Generation Change with Leo Finelli

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we're spotlighting Unquiet - a new composition for jazz quintet and string orchestra that uses music to explore the experiences of people living with mental illness, open up conversations, and build empathy. Unquiet composer Shelbie Rassler, producer Mark Rabideau, and mental health advocate Penelope Oliver join the podcast to talk about how Unquiet went from a brilliant idea to a powerful piece of music, and how art can accomplish what other forms of advocacy can't. Follow Shelbie on Instagram @shelbierassler and on Facebook @shelbie.rassler!Follow Mark Rabideau on LinkedIn!Follow Penelope on Instagram @penelopethepowerfulpoet and on LinkedIn!Follow Penelope's nonprofit, All Access Arts, on Instagram @allaccessarts_!Follow Leo Finelli on Instagram @genchangewithlf, on Facebook @genchangewithLF, and on LinkedIn!

Katy Ho, an Asian feminist writer and activist, joins Leo on Generation Change to talk about how she started her writing journey, her friendship with our previous Generation Change guest Katey Parham, some of the events that she's been able to attend, and the impact that she has made with her Substack, BAD ASIAN, which has more than one thousand followers! Follow Katy on Instagram: @katyho_Read Katy's Substack, BAD ASIAN!Check out my children's books, which are mentioned in this episode: SEVEN SLICES OF LIFE and THE NUTCRACKER'S WORLD

This month's interview is with Saia Darira, an environmental health researcher who is passionate about exploring the mental health and physical health impacts of climate change. Saia and Leo talk about Saia's studies at Arizona State University and Columbia University, her research on eco-anxiety, and how she takes care of her own mental health. Follow Saia on Instagram: @climategirly Learn more about One Up Action, the NGO that Saia is the co-executive director of, here: OneUpAction.org

Olivia Berry and Megan Kryk, co-founders of Radical Catalyst Art and Literary Journal (where Leo is currently doing an editorial internship!) join Leo to talk about why they decided to start Radical Catalyst, how they put together the first issue, and the impact that they hope Radical Catalyst will have.Follow Radical Catalyst on Instagram!Radical Catalyst Official WebsiteApply for Internships at Radical Catalyst!Donate to Support Radical Catalyst

Leo starts off the new year by interviewing Isaiah Kabban, a nineteen-year-old youth leader and researcher. Leo and Isaiah talk about Isaiah's work with the American Youth Association, his fellowship with Grassroots Democrats HQ, his friendship with our previous Generation Change guest Sidney Stern, and his own podcast, Hail to the Pod, which he co-hosts with his two friends.Follow Isaiah on Instagram: @isaiah_kabbanListen to Isaiah's podcast, Hail to the Pod!

In the final episode of 2025, Isabela Valencia joins Generation Change to talk with Leo about her world travels, her experiences at COP29 and New York City Climate Week, and the need for stronger and more effective climate conversations. Follow Isabela on Instagram: @isabela_valencia

Generation Change with Leo Finelli celebrates 5 years on the air (!) and begins Season 6 with an interview with Kiara M. Tanta-Quidgeon. Kiara is an enrolled member of the Mohegan Tribe, a public health researcher, and a youth advocate committed to centering Indigenous voices in the pursuit of health equity and cultural preservation. Leo chats with Kiara about her passion for public health and healing, the Indigenous Student Union that she started at Quinnipiac University, and her most recent writing projects. Follow Kiara on Instagram: @kiaramtantaquidgeonFollow the Sunrise Healing Community on Instagram: @sunrisehealingcommunitySupport Communities Impacted by Natural Disasters in Alaska:Sunrise Healing Community fundraiser for the Western Alaska Disaster Relief FundDonate directly to the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund

