Who's Missing?

Emily Drake

As a mental health clinician and CEO of a leadership development organization, The Collective Academy, Emily is lucky enough to spend her days getting to know others, and believes we can learn something from everyone. And she gets to meet even more people through this podcast! What a dream! It's easy to get trapped in the echo chamber of our preferences. Who’s Missing? aims to remind us that a diversity of voices and opinions is key, and that when we lead with curiosity, we can learn from unexpected sources. Join us as we explore a wide variety of topics with people from all walks of life: From National Book Award winners and Emmy-nominated film directors to dairy farmers, fashion designers, and pastry chefs. Tune in every Tuesday! read less

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S2 E10: HUMBLE EXPERTISE w/Michael Goi (Emmy-nominated Director & Cinematographer)

S2 E10: HUMBLE EXPERTISE w/Michael Goi (Emmy-nominated Director & Cinematographer)

Michael Goi is a 4-time Emmy nominated director, cinematographer, writer, and producer, known for his work on American Horror Story, Glee, My Name is Earl, Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, and The Rookie: Feds, to name a few. He joins Emily to discuss his journey from Chicago to Hollywood, the role that mentoring plays in his life, and embracing the discomfort of success.

S2 E9: REGENERATIVE COMPASSION w/Arionne Nettles (Journalist)

S2 E9: REGENERATIVE COMPASSION w/Arionne Nettles (Journalist)

Arionne Nettles is a journalist and the Director of Audio Journalism Programming at Northwestern University. She’s also getting her PhD in Educational Leadership from DePaul University. She joins Emily to discuss engaging with her audience, her holistic approach to teaching, and her bout of depression during the height of her career (and how she got through it).

S2 E8: POWER & POSSIBILITY w/Dr. Corrie Moreau (Evolutionary Biologist and Myrmecologist)

S2 E8: POWER & POSSIBILITY w/Dr. Corrie Moreau (Evolutionary Biologist and Myrmecologist)

Dr. Corrie Moreau is a myrmecologist with a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. She’s the CALS Senior Associate Dean of DE&I at Cornell University and the Founder & Co-Chair of The Field Museum’s Women in Science. She joins Emily to discuss being a first generation college student, empowering women to pursue a career in science, and of course: her love of ants and bugs!

S2 E7: FEELING GOOD MATTERS w/Sophie Evanoff (Owner of Vanille Patisserie)

S2 E7: FEELING GOOD MATTERS w/Sophie Evanoff (Owner of Vanille Patisserie)

Sophie Evanoff is a pastry chef and owner of Vanille Patisserie in Chicago. She joins Emily to discuss self-compassion, how she relates to her inner critic, and what we get wrong (and right!) with our romanticization of owning a bakery.

S2 E6: ART & MOTHERHOOD w/Ashley January (Oil Painter of Trauma Survivors)

S2 E6: ART & MOTHERHOOD w/Ashley January (Oil Painter of Trauma Survivors)

Ashley January is an oil painter. After going through a traumatic delivery of her son, she decided to channel it into her art. Her oil portraits depict fellow survivors and aim to raise awareness of the growing crisis of black maternal and morbidity rate in the United States. She joins Emily to discuss this issue, her own experience with preeclampsia, and how she uses art to create positive change around birth equity.

S2 E5: HOLDING ONTO HOPE w/Simba Gandari (Zimbabwe-raised Harvard student)

S2 E5: HOLDING ONTO HOPE w/Simba Gandari (Zimbabwe-raised Harvard student)

Simba Gandari, a Zimbabwean immigrant, is a student at Harvard getting his Masters in Education Leadership, Organizations and Entrepreneurship. He joins Emily to discuss how mentorship has shaped his life, the power of underestimation, and navigating what it means to be a man in today’s world.

S2 E4: PERMISSION TO DREAM w/Sarah Littlefield (Dairy Farmer)

S2 E4: PERMISSION TO DREAM w/Sarah Littlefield (Dairy Farmer)

Sarah Littlefield is a dairy farmer and the Executive Director of the Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council. She joins Emily to discuss life on a farm, her decades-long love of cows, and how there’s no such thing as a “half-hearted farmer.”

S2 E3: HUMOR & THE C-SUITE w/Pamay Bassey (Author of “My 52 Weeks of Worship”)

S2 E3: HUMOR & THE C-SUITE w/Pamay Bassey (Author of “My 52 Weeks of Worship”)

Pamay Bassey is the Chief Learning and Diversity Officer at the Kraft Heinz Company, and author of My 52 Weeks of Worship. She’s a first generation Nigerian-American, and she has a B.S. in Symbolic Systems with a concentration in AI from Stanford. Pamay joins Emily to discuss the power of being a lifelong learner, and inserting joy into your day to make it “delicious.”

