On today's episode of Let's Talk MORE on Monday, we are joined by Maaria Mozaffar, a dedicated agent of change in her community and advocate against dehumanization in policy making. Maaria discusses what dehumanization really means, how she has seen it in action in policy making over the last few years, and how people can engage in their communities and with lawmakers to ensure that people who are struggling with their circumstances are represented. Maaria also shares why words like "marginalized" and "invisible" can often do more harm than good. Meet our guest: An effective and multifaceted changemaker, Maaria Mozaffar is an attorney, legislative drafter, mediator, author, and speaker who has been advancing equity since the early 2000s. She specializes in transforming high-stakes conversations into concrete action and meaningful legislation that uplift, include, and create systemic change. By connecting personal empowerment and individual growth to broader societal empowerment and community impact, she solves problems that create domino effects, highlighting the value of small actions. Maaria excels at finding solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems—creating tangible pathways for change that benefit individuals and systems by countering division and dehumanization, teaching personal leadership, and mediating conflicts by centering each person’s dignity. The impact of her work extends to thousands of lives annually, with her legislative models being replicated throughout the country. Through her work, Maaria empowers communities to educate themselves, engage, and mobilize to bring about meaningful change. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to follow us wherever you listen, and share this with a friend. The best way to support our podcast is to share it with those who haven't had MORE yet. You can also head to our Patreon and support us by Saving a Seat. Learn what it means to Set the Table with us here: ⁠https://www.moremagazine.org/setthetable

On today's installment in our Save a Seat Series, we Dig Deeper with Maaria Mozaffar, a woman who wears many hats in her life but joins us to discuss the work she does in policy making and advocacy for people struggling with their circumstances. Maaria Digs Deeper into what dehumanization means in policy, why it is so important to ensure policies exist to protect people from all walks of life, and what a day in her life looks like to promote equity. She urges us all to engage with our elected officials and figure out what truly matters to us in terms of advocacy. Meet our guest: An effective and multifaceted changemaker, Maaria Mozaffar is an attorney, legislative drafter, mediator, author, and speaker who has been advancing equity since the early 2000s. She specializes in transforming high-stakes conversations into concrete action and meaningful legislation that uplift, include, and create systemic change. By connecting personal empowerment and individual growth to broader societal empowerment and community impact, she solves problems that create domino effects, highlighting the value of small actions. Maaria excels at finding solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems—creating tangible pathways for change that benefit individuals and systems by countering division and dehumanization, teaching personal leadership, and mediating conflicts by centering each person’s dignity. The impact of her work extends to thousands of lives annually, with her legislative models being replicated throughout the country. Through her work, Maaria empowers communities to educate themselves, engage, and mobilize to bring about meaningful change.

Jordan returns to Dig Deeper with us into the hard foundational work of mentorship and how you can grow your mentoring capacity in an intentional way! More about our guest: Jordan is a proud Indianapolis native and graduate of Warren Central High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from IUPUI and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. With a strong background in public affairs and development, Jordan has successfully led initiatives across both for-profit and nonprofit sectors—managing multi-million dollar budgets, building strategic partnerships, cultivating volunteer engagement, and generating over $1 million annually in fundraising. Her professional journey, however, was marked by barriers to advancement and a persistent fight to be seen and heard—especially as a Black woman in leadership. That fight led her to launch A Seat At The Table in 2018, a transformative organization dedicated to helping women of color heal from trauma, reclaim their power, and challenge systems of oppression. Rather than wait for permission, Jordan flipped the table she once sat at—and built a new one. Since its founding, the organization has grown into a vital community asset, with impactful programming in Indiana and North Carolina that has served thousands of women. Jordan’s commitment to justice and equity has earned her nominations for Junior Achievement’s Indy’s Best and Brightest and the Center for Leadership Development’s Up and Coming Achiever’s Award. She has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the March of Dimes, Indiana Children’s Bureau, and Black Fathers Rock. Most recently, she completed the prestigious Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women program. Outside of her work, Jordan is a devoted wife and mother who cherishes quality time with her family and enjoys traveling to new places.

In our Founder to Founder series, we spend time with female founders in a variety of industries to learn their why, what they’re building, and how they’re creating spaces for others through their work. Before we get into it, let’s meet our founder. Jordan is a proud Indianapolis native and graduate of Warren Central High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from IUPUI and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. With a strong background in public affairs and development, Jordan has successfully led initiatives across both for-profit and nonprofit sectors—managing multi-million dollar budgets, building strategic partnerships, cultivating volunteer engagement, and generating over $1 million annually in fundraising. Her professional journey, however, was marked by barriers to advancement and a persistent fight to be seen and heard—especially as a Black woman in leadership. That fight led her to launch A Seat At The Table in 2018, a transformative organization dedicated to helping women of color heal from trauma, reclaim their power, and challenge systems of oppression. Rather than wait for permission, Jordan flipped the table she once sat at—and built a new one. Since its founding, the organization has grown into a vital community asset, with impactful programming in Indiana and North Carolina that has served thousands of women. Jordan’s commitment to justice and equity has earned her nominations for Junior Achievement’s Indy’s Best and Brightest and the Center for Leadership Development’s Up and Coming Achiever’s Award. She has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the March of Dimes, Indiana Children’s Bureau, and Black Fathers Rock. Most recently, she completed the prestigious Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women program. Outside of her work, Jordan is a devoted wife and mother who cherishes quality time with her family and enjoys traveling to new places. Special thanks to Indiana University Kelley School of Business for partnering with us to feature female founders in our Founder to Founder series. Learn more about them here. *hyperlink in email and include link on YT*