Season 5 of Generation Change concludes with an interview with Addisyn Mayer, a middle school student in honors classes with an outstanding record of civic engagement and leadership. Leo and Addisyn talk about where Addisyn's passion for politics began, the inspiring leaders whom she's met along her journey, and her 1,300+ hours of community service. Leo's next children's book, THE NUTCRACKER'S WORLD, will be released on October 14! Follow @genchangewithlf on Instagram for updates.Check out Leo's first book, SEVEN SLICES OF LIFE, available now: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Slices-Life-Leo-Finelli/dp/B0D2MHRWSW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UUXG56A8D9XO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rtUTQRPqsHTfIXDhZozKbk2tiwJK5pfiuobpiJgoY_Bp35zDlvYAVs92wrXanuNtCaWr4uTOa5N79nDR-PnSHQ.s8H1Ct-2c7mGG_Y6ZuMDqMhnJsYnxMgXiRsru4PHGBU&dib_tag=se&keywords=leo+finelli&qid=1714573109&sprefix=leo+fine%2Caps%2C620&sr=8-1

Jayveon Tucker, an accomplished advocate from Roanoke, VA, joins Leo on Generation Change to talk about his volunteering experience, his student government campaigns in high school and college, and what's motivating him in our current political moment.Follow Jayveon on Instagram: @jayveonforva

Filmmaker and NYU grad Sydney Shear stops by Generation Change to chat with Leo about her participation in the Emmy-nominated documentary series "Social Studies," her own short films "Autumn Leaves" and "The Fine Line," and the impact that she hopes to make as a writer and director. Follow Sydney on Instagram: @sydneyshearFollow Sydney's film, "Autumn Leaves," on Instagram: @autumnleavesfilmWatch "Social Studies" on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/social-studies-15eb2330-d2d6-49a0-a38b-11bc25c10130

Mikah Rector-Brooks, a gun violence prevention activist, trans rights activist, and University of Michigan alum, joins the podcast to chat with Leo about why they joined March For Our Lives, the bills they helped pass in the Michigan State House, and the exciting next steps in their life journey. Follow Mikah on Instagram: @mikahrectorb

Julia Luz Betancourt, an independent multimedia journalist, stops by Generation Change to chat about the books that she wrote and self-published as a teenager, her student advocacy at St. John's University, and why grassroots journalism is necessary in these difficult times.Follow Julia on Instagram: @julialuzbetancourtJennalynn Fung's "bombshell" article (talked about in episode): https://medium.com/@jennuinn/trump-is-killing-public-health-we-can-save-it-if-we-act-now-ef484326170e

Youth organizer Isaac Nuttall joins Leo to talk about being diagnosed with autism, the many places in which he's lived, how he started a speech and debate club at his school, and what he thinks the Democrats need to do to win in 2026, 2028, and beyond.Leo's first children's book, SEVEN SLICES OF LIFE, has been out for a whole year now! Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Slices-Life-Leo-Finelli/dp/B0D2MHRWSW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UUXG56A8D9XO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rtUTQRPqsHTfIXDhZozKbk2tiwJK5pfiuobpiJgoY_Bp35zDlvYAVs92wrXanuNtCaWr4uTOa5N79nDR-PnSHQ.s8H1Ct-2c7mGG_Y6ZuMDqMhnJsYnxMgXiRsru4PHGBU&dib_tag=se&keywords=leo+finelli&qid=1714573109&sprefix=leo+fine%2Caps%2C620&sr=8-1

Activist and digital strategist Katey Parham joins Leo to talk about attending Vanderbilt University, protesting for gun reform at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, and working as a social media strategist for various Democratic politicians and campaigns. Follow Katey on Instagram: @kateyforchange

Leo interviews Joey Pisani, a young activist and organizer from Massachusetts who's currently running for Student Government Association Senator at Suffolk University, about growing up in Western Mass, canvassing in different states during the 2024 election cycle, and marching forward in difficult political times.Follow Joey on Instagram: @joey_pisaniJoey's student government campaign: @joeypisani_forthestudents

