Northeast Ohio social groups combat loneliness in unconventional ways

Social groups help people find community and connection Nearly one in six people globally are lonely, and every year about 871,000 deaths are linked to loneliness, according to the World Health Organization. But making friends as an adult can be difficult. Social isolation spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even when communities reopened, many people never fully rebuilt their social circles. In 2023, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that a lack of social connection can be as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, citing increased risks of heart disease, depression and premature death. Higher rates of loneliness were also found in communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community and in migrants. Wednesday on the "Sound of Ideas," we're talking about how people are pushing back against that trend by finding creative, unconventional ways to build community and make meaningful connections here in Northeast Ohio. Guests:- Brittany Marchetti, Founder, First Round Cleveland- Abigail Thomas, Creator and Co-Leader, Yap Out Yonder- Eileen Callahan, Member, Cle Gals Book Club- Rebecca Maxwell, Founder, She's Company "Godmother of Fashion" honored at Kent State University Twice a year, fashion designers converge in Manhattan for a weeklong display of what's new in wardrobe. But it was not always this way. We have the woman who has been dubbed the “godmother of fashion” to thank for this, Fern Mallis, who is being inducted into the Kent State University School of Fashion Hall of Fame this week. Mallis is famous for creating New York Fashion Week, with its predecessor event, "7th on Sixth," and getting fashion designers to collaborate and show up in the same space at a time when that was unheard of. Mallis was the Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 1991 to 2001, later serving as Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion. She has interviewed the greats as host of the "Fashion Icons" series at the 92nd Street Y such as Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson, Valentino and Diane von Fürstenberg. Now, the “Sound of Ideas” gets to ask her the questions. Mallis will be speaking about her career and the fashion industry in general at the KSU School of Fashion's annual Hall of Fame lecture on Friday, May 1 at 11 A.M in the university's Rockwell Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. Guest:- Fern Mallis, 2026 Inductee, Kent State University School of Fashion Hall of Fame