S2 E2: DISABILITY & LOVE w/Emily Blum (Executive Director of Disability Lead)

S2 E2: DISABILITY & LOVE w/Emily Blum (Executive Director of Disability Lead)

Emily Blum is the Executive Director of Disability Lead. One in five people live with a disability, and many of those disabilities are invisible. Emily Blum joins Emily Drake to discuss her journey with dystonia, misconceptions about people with disabilities, and shifting the conversation around it.

S2 E1: INTENTION & ATTENTION w/Tess Gunty (2022 National Book Award Winner for Fiction)

S2 E1: INTENTION & ATTENTION w/Tess Gunty (2022 National Book Award Winner for Fiction)

To kick off Season 2, we have the wonderful Tess Gunty: An award-winning author whose first published novel, The Rabbit Hutch, received the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction. She holds a BA in English with Honors in Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame, and an MFA in Creative Writing from NYU. Tess joins Emily to discuss intentionality behind focus and attention, the journey behind writing her first published novel, and the experience of living an external life as an introvert.

Bonus: Emily Drake

Bonus: Emily Drake

In this bonus episode, Emily is interviewed by her boyfriend, Arnie Niekamp (Writer / Director at Jackbox Games & Host of Hello From the Magic Tavern). Arnie joins Emily to discuss how the start of this podcast coincided with one of the darkest times of her life, and how she was able to find her way back to joy.

Episode 10: Ruth Foley

Episode 10: Ruth Foley

It's the Season 1 finale! Ruth Foley is a former Chicago Public School teacher, and Emily's mom. Ruth joins Emily to discuss being a professional woman in the 60s, her civic engagement, and how she navigated the complexities of marriage and motherhood. This week’s spotlight: League of Women Voters

Episode 9: Elyse Agnello

Episode 9: Elyse Agnello

Elyse Agnello is an architect with a Masters from Harvard. She's the Co-Founder and Design Principal of the coworking space, Guild Row, and the Founding Principal of the architecture firm, DAAM. Elyse joins Emily to discuss stillness as a key ingredient of self-love, empowering people to make mistakes, and playing offense with how you spend your time. This week’s spotlight: Lyte Collective

Episode 8: Naomi Hattori

Episode 8: Naomi Hattori

Naomi Hattori is the VP of Global Development at Choose Chicago and the Co-Founder of Konbini & Kanpai. Naomi joins Emily to discuss the unexpected decision to start a small business, the experience of travel without leaving your city, and bringing Japanese-American culture to Chicago. This week’s spotlight: Japanese Culture Center

Episode 7: Kevin Johnson

Episode 7: Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson is an executive coach and author of Groove Back: Lessons from a Life Coach on Healing, Loving & Being Loved After a Break-up or Divorce. KJ joins Emily to discuss satisfaction vs. success, generational trauma, and the unexpected turns in his life, from being unhoused, to cutting hair, to owning his own business. This week’s spotlight: 826CHI

Episode 6: Aisha Ghori Ozaki

Episode 6: Aisha Ghori Ozaki

Aisha Ghori Ozaki is the Director of DE&I at Northwestern University. Aisha joins Emily to discuss her commitment to being of service, her experience growing up in the states as a Pakistani Muslim, and the value of knowing the “why” behind difficult experiences. This week’s spotlight: ShowerUp

Episode 5: Dr. Hayley Murphy

Episode 5: Dr. Hayley Murphy

Dr. Hayley Murphy is a veterinarian and the Executive Director and CEO of the Detroit Zoo. Hayley joins Emily to discuss her path as a veterinarian, misconceptions about zoos and how to find the “good” ones, and heart disease in great apes. This week’s spotlight: Chicago Zoological Society

Episode 4: Kate VanAsten

Episode 4: Kate VanAsten

Kate VanAsten is a fashion designer and the founder of Wulfka. Kate joins Emily to discuss dopamine dressing, how fashion and self-expression have changed since the pandemic, and the tangible benefits of environmentally friendly clothing for the consumer. This week’s spotlight: Squasht Boutique

Episode 3: Dr. Sruthi Swaminathan

Episode 3: Dr. Sruthi Swaminathan

Dr. Sruthi Swaminathan has a PhD in Neuroscience. She has her own business consulting company, she’s a User Experience Researcher at Ipsos, an adjunct instructor at Kendall College, and a popup dining chef and host. Sruthi joins Emily to discuss the brain and how behaviors manifest, the error behind how we think about mental health, and how to build up positive emotions. This week’s spotlight: Chicago French Press

Episode 2: Teagan Locus

Episode 2: Teagan Locus

Teagan Locus is a student at Lake Park High School. Teagan joins Emily to discuss self betterment, what courage feels like, and a life changing trip to California. Emily was thrilled to interview Teagan on her first podcast appearance - It’s obvious she’s going to do big things. This week's spotlight: Chicago Red Stars