500 and Growing Podcast
In The 500 and Growing Podcast, the host, Jesus “Azteca 500” Sanchez, a visual artist, poet, MC, music producer, amateur boxer, and motivational speaker, has thoughtful conversations with guests who are making a unique footprint in the world. Guests will engage in a reflective dialogue on their experiences and the lessons learned as they navigated through adversities to stay true to their goals and passions.
In order to become focused on our life’s true purpose, we oftentimes have to hit rock bottom, face our fears, or navigate through challenges and emotions that may make us want to give up. This is the proverbial fork in the road moment when we have the opportunity to reflect and make decisions that can impact the rest of our lives.
These are the stories of people who are breaking through the traditional narrative to achieve their dreams. Whether it be through visual art, music, athletics, community work, etc., they will share their experiences and life lessons, which we hope will inspire and motivate the audience.
This show is created to remind us that there is hope at the other end of uncertain times and that we should not be afraid to make hard decisions, as those are often the turning points to reaching our fullest potential.
Follow 500 and Growing Podcast on Instagram with the button below.
WE ARE BACK FOR THE 3RD SEASON!!! New Episodes on every 3rd Tuesday! Don’t forget to listen/ watch podcasts episodes from the 1st and 2nd season.
Season 3
Season 3 Episode 3 Joe Abboreno
Joe’s artwork creates an experience where bright colors and simplified imagery engage the viewer’s ideas and fantasies. These informal and empowering creations are designed to bring a spark of joy to the viewer’s life. He creates things for the fun of it.
Some of the fun things he creates are black and white fantasy illustrations that evoke the style of the old school renaissance, being heavily influenced by the art of the Dungeons and Dragons red box basic set as well as the art in the first Monster Manual. Since January of 2022 he has been doing black and white spot illustration work for Goodman Games. His work has appeared in many current releases including; The May 2022 Gazette, DCC Holiday #11 Came the Monster of Midwinter, Empire of the East #1 The Hunt for the Howling God, DCC Classics Horror #8 Night of the Bog Beast, and MCC #14 Mayhem on the Magtrain. He has also done illustration work for Forbidden Games Inc. and Paradigm Concepts, Inc. and has had his artwork featured in several Adventure League modules including the 2018 Ennie Award winning module “End of the Line.”
Joe has also had the amazing opportunity to paint some of the large murals around Oak Park, Illinois. He has painted four mini murals as part of the mini mural program, including the Val’s Halla (Val Camiletti memorial) mural near the corner of South Boulevard and Oak Park Ave. He’s painted two larger murals as well, the children’s playzone mural inside the community recreation center and most recently the front of Wonder Works titled “Dream Bigger, Work Wonders.”
Joe believes that if we give people a reason to smile, we might just get to smile too and if more of us are able to smile early and smile often, we can create a world in which we lift each other up and do amazing things.
Season 3 Episode 2 Dominique “D-Nick” Stockman
D-Nick The Microphone Misfit artist, writer & educator & counselor from Chicago by way of Flint MI. from The Microphone Misfitz The Microphone Misfitz are an international Hip-Hop & Comic book creators group that has released 6 comic books combined with albums. Two solo albums and 2 EPs.
Based in Chicago, The Microphone Misfitz is more than a band or crew, creating music. They use the pillars of Hip-Hop (turntablism/DJing; MCing; breakin &; graffiti/street art; knowledge & overstanding) and their shared dynamics to enlighten and sustain their audiences and themselves.
Kin Solo, DFEX, and Jet Nam (Jet9) are the choreography & amp; movement artists; Ray of Light is the high-octane hype-man & amp; MC; Mel L. is the Graff artist, vocalist, & road DJ; DJ Mar & Mike Knobel (aemka) are the production team; and D-Nick The Microphone Misfit is the lead MC, lyricist & artistic director of the group.
