Shabana Shakir-Ahmed: Living and Sharing Her Faith
Shabana Shakir-Ahmed: Living and Sharing Her Faith

The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati campus sits in a suburban neighborhood about 25 minutes from where I grew up and now live – something I didn’t know until Shabana Shakir-Ahmed suggested we meet there. During the time we spent talking and touring the center, I learned there was a lot Shabana and I shared, and even more that I did not know about the Muslim religion and the center.

Like me, Shabana is a mother of three, spent time at the University of Chicago, and is active in the Cincinnati non-profit scene. But unlike me, she battles harsh and unfair misconceptions about who she is – a Muslim woman. Shabana opened up about how she’s working to combat Islamophobia by living authentically and sharing her faith. 

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Education, Outreach + AdvocacyMichaela RawsthornFeatures
Julia Lipovsky and the Joyful Responsibility of an Artist
Julia Lipovsky and the Joyful Responsibility of an Artist

I met Julia Lipovsky at the studio she co-owns with her partner in Northside, and it looked exactly how I imagined it would: neatly organized, brightly colored, and sprinkled with sentimental mementos with unironic mise en place. We sat down on a red leather couch next to the old hair shoppe windows, sharing vulnerable tears in memory of loved ones who continue to influence the work she produces today, and discussed the importance of making time for play in a world that tends to be too serious. 

Her energy is comforting and inviting. With an infectious smile and aura that sings in warm colors, Julia kindly gave me a hug of hope and a spark of inspiration for the days to come.

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Arts + CultureSophia EpitropoulosFeatures
Renee Mahaffey Harris: Challenging Assumptions, Changing Lives
Renee Mahaffey Harris: Challenging Assumptions, Changing Lives

There is only one way to summarize Ms. Renee Mahaffey Harris: A Powerhouse. While her office at the Center for Closing the Health Gap in Clifton is fashionable and cozy, it’s hard not to notice the accolades that cover the shelves and cabinets. She is the recipient of a UC Health Humanitarian Award, MLK Humanitarian Award, Business Courier’s Women Who Mean Business Award, and countless others. A picture of her standing with Dr. Cornel West adorns a corner. A lifetime of serving others has not gone unnoticed. After completing this interview, I mentioned Ms. Mahaffey Harris to several people who turned out to have connections with her, and all said the same thing: “Isn’t she amazing?” 

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Outreach + Advocacy, Science + Tech, Health + WellnessBlaire BartishFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Ask UPLIFT: Health Care Resources Plus
Ask UPLIFT: Health Care Resources Plus

Health Care Resources Plus, Inc. (HCRP) is a community-based healthcare company whose mission is to promote the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities through the provision of equitable health and medical services by positively impacting organizational policies that affect health. Everyone deserves access to quality health care. To that end, HCRP makes available diverse healthcare services that improve the quality of life and prevent unhealthy conditions. These services include nursing and medical services, education, training, occupational/worker, health care programming, and management. 

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Entrepreneurship, Ask UpliftAsk UPLIFTCommunity Mix
Ohio Voting Has Changed. We've Got Answers.
Ohio Voting Has Changed. We've Got Answers.

There is a special election in August for Ohio. In November, there will be a general election. State constitutional amendments, school board members, and other government positions are on the ballot.

However, Ohio’s voting laws have changed since the last election. You will need to show an unexpired photo ID to vote in person. We have compiled the information you need for both the special election and the general election.

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Outreach + AdvocacyWomen of Cincy StaffCommunity Mix
Ruth Anne Wolfe and the Coffee Cup that Changed a Neighborhood
Ruth Anne Wolfe and the Coffee Cup that Changed a Neighborhood

Along Montgomery Road in Pleasant Ridge sits a charming gray house that, more often than not, is bustling with activity. In this building, countless conversations have occurred between neighbors and friends over steaming hot cups of coffee, cocoa, and tea. This is the home of Community Happens Here, a local nonprofit on a mission to connect people. Its founder, Ruth Anne Wolfe, spoke with us about how Community Happens Here started, the power of conversation, and why she’s adamant about saying, “Hello.”

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Food + Beverage, Outreach + Advocacy, EducationGinny TaylorFeatures
Celebrating 50 Years of Cincinnati Pride
Celebrating 50 Years of Cincinnati Pride

Cincinnati Pride began in April 1973 as a small gathering of celebration, support, and visibility. Over the years, it has changed and transformed and is now a staple of the Cincinnati summer. More than 100,000 people gathered downtown, and we joined the festivities on Saturday, June 24, to speak to just a few in the eager crowd waiting for the parade to begin. With increasing rollbacks on protections for the LGBTQ+ and queer communities, we knew it was necessary to highlight why Pride is as important now as it was 50 years ago.

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Arts + Culture, Outreach + AdvocacyWomen of Cincy StaffFeatures
Celebrating Mother’s Day 2023
Celebrating Mother’s Day 2023

In every interview, we ask, “Who is an influential woman in your life?” Perhaps predictably, many choose their mothers. In fact, a common addition to that answer is, “I know everyone says their mother,” or, “It’s an obvious answer…” And while “my mom” is an often-heard response, it is one that is still wholly unique to each person. Every story of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, friends, mentors, caretakers is unique – just as every person has their own shape in our lives. 

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Mother's DayWomen of Cincy StaffFeatures
Soumya Jaiswal on the Story of Us and the Lessons of Reproductive Justice 
Soumya Jaiswal on the Story of Us and the Lessons of Reproductive Justice 

Soumya Jaiswal drives the fight for reproductive health care and abortion access on and off UC’s campus. Throughout our conversation, Soumya mentioned the tenets of the reproductive justice movement – centralizing the inherent right of bodily autonomy, addressing other issues that quell an individual’s rights, uplifting intersectionality, giving the power to govern back to the people, and emphasizing the strength of collective movement. 

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Outreach + Advocacy, Around TownOlivia TaylorCommunity Mix
In the Kitchen with Dora Cheng of Yee Mama
In the Kitchen with Dora Cheng of Yee Mama

Findlay Kitchen on Elm St. is alive with energy and smells. At its core, Findlay Kitchen is a co-working space for those whose business is really good food. In the early hours of the morning, sounds of timers beeping and phones answered with a “Yes, chef?” echo through the halls lined with kitchens – offices for food making. Assistants cart bread through the halls, and cookies bake in an oven nearby as I talked with Dora Cheng. 

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Entrepreneurship, Around TownOlivia TaylorCommunity Mix
OTRCH’s Amy Silver on the Need for Affordable Housing
OTRCH’s Amy Silver on the Need for Affordable Housing

It’s a gloomy day in Over-the-Rhine, but as soon as I step through the doors of the OTR Community Housing (OTRCH) office, I am greeted with nothing but warmth. With big windows, bright colors, and a smile from the folks at the front desk, I instantly feel welcome. There are people coming in and out with a kind of familiarity one might have with their favorite coffee shop. Everyone knows each other by name, and as its own namesake suggests, the only thing that comes to mind is the word “community.” 

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Outreach + Advocacy, PoliticsSydney LlewellynFeatures
Get up and Grow with the Civic Garden Center
Get up and Grow with the Civic Garden Center

On a ridiculously windy February afternoon, I met Executive Director Karen Kahle at the Civic Garden Center (C.G.C.). Tucked away at the corner of William Howard Taft and Reading Road, the C.G.C., located inside the Hauck Botanic Gardens, is a plant lover's dream. Despite the cold, the property is full of life and activity as Karen and I sit down to chat about history, native plants, building community, ecology, and how we can all be better stewards of this place we call home.

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Outreach + AdvocacyChelsie WalterCommunity Mix