As our Magic City prepares to welcome the world for Miami Art Week, I welcome my friend Cathy Leff, Executive Director of the Bakehouse Art Complex, to this November episode. We explore how this historic bakery-turned-arts hub is becoming a national model for affordable artist housing, public greenspaces, and community-rooted creativity. Cathy shares the vision behind Bakehouse’s evolution, the $2 million restoration project she helped bring to life, and how public-private partnerships are keeping Miami’s creative spirit alive and accessible. This conversation is a joyful, thought-provoking reminder that the most meaningful cultural movements often begin right in our own neighborhoods.

As the Children’s Village begins its first month of programming, I continue the conversation on safe spaces for youth with my longtime friend, Thema Campbell, founder and CEO of Girl Power Rocks. For more than two decades, Thema has worked to mentor and uplift “at-promise” girls, equipping them with the skills, support, and confidence to thrive. In this episode, Thema reflects on her upbringing in Mama Hattie’s house in Georgia, where every child had a place of belonging, and how that shaped her vision for Girl Power Rocks. We explore the organization’s journey from humble beginnings to a citywide network of after-school programs, mentoring circles, and now the ambitious Mama Hattie’s House project—a future home for girls aging out of foster care. Recorded right as the Children’s Village opened its doors, this conversation highlights how organizations like Lotus House and Girl Power are working in tandem to ensure Miami’s children not only survive but soar. Thema’s story is a moving reminder that when girls are lifted up, entire communities rise with them.

In the wake of September’s ribbon cutting for the Children’s Village, I sit down with its visionary founder, Constance Collins, who also founded Lotus House nearly two decades ago. What began as a single building in Overtown has grown into Lotus Village—the nation’s largest women’s shelter—and that now includes the newly opened Children’s Village, a separate but neighboring facility designed to support children and families with comprehensive care. Constance shares the deeply personal story of how one encounter with a woman experiencing homelessness changed the course of her life, moving her from a career in real estate to full-time advocacy. Together, we reflect on what it means to see the Children’s Village doors finally open, the community partnerships that made it possible, and the hope it brings to children and families across Miami. From hydroponic gardens to wraparound therapeutic services, Constance paints a powerful picture of how investing in families can break cycles of poverty and create spaces where dreams take root.