The Microphone Misfitz have toured worldwide from grassroots gatherings to South By Southwest; from Algeria to China and elsewhere; D-Nick & his group have been Sharing stages with luminaries such as Crucial Conflict, Dead Prez, KRS-ONE, Jeru tha Damaja, Saul Williams, Mega Ran and more. In 2018 The Microphone Misfitz became the first Hip-Hop group allowed to Tour China since the country BANNED HIP-HOP. www.themicrophonemisfitz.com
Season 3 Episode 1 Turi Ryder
Turi Ryder is the author of “She Said What? (A Life on the Air)”, and hosts the “Turi Ryder’s She Said What?” podcast. You can find that at your favorite podcast spot.
She’s also a current talk radio and former music radio personality known to audiences in Chicago (WGN, WLS AM & FM) San Francisco (KFRC, K101, “Free FM”) Los Angeles (KFI, KissFM), Minneapolis (KSTP), Seattle (KIRO), and Portland (KGW).
These days you can hear Turi on Chicago’s Progressive Talk station, WCPT, where she is the token mainstream Democrat, willing to say unpopular things, if she thinks they are true and useful.
She lives in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Learn more about Turi here: www.turiryder.com or here www.shesaidwhat.net
Season 2
Season 2 Episode 10 Emily “Emi Be Like” Brito Anguiano
"emi be like" is the solo musical project of Mexican-American artist Emi Brito Anguiano. Emi grew up in a family with a lot of musical influence, since her father and grandfather were musicians in Mexico and they transmitted their love of music to her.
In 2021, she debuted her first pop single, "Go On Home," alongside her producer Dis Chico, a Chicago native with Ecuadorian roots, which was featured on Chicago's "Vocalo" radio show and Lumpen Radio. She has been invited to perform at festivals such as Ruido Fest, Taste of Chicago and Pilsen fest, but has also gained international attention by performing at the Cervantino festival in Guanajuato, as well as gaining airwaves on the radio station "Reactor fm" based out of Mexico City.
Now, Emi's focus is expanding her songwriting skills from synthpop and rock to incorporate her roots with her new cumbia song, "Llevame Contigo", which was inspired during a 3-month stay in Mexico when she witnessed love of the cumbia dance community.
Season 2 Episode 9 Kirk Spencer
Kirk Spencer is an artist and music producer from Nottingham. He melds elements of dance, alt-pop and eastern exotica into his music.
With playlist cover support on Spotify's Fresh Finds, his audience is continuing to grow. Recognized by Wonderland Magazine,Noisey, The Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 1, Dazed and Confused, Fader, 6Music, Dummy, and Fake DIY. And playlisted on Spotify's New Music Friday, Plant Rave Friday, Noize, Planet Rave, Fresh Finds Basement and the Ministry of Sound.
Kirk produces for one of India’s most respected composers ‘Ilaiyaraaja’ for tracks in new movies. 2022 also birthed the official Kirk Spencer ‘Ilaiyaraaja Reimagined’ album gaining fans in India and getting placed on an Apple Advert
He has also officially remixed for Bipolar Sunshine, Crystal Fighters, Lana Del Rey and Benin City, which caught the attention of Jay Z's ‘Life and Times’ blog. Hollywood movie ‘The Wave’ directed by Gille Klabin features seven of his songs, also the trailer he composed for the film amassed over one million views. 2024 will see the unveiling of his new ‘4NOA’ project.
Season 2 Episode 8 Rudy Lozano Jr.
Rudy Lozano Jr. is an Executive Director in Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and is Head of The Fellowship Initiative, a national program that equips young men of color from low-income, underserved communities with the skills, experiences, and resources needed to complete high school prepared to excel in colleges and careers.
Rudy spent most of his career working in the not-for-profit sector and alternative high schools advocating for positive youth development, and community empowerment. He developed his passion for youth organizing and advocacy growing up in a home with parents that were activists in local and international social justice issues. Rudy draws upon personal experiences, growing up in a single-family home, as inspiration to serve youth and families of color from working class communities.
