Reppin 5.9: Leeza Gibbons

Leeza Gibbons

Emmy Winner Leeza Gibbons is a household name and media powerhouse. She’s a Host, Reporter, Producer, for shows such as Entertainment Tonight, My Generation on PBS and her own long running talk show, LEEZA. She’s covered the gamut of stories from A List celebrities to the everyday heroes. She’s also a NY Times Bestselling author, with Take 2: Your Guide to Happy Endings and New Beginnings; and Fierce Optimism: 7 Secrets for Playing Nice and Winning Big.

She’s also a fierce advocate for caregivers and has a non-profit called Leeza's Care Connection. She founded this organization when her family was touched by Alzheimer’s, first with her grandmother, then her mother who battled and lost. Knowing the herculean role of a caregiver—Leeza’s Care Connection offers free services and support to help families cope when facing a chronic illness or disease.

She’s experienced both incredible highs and unbelievable lows. Through it all, she’s remained true to who she is and unfailingly optimistic. She’s sharing some of her defining moments and how she’s continued to succeed—without ever compromising her values and she reveals how she’s been able to stay NICE in a world that often times—isn’t.

Leeza’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeezaGibbons

Leeza’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezagibbons/?hl=en

Leeza’s Care Connection: https://leezascareconnection.org/

Leeza’s Walking App: https://www.openfit.com/plans/leeza/

Leeza’s books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=leeza+gibbons&sprefix=leeza+gi%2Caps%2C76&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8

Reppin 5.7: Ginger Zee

Ginger Zee

Photo Credit: Heidi Gutman

Ginger Zee is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC News, forecasting for and reporting on the nation's weather from Good Morning America to World News Tonight. Zee has been on the ground before, during and after almost every major weather event and dozens of historic storms including Hurricane Katrina. With every report, she never loses sight on the human toll these devastating storms has taken.

She’s highly respected and beloved by audiences across the United States. But what viewers may not have known was the amount of painful, trauma she has personally had to experience.

When Ginger opened her life to readers in Natural Disaster-her first best seller, the response was enormous. She put a very relatable if surprising face on depression and has helped lessen the stigma surrounding mental health issues. But Ginger tells us, Natural Disaster was "Ginger Lite" and only scratched the surface.

In this moving follow-up called A Little Closer To Home, Ginger shares her truest self. She spent most of her life shielding her vulnerabilities from the world all while being a professional people pleaser. Her stormy childhood, her ongoing struggles with crippling depression, being involved in dangerous relationships, sexual assault, her suicide attempts, and many other life experiences will resonate with readers who are likely to see themselves along the way. 

In spite of its serious subject matter, Ginger is not only surviving—but thriving. On Reppin, meet this unbelievably courageous, strong woman who is sharing her lessons of healing and how you can also overcome your hardships.

Ginger’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ginger_Zee

Ginger’s Instagram: @ginger_zee

Ginger’s book A Little Closer To Home: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Closer-Home-Found-After/dp/1368042007

Reppin 4.9: Nancy Lee Grahn

Nancy Lee Grahn

Nancy Lee Grahn is an Emmy winning actress and fan favorite. Known for her portrayals as the headstrong Julia Wainwright Capwell from Santa Barbara and now, Alexis Davis on General Hospital. Over the years, Nancy has garnered a huge fan base and is most recently celebrating her 25th year on General Hospital. Nancy is known for delivering powerful performances on screen. Off screen, Nancy is also a powerhouse. She’s an unapologetic, passionate, outspoken woman who is using her platform to advocate and fight for the things she believes in. Whether you agree or not—she embraces her position and voice. Meet the woman behind the talent, gain insight into her background, her values, understand what drives her and see what she represents.

Nancy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyLeeGrahn

Nancy’s website: https://www.nancyleegrahn.com/

Reppin 4.2: Brandon Victor Dixon

Brandon Victor Dixon

Brandon Victor Dixon has an expansive list of credits that range from Broadway’s Hamilton, The Color Purple to television’s Rent Live, Jesus Christ Superstar to STARZ’s Power.