Leo interviews Zoe Touray, a survivor of the 2021 Oxford High School shooting and an advocate for other survivors, about healing in the aftermath, meeting other survivors of gun violence, and going to college at North Carolina A&T, a historic HBCU school. Follow Zoe on Instagram: @zoe_touray Zoe's website: survivorsembrace.org

In our first episode of the new year, Penelope Oliver, an 18-year-old multihyphenate of advocacy and creativity from Sacramento, CA, chats with Leo about her nonprofit, All Access Arts, her love for writing poetry, her interview with California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and so much more! Follow Penelope on Instagram: @penelopethepowerfulpoet

Leo interviews Sidney Stern, an organizer and assistant with Grassroots Democrats HQ and a sophomore at American University. Sidney shares how she got started, what she likes about going to school in DC, and how Grassroots Democrats HQ makes sure that no volunteer is left behind. NOTE: This episode was recorded before Election Day.

On the first episode of Season 5, Leo meets Avi Dhyani, a youth organizer, advocate, and the youngest Democratic National Convention delegate from Georgia in 2024. Through strategic outreach and digital advocacy, Avi is determined to ensure that every voice, regardless of background or ability, shapes our political future. The election is in 4 days! Go to iwillvote.com to find the hours and location of polling places in your state.

Previous Generation Change guests Elijah Pelton and Krissy Oliver-Mays return for a special group discussion with Leo about the issues that are important to them in the 2024 election and what's at stake on November 5. Follow Elijah on Instagram: @elijahpelton Follow Krissy on Instagram: @k.rystalynn Register to vote at: vote.org

Leo interviews Yalini Gopalswamy, Sara Beg, and Anna Rajesh, the Gen Z founders of EnVi Crochet, about how they came together, what they do when they're not crocheting, and their mission to plant a new tree for every dollar they earn. Follow EnVi Crochet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/envi.crochet/ Visit their website: https://www.envicrochet.org/

James Crocker, a 17-year-old activist and content creator from Granby, Connecticut, chats with Leo about his nonprofit Letters For Our Elders and his LGBTQ advocacy. Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescrockerrr/

Leo interviews Emily Peng, a 15-year-old student who serves as the founder and CEO of DyeversityInUs. Emily tells Leo about how she started her organization, what happened at her first event, and her plans to spread her message and reach more people. Follow DyeversityInUs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dyeversity_inus/ Check out the official website: https://www.dyeversityinus.org/

Leo meets Kristyn Ellen, a nursing school student at Boston College and a friend of previous Generation Change guest Chessy Prout. Leo and Kristyn talk about Curious George, Taylor Swift, the power of empathy, and her work with I Have The Right To. Follow Kristyn on Instagram: @kristyn.ellen

Leo talks with Charlie Jeffers, an 18 year old from the San Francisco Bay Area who founded Pass the Bricks, a non-profit organization that turns Lego bricks into new sets for kids. Leo and Charlie talk about designing Lego sets, taking Pass the Bricks international, and how anyone who’s interested can get involved. Follow Pass the Bricks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passthebricks/

On this month's episode, Leo meets Elijah Lee, a 16-year-old student, community activist, and national advocate for children from Richmond, Virginia. Elijah tells about his work with the Virginia State Legislature, his appearances on the Kelly Clarkson Show, his friendship with one of our previous guests, and so much more! Follow Elijah on Instagram: @elijah_4justice_lee Check out Elijah's official website: https://incredibleelijah.com/

Leo meets Keanu Arpels-Josiah, one of the lead organizers behind last year's March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City. Keanu also serves on the Electoral and Legislative teams of Sunrise Movement NYC, and helps coordinate and organize around local policy and legislative campaigns as a policy lead for Fridays for Future. Leo talks with Keanu about striking outside City Hall, organizing the March to End Fossil Fuels, and going to COP28 in Dubai. Follow Keanu on Instagram: @keanu.8064

