I’m your host Jen Veguilla- Lezan and I am back this week with an interview featuring Aditi Shekar – the founder behind finance tech start up – Zeta. Aditi is truly an international woman who has lived all over the world growing up as her mother worked for the UN. While it may come as a surprise – moving to the US for college at NC Chapel Hill it w…

Welcome back to Make + Create – the podcast dedicated to empowerment in the creative and business space. For this last season, I’ve been focusing on women who are doing things differently and aren’t afraid to take risks. Women who are unabashedly themselves, and who are open to sharing the good, bad and ugly parts of running their own business. Thi…

This week is a continuation of exploring careers and journeys that are outside of the norm and that have a spiritual vibe to them. This week, I talk with the conjure queen herself. She’s made quite the name for herself on Youtube with her channel dedicated to sharing and teaching the mysteries of the occult and helping her viewers to elevate their …

I’m your host Jen Veguilla- Lezan and I am back this week an interview featuring a local Chicagoan who has truly shown that you can make a career work for you, wherever you are if you have the passion and drive to pursue it. I interview Xochil Herrera Scheer about her journey in the Fashion industry here in Chicago. She provides professional patter…

I am back this week with a fun, interesting and different interview. I had the opportunity to talk with Claire Gallagher – the Body Astrologer. If you haven’t heard of Claire, I’m surprised, but you will be in for a treat. As many of you who have followed along – you know I have a penchant for all things mystical, magical and cosmos related – I’m a…

Welcome back to Make + Create. I’m your host Jen Veguilla- Lezan and I am back this week with another insightful and inspiring interview. I spoke with Tyzza Macias a few months back about her journey launching her indie cosmetics brand: Factory Glam alongside her cofounders Eva and Natasha. Tyzza’s career as a beauty professional and entrepreneur b…

For this recent episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Agathe - the founder of Red Velvet NYC. Red Velvet is a company that creates dessert kits that make baking gourmet desserts foolproof. The brand launched in 2015 delivering kits with everything needed to bake cakes, tarts, cupcakes and more right in the comfort of your own kitchen. Agathe …

Hello Listeners!Welcome back to Make + Create. I’m your host Jen Veguilla- Lezan and this week I had the opportunity to talk with the duo behind Store - Revolving Curation. It’s the latest indie shop concept in Chicago and the brand showcases how fashion forward vintage and thrift clothing can be and why it’s becoming so important in the fight agai…

Hello Listeners - Welcome back to Make + Create! The podcast that introduces you to individuals pursuing the path less traveled when it comes to creative pursuits, careers and life. This space houses inspiration to keep you motivated and will hopefully empower you while on your own journey! I’m your host Jen Veguilla-Lezan and this week I had the o…

Hello listeners! Welcome back to Make + Create. The podcast that introduces you to individuals pursuing the path less traveled when it comes to creative pursuits, careers and life. This space houses inspiration to keep you motivated and will hopefully empower you while on your own journey! I’m your host Jen Lezan and this week I had the opportunity…

Hey there Halfstackers! Happy tuesday to all of you - Jen Lezan here, Editor-in-chief of Halfstack and I am so excited to share with you our latest endeavor! Halfstack Highlights is a new edition to the Halfstack repertoire. We will be showcasing some of our best interviews in podcast/blogcast form - you'll also get to put a voice to many of the wr…

Hey everyone! Jenny here – I am really excited to bring this newest episode of Halfstack Highlights to you all. In this most recent interview, I speak with the founders of Driftseed.org and the masterminds behind an amazing documentary called: Little Stones. Meena Singh and Sophia Kruz are seriously two badass and inspiring women creating change an…

Women have had a long and arduous battle for rights and equality. Whether it be the right to have their voices heard in a vote or the ability to make an impact in the workforce, women have made it a point to establish they are a force to be reckoned with. In today's day and age, the idea of a single income household has become a distant memory. In …

Welcome to Halfstack Highlights. This is Jen Lezan Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and one of the hosts of the Halfstack Highlights Podcast. This week I speak with Kaben Clauson the founder of the Chicago based startup behind the Anonymous Opinions app – which can be found in the app store under AOP. The AOP app is all about sharing your thou…

Hello listeners! Jen Lezan here and I am the host of the Make and Create Podcast. You may remember me from the Halfstack Highlights podcast and from my past work at Halfstack Magazine. As you may have heard the team and I retired the brand early this month after 6 amazing years. It can be a daunting thing stopping something that you’ve put so much …

Like most creatives, Kiirstin Marilyn has had her ups and downs. It is how the Brooklyn-based songwriter/musician/actress responds to life’s obstacles that makes her special. Kiirstin demonstrates the grit and persistence that a creative needs if she plans to succeed pursuing her dream. Kiirstin was excited to be signed to a small independent recor…

Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights!! This is Jen Lezan, welcome back to all of you who have subscribed to the series and for those of you who are new here - I am the Editor in Chief of a Chicago based digital magazine called Halfstack Magazine and I am also one of the hosts of our podcast: Halfstack Highlights. I …

Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights!! This is Jen Lezan, welcome back to all of you who have subscribed to the series and for those of you who are new here - I am the Editor in Chief of a Chicago based digital magazine called Halfstack Magazine and I am also one of the hosts of our podcast: Halfstack Highlights. Th…

Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights!! This is Jen Lezan, and I am the Editor in Chief of the Chicago based digital magazine Halfstackmag.com and I am also one of the hosts of our podcast: Halfstack Highlights. I am excited to share this week’s episode as it features another local Chicago entrepreneur and designer: …

Hello everyone! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights!! I am excited to share this week’s episode as it features a local Chicago entrepreneur and style Icon: Katie Schuppler of KS Style Consulting. She is a Personal Style Consultant and Fashion Blogger/Writer who loves to help others create their own personal style in this fast pace…

Another edition of Halfstack Highlights is live this week! As we continue to dive into the theme of explore, for this episode I wanted to take you on an exploration of a topic – Art and the Artists behind the work. As an art school student graduate, art has always been a topic that I have been drawn to. I’ve always found the theory behind art, the …

Hey readers - I hope all of you are doing well. This episode of Halfstck Highlights was equal parts hard and equal parts inspiring for me. On one hand, I had the opportunity to talk with an amazing woman using her skills, talent and platform to help others. Yet, on the other hand we are talking about war, refugees and people who are facing atrociti…

Welcome to Halfstack Highlights! This is Jen Lezan Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and one of the hosts of the Halfstack Highlights Podcast. This week I am sharing an interview with: Georgene Huang founder of Fairygodboss. It's not always easy being a woman in the workplace. The fairgodboss concept was born in 2015 while their now CEO was int…

Hello Readers! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights! This is Jen Lezan Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and one of the hosts of the Halfstack Highlights Podcast. This week I am sharing an interview with: Stephanie Benedetto founder of Queen of Raw. Queen of Raw is the premiere online marketplace to sell unused fabrics & buy hi…

Hello Everyone!! Welcome to Halfstack Highlights. This is Jen Lezan Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and one of the hosts of the Halfstack Highlights Podcast. This week is the final episode of the year!! We will be going on a small break and will return with a new episode on January 14th, 2018! It's been a great year filled with many inspiring…

Like most creative endeavors, pursuing a career as an indie filmmaker is not easy. Lack of financing, time, resources (not to mention that pesky day job) all seem to conspire against you bringing your creative dream to life and sharing it with the world. Liz Manashil is working to try and make the process a little easier. The Manager of Sundance In…

Welcome to Halfstack Highlights! This week we are talking to Jennifer Eden , the Co-Founder of Tampon Tribe. Yes, you heard that right. We are featuring an AMAZING subscription service that caters to those who are in need of monthly feminine hygiene products. We are going there, we are talking about periods this week. Tampon Tribe is a Southern Cal…

Welcome to halfstack highlights. This is Jen Lezan and I am the Editor in chief of the Chicago based digital magazine Halfstack and one of the hosts of the podcast Halfstack highlights. For this weeks episode, I had the opportunity to speak with the founder of Diplomat Books and the Author of the Chidlren’s book- Where Is Robin: Robin Barone All Im…

Musicians Sam Brownson, Oliver Horton, and Jake Hawrylack first met as undergrads at Knox College in Galesburg, IL. The three multi-instrumentalists collaborated on various student and side projects but then went their separate ways upon graduation. Later they each migrated to Chicago drawn by the City’s musical roots. After jamming together on dif…

Welcome to halfstack highlights. This is Jen Lezan and I am the Editor in chief of the Chicago based digital magazine Halfstack and one of the hosts of our podcast Halfstack highlights. This week I had the opportunity to speak with Kara Mac – the founder of Shoe Candy by Kara Mac. ShoeCandy® by Kara Mac is a line of high quality, designer shoes and…

If you’re looking to take control of your financial life this year, Rich Bitch: A 12 Step Plan for Getting Your Financial Life in Order...Finally is the book for you. Written by fun and fearless financial expert Nicole Lapin, Rich Bitch is a finance book you’ll actually enjoy reading and feel excited and empowered about your future. You can also li…

Jackie Barretta shares her secrets to creating and maintaining successful relationships in the workplace in her book, "Primal Teams". In her recently published book, the accomplished CIO consultant, speaker, and author, gives us an insight on techniques that can help us to use our emotions in a productive way that can benefit and strengthen any tea…

Hermitude have quickly become one of Australia’s most in-demand touring acts. With the Platinum-selling HyperParadise, the band won Australia’s Music Prize, modeled after Britain’s Mercury Music Prize and Canada’s Polaris Prize, whose single goal is to identify and reward the most outstanding creative Australian album of the year. Released via Elef…

