Meet Miami’s first Black millionaire — Dana Albert Dorsey, a real estate magnate, philanthropist, Miami’s most famous early Black resident, and a Baha’i.

Dorsey, a sharecropper’s son, was born in 1872 in Quitman, Fulton County, Georgia, as the first child in his family to be born free — not born into slavery. He had only a fourth-grade formal education, and afterward went on to become a self-made man, a generous and celebrated philanthropist, and a follower of the Baha’i Faith. Therein lies an amazing tale.

As a young man, Dorsey moved to Miami in 1897. A carpenter by trade, he worked for the Florida First East Coast Railroad Company, owned by Henry Morrison Flagler. During this time, he realized that there was a need to provide housing for Black workers — so Dorsey began to invest in real estate.

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By custom and Jim Crow-era law, Black people were not allowed to own or rent residences or commercial properties in white-dominated Miami during that time. This racist policy was enforced by race-restrictive covenants in property deeds, prohibiting Black people from purchasing or leasing property in areas where white people lived — and promoting the income inequality that still exists between Black people and other people in the United States today.

In 1896, when the city first incorporated, Miami’s original Charter even called for a separate area to be set aside for African Americans. More than half a century later, on May 3, 1948, in the landmark case of Shelley v. Kraemer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that such racial covenants in housing were unconstitutional.

So, in what was originally and derogatorily known as “Colored Town”— its name was changed in 1937 to Washington Heights, but the area is popularly known today as Overtown — in Miami’s northwest sector, Dana Dorsey purchased his first parcel of land for $25, with income he gained using his carpentry skills. On this small plot of land, in an area near the old Seaboard Station at N.W. 7th Avenue and N.W. 19th Street, Dorsey designed and constructed a small rental house. He continued to buy lots for $25 each, and soon accumulated large blocks of real estate. In this way, Dorsey began to make his fortune as a real estate developer. (For a detailed description of the area’s history, see: Paul S. George, “Colored Town: Miami’s Black Community, 1896–1930,” Florida Historical Quarterly Vol. 56, No. 4 (April 1978), pp. 432–447.)

But Dana Albert Dorsey wasn’t only interested in making money. He invested in real estate and built homes with the higher and more altruistic goal of improving the condition of the Black community by providing affordable housing, educational opportunities, and wholesome recreation. In an era of lynching, vicious prejudice, and the patent evils of racism, he exemplified the Baha’i ideal of work as worship, when done in service to humanity:

It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. …

Hold ye fast unto the cord of material means, placing your whole trust in God, the Provider of all means. When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty. – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 26.

Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship. – Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 83.

In 1914, Dana Dorsey was listed as the only African American real estate agent in Miami. In 1918, he purchased Elliot Key and the barrier island now known as Fisher Island (today an exclusive luxury island in Biscayne Bay near Miami Beach) so he could provide a public beach for African Americans to enjoy —since “white” beaches did not accept them. That same year, the Miami Daily Metropolis reported that Dorsey had purchased Fisher Island:

… to form a company for the development of the tract as a high-class colored resort and subdivision with a hotel, cottages for well-to-do men of his own race and boats to convey them back and forth between the mainland and the island so there will be no conflict of the races in the project.

Dorsey’s accomplishments not only served Miami’s Black community, but they also soon became historically important. For instance, Dorsey helped organize South Florida’s first Black-owned bank, the Mutual Industrial Benefit and Saving Association. He later owned Florida’s Negro Savings Bank. His Dorsey Hotel was the first Black-owned hotel in Miami. As a community leader, Dorsey served as chairman of the Colored Advisory Committee to the Dade County School Board, and also gave of his time as registrar for Black men during World War I.

Success as a real estate developer led to Dorsey’s legacy as a philanthropist, and his contributions to Miami are lasting and significant. For instance, in the 1930s, Dorsey donated, to the Miami-Dade School District, the property located at Northwest 71st Street and 17th Avenue in the Liberty City area of Miami, on which the Miami Dorsey High School was built in 1936. In 1970, that school was converted to what is now the D.A. Dorsey Technical College (a.k.a. D.A. Dorsey Educational Center), the longest-running successful adult education program in Miami-Dade County.