Rudy’s passion for change led him to run for the Illinois State Legislature in 2010 and 2012. His passion for worker’s rights, reforming Illinois education policy, redirecting more access and public resources to underserved and historically oppressed communities, and confronting corruption, nepotism and waste drove him to seek public office. While unsuccessful to obtain a seat in the legislature Rudy was able to ignite a movement within Chicago’s southwest side that led to more progressive candidates of color running for office and challenging the status quo. He continues to be civically engaged by supporting progressive candidates of color, especially women of color, through his volunteer activities.
Rudy’s vision for a better world stems from his exposure, by his parents, to political activities and involvement at an early age. This exposure led Rudy to attending conferences around the world, organizing in his neighborhood, sitting on local school councils, participating in numerous leadership opportunities, and developing an understanding that the world is inter-connected and that all people deserve fundamental human rights and dignity.
Season 2 Episode 7 Mike “Mikey O Oquendo
Mike Oquendo is a Chicago born and raised, proud Puerto Rican with a great love for his city and its people. Mike passionately produces Comedy, Theater and Music events both in Chicago and across the country. In his early career, he served on the Board for the National Academy of the Recording Arts & Sciences which created the very first Latin Grammy Awards, and has been a concept contributor for HBO Latino, MSNBC and WGN. His Comedians for Communities fundraisers net thousands of dollars for Chicagoland not-for-profit organizations yearly and his theater productions have been staged in Florida, New York, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Mike’s public speaking and professional emcee credits include the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation, the International Latino Cultural Center, the Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Chicago, and the Illinois Institute of Technology to name a few.
His 2019 Off-Broadway production of "Made in Puerto Rico" sold out for seven straight weeks in New York City, and he was the only Latino from Chicago to ever produce a sold out run at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. His recent taping of the John Leguizamo special filmed in Humboldt Park aired on MSNBC in 2023. Mike's 2nd Off-Broadway production at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater ran for 5 weeks this past fall.
Season 2 Episode 6 Dorian A. Ortega
Dorian A Ortega is a brown Boricua from Chicago. F.L.Y. Radical Therapy invites holistic healing practices that center BIPOC (Biracial, indigenous and people of color) and LGBTQ2SI+ individuals and loving yourself through collective social conscious liberation awareness, healing for yourself, with each other, and helping others to witness freedom. F.L.Y. Radical Therapy is inspired by my inner wisdom, ancestral knowledge and named liberation, womanist and multicultural psychology.
Dorian is also co-founder of Healing Jodonas (Puerto Rican word pronounced 'hoh-dohn-x', meaning 'agitator') Healing Jodonxs organizes a series of free poetry healing circle and other event that seek to use art as a culturally relevant, accessible, and inclusive tool of expression, education, and resistance. Dorian is a space holder, practice nurturer, public speaker and has presented on radical wellness for all ages. The workshops and presentations include education, history, a practice skill, and is meant to be accessible for folks to continue to integrate within their circles.
Season 2 Episode 5 Kerrie Anne Grace
Kerrie is more than a seasoned performer, educator, and choreographer; she's a creative powerhouse with a lifetime of experience infusing art with heart. She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts along with a lifelong commitment to learning. Kerrie founded Forevermore Dance & Theatre Arts—a vibrant hub celebrating 20 years of empowering individuals through the arts. At Forevermore, Where "Art has Heart" isn't just a tagline but a teaching philosophy, Kerrie passionately mentors her dream team, children and teens, cultivating leadership skills and leaving a lasting legacy of inspiration.
Beyond her studio, Kerrie is a proud member of More Than Just Great Dancing, advocating for the profound impact of arts education on young lives. Her career includes 24 years of studio ownership, national touring and teaching residencies, captivating audiences, and conducting workshops that ignite creativity in diverse communities.
Kerrie's journey spans the full spectrum of theatrical artistry—from glittering stages to intimate productions. She's graced these spaces as a dancer, actress, and versatile production professional, seamlessly blending performance with behind-the-scenes in many facets including: lighting design, stage management, directing, and producing.
Offstage, Kerrie finds joy in the everyday adventure of motherhood to two incredible teens, accompanied by a lively entourage of two cats and an awesome shepherd/husky mix. She unwinds with yoga, immerses herself in nature, captures moments through writing and photography, and relishes quality time filled with laughter and shared learning among like-minded friends.
