Tell Me What Happened

Woody Rini (they/them) is a nonbinary author and speaker who teaches "anti-self-help" methods. After a decade of failed "self help" attempts, Woody hit bottom and turned to support communities and therapists to heal. What started as a must for survival in mid-2021 has turned into multiple years of thriving growth, all as a result of asking for help instead of doing it alone. Woody now runs their o...

Vonda leads the Global Capital Strategies initiative, at the Center for Labor & a Just Economy at Harvard Law School , focusing on financial strategies in service of labor and human rights, and a just transition to a low carbon economy. She also supports the Capital Strategies for a Common Good initiative, researching ties between movements for workers’ rights, environmental justice, and racia...

Hannah Rehak is a comedian, essayist, podcaster and filmmaker. She is the Communications Manager at Not Sorry Productions, an understudy at The Second City , the producer of Material Girls and Gender Playground , and the co-host of Nina, Hannah, and Emily in Paris . Hannah is a proud Chicago Public Schools and Macalester College alum with a background in critical race theory and media and cultural...

Ben Joravsky Staff Writer, Chicago Reader Investigative Reporter, Author and Host of the Ben Joravsky Show Podcast. Ben Joravsky is a prize winning journalist whose piece about Chicago’s Roosevelt High School was chosen as one of 1992’s outstanding sports articles. Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day's stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicia...

Caleb Frankel, recalls the pain he experienced and the resilience he developed as a result of his parent's divorce. Caleb was seven at the time, and he became the protector of his younger brother while his parents frequently changed homes subsequent to their break up. Caleb recalls the sustaining love of his extended family and family friends that has helped him develop an "eternal optimism." Cale...

Gayle Petrillo recalls being a toddler, and experiencing a horrific accident that scarred her for life. While she and her mother were visiting a neighbor Gayle accidentally spilled an urn of scalding hot coffee on herself, causing burns over 40% of her body. After months in the hospital, Gayle spent her formative years with scars both internal and external. Born & raised in Albany, New York, G...

Ellie Moller believes words are "Like magic spells." That is, what we say to one another often has the capacity to impact us in very powerful ways. As an 18 year old, Ellie returns from two months in Denmark and, while at a family gathering, her Aunt comments on the weight she has gained since being abroad.. Taking it to heart, Ellie immediately begins working out. She joins a gym, and unbeknownst...

Jon Taber recalls being ten and the tragedy of losing his thirteen year old brother, Luis Filipe to a drowning accident. Jon expresses his grief through a poem he wrote, and discovers that his school won't allow him to include it as part of a science fair presentation. Jon Taber is an Internal Audit professional and host of the AUDIT 15 FUN podcast. The podcast assists Internal Audit professionals...

Raised by a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Hope Rehak shares her powerful perspective on the impact religious fundamentalism can have on friendships and relationships. In this childhood memory, Hope recalls being recruited for a religious summer camp by a third grade classmate, who is worried Hope may wind up in hell if she doesn't convert. Hope Rehak is a comic and writer whose work has app...

While on a childhood vacation on Mackinac Island, Michigan , eight year old Harker Jones and his younger sister are drawn by a caricature artist. The caricaturist draws and labels his little sister "cute," while drawing and labelling Harker as a "clown." For years, and until only very recently, those two images haunted him for as they hung on the wall of his family's home. Harker Jones grew up on...

Tina El Gamal is an artist, educator, and arts administrator in Chicago. She believes in the power of a good story, and a good cup of coffee. Tina El Gamal (she/they) is a Chicago-based actor, director, educator, and arts administrator. They hold a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Recent acting credits include: Measure for Measure (u/s) (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); the U...

Dr. Kaci is an intuitive thought provoking leader, licensed as a Mediator, Life & Sex Coach with over 7 disciplines, Earned a Bachelors in Applied Management & Psychology before being honored with a Doctorate Degree for her work & book introducing a new area of psychology: Spiritual Human Behavior. Dr. Kaci has been working as a Life Coach for 10+ years; she's an Author of 16 books and...

