Bruce Sudano: Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Bruce formed his first band at age 13. At age 20, he scored his first hit on the music charts with “Ball of Fire“, which he co-wrote with Tommy James (Hanky Panky, Crimson and Clover, I Think We’re Alone Now). Sudano had written many of the songs for his band, Alive N Kickin’, but James’s mentorship elevated his work.
Hear Bruce talk about going to Hollywood, creating the band Brooklyn Dreams which provided background vocals for Donna Summer on her album I Remember Yesterday. When Bruce and Donna fell in love and married, their joined creativity grew. They co-wrote her smash hits including Starting Over Again which Dolly Parton recorded and became No. 1 on the Billboard Country Music Charts. Sudano also co-wrote Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True) that Jermaine and Michael Jackson sang on Jermaine’s album. The track was nominated at the 1985 Grammy Awards.
When Donna passed away, Sudano was grief stricken. But he grew to understand that creativity exists even in the depths of sorrow. His great loss ultimately led to a period of creative growth, releasing 6 albums and many singles, and now: Talkin’ Ugly Truth, Tellin’ Pretty Lies.
Rachelle Zola is a storyteller and advocate for racial equity, known for her 40-day hunger strike in 2021, urging Congress to pass H.R. 40 to create a commission to study reparations for African Americans. Recently, she completed an 825-mile pilgrimage from Chicago to Montgomery, performing her one-woman show, LATE: A Love Story, which explores personal and collective stories about racism in America.
Delaney Norvor is a pioneering technology expert and advocate for underrepresented professionals, currently serving as the Director of Product Management at the National Apartment Association. Despite facing selective mutism due to dystonia, she excels in managing over $30 million in product assets and leading diverse teams. Passionate about mentorship, Delaney empowers marginalized and disabled individuals to navigate their careers, championing inclusivity and systemic change within the tech industry.
Yuriy Bova is Mayor of Trostyanets, a Ukrainian city just 20 miles from the Russian border that endured occupation for a month. Badly damaged in fighting with Russian forces almost two years ago, Trostyanets is one of six settlements being rebuilt in a pilot program to develop the skills and experience needed for a far broader reconstruction drive.
Avi Hoffman is a globally renowned award-winning actor, director and producer, and Co-Founder & CEO of Yiddishkayt Initiative, Inc. (YILoveJewish.org)
Technically, Arwen Lewis inhabits our blue planet, but so much about her belongs in the celestial realm. First and foremost, her earthily angelic voice (just listen and you’ll know that’s not a contradiction in terms). Then there’s her lineage: The granddaughter of Oscar-winning actress Loretta Young and Tom Lewis who created the Armed Forces Radio Network during World War II. She is the daughter of Peter Lewis, a founding member of ‘60s psychedelic cult heroes Moby Grape, she’s been part of the creative cosmos all her life. So it’s no surprise that Arwen’s new OMAD EP is called Under the Stars—or that a slice of sonic heaven is poised to enter your heart, mind and soul.
Robert LaRoche has been a musician since his teens in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He toured long and hard with The Sighs in support of their Nineties’ albums What Goes On and Different, and when their frontman elected to step out of the spotlight, he found a satisfying role, writing, recording, and performing with Patricia Vonne, whose pop-rock sound has Latin/country flavors. Ultimately, LaRoche’s own muse stirred anew and he released the aptly titled Patient Man in 2015 and its follow-up, A Thousand Shades, four years later.
George Eshleman is a veteran who inspired the upcoming film THE KEEPER which is based on his real-life experience hiking the Appalachian Trail while carrying 363 military name tapes from military members who committed suicide to raise awareness.
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Janet Rutkowski is a Brooklyn-based artist with a studio in Barryville, NY. She’s a self-taught artist whose work spans over 35 years and primarily works in steel, although during the pandemic, she created hundreds of works on paper entitled Quarantine Compositions. Janet is also a curator and currently has a large show in celebration of Women’s History Month entitled: Behind The Mask. The Art of Women Welders. It features 29 women welders and over 50 works of powerful art, as well as one of her large scale pieces.
Gloria Feldt is Cofounder and President of Take The Lead, a nonprofit organization providing training, coaching and cohort building, inspiring role models, and thought leadership to individuals and organizations, with the mission of intersectional gender parity in leadership. Gloria is the author of 5 books and former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She is a Forbes 50 over 50, angling for 80 over 80.