Through her extensive work teaching children, adults, and underserved communities—including underprivileged youth and inmates—Kerrie remains a tireless advocate for the arts as a potent vehicle for empowerment and social change. The arts have a remarkable ability to bring people together, fostering connection and understanding. By creating spaces where individuals feel seen, heard, and valued, the arts have the power to transform lives and change the world.
Season 2 Episode 4 Gwen La Roka
Gwen La Roka is without a doubt a rising star of stand-up. She hit the comedy scene with an explosive energy that quickly won the hearts of her audiences and led to performances at world famous comedy clubs such as The Laugh Factory, Zanies, and The Improv.
Her honest comedic approach, meshed with her physical humor, has crowds from all ages & backgrounds laughing at life, together. Gwen has worked with some of today’s funniest comedians like Gina Yashere, Felipe Esparza, Aida Rodriguez, & Finesse Mitchell, as well as legendary Paul Rodriguez & George Wallace.
Gwen’s unique voice also recently landed her a role for an animated Viva Films movie “Around the World in 80 Days”. After having fun with that, she went on to create, write and direct her own one woman show titled Mi Casa Es Tu Casa, which sold out the entire 13-show run debut in Chicago in 2022. By popular demand, she brought her show back in 2023 and was so well received by the public and theater world alike, that not only was the play Jeff Recommended, but she was also nominated for her performance in a short run by The Jeff Awards!
Winner of the ’21 NY Latino Film Festival Latino Stand Up Comedy Competition, she is now the first Latina from Chicago to make her comedy special debut on HBO Max. Catch her now on "Entre Nos: The Winners 3" and keep your eyes peeled for when she headlines a club near you. Gwen is most definitely one to look out for.
Season 2 Episode 3 Eric “Epik One” Oropeza
Epik1's journey began in Chicago's Ukraine Village, where the vibrant hip-hop culture sparked their passion amidst the neighborhood's challenges. Immersed in graffiti and DJing from a young age, they found solace and expression through art and music. Freestyling became their voice, propelling them into Chicago's rap scene, where battles and performances solidified their identity. Collaborating with influential artists and producers, especially with Underpaid Productions, led to critically acclaimed albums and innovative music videos. Throughout their career, Epik1 remained dedicated to preserving underground hip-hop's essence, even amidst the pandemic, releasing projects that garnered widespread acclaim. Their resilience and creativity inspire fans and fellow artists, as they continue to push the boundaries of hip-hop with authenticity and passion.
Season 2 Episode 2 Prexy Nesbitt
Born on Chicago’s West Side, Prexy Nesbitt has spent more than five decades as an educator, activist, and speaker on Africa, foreign policy, and racism. Over the course of his career, Prexy has made more than one hundred trips to Africa, including trips taken in secret to apartheid-torn South Africa. Prexy’s career has also included extensive consulting and training on class, race, multiculturalism and diversity. An experienced teacher and lecturer at both high school and university levels, he has also worked as a “red cap,” social worker, union organizer, was a part of the special detail that guarded Dr. Martin Luther King while marching in Chicago, special assistant to Chicago’s Mayor, the late Harold Washington, and a senior program officer with the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago.
Season 2 Episode 1 Jennifer Asidao-Querubin
"Founder and CEO of Reach Your Highest Potential, Jennifer Asidao-Querubin is a mindset and manifestation coach for up-and-coming leaders. Jennifer is second generation Filipina American, has a social justice, healthcare professional, and an artistic background. She has often said, in hindsight, the array of experiences in her life has prepared her for what she does now - creating change in the world one person at a time by guiding and training clients how to consciously create what they want in life and in society through internal transformational work.
Jennifer Asidao-Querubin specializes in reprogramming subconscious limiting belief systems through a process called Energetics, healing of past traumas, in depth Identity work, and cultivating superconscious thinking. She has been trained and certified by world renowned teacher, speaker and author on the topic of human development and potential, Bob Proctor. Jennifer went on to become one of Mr. Proctor's Inner Circle consultants. This is a group of less than 200 people around the world that have achieved that goal. Since then, she has gone on to learn other healing and transformational modalities. She is a certified manifestation coach and resides just outside of Chicago, IL with her husband, Michael Querubin."