In today’s Halfstack Highlights, we talk with Paul Caldwell, creative director and conductor of Windy City Performing Arts. In their new concert series, Legacies of Hope, the group honors the lives of the countless LGBTQ youth who are at risk in our communities, and will feature the Midwest premiere of Tyler’s Suite. Tyler’s Suite honors the memory…

If you've not heard of bottledBrooklyn, then today is the day you will! I had the amazing opportunity to interview with Rameses Crisi to talk about the brand, and the amazing products that they offer! Being a beauty junkie one of the things that stands out is of course are the handheld mirrors. These mirrors are something anyone can add into their …

5-piece modern-folk Americana act, The Way Down Wanderers, performed on Thursday afternoon at the Block 37 shopping center, located at 108 N State St. The Stage 37 concert series started up its new season mid June, featuring a variety of folk and indie bands. Based in Chicago, The Way Down Wanderers have been touring across the country to states li…

Hey everyone! Welcome to the latest episode of Halfstack Highlights. I am Jen Lezan – the Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and host of this podcast where we explore the business of creativity and inspiring individuals who are trying to create magic while following their dreams. In this episode – I had the opportunity to talk with: Dana Donofre…

Hello everyone! We are continuing our series focus on female founders this week on the Halfstack Highlights Podcast. In this episode, we talk with Alex - The founder of the tech and childcare startup: Zibbli. Zibbli provides families in Westchester, NY a flexible childcare solution to meet the demands of busy parents. At Zibbli, they are calling at…

Dewayne Lucas credits his art for saving his life. The author, producer, director, songwriter, and film editor was being raised by his single mom on the south side of Chicago in a neighborhood racked with poverty and violence. After several family members and friends fell victim to violence, Lucas’s mother packed him up along with his four brothers…

Hello everyone! Thanks for listening to Halfstack Highlights. Jen Lezan here, Editor in Chief of Halfstack Magazine and one of the hosts of Halfstack Highlights! I am super stoked to share the guest in this latest episode. She’s one of our first guests from our run down of amazing women Entrepreneurs that I had the opportunity to encounter during m…

Music has the power to change lives. Each of us has experienced what music can do at some point in our lives. Remember those tough preteen/teenage years? Life was challenging. Where and how do I fit in? You retreated to your room to listen to music and brood when suddenly, THAT song came on. At last, someone who understands what you are going throu…

Nabiha Niazi of Beeforacause is a local Chicago accessories designer who does more than just make pretty things. Rather, she is trying to make the world a better place to live in. She gives her customers the opportunity to take part in humanitarianism through philanthropic shopping. Yea, you read that right. YOU can help by doing one of your favori…

Hey everyone! Thanks for listening to Halfstack Highlights! In this episode I had the chance to talk with comedian, actor and writer: Jena Friedman. We talked about, politics, feminism, being a woman in the TV world, and her journey in her career: Just hit the play button for the full interview PODCAST: Play in new window | Download Listen and subs…

Hello everyone! Welcome to Halfstack Highlights! This is the first episode of our 2017 season! I am excited to share a local Chicago singer, song-writer, activist and creative phenom Ashley Lauren Elrod. Ashley Lauren is as a leader and woman of God and this is evident in her story. Her unique sound and raw ability move listeners to feel the messag…

Welcome back to Halfstack Highlights. I am so excited to kick off 2017. In today’s episode I had the opportunity to interview an incredibly talented Miami based Puerto Rican musician: Raquel Sofia. The singer songwriter who is signed to Sony Music’s Latin Division is such a bright spot in Latin Pop today. All Images Courtesy of Sony Music Latin Her…

Hey everyone! It’s Jen Lezan – editor in chief of Halfstack mag.com – I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the season of Halfstack Highlights so far. In today’s episode of Halfstack Highlights – I had the opportunity to speak to the founder of Wurkin Stiffs: Jonathan Boos. Wurkin Stiffs is a menswear accessories brand that launched with the i…

Hey everyone! It’s Jen Lezan here with another episode of Halfstack Highlights! As we continue on with this season’s theme of explore, I have been on the search for interesting people with careers, life journeys and experiences that really embody that idea. This episode I was introduced to the Philharmonia Ochestra of New York – not to be confused …

Hey everyone! I am excited to share another episode of Halfstack Highlights! The theme for this season has been all about exploration and it fits so well with the blog's April Editorial of Innovation. Innovation truly does arise out of Creative people's abilities to truly explore their craft. In today’s episode I am talking with Chicago based Film …

Hey everyone! Welcome to the beginning of our 2016 series! Thank you for all who have listened and downloaded Halfstack Highlights over this past year! This season we are hoping to focus on the theme of explore. Whether that means to explore a new career, art, life journey, or anything that sparks your curiosity. Last season it was all about inspir…