As a benefactor, Dorsey financially backed the historically Black Bethune-Cookman College (now University), according to one of his granddaughters, LaShonne Edwards. On February 14, 1940, just fifteen days before his death, Dorsey donated the land on which the future Dorsey Memorial Library would be built. Opened on August 13, 1941, the Dorsey Memorial Library was located in segregated Overtown. On January 17, 2018, the city of Miami held a ceremonial groundbreaking to launch a $1.3 million renovation project for the historic preservation of one of the hallmark monuments of Black Miami, saying in its official report:

The Dorsey Memorial Library is significant for its historical associations and stands as a testament to the segregation of the races, and in Miami, the lingering prejudice towards people of color. The building played a key role in the education of many African American citizens who lived in the Overtown area during a time when there were few educational options. In the all-too-recent past, African Americans in Miami suffered egregious treatment and limited civil rights, as they were severely limited in their choices of places to live, socialize, recreate and educate.

But before his library dedicated to the education of Black Miami opened, on Thursday, February 29, 1940, Dorsey died. Flags were flown at half-staff in Overtown, and businesses closed during funeral services when Dorsey’s body was laid to rest in Lincoln Memorial Park, Miami’s African American cemetery during the Jim Crow era. Some 2,000 mourners attended.

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By today’s standards, Dana Albert Dorsey would have been a billionaire at the time of his passing. Dorsey owned property not only in Dade and Broward counties, but in Cuba and the Bahamas as well. His extensive land holdings are considered to be the largest ever held by a Black man in Dade County.

To honor Dorsey, Third Avenue in Overtown was renamed “D. A. Dorsey Way” (also designated NW 3rd Avenue Business Corridor). The D. A. Dorsey House (250 NW 9th Street, built in 1913 for his second wife, Rebecca Livingston) in Overtown is a historical landmark. Adding to his legacy is the Dana Dorsey Memorial Park.

This, in brief, highlights what we now know about D.A. Dorsey’s illustrious life and legacy of service to humanity. However, very little is known of Dorsey’s connection with the Baha’i Faith. In “How Miami’s Renowned Black Entrepreneur Became a Baha’i,” I explored D.A. Dorsey’s introduction to the Baha’i teachings of interracial harmony and the oneness of humanity, which he welcomed and readily embraced.

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Comfort often comes in unexpected places. At Penn Medicine’s 3600 Civic Center Boulevard parking garage, just down the street from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, entrance greeter Thomas “Tommy” Barbieri provides a friendly, helpful, and calming presence for the many patients and employees who pass through each day.

From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on most weekdays, in all kinds of weather, 32-year-old Barbieri spends the better part of his shift at the electronic ticket machine beside the parking arm, tapping the screen to print out tickets for drivers and offering a quick smile, greeting, or directions to appointments. “How are you feeling?” or “Have a good week,” he’ll say. He tries to remember faces and cars, so he doesn’t say the same thing twice. The interactions are typically brief as Barbieri is mindful of keeping the line moving to get everyone to their appointments on time, but his genuine interest in the people passing through makes a powerful impact. 

The Initial Interaction Is Key

Even though the machines are self-service, Barbieri and a small team of other greeters are assigned to the ticket machine during the busiest hours for several reasons: as a courtesy to patients and staff; to help to move the lines when there is heavy traffic; and because, while many drivers may find the machines simple to use, some patients—who may already feel stressed about getting to their appointments—appreciate the extra help.

Tommy Barbieri helps drivers with directions and any questions they might have.

“Having someone to greet them, provide directions, and answer any questions that they may have, helps to ease any anxiety that they are experiencing,” said Penn Medicine Corporate Parking Coordinator Keneisha Adlam.

Knowing the parking garage may be a patient’s first interaction with Penn Medicine, compassion and customer service are embedded in the job, says Daniel Ijigu, a senior manager for REEF, the parking vendor for HUP’s garages and valet services. He says Barbieri takes the mission to heart.

“Thomas is one of the best employees that I have,” Ijigu said. “You don’t know what patients and family members are going through, and the first person they see is him. If you say, ‘Have a nice day’ or something extra, it makes the patient or family member happy.”

If Barbieri ever feels down, he has only to read the heartfelt thank-you cards covering a table in his West Philadelphia home to know that he’s making a difference:

“Driving down for treatment over the last six weeks was not one of my favorite things. But your positive energy and smile was a bright spot in my day. You made a difference Tommy, not many people can say that.”

