THE IDEALISTS.

In this week’s all-new episode of THE IDEALISTS., podcast host and entrepreneur, Melissa Kiguwa, speaks with the prolific visual artist, author, and breakout star of Miami Art Basel, Reyna Noriega. Born and raised, in Miami, Reyna paints an intentionally ebullient experience of Black and brown women. Her work has graced covers of The New Yorker , and Science Magazine , and has been featured at Bro...

In this week’s all-new episode of THE IDEALISTS. podcast, host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa speaks with the remarkable Dr. Jess Wade. The 33-year-old London-based physicist has become something of a phenomenon. Both an irresistible force and an immovable object, she was recently invited to Buckingham Palace to receive the prestigious British Empire Medal for her contributions to science. Ironic...

In this week’s all-new episode of THE IDEALISTS. podcast, host, and entrepreneur, Melissa Kiguwa, speaks with Kara Goldin. Kara is the founder and CEO of Hint, a $220 million beverage producer of fruit-infused waters and lifestyle goods, offering a healthy alternative to sodas and artificially sweetened drinks.  Melissa sits down with the former AOL executive and current “accidental entrepreneur”...

This week we are elated to bring you a complimentary session from our new series break*through.  Marina is a prolific banking executive who has guided multiple international banks through crisis, retrenchment and growth. She’s held positions as CFO of Citi Bank in Russia, and Director of Private Banking at Credit Suisse in Vienna.  Marina currently spends her time in Paris where she is building a...

In this week’s last (re)wind episode, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur, Melissa Kiguwa, revisits her conversation with celebrity stylist, entertainment journalist, filmmaker, and author of Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion , Marcellas Reynolds. Marcellas is joined by Veronica Webb, supermodel, actress, writer, and the first African American to land a major g...

In this week’s very special (re)wind episode, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur, Melissa Kiguwa, revisits her conversation with Ty Stiklorius, CEO of Friends at Work ,  a 21st-century management and social impact firm, which handles some of the world’s most respected and beloved artists, including John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, Charlie Puth, and the list goes on. Ty also served as Execu...

In this week’s very special (re)wind episode, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur, Melissa Kiguwa, speaks with Wanja Muguongo, world-renowned Queer social justice activist, Yale World Fellow, and founder of UHAI, Africa's first indigenous fund created for and by LGBTI communities in East Africa. Under Wanja, the fund raised and distributed over $12 million to LGBTI and sex worker hum...

Welcome to THE IDEALISTS. rewind, where we revisit some of our favorite past episodes. This week’s rewind is Fariel Salahuddin, the founder and CEO of UpTrade, a bartering service which enables rural communities in Pakistan to exchange livestock for solar-powered water pumps and solar home systems. More than 40% of the people in Pakistan live off the grid and without lights in their homes, or  ele...

Welcome to THE IDEALISTS. (re)wind, where we revisit some of our favorite past episodes. This week’s rewind is Elise Loehnen, the former chief content officer of goop, the lifestyle and e-commerce company established by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. You may have also seen and heard Elise co-host The goop Podcast and The goop Lab on Netflix. This episode was chosen by THE IDEALISTS. host Melissa Kiguwa...

Welcome back to break*through !  In this week’s episode, we are elated to bring you yet another session from our new series under THE IDEALISTS. roster. For those of you who are new here, break*through offers a raw, handcrafted kind of show in which you will experience transformations and insights from a whole world of visionary women all seeking to change, clarify, and embolden their personal nar...

This week, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa speaks with world-renowned Biological Anthropologist, Dr. Helen Fisher. As the Chief Science Advisor for Match.com and as one of the foremost researchers in the area of the neuroscience of love, sex, and relationships, Helen has conducted extensive research and written six books on the evolution and future of human sex, love, m...

Welcome back to break*through ! break*through is a raw, handcrafted kind of show in which you will experience transformations and insights from a whole  world of visionary women all seeking to change, clarify, and embolden their personal narratives through the work of coaching.  In today’s break*through  session, you’ll get to hear Ganna’s breakthrough. Ganna is the CEO and founder of a deep-tech...

This week, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa speaks with world-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni—one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni’s notable collections of poetry are Black Judgment (1968) and Those Who Ride the Night Winds (1983), which were influenced by her participation in the Black Arts and Black Power movements of the 1960s. She has publish...

Welcome back to break*through ! We're beyond excited to bring you another session from our new series under THE IDEALISTS. roster. In today’s session, you’ll get to hear Marilyn’s breakthrough. Marilyn is a seasoned character actress and writer for stage and screen known for her rich, grounded portrayals of Latin women. A graduate of NYU’s prestigious acting program, Marilyn is transitioning...

This week, THE IDEALISTS. podcast host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa speaks with globally-recognized Queer women’s wealth coach and high-net-worth money muse, Merel Kriegsman—known for empowering clients to grow their business bottom lines by over $25 million last year. A one-of-kind, neurodivergent mother of three, former opera singer, and regenerative farmer, Merel has been featured in Forbes...

In this debut episode of break*through , host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa brings an entirely new show to life under THE IDEALISTS. roster.  If you’re a fan of THE IDEALISTS in general, you know our guests are always talking about doing the work. Do the work, do the work, you’ve got to do the work. But what is the work and why is it so important? Well, now you get to see it in action as you lis...

In this episode of THE IDEALISTS. podcast, host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Anisha Singh, entrepreneur, former CEO of Mydala.com , and Founding Partner of She Capital, India’s leading early-stage venture fund devoted to nurturing and growing the next generation of female-focused businesses. Anisha’s own journey as an entrepreneur has been full of breaking stereotypes, glass ceilings...

In this episode of THE IDEALISTS. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Tai Beauchamp, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brown Girl Jane , a disruptive, plant-based wellness and beauty collection named by Refinery 29 as Beauty Innovator of the Year and winner of Best in Beauty Awards by Instyle , Allure , and Popsugar . Formerly a top editor for Harper’s...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Rebecca Clyde, the co-founder and CEO of Botco.a i, a conversational marketing startup that enables businesses to engage customers with AI-enabled chatbots. She has raised over $4 million in venture capital for Botco.ai , but even before running her current startup, she has more than 20 y...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Kaisa Keranen, a personal trainer, fitness entrepreneur, and social media influencer with over 1 million followers on Instagram and Facebook. Kaisa has been featured in Vogue, Shape, SELF, Harpers Bazaar, Oxygen and ESPNW to name a few. She was featured on the Greatist as one of the most...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Michaela Boehm, a gifted speaker and counselor whose unique body of work centers around the intersection of intimacy and embodiment. Michaela travels and teaches internationally as an expert in intimacy, relationship and sexuality, and in her private practice, she coaches high-performing...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Jenny Atout Ahlzen, one of the Managing Founders of Amam Ventures, an impact investment fund based in Jordan that provides risk capital to Small and Medium Sized enterprises that are committed to diversity and inclusion. In this episode, Jenny shares how her and her business partners are...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Joy Harjo, who served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022. She is the author of nine books of poetry, several plays and children's books, and two memoirs. Her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Sonya Erickson who is a lawyer, partner, and member of the board of directors at Cooley Law Firm. The recognition for Sonya’s work is vast. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America Venture Capital Law category since 2004 and is listed as a leading attorney in Chambers USA: Ameri...

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews serial entrepreneur Chrissy Sayare. Chrissy is the co-founder of To Be Continued and Resale Revolution, luxury Resale stores across Arizona, California, and Texas. Chrissy bootstrapped her six stores to almost 8 figures in annual revenue and is only getting started. In this episode, Chris...