Teona Zak is an LA-based singer-songwriter who graduated from Boston's Berklee College of music in 2023. Her story involves grace, grit, and a decision to be in the right place at the right time. In this episode, Nikki and Teona chat about life on the East and West coast, unpacking how there is a purpose for both. They also discuss what it's been like for Teona to experience the music industry from so many different angles—from a student, to an assistant, and more recently releasing her own music.

Both figuratively and literally, Teona is a role model for young people looking to find their voice. She believes in taking risks and honing one's craft, all while being joyfully authentic along the way.

Follow Teona on Instagram and check out her EP, To Be Loved.

To learn more about ResponseABLE, check out the website www.responseable.org or follow Professor Nikki James on LinkedIn or Instagram.

ResponseABLE is produced and edited by Northeastern Alumni Nora Shepard. For more from Nora, subscribe to Good Disaster on Substack or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Neeraj is a Northeastern Alumni who now works at Bloomberg in New York City. With experience from financial services, to tech, to social innovation, Neeraj offers insightful and actionable job search tips, many of which led him to where he is today.

In this episode Nikki and Neeraj sit down to talk about post-grad life, takeaways from co-op experiences, the job search process, and how to make the most of it. With themes of staying open, taking risks, and connecting with others, it's a great conversation for students and job-seekers alike.

To stay in touch with Neeraj, connect with him on LinkedIn.

To learn more about ResponseABLE, check out the website www.responseable.org or follow Professor Nikki James on LinkedIn or Instagram.

ResponseABLE is produced and edited by Northeastern Alumni Nora Shepard. For more from Nora, subscribe to Good Disaster on Substack or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Jessie Wang is a former student of Nikki's who graduated from Northeastern in 2024. During her last year at Northeastern she decided to bet on herself and apply to grad school. She ended up getting her Masters Degree and studying across the world through NYU.

In this episode Nikki and Jessie discuss the limits that we put on ourselves and the mindset it takes to overcome them. Jessie shares her story as well as so much wisdom she has gained along the way.

To connect with Jessie, check out her LinkedIn.

To learn more about ResponseABLE, check out the website www.responseable.org or follow Professor Nikki James on LinkedIn or Instagram.

ResponseABLE is produced and edited by Northeastern Alumni Nora Shepard. For more from Nora, subscribe to Good Disaster on Substack or connect with her on LinkedIn.