Lily Turner & Anh Tran: Shaking Cincy up Together

We meet at Liberty’s Bar & Bottle, home to many of Lily and Anh’s best ideas. It’s an innocent enough starting point for a simple after-work get-together. But with Lily and Anh, a simple get-together can just as often turn into an unplanned meeting of top-tier movers and shakers planning out the next great idea for the city. I’ve been there, and it happens.

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Easterseals’ Danielle Gentry-Barth: An Awesome Struggle

Danielle Gentry-Barth, a proud Bearcat, told us to meet her in front of Mick and Mack’s at the University of Cincinnati. We settled comfortably in an office borrowed from the philosophy department, and Danielle shared her journey from a master’s degree in history to her position now at Easterseals. She frequently described her work and her life as “awesome!” She fell into fundraising right out of graduate school and has yet to fall out of it. She also told us about the work she does to help others outside of Easterseals. It was clear that helping people is in her nature.

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Easterseals’ Debbie Smith: ‘Don’t tell me no; tell me how.’

Debbie Smith’s motto is: “Don’t tell me no; tell me how.” This bold attitude has brought her to develop innovative programs that elevate Cincinnati youth out of poverty. We met her at Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati in Walnut Hills and sat down in a conference room, where she shared her story with us. She weaved advice into her stories, thoroughly demonstrating her desire to help others in any way possible.

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Scenes from the City: Homeadow Song Farm’s Vicki Mansoor

As soon as I pull up to Homeadow Song Farm, I know the homestead is no stranger to me; the energy is too welcoming and sweet. I step out of my pollen-covered Corolla, trip on a rock, look around with my mouth agape, and see Vicki Mansoor looking at me as she walks down the stairs.

Vicki is the natural beauty of the land, disguised as a human being. I feel unnatural with a camera hanging from my neck: There is just no way to capture that kind of beauty. Not even words can, but I will try to explain.

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Tackling Hunger Differently: Meet Chef Suzy DeYoung

Suzy DeYoung is a chef with a deep culinary heritage. After studying French and business at University of Cincinnati and training as a chef in Paris, she ran a successful catering business, La Petite Pierre, with her sister. Today, Suzy runs La Soupe, a nonprofit founded to rescue food from grocery stores, farms, and food purveyors that would otherwise be wasted. La Soupe takes a chef driven approach to turn that food into healthy, nutritious meals, which are then donated to schools and community agencies throughout Cincinnati.


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On Second Thought: Let’s Catch up with Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard

Life has changed just a bit for President Pro Tem of Cincinnati City Council Tamaya Dennard since we last talked with her in August 2017. During her campaign for City Council, she became famous for quoting Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

A few weeks later, we walked down to City Hall on a hot day to catch up with Dennard on life at City Hall, the ups and the downs, and what the folding chair means to her today.


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Halting the Chain Reaction of Overthinking

We’ve all been there. Something happens. An action. Mid conversation with a friend, you say something you find important. After the action, there is a reaction. Your friend briefly responds, and then changes topics. After the reaction is your perception of the reaction. You interpret your friend’s response as unsupportive or dismissive, that she’s uninterested. And then after the action, the reaction, and your perception come your thoughts.

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The Editorial Residency: The Lewis Learning Curve

When Kiersten asked Lindsay and me to write reflections about our experiences as editorial residents, I didn’t know what direction I wanted this piece to take. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I shouldn’t think at all. So here’s my stream of honest consciousness about the Women of Cincy residency.


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Lauren Lewis
Nia Baucke: Self-Care and the City

We sat down with Nia Baucke outside Clark Montessori in Hyde Park in March and kept our fingers crossed that it would be one of the rare sunny days of spring. It was a quiet morning as a nearby lacrosse practice was ending and we settled down on a bench to get our conversation started. It quickly became clear that the founder of Cypress Beauty was passionate about that project, but Nia refuses to be defined solely by her work.

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Stories Behind the Booze: Queen City Radio

When we think neighborhood bar, we think friendly bartenders, comfy seating, and scrumptious libations. Queen City Radio checks all of those boxes, with the addition of retro charm, delicious grub, and a dedication to giving back. And did I mention the dog-friendly patios? What was once a gas station and garage has been renovated into a fun and lively hangout for Over-the-Rhine residents and visitors.

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Raised By Women, Chapter 3: Emily Boyd and Lindsay Combs

Lindsay and Emily walk in a few minutes later. I haven’t seen Emily since she’s been pregnant with Macie, a baby girl due in June. With a family like this one, full of powerhouse women, Macie is sure to grow up to be one fierce lady. We sit down and reminisce for a few minutes, and the conversation turns to another fierce lady: Lindsay and Emily’s mom, Dr. Sandra Combs.

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