of identity, as an approachable way to teach young students about boundaries, respect, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of Aspire, co-hosts Alex Prout and Hugh Eastman sit down with three juniors from Georgetown Day School (GDS) in Washington, D.C., Eli, Nathan, and Aaron, who are actively challenging outdated views of masculinity and building healthier school cultures. The group shares stories of how key experiences and educational initiatives helped them move from passive l...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s impactful episode of Aspire features keynote speaker and resilience expert Trish Kendall, who shares her journey from childhood abuse and addiction to healing and redefining success. Hosts Katie Shipp and Chessy Prout speak with Trish about surviving the trauma and addiction that nearly ended her life by age 20. Through her story, Trish explains the five critical choic...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of Aspire, former NFL defensive end James Smith Williams joins Gabriel Viscogliosi and Hugh Eastman for a powerful discussion about masculinity, accountability, and what it means to be a "good man" on and off the field. Known for his advocacy work through Set the Expectation and partnerships with survivor advocate Brenda Tracy, James has made it hi...

Send us Fan Mail Violence prevention expert and author Meg Stone joins hosts Katie Shipp, Chessy Prout, and Gabriel Viscogliosi for an unforgettable conversation about reclaiming safety, autonomy, and resistance. Drawing from her new book The Cost of Fear, Meg exposes how traditional “safety” advice, rooted in fear, control, and sexism, has changed little since the 1970s, and why it continues to h...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of Aspire, hosts Alex Prout, Hugh Eastman, and Gabriel Viscogliosi welcome Jack Spiegel, a recent graduate of Quinnipiac’s media and journalism program, accomplished photographer, and new podcast producer, for an inspiring conversation about storytelling and advocacy. Jack shares how his upbringing and core value of “repairing the world” led him to a career...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, Katie Shipp and Chessy Prout sit down with Meghan Boudreau, a recent Allegheny College graduate and youth advocacy leader, for an insightful discussion about supporting young people through major life transitions. Meghan recounts her journey, sharing practical advice on navigating college, building supportive networks, and discovering her passion for adv...

Send us Fan Mail Guy Adami, CNBC’s Fast Money veteran and Wall Street trader, joins co-hosts Alex Prout, Gabriel Viscogliosi, and Hugh Eastman for a candid exploration of masculinity, money, and cultural change on Wall Street. Guy shares personal reflections on the pressures and rewards of working in a male-dominated trading culture, from bold risk-taking and stoicism to the slow evolution away fr...

Send us Fan Mail Karen Udall, program director and facilitator at I Have the Right To, joins Susan Prout and Katie Shipp to share her journey from parent to prevention advocate. After her daughter’s assault, Karen faced challenges with institutional support and healing, inspiring her to shape programs that have reached over 30,000 students, educators, and parents nationwide. Karen shares how her e...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode of Aspire, Co-hosts Chessy Prout and Katie Shipp welcome new Co-host Charlotte Lee, a senior at Georgetown Day School interning with I Have the Right To. They sit down with Ray Epstein, a recent Temple University grad, survivor, and campus leader.  Ray recounts her experience founding Student Activists Against Sexual Assault at Temple, and creating a supportive...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, Katie M. Shipp, Chessy Prout, and student co-host Meghan Boudreau sit down with Jess Michaels, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, an outspoken advocate, and the founder of the #WithYouToo app. Jess shares the deeply personal story that brought her from dancer and performer to sexual assault prevention advocate. She opens up about the often-misunderstood free...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, co-hosts Katie M. Shipp and Chessy Prout sit down with Renee Williams, Executive Director of the National Crime Victims Bar Association, the nation’s first and only professional association dedicated to supporting attorneys who represent survivors of crime in civil cases. Together, they discuss the challenges survivors face in navigating both the crimina...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, Co-Hosts Katie M. Shipp and Chessy Prout sit down with Dr. Mona, a board-certified pediatrician and founder of Peds Doc Talk. They explore critical issues surrounding body autonomy, emotional intelligence, and the importance of early education on consent and boundaries for children.  Dr. Mona shares practical advice for parents on how to create an enviro...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, hosts Katie M. Ship and Chessy Prout sit down with Jean Ruggiero, a passionate advocate against sexual violence and an aspiring social worker. Jean opens up about her journey from surviving sexual assault in high school to becoming a powerful voice for other survivors. Following her trauma, Jean found unexpected comfort and support from her dog, Boo Boo....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, hosts Alex Prout, Gabriel Viscogliosi, and Hugh Eastman are joined by production head Ben Hudak for a powerful one-year follow-up to their original “Aspire to Lead” conversation. They discuss stepping into leadership as high school seniors, the ongoing impact of their school’s consent and sexual assault summit, and the value of showing up as empathetic,...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Aspire, host Katie M. Shipp welcomes co-host Karen Udall and special guest Dr. Stacey Hettes, professor of biology and neuroscience at Wofford College and author of the memoir Dispatches from the Couch. Stacey shares her courageous journey as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and her path to healing through therapy. The discussion touches on critica...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode of Aspire, hosts Alex Prout, Gabriel Viscogliosi, and Hugh Eastman are joined by Sherrie Westin, CEO of Sesame Workshop. Sherrie discusses the history and early days of the beloved children's show, Sesame Street.  The conversation explores its origins during the Civil Rights Movement and the groundbreaking use of television to educate children from all back...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, co-hosts Katie M. Shipp, Executive Director of I Have the Right To, and Chessy Prout, Co-Founder of I Have the Right To, engage in a compelling conversation with Melissa Hoppmeyer, an experienced prosecutor and policy advocate with a strong background in criminal law, violence prevention, and legislative initiatives. She currently supports the developmen...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Aspire, host and Co-Founder of I Have The Right To, Alex Prout, and co-hosts and high school seniors, Gabriel Viscogliosi and Hugh Eastman, return with an impactful and emotional discussion featuring Chris McGhee.  Chris shares his family's harrowing experience after his daughter was sexually assaulted by a school resource officer. He narrates his journey f...