LISTEN TO ARCHIVED EPISODES NOW!
Season 1
Episode 1 Tyson “Newlife” Sanchez
Tyson “New Life” Sanchez is a DJ whose world travels inspired the creation of the FEX Party (Foreign Exchange) founded in 2009, a party that was dedicated to exposing his hometown of Chicago to different cultural flavors in the nightlife scene and solidifying it as an international destination for music. With a hip hop and house DJ background and mix aesthetic, NewLife honors and upholds this legacy in a unique fashion.
Episode 2 Armando Pérez
Founder of ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat and Sound Events Chicago, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and producer Armando Pérez began his journey of live music performance in his hometown of Chicago IL. Blending his cultural roots with personal life experiences from growing up in the Windy City, his fusion of genres and energy can be interpreted by all ages and backgrounds. With a long history of national and international touring, he continues to perform for open minded audiences everywhere.
Episode 3 Rahmaan STATIK
Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, surrounded by urban art and public murals, Rahmaan Statik became inspired to be involved with the subculture of Street Art. A consequent arrest for “vandalism” put him on a mission to legitimize the production of aerosol murals. This became the main focus of my work: public murals that fuse the graffiti aesthetic with a classical training received from the American Academy of Art. As co-founder of R.K Design, a graphic arts and mural collective, Statik has produced over 600 murals.
Episode 4 Jessie Santiago
Born in Montreal, Canada but grew up between the suburbs and Chicago. Jessie Santiago is a media content creator promoting the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) on his Youtube Channel FMA Pulse. He achieved his Guro title in 2 different FMA systems, Defensor Method of Filipino Martial Arts and Taboada Balintawak. Jessie continues to be an avid practitioner as well, traveling and learning different systems. His goal is to promote and bring awareness to the Filipino martial arts on a global scale through the lens of a documentarian approach. Jessie teaches in Chicago and seminars outside of Chicago. Outside of martial arts he's a freelance video content producer and foodie.
Episode 5 Oscar “The Shank” Jurado Sánchez
Born in 1997 in Chicago Illinois. His parents decided to move to Cuernavaca Morelos in Mexico when He was five years old, where a year later, his mother registered him in Tae Kwon Do classes. After three years he won his first competition and it made him realize that martial arts were what he wanted to dedicate himself to. When he was 14 years old he decided to give martial arts another chance and started Kick Boxing with professor Juan Guzman may he Rest In Peace at the Kamehameha School. After his first tournament, his passion for martial arts kept growing so he started practicing boxing in a small hometown gym called “lobox”. He moved back to Chicago to follow his dream of becoming a professional UFC fighter. He was lucky to find a gym that was close to where he was living. The gym “Intercept MMA” where he started his amateur MMA career. On August 14, 2022 he had his professional debut and won by TKO in the first round. This was a very important fight to him because it was a big step closer to fulfilling his dream.
Episode 6 Jessica Juarez
Jessica Johana Juarez Garcia is an experienced professional with a passion for helping youth, schools, and communities through her work as a counselor, artist, and community leader. She has been working in direct service roles since 2001 and is committed to using transformative and healing practices to support individuals and groups.
In addition to her work with The Venus Collective, Jessica is also the founder of Kindred, LLC, and Co-founder of The Praxis Institute. In her current role as a part-time private practice counselor with F.L.Y Radical Therapy, a Field Supervisor, and coach, she continues to facilitate various workshops that align with an eclectic approach. She draws from multiple modalities such as holistic practices, arts, identity and culture, social-emotional learning, transformative rituals, and liberation psychology, to create a truly holistic and empowering experience for her clients.
Through her work, Jessica has always been committed to multicultural collaborations and providing culturally responsive support. Her approach is grounded in honoring and celebrating multiple identities, cultural values, and beliefs through the integration of arts and healing. She believes that healing is a collective process and that everyone can play a role in it.