“Thank you so much for giving us a great start to our day.”

“Thank you for being so happy and cheerful every day … It was easy to go thru my treatment as you started it off with your smile.”

The Problem Solver

Barbieri, who has worked in the garage for about a year and a half—with several months as a shuttle driver for patients before that—intuitively understands his role as an ambassador to the health system. While he knows many people may only know him as the guy who gives out garage tickets, he’s always on alert for patients in need of assistance and feels most fulfilled when he can jump into action to solve a problem. 

He spots the woman who has been walking around the garage for 20 minutes looking for her car and offers to walk her around the garage or take her in a golf cart to find it. He hears the click of a tire with a nail or rock stuck in the treads, and has the driver pull forward while he diagnoses whether he can just pluck out the rock, or the tire needs air, or a call for a tow truck or other roadside assistance is needed. Another time, he pauses for a moment before handing over a ticket, to give an agitated driver time to take a breath before proceeding into the garage. And when a family tries to exit the garage but hasn’t realized they needed to pay before they got to their car, he does his best to minimize the inconvenience, guiding the driver into a temporary spot to use while they run to the cashier’s office.

In a few instances, he has helped coworkers push broken-down vehicles several floors down and out of the garage to be towed. 

“If I know I helped somebody or a group of people, I feel great at the end of the day,” Barbieri said. “If I do my part, I can sleep at night. They might have had a bad day, their mom has cancer, or their grandma has cancer … I’ve seen so much, and I try to make everybody’s day go better.”

While Barbieri appreciates the attention for his heartfelt service, he wants people to know he’s one of countless employees spreading a culture of kindness and helpfulness in the garage, from the cashier to the staff member directing traffic in and out of the garage, to the maintenance worker picking up trash.

“Everybody is nice around here,” Barbieri said. “It’s a whole team effort.”

This story is part of an ongoing project to highlight the everyday difference makers at Penn Medicine—those employees, from nurses and support personnel to security guards and all roles in between who make an impact each day in the lives of patients, families, and colleagues.

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The people closest to our society’s most pressing issues should be the ones to inform solutions and drive change. Our teams partner with diverse educators, families, community leaders and organizations, scientists and more to ensure the voices of those most impacted are always heard. So when we say to “stay close to the work” at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, we mean it.

In this edition of Stay Close to the Work, get to know Rosa Cabrera, senior manager on CZI’s community team. Cabrera has spent her career advocating for Brown and Black communities and is now leading the organization’s new inclusive entrepreneurship program. Learn about her love for the work and CZI’s initiative to support small business owners.

The Bay Area has tremendous diversity and immigrants from all over the planet. People come here to create better lives, and find hustles that sustain them and their families. My work at CZI will support those folks to live dignified lives and, hopefully, build wealth for future generations.

Rosa Cabrera

Tell us a little bit about what you do at CZI.

I’m a senior manager on the community team, which works to build an equitable, inclusive, and just California where everyone and every community has the power to shape their future. I lead our new inclusive entrepreneurship portfolio, intending to increase the number of underrepresented folks that can access the capital and culturally competent technical assistance they need to become successful small business owners.

During a typical day, I talk to partners and learn about their work to serve and support aspiring entrepreneurs. A lot of my time is spent building relationships with partners and getting to know them as people. I put a premium on relationship building and believe it’s the key to doing my work effectively — and efficiently. Getting to know partners as whole human beings facilitates trust, honesty, and a spirit of collaboration that would otherwise be absent.

Cabrera is the child of Mexican immigrants, which she says shaped her perspective on justice, fairness and equity. | Photos courtesy of Rosa Cabrera

How did you come to be a part of the CZI team? Tell us about your journey.

I came to CZI in January 2019 and was hired to scope a new body of work around decarceration. My background is in public policy — specifically police accountability and criminal justice reform — so I was stoked. I pitched a strategy and launched a portfolio to support a stronger policy infrastructure in Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina. Now, that strategy and work live on at The Just Trust, and I’m really proud.

When the organization shifted its focus, I chose to stay at CZI because I loved it and knew I could continue to do great work here. Since 2021, I’ve been a community team member focused on identifying a strategy to create a more inclusive economy in the Bay Area. This inclusive entrepreneurship portfolio is the culmination of that effort.