Brandon has also appeared in concert with various artists such as Burnt Sugar: The Arkestra Chamber, Jennifer Hudson, Nathan Lane, Wynton Marsalis, Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli, David Hyde Pierce,  and Tony winners Levi Kries, Kelli O'hara, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Other Credits include: ABC's One Life To Live, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, ABC's The Good Wife, and NETFLIX’s “She’s Gotta Have It”.

His talent doesn’t end there, h'e’s also a producer! His company WalkRunFly has produced multiple works including the Tony Award winning Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris, He is co-founder of The WeAre Foundation, a non-profit “Turning Art into Action.”

Millions have seen and heard his voice and talent-but here, you’ll learn what motivates this talented man and what he’s fighting for.

Brandon’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrandonVDixon

Brandon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonvdixon/?hl=en

We Are Foundation: https://weare.org/

Reppin 4.1: David Harewood

David Harewood

David Harewood is an incredible actor, producer and director. You’ve seen him starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connolly in the film Blood Diamond, in Showtimes’s hit Homeland with with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, he’s also been in The Night Manager, Man In The High Castle and most recently, he is the martian manhunter, Hank Henshaw, J'onn J'onzz in the CW fan favorite Supergirl.

He may seem like he’s lived a charmed life--but his personal journey has been filled with tremendous challenges. When he was a young actor in his twenties he faced intense racism from critics and audiences alike. The racism was so extreme that it undermined his sense of identity and ultimately triggered a psychotic break. He was hospitalized, treated and thankfully recovered.

In 2019, in an effort to help destigmatize mental illness, David and the BBC produced a powerful documentary called Psychosis and Me. In the film, David retraced his steps and learned for the first time, as the cameras rolled-what actually happened to him vs what he thought happened. He saw his medical records and how serious his mental condition really was.

Because of his personal experiences, he’s incredible advocate for countless charities, from mental health to fighting for more realistic representation in the arts for all ethnic backgrounds to encouraging minorities to vote.

David shares how facing his past and seeing his fault lines have made him a stronger, better man. And now, he’s fighting to help others. An incredible story of courage, strength and love.

A remarkably talented actor who is an even more remarkable human being. Meet him on Reppin.

David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidHarewood

David’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidharewood/?hl=en

Reppin 3.7: AJ Mendez

AJ Mendez

Photo Courtesy: Cathy and David Photography

AJ Mendez is a former professional wrestling champion with the WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. Don’t let her diminutive stature fool you, she was a formidable opponent. She threw people around like a short order cook threw pancakes onto a plate. With her trademark black widow submission move, she easily took out her competitors. But in real life--nothing came easily for her.

In her autobiography, which was a New York Times best seller, Crazy Is My Super Power, she details what it was like being a petite Puerto Rican girl growing up in an unstable home, struggling with poverty, homelessness and mental illness to how comics, wrestling and her fans helped change her life. 

Because of her own personal struggles, she is a mental health advocate, and is an ambassador to The Jed Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

If that’s not enough, she also partnered with actress Aimee Garcia and founded Scrappy Heart Productions. Together, as Latin X storytellers, they want to create the change they want to see in the media and to tell stories that have universal themes.

She is a warrior. Meet this incredible woman, who is breaking boundaries, who has overcome so many personal challenges and now she’s out in front working to help others.

AJ’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAJMendez

AJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theajmendez/

Mental Health Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI.org

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)

Reppin 3.5: Aydian Dowling

Aydian Dowling

Aydian Dowling is most known for being the First Transgender Man on the cover of Mens Health Magazine, and appearing on the Ellen Degeneres show, twice! Using his own personal struggles he has given voice to the trans community, documenting his personal transition and sharing it on line. Since then, Aydian has been creating content answering questions and offering insight to those who may still be struggling.

In 2016, Aydian launched PointofPride.org a non profit which helps Transgender individuals around the world through programming and funding to help Trans people live more authentically in their bodies. 

On Reppin, Aydian talks about how he went from hiding who he was, how he summoned the courage to being liberated to live his most authentic life and finding acceptance and love. His story is one about overcoming fears, other people’s expectations and labels to truly embracing who you are.