Leo chats with Ava Pallotta, a student activist at Harvard College, co-chair of the Harvard Votes Challenge, and deputy political director for Voters of Tomorrow. Ava shares how she got started, how she organized student protests and other events at Harvard, and how she takes care of herself. Follow Ava on Instagram: @avapallotta

Leo interviews Bayly Hoehne, a 16 year old Gen Z political strategist from Connecticut. Bayly and Leo chat about getting into politics early on, Bayly's leadership roles, and her enthusiasm for Taylor Swift. Follow Bayly on Instagram: @baylyhoehne

Leo meets Marianna Pecora, a 20 year old youth activist and college sophomore from Southern California who's currently studying political communications at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Marianna and Leo talk about growing up near the US-Mexico border, why she chose GWU, and what she's been up to in our nation's capital. Follow Marianna on Instagram: @marianna.pecora

We begin Season 4 of the Generation Change with Leo Finelli Podcast with Leo and Elijah Pelton. Elijah got his start in the gun violence prevention movement after the Parkland shooting. At his high school, Elijah started chapters of Students Demand Action and March For Our Lives, which held multiple events including 2 school walkouts, and gave presentations to both the school board and the city council. Elijah now attends Johnson and Wales University, where he studies hospitality management. Elijah talks about growing up near Washington, DC, organizing school walkouts against gun violence, and volunteering as a chef with World Central Kitchen.

Leo meets Jennalynn Fung, a PharmD candidate, journalist, and photographer based in Queens, NY. Jennalynn has written and advocated for climate justice, Asian American culture, the LGBT+ community, and health, and has become known for their music journalism. As they enter the last couple years of pharmacy school, Jennalynn is interested in continuing their environmental advocacy work, with a focus on the sociocultural and environmental factors that impact public health and access to care. Follow Jennalynn on Instagram: @jennuinn.

On this episode Leo meets Anna Johnson, a special ed teacher and gun violence prevention advocate from Raleigh, NC. Leo and Anna talk about going to the same college (at different times), Anna's time on the Change the Ref tour, her favorite TV shows, and more. You can follow Anna on Instagram @annagreenj. Anna is also the social media manager for Newtown Action Alliance and Change the Ref.

Leo meets and talks with Shoshanna "Shoshie" Hemley, a rising junior and political science major at Williams College. She grew up mostly in Iowa, but she has lived in Manila, Singapore, and France, all of which were experiences that greatly impacted her passion for global justice. Outside of the classroom, Shoshie runs her college mock trial team, is on the board of her student-run theater group, has performed in multiple shows a semester, is part of an a capella group, is on her elected student government, and serves as a tour guide. She has always been passionate about social justice and she hopes to go to law school after graduating from Williams. Follow Shoshie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoshie.hemley/

In this episode, Leo takes you to Hollywood this month for an interview with Zoey Luna. Zoey is a girl with so much on her plate and a story to tell. She’s a Latina transgender actress, advocate, and personality. She's made appearances in films and tv shows such as "Dear Evan Hansen", and "Pose", plus she had her first break at only 16 years old in Rosario Dawson's directorial debut "Boundless". Zoey cemented her position in this career by landing one of the four lead roles in Blumhouse & Sony's "The Craft Legacy". Zoey and I talked about her acting career, the challenges she’s faced, and what she’d like to see in TV and movies.

We’re more than 2 1⁄2 years into the podcast, and the conversations keep coming! This month’s guest is Sara Kate Baudhuin, also known as SK. She is currently a page at NBC-Universal in Los Angeles. She graduated from Duke University where she studied a self-created major program called Storytelling as a Tool for Social Change. SK is passionate about exploring the intersection between narrative and social justice and finding unique ways to blend the two together. We talked about her work in audio and video production, her time at Duke, and a very fascinating public art project that she created. 🌐sarakatebaudhuin.com

