Making Progress

real people. real stories. real progress. Guest Host: Isaiah Oby In this special rapid-fire Q&A episode, Isaiah Oby flips the script on Myra Reneé to uncover the unfiltered truths behind building Wisconsin's largest Black-owned mental health clinic. Myra discusses not doing well in school and the isolating reality of being "the villain" in leadership, She shares lessons that soc...

real people. real stories. real progress. Hosted by Myra René When Kim Young became the "Dope Black Social Worker," she got mad about the gaps in mental health care for Black communities and started talking about it. Now she's leading a movement to transform social work licensure and reclaim helping professions for the communities they're meant to serve. From San Diego to Richm...

real people. real stories. real progress.  Hosted by Myra Reneé Why is Black hair always a hot topic? In this conversation, Myra sits down with two Madison salon owners to unpack the complex relationship between Black identity and hair. From the historical policing of our hair to creating safe spaces for authentic expression, LaTanya and Harper share how they've built businesses that go far b...

real people. real stories. real progress. Hosted by Myra Reneé What does it mean to be a successful single Black woman in Madison, Wisconsin? In this special live episode "Heels and Feels," Myra sits down with five incredible women who are redefining success on their own terms while navigating life as "unicorns" in the Midwest. From therapy practices to wellness companies, thes...

real people. real stories. real progress. Hosted by Myra Reneé What does it mean to be a successful single Black woman in Madison, Wisconsin? In this special live episode "Heels and Feels," Myra sits down with five incredible women who are redefining success on their own terms while navigating life as "unicorns" in the Midwest. From therapy practices to wellness companies, thes...

real people. real stories. real progress.  Hosted by Myra Reneé Mandela Barnes sits down with Myra for an unfiltered conversation about Wisconsin politics, the Democratic Party's disconnect with everyday people, and why he's considering another run for office. Named after Nelson Mandela while the South African leader was still imprisoned, Barnes shares his journey from Milwaukee mayor&ap...

real people. real stories. real progress. Hosted by Myra Reneé As Chief Diversity Officer at TruStage and one of Black Enterprise's most powerful diversity executives, Angela shares the real cost of being the messenger and why every DEI practitioner needs therapy. In this conversation, you'll hear how Angela uses her Apple Watch to monitor stress during heated conversations, why she wear...

Sara Alvarado went to Mexico in 1999 to heal from trauma and accidentally fell in love. Today, she's dismantling racist practices in real estate and helping Black and brown families achieve homeownership through Own It: Building Black Wealth. In this deeply personal episode, Sara shares her journey from writing about "all the sh*tty things" in her life on Facebook to creating innova...

Dr. Sagashus T. Levingston shattered her Generational Cycles. From four generations of sex workers to founding Infamous Mothers and landing in Forbes, her journey reveals the hidden costs of success that no one talks about. In this raw, unfiltered conversation with host Myra Reneé, Sagashus shares the moment a TV show saved her from suicide, why her 81-year-old grandmother's divorce changed e...

What happens when a therapist accidentally becomes a CEO? Myra Reneé didn't set out to build an empire – she just wanted to escape the never-ending parking tickets eating away her paycheck. Now she leads Wisconsin's largest Black-owned mental health clinic with over 60 employees across four locations. In this special role-reversal episode, our usual host becomes the guest as Isaiah Oby i...

What happens when two neighbors become empire builders? Annette Miller and Lisa M. Peyton didn't wait for permission to create change. They turned personal pain into powerful movements – transforming equity and wellness in Wisconsin and beyond. In this episode, host Myra Reneé sits down with two incredible Black women CEOs who reveal what it really takes to build organizations in spaces that...