On today's episode of Let's Talk MORE on Monday, we are joined by Linky Ugeh, advocate and visionary for small businesses in the greater Indianapolis area and beyond. Linky shares what it means to be a small business, some of the joys and challenges that come with this specification, and why it is so important for consumers to seek out and patronize small businesses in their area to grow the local economy and empower business owners. Make sure to join us on Patreon where we Dig Deeper with Linky about some of the pitfalls she sees as a facilitator of small businesses and how owners and founders can properly promote what they have to offer their market. Meet our guest: Linky Ugeh is the Operations Director and Executive Editor of MBR, and proud owner of Lumentis Digital. MBR is a national publication that amplifies business perspectives from industry experts and focuses on giving businesses the reach they need through thought-leadership and features that share insights on leadership, innovation, and strategy in business. Linky’s work bridges the worlds of media, business development, and women’s empowerment. She’s the proud owner of Lumentis Digital, which helps businesses reach their ideal audience with brand visibility tools. Linky is an advocate for women’s empowerment and mental health awareness. Linky has led communications and programming at both global and grassroots levels, with her work in women’s empowerment starting at the Graça Machel Trust, a global non-profit committed to women’s economic advancement and continued at a local non-profit, Purposeful Living INC. She is a published author, and a creative who always has her pen and paper ready with the belief that ""Every story matters."" She serves on the board of Westfield Creative Collective and recently completed the 2024 Black Leadership and Legacies PWL cohort led by Carolene Mays. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to follow us wherever you listen, and share this with a friend. The best way to support our podcast is to share it with those who haven't had MORE yet. You can also head to our Patreon and support us by Saving a Seat. Learn what it means to Set the Table with us here: ⁠https://www.moremagazine.org/setthetable

On today's installment in our Save a Seat Series, we Dig Deeper with Linky Ugeh on the joys and challenges of having a small business. Linky touches on the pitfalls she sees small businesses fall into when they are trying to grow, what thought leadership means and why it is such an important tool for owners, and finally, some of the resources at the disposal of small businesses to really engage in their markets and with prospective customers. Meet our guest: Linky Ugeh is the Operations Director and Executive Editor of MBR, and proud owner of Lumentis Digital. MBR is a national publication that amplifies business perspectives from industry experts and focuses on giving businesses the reach they need through thought-leadership and features that share insights on leadership, innovation, and strategy in business. Linky’s work bridges the worlds of media, business development, and women’s empowerment. She’s the proud owner of Lumentis Digital, which helps businesses reach their ideal audience with brand visibility tools. Linky is an advocate for women’s empowerment and mental health awareness. Linky has led communications and programming at both global and grassroots levels, with her work in women’s empowerment starting at the Graça Machel Trust, a global non-profit committed to women’s economic advancement and continued at a local non-profit, Purposeful Living INC. She is a published author, and a creative who always has her pen and paper ready with the belief that ""Every story matters."" She serves on the board of Westfield Creative Collective and recently completed the 2024 Black Leadership and Legacies PWL cohort led by Carolene Mays.

On today's episode of Let's Talk MORE on Monday, we are joined by Alexis Hathaway, Environmental Planner and Grant Administrator for the Northeast Indiana area serving to make the planet a cleaner, more sustainable place. Alexis discusses the meaning of environmental stewardship, the importance of everyone getting on board to care for our planet, and ways people can get engaged in their green initiatives. Make sure to join us on Patreon where we Dig Deeper with Alexis about some of the larger scale projects people are undertaking to save our natural resources and what we can do to join them. Meet our guest: Growing up, Alexis always understood that embracing the environment meant more than just going on a hike. Raised in a close-knit farm community, she never met a stranger and deeply appreciated the land that gave her town its identity. In college, Alexis pursued a dual Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Organizational Leadership. With this strong foundation, she began her career in Asset Management for a local utility and later became an Environmental Planner and Grant Administrator in Northeast Indiana. Today, Alexis dedicates her time to working with communities and local nonprofits to ensure environmental sustainability remains at the forefront of regional growth and development. She also serves on stewardship boards for ACRES Land Trust and The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, continuing her commitment to protecting natural resources. Guided by the belief that “sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Gro Harlem Brundtland), Alexis brings passion and purpose to her work. Outside of her professional life, she is settling into her first home with her greyhound, Ginny, and enjoys hobbies such as traveling and kayaking. She has also recently begun pursuing a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, further deepening her dedication to impactful and ethical leadership. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to follow us wherever you listen, and share this with a friend. The best way to support our podcast is to share it with those who haven't had MORE yet. You can also head to our Patreon and support us by Saving a Seat. Learn what it means to Set the Table with us here: ⁠https://www.moremagazine.org/setthetable