5 Things / Experimentation
Listen to this episode:
I just finished my second standup comedy class for women, and our graduation show is tonight.
I’ve been pushing myself to test my material at random open mics. Most of the audience are other comics, half-listening and definitely judging. It’s awkward. It’s humbling. And it’s also really fun.
There’s something powerful about watching people say the thing they need to say, even if no one laughs. Because open mics aren’t about perfection. They’re about experimentation. They’re a space where failing is part of the process, everyone accepts that going in, and they keep showing up.
I wonder: do you have a space like that? A place where you can experiment with new things and not have to get it right the first time?
That’s where creativity lives and courage builds…and where we can also find joy and community.
On another note…My team and I normally present 20+ workshops each Pride month / June on a variety of topics, including LGBTQ/Trans 101s, history, and professional development. It’s awfully quiet this year.
How can I, or my team, help you this year?
This Week’s Good Vibes:
Harvard Slashes Tuition For Lower-Income Families
Harvard has eliminated tuition for families earning under $200K, ensuring students from lower- and middle-income backgrounds can afford the school. Families earning under $100K will have all costs, including housing and food, covered. This is great, but remember public universities—where most students attend—struggle with soaring costs and funding cuts. ♐More students will access top-tier education, but broader affordability issues persist across higher ed.
Trans Referee Debuts in Soccer
Sapir Berman’s historic debut as the first out trans woman to officiate an international soccer match proves trans people belong in sports. With full backing from Israel’s FA, she’s breaking barriers in a sport still struggling to get this right. This visibility is especially important because trans athletes increasingly face exclusion from states and sports governing bodies. ♐Representation is progress, but true inclusion means defending trans athletes’ right to play—not just officiate.
Women Build More Than Just Skylines
As Indianapolis erects its fourth-tallest building (a massive convention center and hotel ballroom), women are changing the face of construction. Women are not only on scaffolding and laying tile; but are also running the logistics, managing contracts, and leading companies critical to the build. This isn’t a symbolic project; it’s a major urban development, and women are involved at every level, not just tokenized for PR. Despite the industry being only 10% women, their presence is growing, challenging outdated norms in a male-dominated field. ♐As more women enter skilled trades and leadership, the industry’s stability and diversity strengthen, proving that talent, not gender, builds the future.
A Scientific Game-Changer in Women’s Soccer
For decades, women’s soccer has been treated like a men’s game with different players—but emerging research proves menstrual cycles impact training, performance, and injury risk in ways sports science has long ignored. Elite teams like Chelsea FC Women, Manchester City, Arsenal, and the England Lionesses are already taking a data-driven approach by syncing training with players’ cycles using tools like FitrWoman. Each of the four hormonal phases impacts energy, strength, recovery, and injury risk differently, yet most sports research still centers on male physiology. ♐If teams truly want to optimize women’s sports, they must stop forcing female athletes into male-centric training models and start embracing science that works for them.
Silenced by Politics, Heard by the People
A group of talented young musicians of color won a competition to perform with the U.S. Marine Band until an executive order against diversity programs abruptly canceled the event. The move underscored the ongoing erasure of equity initiatives, but former military band members refused to let the students be silenced. Veterans from every branch joined them for an impromptu concert, proving that real patriotism values talent over exclusion. ♐Music—and justice—cannot be silenced. (h/t to Karen Catlin for the share)
Good Vibes to Go:
Don’t miss the full concert of the Equity Arc Wind Symphony on 60 Minutes—it’s a powerful, uplifting celebration of inclusion that I know you’ll love. I kept it on in the background while I worked on this.