Episode 7 Rafael “Scheme” Navarro
Rafael Navarro Jr. is the proud founder of Beats and Bars. He is a Mexican-American first generation college graduate, as well as a Hip-Hop artist from Chicago, IL. With background experience in both behavioral therapy with children in a group setting, as well as one-on-one with teens at Chicago Public Schools, in combination with his years of experience as an artist, he has created a program he strongly believe in.
His passion for music and working with youth were always two separate worlds, It wasn't until one of the students came across his music online at the school he was working with at the time. This then led to a group of students suggesting he start an after-school music program, which is where Beats & Bars originated. He finally found the place to have my separate worlds come together. He came to realize the value there is in a skill set he taught to himself as a teen and he want nothing more than for the youth in our city to realize how valuable they are to themselves and their community. He want to give our youth options. “There isn't one correct path to take, but it's our responsibility to help them find the path that works best for them.” He looked forward to the day where Beats and Bars spaces exists throughout our communities and it provides the necessary resources for our teens to realize the options that exist.
Episode 8 Amisha Patel
Amisha Patel has almost 30 years of experience organizing for economic, racial, and gender justice. For 15 years, she served as Executive Director of Grassroots Collaborative in Illinois, which innovated community and labor strategic coalition campaigns that built the foundation for many movement victories, including progressive revenue solutions, subsidy reform, raising the minimum wage, and more.
Amisha first began organizing at the age of 19 against a toxic waste facility in East Palo Alto, CA. She spent years leading arts-based violence against women prevention programming with youth of color in the Bay Area. The documentary that her youth created, Young Azns Rising! Breaking Down Violence Against Women, screened in film festivals nationwide and won the Asian Emmy for best documentary. Amisha has received numerous recognitions, including Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40 award, and her op-eds have appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business, Bill Moyers, In These Times, and the Chicago Sun Times.
Episode 9 Luis “Logan Lu” Tubens
Luis Tubens a.k.a. “Logan Lu” is a Chicago born Puerto Rican poet who has performed poetry across the United States. He has toured Mexico City in 2016 and 2018 and featured in Puerto Rico at “Poets Passage” (2019). He represented Chicago in the 2014 and 2018 National Poetry Slam. He is the author of Stone Eagle (2017) published by Bobbin Lace Press, Chicago. Luis is the resident poet for ESSO Funk (2016 Best New Band and Best International Music Act, Chicago Reader). Currently he is touring his latest theatrical production “Raíces to Roots”. He also owns, Pilsen Mural Tours, and he gives tours of the incredible murals/artwork that cover many walls in Chicago’s neighborhood Pilsen.
Episode 10 Season 1 Roundtable Finale
The 500 and Growing Podcast had an incredible first season filled with inspirational stories. Each guest shared insights on their craft, challenges, and how they stay inspired in order to keep creating and thriving.
In the Season 1 Finale, we invited all the previous guests to come together in a round table and have a dialogue about their creative process and how they relate to one another's stories. The guests that participated were: Tyson "Newlife" Sanchez, Episode 1, Armando Perez, Episode 2, Jessie Santiago, Episode 4, and Rafael "Scheme" Navarro Jr., Episode 7 of our first season.
The Conversation is focused on how we get past creative blocks, and it is incredibly powerful and inspiring. Each guest drops jewels that are universal and can be applied to the listener's experiences.
We hope you have enjoyed Season 1, and we look forward to sharing the new Season 2 guest interviews that will be just as inspiring. We will be off for a couple of months, but follow the 500 and Growing Podcast so you can know when we begin Season 2. You can also follow @500andgrowingpodcast on Instagram for snippets of the new season and 500andgrowing.com for more creative content.
Thank you so much for listening!
Make sure to listen to each round table guest’s episode to hear their inspirational story.
Episode 1 Tyson “Newlife” Sanchez
Episode 2 Armando Perez
Episode 5 Jessie Santiago
Episode 7 Rafael “Scheme” Navarro