Rebel Girls

A quiet and shy child, Ruth was brilliant with a quick mind and a big heart. When Ruth learned about lawyers who worked to ensure people were treated fairly, she dreamed of becoming one. This story is told by philanthropist Priscilla Chan.

Celebrate Halloween with spoooky sounds for all the Rebel Ghouls! This soundscape was produced by Katie Sprenger and sound designed by Craig Billmeier. Stay Rebel⚡

What would you do if you were surrounded by wolves for six hours in the snowy wilderness? Dog musher and adventurer Blair Braverman has been there! In this episode, Blair tells us about Hari, a blind sled dog who led her team to safety through a blinding whiteout. She also explains how she stays calm when she's scared (her dogs are counting on her!), and what led her to start mushing in the first place. Plus, Blair shares her advice for inventing your own dream career: try lots of things, don't worry if some don't work out, and never be afraid to be yourself. Grab a cozy blanket and get ready for an adventure, rebels!

Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

Megalyn Echikunwoke is an actor, writer singer, and dancer. Discovered at a high school theater camp by a Hollywood manager, she got her start in the industry at 14. She has a striking presence with an undeniable talent through her range of portrayals of characters in television, film and the theater. Though she was raised by a widowed, single mother who worked as a registered nurse on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, she is of Igbo-Nigerian, German, Irish and Scandinavian descent. She is also the granddaughter of an Igbo tribal leader which technically makes her African royalty. Inspired by her many cultural influences, Megalyn believes in the power of art and storytelling to expose injustice, shift culture and heal communities.

Meet Brit Morin, the founder and CEO of Brit + Co, a modern lifestyle and education company. Brit brought us the story of princess, fashion designer and businesswoman Diane Von Furstenberg. In this interview she tells us more about the experience of being an entrepreneur and how you can get started on your OWN business adventure.

Diane Von Furstenberg is a fashion icon who made a huge impact on the way women dress today with her signature wrap dress in the 1970’s. In this episode we explore her life from her early days in Belgium and France to her becoming a real-life princess and then taking the fashion world by storm with a style and sense that is all her own.

About the Narrator

Brit Morin is the founder & CEO of Brit + Co, a modern lifestyle and education company providing classes, content, products and experiences geared towards women with a creative spirit and a do-it-herself attitude. With an engaged community of tens of millions of women per month, products distributed in mass retail stores nationwide, and millions of online class enrollments, Brit + Co is the leading destination for learning and discovery among females.

Morin is a chart-topping podcaster, hosting the show Teach Me Something New with Brit Morin in collaboration with iHeartRadio. She’s also author of the bestselling book, Homemakers: A Domestic Handbook for the Digital Generation and is a regular lifestyle expert on Good Morning America, the Today Show, Live with Kelly & Ryan, Rachael Ray and more.

As of June 2020, Brit added venture capitalist to her resume, helping to start the fund, Offline Ventures as a managing partner. She invests in early stage companies in various sectors that seek to make our offline lives better.

Brit has been awarded various accolades, including Ad Age’s 40 Under 40, Adweek’s Creative 100, Forbes 30 Under 30, Fortune’s Most Promising Entrepreneurs, Refinery29’s 30 Under 30, one of Parents magazine’s Most Influential Millennial Moms, and one of ELLE magazine’s American Women at 30.

Brit is a board member of Life360 as well as the Girl Scouts of the USA. She’s a Henry Crown Fellow and member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Prior to founding Brit + Co, she worked in product and marketing roles at Google and Apple. Her interests include tech, storytelling, design, women, photography, the great outdoors, and just about any creative project she can get her hands on.

Brit was raised in San Antonio and attended the University of Texas. She currently resides in the Bay Area with her husband and two young sons.

Pearl Thusi narrated our story about former first lady, Michelle Obama. Thusi is a South African actress, model, television host, and radio personality. She plays the title character in Queen Sono, Netflix’s first African original series.

Michelle always aimed high– and inspired others to do the same. When Michelle was a little girl living on the Southside of Chicago, her mother always told her, "If it can be done, you can do it." Actress Pearl Thusi reads her story.

Breanna Stewart just dropped a 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist playoff game and is only the FOURTH player EVER to do so. The Liberty took down the top-seeded Lynx. And that's just the beginning of the women’s sports news this week…

🏆 Olivia Miles wins Rookie of the Year with ALL 74 votes!

👋 An emotional farewell to Nneka Ogwumike, the legend who changed the WNBA on AND off the court

⚾ Mo'ne Davis is BACK 12 years after her Little League history, she's a pro baseball CHAMPION

⚽ Ashley Sanchez ties the NWSL single-season goal record & earns a USWNT call-up!

🏒 The PWHL announces its first-ever All-Star event

And MORE! Plus, a VERY special Pep Talk: Rebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe shares a powerful message about finding your path and building your dreams.