Molly Reed is a 22-year-old organizer. She has worked on progressive movements including gun violence prevention, student debt cancellation, and environmental Justice. She recently graduated from George Mason University near Washington DC with a degree in government and international politics where she completed an honors dissertation looking into the polarization of gun legislation in the US, and is currently in a gap year before law school. She has recently joined Dream For America as their Policy Director. Instagram: mollykreed

Today on the show, Leo talks with Logan Rubenstein a first year Political Science student at the University of Central Florida who got involved in advocacy after the Parkland shooting in his community. Seeing first hand how important politics is, Logan was inspired to take action, joining March For Our Lives as a student leader, Logan has worked on multiple local progressive campaigns, from State Attorney races to Maxwell Frost’s congressional campaign. Logan hopes to inspire more people to get involved in the political process and build youth power. Twitter: @loganrub_17 IG: @logan.rubenstein

Benjamin Kapit is a writer, director, producer, songwriter, and award winning photographer, cinematographer, and composer. He has worked on projects of all kinds, from small indie films to videography for Caravan Palace on tour to photographing for an article in British Vogue. Benjamin founded his production company, Second World Entertainment, when he was 15, and his team is currently in post production for two short films, two seasons of their show Apocalypse 92.7 FM, and the second season of their show The Sunrise House. Benjamin is also currently working on his fourth indie-pop album under the stage name Dreamer’s Club. He is on the autism spectrum, and believes it makes him a stronger artist. IG: @benjaminkapitofficial https://www.vogue.com/article/cop27-has-already-let-us-down In the article above, a little ways down, is a photo looking down at two people, taken by Ben! https://open.spotify.com/album/3uiKuSZkSqQKGCvNMiUcpv?si=X_b1WsQ4TYOnLkR7M8GBJQ https://open.spotify.com/album/1Ww46Rd83IOWa2JdVnwqow?si=AHXsBzmUQmOA4k3w-2IaTw The Spotify links above are the two most recent albums Ben has produced https://youtu.be/IKs0rqzSDPo https://youtu.be/mYPfk4DN1sg Links above are to trailers for Ben's current projects in post production https://app.frame.io/presentations/17dbadda-6095-4949-98f9-4082333bd386

Alexandra Huynh is a middle school student, a national art contest winner, and a book author. She was featured in the Art Comes Alive program by AIB TV. Her book From Tears to the Sea was the Best New Release by category on Amazon. See her artwork at https://ALEXwithStrawberries.com/ or visit the Westside Market in midtown Atlanta.

Shayna Rutman (she her hers) is a 20-year-old advocate from San Diego. she attends American University in Washington, D.C. and is studying abroad next semester in Wellington, New Zealand! Shayna is the founder of Purses for a Purpose, a non-profit organization that accepts donated purses, handbags, and backpacks and fills them with travel-size toiletries to deliver to homeless women in select cities across the nation. You can find out more about Shayna’s nonprofit at pursesforapurposeinc.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @shaynajrutman.

"Rija Nazir (she/her) is a Wichita State senior majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. Nazir is a Community Organizer for Loud Light based in Wichita, KS. Rija aims to prioritize voter education among marginalized Wichitans, specifically young Black and Brown voters, as well as encourage accountability among elected officials in Kansas. Prior to the 2022 primary election, Nazir led the Vote Neigh campaign on behalf of the Kansas Youth Power Coalition to provide accessible election information on social media and incorporated a vibrant western theme into the pro-choice movement in Kansas. Following graduation in December of 2022, Rija plans to attend law school in the Fall of 2023 in hopes to pursue civil rights law through the public interest sector." @Loud_Light - Instagram @Loud_Light - Twitter loudlight.org

