Cha with Laura and Leah

Cassandra is our Restie Bestie! She is a neurodivergent Vietnamese-Chinese daughter of refugees. As a somatic healing facilitator and liberatory rest educator, Cassandra guides tired and trauma-impacted organizations, communities, and individuals to rest. Cassandra's mission is to uplift rest as a necessary modality for collective healing and social change. Her holistic approach examines the c...

Suzy is a Palestinian-Californian fashion designer whose parents instilled in her a strong Palestinian identity. She has been drawn to traditional Palestinian clothing and textiles since her youth. After studying Fashion and Textile design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Suzy designed a modern interpretation of the traditional Palestinian  thobe  which was showcased at the UN he...

Devon is a father, musician, and educator committed to the fight for collective liberation. Our conversation is no holds barred when it comes to critiquing the systems that prop politicians and celebrities over the people. Devon’s moral clarity is at once inspiring and grounding - we are so grateful to be on this timeline together with him. Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and v...

Kim (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, storyteller, sound bath practitioner, and community organizer exploring realms of community care through creativity and self-reflection. Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty...

Pam is a multi-faceted writer, activist, and wellness entrepreneur whose activism includes protesting the Iraq War with African American Women United for Peace & Justice, Occupy Wall Street, and the Occupy Student Debt Campaign. Pam was also the co-host of the WBAI/Pacifica Radio Morning Show and an adjunct professor of sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The New School. Ever...

Nadia is Palestinian from the American south. She is a creative director, chef, immersive and visual artist, and storyteller. She is also a trained Reiki Master and embodiment facilitator. Nadia combines multiple modalities of study in her life’s work, producing visual media and facilitating multi-sensory experiences that invite us all to dive deep and transform. She believes in changing the world...

Joél is a Bronx born and raised performer, father, author, and storyteller who writes and tells stories for Black people. Joél specializes in moderating and leading conversations surrounding race, masculinity, mental health, creativity, and the performing arts, with love at the center of his work and purpose. He is the author of  Book About Things I Will Tell My Daughter,   God Wears Durags, Too, ...

Jungwon is an award-winning writer and cultural worker. She is also a communications leader, organizational strategy consultant, and journalist who has dedicated her professional life to human rights and environmental advocacy. As Head of Creative & Editorial at the Rainforest Alliance, she directed a multimedia team of writers, videographers, and graphic designers. Earlier in her career, she...

Our first guest on Cha is our friend, Naley by Nature. Naley is the founder of NaleybyNature , an independent project to document stories from different corners of the world. She is a filmmaker, producer, and writer and is currently working on bringing greater awareness of the Palestinian genocide to Western audiences. Born and raised in New York, Naley studied media and journalism at Iona College...

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communiti...