In July 2024, Mx It Up brought together a panel of successful QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) entrepreneurs who have launched their creative enterprises. This engaging session delved into their unique journeys, the challenges they've overcome, and the strategies they've employed to achieve success in the creative industry.

Our panelists shared their personal stories and offered invaluable tips and practical advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. Whether you're in the early stages of brainstorming your business idea or ready to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, we hope this episode will provide you with some insights and tools needed to turn your creative vision into reality.

Panelists

Dr. Aymar Jean Christian, Co-Founder, OTV | Open Television

Claudia Alick, Founding Executive Producer, Calling Up Justice!

Erin Michelle Washington, Founder, SoulCenter

Resources

• Dis/Rep Workshop
• EarlyWords
• Accessibility Check-In
• Relationship Repair Clause
• Brave Space Agreements
• Opportunity Share
• Gusto
• Wave
• Pruitt Prep CPA
• Mercury
• ToDoIst
• Calendly
  

For our Season 2 Finale, we are joined by creative, scholar, and waymaker, Erin Michelle Washington. We chat about what it means to be a waymaker, creative entrepreneurship, and crafting community-based spaces.

Weekly Action Items

• Connect with ⁠⁠Erin.
• Learn more are SoulCenter⁠.
• Learn more about FreshGreens Market.
• Learn more about Clarke Street Fund.
• Demand a ⁠ceasefire in Gaza now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week we are joined by producer, advocate, educator, and facilitator, Patricia Garza. We chat about their role as Producer and Director of Programs at Los Angeles Performance Practice, what it means to support multidisciplinary artists and work, and the tremendous impact of Diane Rodriguez on Latine theatre.

Weekly Action Items

• ⁠⁠Connect with ⁠Patricia and ⁠Los Angeles Performance Practice.

• Demand a ⁠ceasefire in Gaza now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week we are joined by the Founder and Artistic Director of Breaking the Binary Theatre, George Strus. We chat about the joy of developing new work, their transition from performer to producer, and what it means to build community for transgender, nonbinary, and Two Spirt+ (TNB2S+) artists.

Weekly Action Items

• ⁠⁠Connect with George and Breaking The Binary Theatre.
• Get your tickets to ⁠see First Floor Theatre's production of PRO-AM playing at The Den Theatre through June 15, 2024.
• Demand a ⁠ceasefire in Gaza now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week we are joined by theatre artist and community organizer, Sivan Battat. We chat about their love for developing new work, her multicultural upbringing in Connecticut, and building bridges between cultural and justice work for our collective liberation.

Weekly Action Items

• ⁠Connect with Sivan.
• Get your tickets to see PROBLEMS BETWEEN SISTERS at ⁠Studio Theatre.
• Demand a ⁠ceasefire now⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week host Joey Reyes is joined by theatre director and educator, Adil Mansoor. We chat about his solo performance AMM(I)GONE now touring this spring, growing up in and around Chicago, and making sense of the world through active creative practice.

Weekly Action Items

• Connect with Adil.
• Get your tickets to see AMM(I)GONE at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company or Long Wharf Theatre.
• Demand a ⁠ceasefire now⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week host Joey Reyes is joined by content creator, comedian, and LGBTQ+ advocate, Curly Velasquez. We chat about his current projects, death and grief, and his journey from working with fashion icons to becoming the creative director of Buzzfeed's Latine platform, Pero Like.

Weekly Action Items

• Subscribe to Curly's podcast and follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
• Check out Dead and Buried.
• Demand a ⁠ceasefire now⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠

• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week host Joey Reyes is joined by Associate Artistic Director and Director of Education at PlayPenn, Santiago Iacinti. They chat about being an artistic leader at the new play incubator that grew out of Philadelphia, queer futurism, and Santi's experience as an artist who is also a DACA recipient.

Weekly Action Items

• Learn more about ⁠PlayPenn.
• Visit Santi's website and follow them on Instagram.
• Demand a ceasefire now⁠.⁠⁠⁠
• Sign the ⁠⁠Theater Workers for Ceasefire Statement⁠⁠. ⁠
• Make sure you're ⁠⁠⁠registered to vote⁠⁠⁠.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠@mxituppod⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠@mxjoeyreyes⁠⁠⁠.