Play Rebel and Stay Rebel! ✌️

Get to know Cecile Richards, a national leader for women’s right and social and economic justice in this Rebel Girls Interview. Cecile brought us the story of Samantha Power who served as the U.S Ambassador to the United Nations. Here, Cecile tells us about the rebel women who inspired her growing up and why you should never wait to be asked! [This episode originally aired October 2020.]

Once upon a time, there was a girl who told powerful stories, and helped solve world problems. Her name is Samantha Power. Samantha was born in Ireland and moved to the United States with her mom and brother when she was 9 years old. She was always interested in telling stories and explaining how the world worked so she became a journalist, first in sports and later as a war correspondent. But world events pushed her into a life of service to her adopted country. Samantha worked for President Barack Obama and eventually served as the U.S Ambassador to the United Nations.

About the Narrator

Cecile Richards is a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice, and a co-founder of Supermajority, a new organization fighting for gender equity. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Make Trouble. As President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund for 12 years, Richards worked to increase affordable access to reproductive health care and to build a healthier and safer world for women and young people. [This episode originally aired October 2020.]

Credits

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and Boom Integrated, a division of John Marshall Media. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Our Executive Producers are Jes Wolfe and Katie Sprenger. This season was produced by John Marshall Cheary, Sarah Storm, and Robin Lai. Corinne Peterson is our Production Manager. This episode was written by Alexis Stratton and edited by Maithy Vu. Proofread by Ariana Rosas. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi who has also sound designed this episode. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer.

Kelsey Mitchell is the new single-season scoring leader, Angel Reese hit 500 rebounds — a league FIRST — and that's only the beginning!

This week on the Weekly Sports Show, Pepper's got the scoop on:

🏀 Records everywhere: A'ja Wilson, Olivia Miles, Paige Bueckers & Rhyne Howard all made history 🎟️ The Valkyries sold out 44 STRAIGHT games and the WNBA just passed 3.4 MILLION fans this season! 🗽 Lisa Leslie's statue "The First Lady" unveiled — capturing the first dunk in WNBA history 🏄‍♀️ 19-year-old Erin Brooks won her THIRD straight surf title — the first to do it in one season since 2008!

Plus, Gotham FC updates, a new speedsuit on the track, and team USA flag football star Ashlea Klam shares her advice on finding your place and staying true to your passions in this week's Pep Talk 💬

Play Rebel and Stay Rebel! ✌️

Meet Maya2960, a social media activist and political commentator, brought us the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Listen in as Maya shares the ups and downs of using her voice to influence social and political change. [This episode originally aired September 2021.]

Born in New York City in 1924, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, and in 1972, she became the first Black woman from a major political party to run for President. As an outspoken politician, educator, and activist, Chisholm fought for gender and racial equality, better wages for workers, and a more equal and just world. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, who echoed the words Chisholm herself said she wanted to be remembered by: “Shirley Chisholm had guts.” [This episode originally aired September 2021.]

About the Narrator

Maya is a recent college graduate who began her Tiktok career during the quarantine lockdown in spring of 2020. As Maya started exploring more ways Tiktok could be used as a means of political change, she began writing witty raps about the former president, which eventually became the “Trump Freestyle” series. As her platform grew, she began making funny educational videos explaining a range of political topics from freedom of speech to how the impeachment process works. She has used her platform to encourage viewers to engage in politics not only through voting, but also by registering as poll workers, contacting their representatives, and even participating in civil disobedience movements like reserving tickets to Trump's June 2020 Tulsa rally. Maya has also received national press coverage this year surrounding her work feeding those in need around St. Louis using her unused university meal plan. In her free time Maya loves writing music and playing tennis.

Credits

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and is based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Camille Stennis. Sound design and mixing by Camille Stennis. This episode was written by Alexis Stratton and fact checked by Joe Rhatigan. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. Haley Dapkus is our Production Manager. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. A big thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this show possible! For more, visit rebelgirls.com. And if you like what you heard, don’t forget to rate and review this episode, and share it with your friends! Until next time, stay REBEL!

BREANNA STEWART JUST. KEEPS. WINNING.

Four World Cup golds. Three WNBA titles. Three Olympic golds. And she's NEVER lost a game in the NCAA tournament, Olympics, or World Cup?! And that's just the beginning...

🎾 Elena Rybakina wins her first US Open title AND takes the No. 1 ranking!

🏀 Jackie Young is the ONLY player ever to win at every level — high school, NCAA, WNBA, World Cup AND two kinds of Olympic gold

👗 Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee & the Williams sisters take over New York Fashion Week!

Plus, dogsledder and adventurer Blair Braverman shares how she stays true to herself in stressful moments in this week's Pep Talk.

Catch new episodes every Friday as we bring you all of the news in Women’s Sports.

Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

This season, we invited our credit readers to interview our storytellers. Today, you'll hear from Justina Machado who narrated the previous episode about Celia Cruz. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, now is a good time to go back and check it out! Machado reveals the way she cultivated her personal style as well as how she finds hope in the current political climate. [This episode originally aired June 2019.]