Season 3 of Generation Change with Leo Finelli starts with Isabel Mavrides-Calderon! Isabel Mavrides-Calderon is a teen disabled, disability rights activist and organizer. Her work focuses on disability policy, and accessibility particularly within education. Isabel has organized and hosted grassroots conferences  with the ACLU about disability policy issues such as the SSI restoration act, and campaigns against Supreme Court cases that threatened the ADA, and more. In addition, she was instrumental in the implementation of remote options for disabled NYC public school students. Isabel is currently publishing a research study on accessibility in education. She has worked as an accessibility consultant for various think tanks, Target, and the Australian National Climate Strike. Isabel cannot wait to continue serving her community! IG: @powerfullyisa TW:@powerfullyisa 🌐 https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-disability-justice-means

On this episode we have the brilliant Nikita Agrawal. Nikita is a high school student at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois. She is president of FinPro World, a student-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization she co-founded that is committed to educating middle and high school students on finance topics through computer programming. FinPro World gives students the opportunity to explore these areas with confidence in an encouraging environment while keeping it fun and interactive - all at no cost. Nikita is passionate about applying programming to solve real-life problems and is interested in the intersection between computer programming and finance.   Website: https://www.finproworld.org/ Instagram: @finproworld

On this episode, Leo talks with Johnathan Harris, author of the graphic novel Colorblind: a Story of Racism. Johnathan is a college student at Texas State University where he is currently majoring in K-6 Education and plans to continue his studies by earning a Master's of Arts in Counseling as well. He is the Vice President of the Xi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity at TSU. (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is a professional organization of college-educated men with similar ideas and like attainments. The fraternity’s founders chose Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift as the cardinal principles that every prospective candidate must possess.) @officialoppf Instagram: @johnathann_h

On this episode we have Lexi Philips. Lexi is a college student pursuing a degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences. She speaks to students at elementary and middle schools about her cyberbullying experience, chronicled in her graphic novel, “Click.” Lexi hopes that sharing her trials and triumphs over bullies inspires hope in others as well as the courage to do the same. She is currently president of the Armenian Student Association at the University of California, Santa Barbara and plans to continue on to graduate school to become a Physician Associate. Instagram: @lexi_philips Lexi's Graphic Novel "Click" - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42117799-click

On this episode, Leo talks with Xander Martin, a teenage non-binary, theater obsessed queer rights activist. Xander's family started the Bowie Area Non-Binary & Transgender Gender Youth Alliance.

On this month's episode, Leo talks with Isaac Hertenstein, the founder of Students Teaching Finance, a youth-led organization with the mission of increasing youth financial literacy and combating economic inequality. Isaac is a passionate advocate for financial literacy education nationwide and empowers other high school students to teach financial literacy in their communities, sparking changes against inequity. You can learn more about Students Teaching Finance and form a chapter on its website, studentsteachingfinance.org, and by following on Instagram, @studentsteachingfinance

On this episode, Leo talks with Sophia Huynh, currently a freshman from Columbia University. She loves to involve herself with Social Justice, educating, creating open spaces for discussion, fundraising, and planning events based upon race, class, gender, food insecurity, and many other topics. She is the Founder of Asian American Alliance and Co-leader of International club at the Paideia School, Sophia also served as a founding member of the DEI Committee and SDLI group (Student Diversity Leadership Initiative) which deals with the annual events of Race and Gender Day. In addition, Sophia worked on a podcast called JSAC STEMCast which is a non-profit organization aimed at helping youth become more interested in how STEM topics can be applied to our everyday lives.  On a different note, Sophia also enjoys listening to music (specifically Kpop), eating hotpot, and meeting people of different backgrounds. Instagram: @thesophiahuynh The JSAC Podcast Instagram: @jsacpodcast Slam Poem

On this episode Leo talks with Brianna Chandler. Brianna is a college student who organizes in St. Louis, Missouri. Her areas of focus include abolition, climate justice, and more holistically Black liberation. She is a member of the River City Climate Collective and WashU Students for Black and Palestinian Liberation. IG: @_bri_chandler_ Twitter: @_bri_chandler_ Brianna Photo courtesy of Whitney Curtis for the New York Times