Nell Derick Debevoise
Nell is the founder of Inspiring Capital, a company that powers a dynamic ecosystem for business-minded social change by engaging and empowering talented business professionals and purpose-driven organizations. Nell has a megawatt smile that is matched by her badass-brains… She knows 6 languages… including some Arabic!... and has 4 master's degrees. Her superpowers are many, but my favorite is her stunning ability to connect people and ideas to create win-wins that are good for all involved. We originally met in a must-do, not-so-fun meeting, but I quickly fell in friend-love, crushing on her optimistic yet practical, game-changing vision of large scale social impact.
Simone Nicole McGurl
Simone is a kick-ass business woman, social enterprise advisor and friend. Her presence draws us in and she delivers unbelievable results. I met Simone at a conference...she was speaking and I couldn’t wait to connect with her, be in her presence and learn from her. She wears many hats... leading corporate governance for EDF, helping brilliant leaders launch venture funds with thoughtfulness and intention, and teaching non-profit management at NYU.
Read more about Simone here
Khe Hy
Khe is the creator of RadReads- a global community dedicated to self-exploration and honoring that we're all perfect in our imperfections. He's a huge fan of uncomfortable introspection, which is truly brave and is shifting the norms of the old-school aspiring professional’s mindset. He digs into vulnerability with such honesty and rawness that in 2017, CNN named Khe the “Oprah for Millennials" and Bloomberg "The Wall Street Guru." Khe’s spirit is open, curious, kind and generous. After leaving corporate America, he got a visible tattoo on his arm that a client or future employer could not miss - ensuring that superficialities would never dictate his future professional relationships! How Badass is that???
Deb Perkins
Deb is the Co-founder and CEO of Cat Perkins shoes, a fashionable and functionable convertible shoe company. She brought her vision from idea to market in record time. Deb lived in Spain for a year with her triplets…. Yes!....She moved from Connecticut to Madrid with triplets! The inspiration for the brand came while traveling through Europe with her family and her co-founder. Realizing that shoes were taking up all the room in their suitcases, and that the beautiful ones were too painful to wear, the two women set out to make the perfect shoe. So, here's another inspiring story of when “Badasses Unite”! Beyond Deb’s business moxie, she prioritizes her relationships, truly lives by her internal truth and is generous with her wisdom.
David Roeske
David has climbed Mt. Everest two times (once without oxygen), he speed-runs the Empire State Building for fun, and placed 42nd in the adult mens class for the NYC Marathon. He cooks amazing pies. All of this as a vegetarian and mostly vegan. Oh, and he’s a pilot and skilled trader. On the coldest day of the year you can find David diving into the water for the exhilaration, and I’m sure this benefits his training stamina, too. It is mesmerizing how he has bio-hacked the power of his body’s potential, and still has time to write handwritten thank you notes. David’s spirit is clear, kind, adventurous and focused.
Keep up with David's latest adventures
Emily Fletcher
Emily is the founder of Ziva Meditation, a school for high performance and learning meditation, mindfulness and manifesting. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and on The Today Show. Emily’s spirit is alive, on fire, smart and visionary. She has made it her life’s mission to bring meditation to everyone and… Ziva is fun. Ziva is smart. Ziva is accessible. Did you know she used to be on Broadway? Full disclosure, I’m a Ziva Grad and some say we could be sisters!!
Tiffany Danae Thompson
Tiffany is a singer-songwriter and leads NYC’s Gen Next Chapter, a community of change-making CEO’s. When you meet Tiffany, her generosity and kindness of spirit bring you as much as her loving smile. Not to mention she served our country as an intelligence analyst (Hello Ms. Brains!) and is a soulful singer, poet, pianist, guitar player and writer. Our friendship is one for the storybooks....we met at a fundraiser for Syrian refugees then went dancing at a drag-queen show. Only in NYC, kids! Take a look at her latest music video here.
Jana Flynn
Jana is a fine-artist and graphic designer- her work is to manifest creatively what is ethereal, two dimensional and linear. She is my creative visual partner and muse that brings all the ideas to visual life... and connects to the heart of the community. I have this fascination with her life as the cool Brooklyn artist who dances for Stanley, has two kids and a rockstar husband. She has taught me about forgiveness, generosity, acceptance and balance. Especially, her friendship gives me the safety to feel vulnerable and talk through the messiness. Brene Brown would be proud.
Alex Porterfield
Alex is the ultimate boss-babe-badass-manager. She leads all of us to “Get ‘Er Done.” Her full time work is at Cornerstone Talent Agency, placing their Tony, Emmy and Oscar nominated clients in their next role. Her side hustles include: her blog, level-ing up new talent with her private actor consultations, and captaining all efforts here at AbbyRaphel.com. I met Alex during a UCB improv intensive workshop (just ask us about it) and now she is my guide… often times people whisper- “she’s a step ahead of you.” Hell yeah… and I’m grateful to have a partner who’s directive vision, communication style and aesthetic make our work top-tier… she’s a gift.