In this episode, Kelly is joined by Civil Servant Alvin Bragg! Alvin has served as the Chief Deputy Attorney General at the New York State Attorney General’s Office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. At New York Law School, he was a visiting professor of law and the co-director of the Racial Justice Project. Alvin is currently the Manhattan District Attorney, or DA for short.

Kelly asks Alvin what growing up in Harlem was like. Alvin talks about his mom always keeping an eye out for him, and his dad being a well-known community leader. He tells us about hopping on the subway and traveling around the city, as well as growing up with some of the famous restaurants and local businesses of Harlem.

Kelly then asks Alvin about his college years and meeting his wife. Alvin tells us his version of their first date and what he wore to it. He then talks a bit about his kids and what raising kids was like for him in his position of power.

Alvin talks a bit about how he became interested in Law. He talks about a few situations he had growing up where firearms were involved. He talks about his father being involved in the community, and how he wanted to be able to give back to the community. Kelly asks him about college, and Alvin talks about going to Harvard and studying under a judge right out of Law School. He says that it was a very formative part of his life, and it helped him become the person he is today.

Kelly asks about some of the higher-profile cases that he has taken on. He asks what the pressure is like to know that the whole world is watching. Alvin talks about his grounded approach to handling those kinds of cases and how he makes sure that all of his cases get the attention they deserve.

Kelly asks the DA about his priorities for his office. Alvin talks about how he is really trying to prosecute corporate crimes. He talks about how his office helps with the affordability crisis that many New Yorkers are facing. He also talks about some of the smaller but still important petty crime that happens and ways that he's working to look at those cases more holistically.

Kelly and Alvin talk about the historic Knicks win. Alvin was born the same year that they last won, and has been waiting his entire life for this moment. The two talk about where they were that night and how magical it was to witness. They talk about how the city came together in that moment and how it set the tone for the rest of the summer.

But above all else; Alvin Bragg is a New Yorker

Manhattan DA's office information

Call: 212-335-9000

@ManhattanDA

Kelly's Social Media:

@NewYorkCityKopp

Jae's Social Media

@StudioJae170

• (00:00:00) - Intro and Welcome
• (00:00:55) - Meeting Alvin Bragg
• (00:01:38) - Growing Up in Harlem
• (00:05:05) - Safety Then vs. Now
• (00:08:19) - Parents and Upbringing
• (00:10:55) - Harlem Little League and Local Businesses
• (00:12:51) - Harlem Changes and Favorite Spots
• (00:16:47) - Trinity Tiger Mascot Story
• (00:17:32) - Early Encounters with Gun Violence and Police
• (00:21:15) - Meeting His Wife
• (00:23:23) - Family Life and Kids
• (00:25:19) - Early Legal Career
• (00:28:16) - State vs Federal Courts and DA's Role
• (00:31:29) - Priorities as DA: Gun Violence and Safety Programs
• (00:34:27) - Corporate Crime and Antitrust Task Force
• (00:36:44) - Career Length and Public Recognition
• (00:38:22) - Community Partnerships and Listening to New Yorkers
• (00:41:38) - High-Profile Cases: Trump and Others
• (00:45:08) - How to Report Crimes
• (00:45:56) - Knicks Fandom and Game 4 Comeback
• (00:54:08) - What Being a New Yorker Means
• (00:55:13) - Outro and Credits

In this episode, Kelly is joined by Dan Smith! He is a guitarist, Singer-songwriter, performer, and teacher. You've probably seen his “Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar” posters all over the city!

Kelly asks Dan where he's from. Dan talks about being from Massachusetts, where he first started taking guitar lessons, studying abroad in Paris, playing guitar as a street performer, and ultimately landing in New York to pursue acting.

Dan tells Kelly that the first time he heard the strum of a guitar, it was magical. He then asked his mom if he could learn, and she reluctantly allowed him to learn with a big caveat... No Rock and Roll!

Dan and Kelly talk a bit about the process of learning guitar: Dan can tell what kind of music each student will make based on their initial handshake. He talks about how important breathing is when you are learning how to play, and he tells Kelly that the most important thing that people need to learn is that it's ok to make mistakes.

Kelly asks Dan about the flier campaign. Dan talks about how it started and why he initially wanted to teach guitar. He then talks a bit about how it changed over the years based on the different genres of music that he was interested in teaching. And he talks about some of the parodies and spoofs that have been generated by many New Yorkers because of how diligent he was about putting up fliers.

Dan then talks about where all this has gotten him. He tells Kelly about the HP commercial that he shot in order to promote their new printer and the full-circle moment he had on set that brought him back to his days as an extra on Law and Order. He talks about his time with New York Nico, being interviewed by him during COVID, performing at his film festival opening, and even working with him on the HP commercial!

Finally, Dan plays a couple New York themed songs for us!

But above all else; Dan Smith is a New Yorker.