Russ Klettke grew up in a small town in upstate New York. From an early age, Russ realized creative thinking was one key to success. An award winning writer, Russ learned a lesson in 6th grade by choosing to write an original essay over a conventional one. Russ tells the story and explains how it has made all the difference in his life. Russ Klettke is a freelance journalist based in Chicago cover...

John Lee Dumas, known to his millions of listeners as "JLD," tells the story of being eight years old on a Colorado ski trip with his father and a number of older men. Young JLD, who's been admonished not to slow down the group, winds up assisting one of the older skiers. His reflection on the memory ends with what Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast listeners have come to know as one of John's "value b...

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Alanna Bennett was Initially unaware of the difficult economic circumstances she and her mother faced each day. Over time, however, Alanna understood that most of her grade school classmates didn't participate in the free lunch program, nor did they avail themselves to the second hand shoes and clothing that school administrators offered her. Only after breaking her...

To the chagrin of her seemingly devout Catholic grandmother, Molly Dunn's parents decided not to baptize their children. Family discord and many uncomfortable moments followed. Years later, while Molly was a teenager, her grandmother reveals that she (the grandmother) has not been to confession in 35 years. Molly is shocked to learn that her grandmother wasn't quite as Catholic as Molly had assume...

Jeff Salidor recalls moving out of his parent's home at a young age, shortly after his mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Deciding to move back in with his parents four months later, Jeff has a short conversation with his father that he carries with him to this day. Jeff Salidor is a Day Trader, Pattern Technician and former Restauranteur & Beverage Industry Importer. He is also a CBD Dist...

At the age of 19, Timothy (aka Tim) has an experience that he's convinced is his personal rom-com 'meet cute' event. His humorous attempt to ask out a college classmate that he believes fate has chosen for him is both poignant and instructive. Timothy Bernard Felton is a comedian, improviser, actor, husband and dad. In his work, Tim likes to explore the entire range of emotions as a way of highlig...

Keyante Aytch, co-founder and President of Sunbend Solar, recalls a childhood shaped by the Power Rangers superhero television show. Together with grade school friends, Keyante studies and replicates the action heroes throughout his childhood. Later, he comes to believe that "Some of the best technology is indistinguishable from magic." Keyante Aytch is motivated by his passion for environmental s...

Mark Renz is lifelong educator, with 51 years of formal teaching and learning, both in Chicago's Catholic and Public schools. He is married with a wonderful wife and daughter. In this episode of "Tell Me What Happened, Mark recalls how his journey to become a history teacher began back in a Catholic elementary school as a consequence of a very influential lay teacher. Shout out to Marian Hesek, wh...

Thom Clark, peace activist and media specialist, recalls being motivated by his friend, Roland Radford, a military veteran, to try and stop the Vietnam War. Thom Clark is a volunteer with the Investigative Project on Race and Equity. A former co-host of the weekly Live from the Heartland radio show on Loyola’s WLUW 88.7 FM, he’s also lectured on media and American Culture in UIC ‘s Corporate MBA p...

Michelle L. Holleman has spent a great deal of her life deeply involved in her community. Currently a Highland Park City Councilwoman, Michelle traces her activism back to an experience she had as a first grader, when she became interested in the Girl Scouts and pleaded with her mother to form a Brownie troop. Despite limited time and means, as well as a lack of experience as a troop leader, Miche...

Born and raised in the Bronx, Tom Avitabile was intrigued by the power of computers at a young age. One day, while skipping school at the ripe age of 14, Tom visited a Manhattan office high rise in search of customers for a computer program he had designed. As he exited the elevator on the 5th floor of the building, Tom saw famed crooner Dean Martin, hunched over a monitor, editing a video with th...

When Dr. Neely was two years old, his father was locked away in prison and his mother passed away. Raised by his grandmother who was raising a dozen children of her own, young Philip spent his childhood surrounded by the devastating impact of drugs and alcohol on a family. After numerous run-ins with the police, as well as poor school attendance and brushes with juvenile detention, young Philip's...

From his earliest days growing up on the West Side of Chicago in the 1950's, Marty Pick had an interest in politics. At the age of 12, Marty and his 13 year old friend Howard volunteer for various Presidential Candidates during the 1952 Democratic National Convention held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago. The two middle schoolers spend a week of their summer marching, shouting and si...