DREAMLEAPERS® with Harriette Cole

Dr. Donna Oriowo (pronounced Oreo-Whoa!) is a first-generation, first-born Nigerian American therapist, internationally recognized keynote speaker, award-winning DEI advocate, and two-time published author whose work sits at the intersection of Black mental health, self-esteem, sexuality, and racial justice. With a Ph. D. in Human Sexuality, licensure as a Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), and certi...

Who's that girl.......A singer/songwriter and native of Greensboro, NC, Shelby J. has been described as “a lil’ bit of Mavis Staples with James Brown ENERGY, and a lil’ Carole King on the side.” With her decade as a part of Prince’s band, The New Power Generation (NPG), Shelby also performed in the rain with Prince for the Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show in Miami. She is widely known as the “bald bea...

TOM JUNOD is senior writer for ESPN, where his work has won an Emmy and the DanJenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting. He is a two-time winner of the NationalMagazine Award for Feature Writing, and a winner of the James Beard Award for essaywriting. Previously he was a staff writer at GQ and Esquire. The film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was based on his article in Esquire. In March,...

Tony Award-winning advocate and artist Britton Smith bridges performance, activism, and community empowerment. As co-founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) and co-author of the Theater of Change methodology at Columbia Law School, he uses storytelling to challenge systemic injustice. As frontman of Britton & The Sting, a funk liberation band, he spreads queer holiness and authenticity as...

Tarana Burke is an activist, advocate, author, and the founder of the Me Too movement. For more than 25 years, she has dedicated her life to supporting survivors of sexual violence, fostering healing, and advancing social justice through grassroots organizing and community empowerment. Widely recognized for creating the phrase "Me Too" in 2006, Burke's work has transformed a simple message of empa...

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Dr. LaJerne Terry Cornish, President of Ithaca College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guy Stanley Philoche is an internationally acclaimed Haitian-American contemporary artist known for his richly textured works blending abstract realism, pop art, and cultural storytelling. His artwork has been exhibited nationally and collected by major figures and institutions, while his philanthropy supporting emerging artists has earned widespread recognition. Learn more about your ad choices....

A. Curtis Farrow is an American producer, director, and community leader best known as the longtime executive producer of McDonald's Gospelfest. He is widely recognized for using music and media as platforms to celebrate faith, diversity, and cultural unity across the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paulette Cleghorn is the Head Designer and Creative Director of Yumi Katsura Couture, where she leads the creative vision for one of the world’s most renowned bridal fashion houses. A seasoned fashion executive, she brings a global perspective to couture design, blending innovation with timeless elegance. With years of experience shaping luxury fashion, Paulette is known for her refined aesthetic,...

This week on DREAMLEAPERS® with Harriette Cole, we welcome Desirée Rogers—CEO and Co-Owner of Black Opal Beauty and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, and former White House Social Secretary. In this powerful conversation, Desirée shares her journey navigating leadership at the highest levels—from corporate boardrooms to the White House—while remaining grounded in purpose and vision. She offers insight into...

Blair Underwood has built a distinguished career across film, television, and theatre, earning acclaim as an actor while expanding his creative influence as a director, producer, and author. With a body of work defined by range, depth, and longevity, he stands among the rare artists whose impact extends both in front of and behind the camera. Underwood currently stars in Youngblood, a reimagining...

J. Ivy is a Grammy Award-winning poet, recording artist, and author whose work bridges spoken word, music, and storytelling. Widely recognized for his contribution to “Never Let Me Down” with Kanye West and Jay-Z, he has built a legacy rooted in purpose, faith, and creative expression. His acclaimed piece “Dear Father”—which evolved into a bestselling book and a national letter-writing movement—en...

Ro Reddick is a queer Black playwright, songwriter, and educator known for writing off-kilter comedies—and the theme songs to your late capitalist nightmares. She is the 2025–2026 recipient of the Vineyard Theatre’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, where she serves as an artist-in-residence, and an Audrey Resident at New Georges. Her play Cold War Choir Practice won the 2026 Susan Smith Blackburn Pr...

Michaela angela Davis is a writer, creative director, producer, and image activist whose work explores the intersections of gender, race, fashion, culture, beauty, and identity. She is the co-author of The Meaning of Mariah Carey, a #1 New York Times bestseller, and has collaborated with Mariah Carey on additional literary projects. Davis is also the creator of the NAACP Image Award–nominated docu...

Sue Hitzmann is an exercise physiologist, manual therapist, and the founder of the MELT Method®, a self-treatment technique designed to help people reduce chronic pain, improve mobility, and restore balance in the body. She is the CEO of Longevity Fitness, Inc., and an internationally recognized educator who teaches individuals and health professionals how to care for their connective tissue and o...

Join Harriette Cole on DREAMLEAPERS® with guest Akeshi Akinseye, global luxury event planner and author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamika D. Mallory is a bestselling author, award-winning social justice leader, and movement strategist. A powerful organizer, she has led major justice movements, from fighting voter suppression to advocating for Breonna Taylor. As the youngest-ever Executive Director of the National Action Network, she helped create New York City’s $100 million Crisis Management System for gun violence preventio...

Eric Easter is a producer, writer and media executive and CEO of BlackBoxDigital Studios, which produces non-fiction multi-platform programming. The former CEO of streaming channel Black Heritage Network, he advises content-based media startups including streaming channel Kweli TV. A strong advocate for public media, he is the chairman of WHUT TV (Howard University Television) and a trustee of Ame...

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Join Harriette Cole for a powerful conversation with award-winning filmmaker and media executive Keith Michael Brown, Executive Vice President of Content at Firelight Films. They discuss his directorial debut, A New Day Begun: The Black National Anthem, and explore the power of storytelling, truth-telling, and centering voices that shape culture, history, and social change. Learn more about your a...

Susan L. Taylor is a legendary voice in media, widely known for her profound impact as former Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine. For decades, she has shaped generations of Black women through storytelling rooted in empowerment, healing, and truth. She is also a longtime author, speaker, and advocate for personal and community transformation. Stephen Powell is a nationally respected leader in you...

Charlie Lewis Jr. is a real estate professional, author, and lifestyle visionary focused on intentional living and personal alignment. Based in New York City, his work encourages people to think beyond success as a title and instead consider how they truly live their lives. His newly released book, No Apologies: Love the Way You Live, at Any Age, explores authenticity, self-acceptance, wellness, a...

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is an award-winning Ghanaian-American researcher and writer. She is a postgraduate student at Harvard Kennedy School studying public policy and economics. She is the youngest recipient of a CEDAW Women’s Rights Award from the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Her first book received widespread coverage from outlets i...

Jeanni L. Johnson, a board-certified Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Minnesota and New York, brings a wealth of expertise as a psychotherapist based in Westchester, NY. Holding a Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice from Columbia University, Jeanni’s passion for destigmatizing mental health shines through her role as the CEO and founder of For Love & Psych, LLC. With a de...