Dan Smith's Social Media:

@DanSmithMusicNYC

Kelly's Social Media:

@NewYorkCityKopp

Jae's Social Media

@StudioJae170

• (00:00:00) - Intro and welcoming Dan Smith
• (00:01:25) - Dan's path to New York and early teaching
• (00:02:55) - First guitar memories and childhood lessons
• (00:05:14) - Learning rock and roll despite mom's wishes
• (00:06:46) - Chord progressions and intuitive music learning
• (00:08:39) - Teaching philosophy: feeling over technique
• (00:10:12) - Breathing, vulnerability, and decades of teaching
• (00:11:58) - Reading people through handshakes and energy
• (00:12:41) - The Keegan-Michael Key handshake story
• (00:13:34) - Embracing mistakes as a teacher
• (00:16:16) - Connecting with students and Dale Carnegie wisdom
• (00:17:44) - Helping people get out of their own way
• (00:20:05) - Origins of the guitar lesson flyers
• (00:22:17) - Extra work on Law and Order and Jerry Orbach
• (00:24:57) - Evolving the flyer into a brand
• (00:26:40) - Flyer becomes internet meme and parody phenomenon
• (00:28:00) - Not being recognized despite fame
• (00:29:41) - Scale of the flyer campaign over decades
• (00:31:46) - New York Nico collaboration and mask parody
• (00:34:41) - HP commercial and Times Square billboard
• (00:37:26) - Shooting the HP ad and fruit salad full circle
• (00:39:26) - The documentary about Dan Smith's story
• (00:41:25) - Auctioning flyers for Gotham Food Pantry
• (00:43:25) - Flyers as comfort and inspiration for New Yorkers
• (00:43:38) - Dan performs I've Been Everywhere (NYC version)
• (00:46:58) - Dan performs New York Forever
• (00:50:35) - Reflections on persistence and passion
• (00:53:49) - What it means to be a New Yorker
• (00:54:55) - Closing, social media, and shoutouts

In this episode, Kelly talks with nonprofit leaders Aubry Fuller and Sofia Teplitzky! Aubrey is the Director of Women Over Dinner and leads the worldwide women’s movement: Women Are Power. She has grown the organization to gather more than 6,300 women to the dinner table in 30 countries. Aubrey has also edited and published “The Women’s Steps to Unleashing Power”. A book based on the teachings of the founder of Women Over Dinner. Sofia is the Director of Partnerships at Women Over Dinner. She partners with New York staples like Orwasher’s and Magnolia bakeries to bring their dinners to life event after event. And she is writing a book, drawn from her own life, about women's power and what becomes possible when women reclaim it.

Kelly asks Aubrey and Sofia about where they're from and how they met. Aubrey and Sofia talk about growing up in California and how strongly they believe in women's empowerment. Aubrey talks about her women's empowerment movement and how she met Sofia through it. Sofia talks about growing up in Southern California around food and how that shaped her current career.

Sofia tells Kelly about Free Food! A free restaurant they partner with in Harlem that delivers free three-course meals to the people who need them most. They talk about family karaoke nights, how they do arts and crafts, and the different days of the week that they operate. Aubrey also talks about volunteering for the restaurant and how bringing dignity to people who need it is fulfilling. Kelly absolutely loves the idea and is resolved to go see it for himself.

Kelly asks Sofia about working in fine dining. Sofia talks about her time as a hostess working at a Michelin-star restaurant where she saw herself as a director of sorts: Guiding the flow of the restaurant like an artist. She talks about how she learned from the servers how to bring that artistry to Women over Dinner.

Sofia and Aubry talk about Women over Dinner. They describe how it was founded and what its goal is. Kelly asks them about their worldwide reach, and they tell Kelly how they've talked to people around the world who set up events for their own communities. They describe the joy and fulfilment that comes from women who take on the challenge of bringing the event to their family.

Kelly then asks the women about women over dinner in correctional facilities. Aubrey and Sofia talk about how much they have loved getting to run that program. They talk about the growth that it has seen between their different visits, how the women get excited for them to come and continue to talk about it after they leave. They describe the growth that they've seen in some of the women because of the experience they've had at Women Over Dinner. And they talk about how welcome and at home they have been made to feel because of their experiences.

Finally, Sofia and Aubrey talk about the first ever Women Over Dinner Gala that they are hosting in Harlem. They talk about all of the activities and events they will be putting together, and the cause that they are raising money for.

But above all else; Sofia and Aubrey are New Yorkers.

Kelly's Social Media:

@NewYorkCityKopp

Jae's Social Media

@StudioJae170

Women Over Dinner:

https://womenoverdinner.org/

@WomenOverDinner

• (00:00:00) - Intro and Guest Welcome
• (00:01:03) - Meet Aubrey and Sophia: Women Are Power & Unconditional Freedom
• (00:02:57) - The Prison Monastery Project
• (00:04:03) - Free Food: Harlem's Dignity-Centered Restaurant
• (00:07:45) - Restoration of Dignity Across Initiatives
• (00:09:22) - Family Night and Community Vibes
• (00:10:33) - Sophia's Restaurant Background and Michelin Star Experience
• (00:13:56) - Food as Love and Passion
• (00:15:45) - Aubrey's Journey to New York
• (00:18:16) - Finding New York Identity
• (00:19:09) - How Aubrey and Sophia Met
• (00:23:08) - Origins of Women Over Dinner
• (00:25:22) - The Women Over Dinner Team and Growth
• (00:26:54) - What Happens at a Women Over Dinner Event
• (00:29:15) - Satellite Dinners and Global Expansion
• (00:32:28) - Women Over Dinner in Prisons
• (00:35:06) - Emotional Stories from Incarcerated Women
• (00:39:40) - Dignity in the Dining Experience
• (00:43:54) - Including All Parts of the Justice System
• (00:45:23) - Upcoming Gala and How to Get Involved
• (00:48:48) - Closing Thoughts: What It Means to Be a New Yorker
• (00:50:53) - Outro and Social Media Shoutouts