Social Chats: Shaping Minds & Brands
Dive into the world where education meets innovation, and leadership intertwines with personal branding. "Social Chats: Shaping Minds & Brands" is your go-to podcast for inspiring conversations with trailblazers who are redefining success in the digital age.
Episodes
On this episode of Social Chats, we chat with Andy Ragano, a school communications professional, small business owner, and community advocate, currently wrapping up her fifth year working in school public relations. She is the founder and CEO of Ragano Photo & Video, a communications and multimedia company celebrating its one-year anniversary in February. Through her work, Andy partners with school districts...
On this episode of Social Chats, we're joined by someone who traded the baseball diamond for the boardroom and brings that same competitive fire to everything he does. Meet Mike "HOF" Hofius, a sales representative with California Fuels and Lubricants, a Shell Lubricants distributor serving California and Nevada.
Before making his mark in the energy sector, Mike built his competitive foundation on ...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Amy Mathews-Perez, Texas-born & raised. Amy has recently retired after 34 years in public education, during which she served as a General Education Teacher, Speech-Language Pathologist, Diagnostician, SPED Supervisor, Principal, Assistant Principal, and Director of Special Education. While her journey of public-school service has come to an end, she n...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with a dedicated educator from the Coachella Valley who has spent over a decade transforming classrooms and supporting teachers. She also happens to be one of my closest friends. Meet Dr. Laura Castro, who comes from a family of educators and began her teaching career in 2012.
Currently, Dr. Castro teaches middle school students in Southern California. In Dr. C...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Dr. Amanda Austin, who is currently serving Iberville Parish as the Director of the Iberville Math, Science, and Arts Academy East in St. Gabriel. MSA Academy East is the magnet program of East Iberville High School. With 15 years of experience, her extensive knowledge of STEAM academic and extracurricular programming in elementary, middle, and high schoo...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Rosalba Rodriguez, an educational leader with over 20 years of experience spanning roles as a bilingual instructional assistant, classroom teacher, site administrator, and now program designer in higher education. A proud first-generation college graduate, she currently serves as Administrator of the Bilingual Authorization Program at the Riverside County...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Víctor Cisneros, Coordinator of English Learners for Riverside Unified School District. Víctor brings over 20 years of educational leadership, having served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal at Ramona High School for eight years before moving to his current district role.
His dedication to students has earned him multiple recognitions, inclu...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Mayra Anguiano, a Certified Child Life Specialist at a local hospital with a passion for supporting children and families. Currently completing her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, she is transitioning from healthcare to classroom education, bringing her expertise in child development and family dynamics to her second career.
As a mother of two and a B...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Vanessa Paula, a 1st generation Latina striving to change the narrative from her own story from surviving to thriving, breaking the cycle one day at a time.
South Bronx-bred and New York City Housing Authority-raised, she considers herself to be a Latina rose that grew from the concrete. She started out as yet another "statistic" from the South Br...
On this episode of Social Chats, I speak with Dr. Marisa Rivas, an innovative educational leader with over two decades of experience spanning classroom instruction, school administration, and district-level leadership. Currently serving as an Instructional Services Specialist in Research, Assessment & Evaluation at Riverside Unified School District, Marisa specializes in integrating data tools to create cohe...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Jerry Frutos, a dedicated public servant and community leader whose career spans education governance, financial services, and social support systems. Currently serving as a School Board Member for the Buena Park School District, Jerry brings seven years of educational leadership experience, including time as School Board President, where he champions poli...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Dr. Alejandro Cisneros currently leads Family and Community Engagement and the implementation of the Community Schools program for the Alvord Unified School District in Riverside. He's been an elementary school principal in two districts and taught middle school mathematics and language arts. His doctoral studies centered on perceptions of Latinx fam...
On this episode of Social Chats, we will be speaking with Christina Fernandez, who brings over 15 years of experience in education, with a leadership journey shaped by personal self-healing and a deep commitment to emotional intelligence and trauma-responsive practices.
Her leadership approach fosters safe, supportive environments where both students and staff feel valued and empowered. With a focus on empathy, ...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Dr. Amy Alzina, Superintendent/Principal of Cold Spring Elementary School District in Santa Barbara. Under her leadership, this district has become one of California's top performers, with remarkable proficiency rates of 99% in English, 98% in Math, and 97% in Science. Dr. Alzina's approach integrates STEAM, arts, music, and physical education in...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Veronica Rodriguez, the Principal at Ruth O. Harris Middle School in Colton, CA. A proud product of the Colton Joint Unified School District and Bloomington Bruin graduate, Principal Rodriguez has returned to serve the very community that shaped her educational foundation.
With 22 years in education, her path has taken her from substitute teaching to specia...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Dr. Atikah Osman, a passionate and purpose-driven school leader who’s making waves in education by blending high expectations with heart. She serves in one of California’s largest urban school districts, where she’s known for championing equity, academic rigor, and culturally relevant teaching.
Dr. Osman was named ACSA Region 17 Co-Administrator of the Year...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Yolanda Valdez, a distinguished educator whose over 30 year career is marked by a passionate commitment to enhancing student education and nurturing future leaders.
With a decade of experience as Superintendent, she has demonstrated steadfast leadership, catalyzing significant academic advancements as well as facility and community development within the C...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Dr. Neil Gupta is the Superintendent of Oakwood City Schools in Ohio. He is excited to lead a high-performing district that focuses on the whole child and connects learning to relevant, real-world experiences.
Dr. Gupta has presented at the state, national, and international levels on leadership, assessments, and coaching. Neil is passionate about administr...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Rebecca Leroux, CEO and Lead Creative Strategist for B43 Productions. As the Founder of B43Productions, she leads a team specializing in high-impact video storytelling, live-stream production, and strategic messaging- ensuring every project resonates with the right audience and drives real impact. Since 2011, she has partnered with nearly 75 LEAs, working ...
On this episode of Social Chats we will be speaking with Dr. Benita Scheckel, who is a joyful, visionary and transformative educational leader with extensive experience spanning K-12 teaching, arts specialization, principalship, university-level instruction and central office administration. Having recently transitioned to the role of Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts in the Hacienda La Puente Unified Sc...
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