About Machado:

A talented and versatile actress, Justina Machado continues to endear audiences and earn critical acclaim with each new role. Machado can currently be seen starring as the lead in Netflix’s highly-reviewed reimagining of Norman Lear’s ONE DAY AT A TIME opposite Rita Moreno. The series follows three generations of a Cuban-American family living under one roof. Machado stars as Penelope, a newly-single war veteran, raising her two children with the help of her mother (Moreno). Machado appeared opposite Gina Rodriguez in the fourth season of the CW comedy series, JANE THE VIRGIN, and voiced the character Carmen in Disney’s animated series, ELENA OF AVALOR. Machado is perhaps most well known for her role as “Vanessa Diaz” in HBO’s SIX FEET UNDER, which ended its five-season run in 2005 with an impressive accumulation of award nominations and wins including a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. On the big screen, Machado has been seen in THE PURGE: ANARCHY, which was released by Universal in 2014. Additional film credits include THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND opposite Uma Thurman, Bernard Tevenier’s IN THE ELECTRIC MIST opposite Tommy Lee Jones, and the independent film PEDRO, which debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Her television credits include QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, GREY’S ANATOMY, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, PRIVATE PRACTICE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, DEVIOUS MAIDS, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, THE FOSTERS, and MURDER POLICE. On the stage, Machado made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, as well as the world premiere production of A FREE MAN OF COLOR directed by George Wolfe at the Lincoln Center Theater. Machado also starred opposite Marc Feuerstein in Neil Labutte’s SOME GIRLS at the Geffen Theater.

Born and raised in Chicago as the eldest of five children in a family of Puerto Rican descent, Machado started acting upon graduating from high school. Her stellar performances on stage at the Latino Chicago Theater paved the way for her now burgeoning career.

Credits:

This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is produced by Elena Favilli, Joy Fowlkes, and Meg Murnane. Sound design and original theme music by Elettra Bargiacchi. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer. Special thanks to Clio McClure for coordinating our credit readers and interviewers.

Once upon a time, a girl learned to sing before she could talk. Her name was Celia. She began singing to her siblings and cousins at bedtime, but a voice like that needed to be shared. Everywhere she went, she sang. She sang when she was in pain and she sang when she felt incredible joy—shouting an exuberant “¡Azúcar!” to her adoring fans. In glittering gowns and extravagant, ruffled ensembles, Celia filled the airwaves with her unique sound. Her talent earned her the name “The Queen of Salsa” as she spread Cuban music throughout the world. [This episode originally launched August 2020.]

About the Narrator:

Justina Machado is a talented and versatile actress, known for her roles across TV and Broadway.

Credits:

This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is produced by Elena Favilli, Joy Fowlkes, and Meg Murnane, with writing by Tori Telfer and narration by Justina Machado. Jestine Ware edited all scripts and Janice Weaver fact-checked all scripts. Sound design and original theme music by Elettra Bargiacchi. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer. Special thanks to Clio McClure who coordinated all credit recordings and narrator donations.

Jordan Chiles announces her LA 2028 comeback with Michael Jordan, USA Basketball's win streak hits 33, tennis star Alex Eala shines, NWSL history is made, US Open fashion, and a pep talk from bikepacker Tegan Phillips. Play Rebel, Stay Rebel!

She traded in one career for a rolling pin and never looked back. Meet Hetal Vasavada, cookbook author and the creative force behind Milk & Cardamom. In this episode of Get to Know a Rebel, we sit down with Hetal for real talk about baking disasters, finding your path, and what it actually takes to build a career doing what you love.

In this episode:

🍪 Hetal's #1 tip for fixing cookie fails (hint: it involves a kitchen scale!)

⚖️ Why baking is really just science in disguise

🌶️ Her advice for any girl who dreams of becoming a chef

Hetal is featured in the new Rebel Girls cookbook, Family Favorites. Be sure to get the book and give her recipe a try!

Stay Rebel ⚡

Once, there was a girl who put a man on the Moon. Her name was Margaret Hamilton. When she was young, girls didn't study computers. But Margaret was curious about space, and she was smart. Really smart. She never thought twice about being the only woman in the room. With her cool-headedness and brilliant programming skills, she was able to avert disaster and maneuver the first successful American moon landing, Apollo 11. [This episode originally launched March 2018.]

Poorna Jagannathan is an actress and the producer of "Nirbhaya" ('Fearless'), the critically-acclaimed play written and directed by Yael Farber. Based on real-life events, the play breaks the silence around sexual violence and was called by The Telegraph as one of the "most powerful pieces of theater you’ll ever see.”

Jagannathan gained international recognition for her portrayal of a journalist in the 2011 Bollywood film "Delhi Belly" and has appeared as series regular on HBO's "The Night Of" and Netflix's "Gypsy." She is currently a member of the ensemble cast of HBO's "Room 104," created by the Duplass brothers.

This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is produced by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, with writing and operation support by Darby Maloney and Elyssa Dudley. Sound Design and Original Theme Music by Elettra Bargiacchi.