Aydian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AydianDowling

Aydian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alionsfear/

Point Of Pride: https://pointofpride.org/

Aydian’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe5IabAzRyXqLpAib13Q2yw

Reppin 2.12: Nicola Correia-Damude

Nicola Correia-Damude

Nicola Correia-Damude is an award winning actor and singer. You’ve seen her on Shadowhunters, Burden Of Truth, October Faction, The Strain, Coroner and My Spy. Nicola has also been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her Guest Starring performance on Remedy and received the Best Actress in a feature film award at the San Diego FilmOut Festival for her work in Margarita. Nicola comes to REPPIN and shares her personal challenges of being mixed race, self identification, body diversity, inequalities, what she’s learned and what she’s doing to open doors for others. You’ll see she’s not only a talented actress and singer-but she’s out in front working to open doors for others.

Nicola’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolancd

Nicola’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolasummer/?hl=en

Reppin 2.5: Shannon Watts

Shannon Watts

She went from being a stay at home mom with 70 something friends on Facebook and wanting to have an online conversation about gun safety to founding a movement called Moms Demand Action- Americans fighting for public safety measures that protect people from gun violence. Now, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, with nearly 6 million supporters. In addition to her work with Moms Demand Action, she’s an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Meet Shannon Watts and you’ll see she’s a mother, leader and warrior. She shares her experiences, beliefs, the immense pressure she faces -how releases stress & how she keeps it all together.

Mom’s Demand Action: https://momsdemandaction.org/

Shannon’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts

Fight Like A Mother: https://fightlikeamother.org/

Reppin 2.4: Jamie Margolin

Jamie Margolin

Jamie’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamie_Margolin

Zero Hour: http://thisiszerohour.org/

At 15 years old, Jamie Margolin founded the youth climate action organization Zero Hour with Nadia Nazar and serves as co-executive director. Zero Hour was in response to what she saw after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and her personal experience during the Washington Wildfires.

Zero Hour has led the official "Youth Climate Marches" in Washington, DC and 25+ cities around the world during the summer of 2018. Jamie represented the organization at international leadership events like the C40 Mayors summit and the UN Youth Climate Summit. She also serves as a media spokesperson for the youth climate movement, going on national and international TV, radio, and print publications to spread the word about climate justice and the youth movement. She’s written Op-Eds for various publications such as The New York Times, Teen Vogue, TIME Magazine, and The Guardian, and has been on both American and international speaking tours for climate justice all while being in high school!!

Jamie is one of Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21” girls changing the world in 2018, One of People Magazines 25 women changing the world in 2018, Fuse TV’s Latina Trailblazer of 2018, one of The Today Show’s 18 under 18 Groundbreakers of 2019, MTV EMA Generation Change winner of 2019,  and one of the BBC's 100 most influential women of 2019. All while being in high school!!

Find out what drives this young woman to be the unstoppable force she is and what sacrifices she’s had to make to try and save the planet.

Reppin Season 2 Premiere: Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd is an extraordinarily talented actress with an impressive list of credits that includes Law and Order SVU, Daredevil, Blindspot, Hawaii Five-O, Gossip Girl, ER, 90210 to Younger -just to name a FEW! And currently you can find her starring on the hit Star Trek: Picard as Raffi Musiker!

Michelle shares personal stories that impacted her and shaped how she views the world. She talks about the challenges she faced professionally and personally and why she is a fierce advocate for equality and justice for all.

This is a very insightful, powerful and intimate conversation—and one you don’t want to miss. Meet this amazing actress and you’ll find out she’s even more incredible in real life.

Michelle’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsMichelleHurd

Reppin 1.5: Tiffany Persons

Tiffany Persons

Representation in Hollywood is seeing some dramatic changes in the last several years and our next guest is someone who is working to ensuring that we continue that movement. Tiffany Persons is a prominent casting director in Hollywood with clients like Apple, Google to Nike. She’s also the Founder and Executive Director of a highly respected non profit organization called Shine On in Sierra Leone-an organization that provides educational programs, food to wellness for children. Tiffany shares some of her experiences as a casting director, how some of her personal experiences has shaped her and her work. See how she’s using her personal experiences and platform to transform children’s lives. You’ll be blown away by her work, dedication and heart.

Shine On: http://shineonsierraleone.org/