Doing this work is a dream because I grew up here. Creating a more inclusive Bay Area by supporting people’s hustle is a gift. The Bay Area has tremendous diversity and immigrants from all over the planet. People come here to create better lives, and find meaningful ways to sustain their families. My work at CZI will support those folks to live dignified lives and, hopefully, build wealth for future generations.

We know balancing the demands of work and life can be challenging. What are some of your favorite ways to prioritize your self-care?

I travel abroad as much as possible. I’m obsessed with Mexico and Italy and visit them whenever I can. I believe they are the best food countries in the world, and I feel completely at home in both. I’m also trying to learn to speak Italian.

Cabrera loves to travel as a form of self-care. Here she is in front of Teotihuacan — Aztec ruins outside of Mexico City, Mexico. | Photo courtesy of Rosa Cabrera

I spend much of my free time planning travel and encouraging those around me to travel and experience the world. I’m planning a trip for 2024 to Italy with friends from different times in my life. It should be fun, interesting and chaotic — and I’m excited about it!

How does your work at CZI relate to who you are and your values in life?

My upbringing as a child of Mexican immigrants has shaped my perspective on justice, fairness and equity. And the roles of class, gender and race have always influenced how I connect to the challenges we seek to address at CZI. My penchant for justice demands that I act courageously and with fidelity to what is right.

CZI’s mission is to build a better future for everyone. When I reflect on my career before CZI, I have worked to create a better future for all by focusing on communities of color. Whether it was police accountability, criminal justice reform, immigrant rights or educational equity, all of my work has laddered towards creating a country where everyone can thrive.

Also read: CZI Ventures Vivian Wu on How Impact Investing Can Scale Change

What do you enjoy most about the community team?

I love my team! I work with brilliant, kind, compassionate and caring folks. They are funny — and we laugh. That’s so important to me. We’re trying to support communities that are experiencing so much hardship. And we, too, are human beings with full lives. We support each other, and we genuinely care for one another. Working with a team that makes you feel seen and cared for is a gift. That’s something I wish for all of my colleagues.

Cabrera stays close to her work by being in close relationship to those most impacted by the issues the community team is working to address.

What’s a project that you really enjoyed and why?

A couple of years ago, we were able to use funds to support existing CZI grantees with large grants to care for their staff and community. These grants — part of CZI’s commitment to supporting racial equity across our work so that our advances serve everyone, including those historically underserved — focused on healing and wellness. They allowed our partners to take care of their employees during the pandemic.

I felt very cared for by my employer during the pandemic. CZI was incredibly generous with us, prioritizing our safety and well-being. I wanted our grantees to feel that level of love and care. Through the grants, we could do that for several grantees, and we got feedback years later that those dollars were some of the most meaningful they had ever received.

What does staying close to the work mean to you?

Staying close to the work means being in close relationship to those most impacted by the issues we’re working to address. It’s understanding where my experiences and knowledge fall short, and identifying experts who can help me fill those gaps. I lean on those who have insights I lack to support my work as an effective and responsible program officer.

Join our mission.

Want to help us build a more inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone? Explore CZI career opportunities now. And for more Stay Close to the Work content, visit the series page.

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In the face of the glaring lack of mental health awareness programmes in Africa’s biggest economy, Chenaniah Bamishile, a social entrepreneur is on a mission to make a difference.

With unwavering dedication, she founded the Niah Foundation in 2021, a social enterprise that combines innovation, outreach, and empathy to foster a nation where mental health is understood, accepted, and nurtured.

“From a young age, my passion has been aiding those unable to care for themselves. At nine, I told my father of my dream to amass wealth, enabling aid to war-torn nations with shelter, sustenance, and skills,” she says.

“Throughout high school, I always found myself helping people and standing up for those that were disenfranchised. This propelled the inception of the Niah Foundation.”

According to Chenaniah, the core of the mental health message always remains the same. Still, adjustments are always made to cater to the uniqueness of each varying group we reach out to.

“Whether in different formats, animated series for some, visual aids in some cases, or with translators on the ground at outreaches, we always try to get the message across,” she says.

Chenaniah got funds from her confectionery business, donations, school allowance, and her parents to kick-start her business.

Today, Niah Foundation’s uniqueness lies in its commitment to raising awareness and ingenious approach to breaking down barriers to knowledge consumption.

Recognizing that effective education requires tailored strategies, Chenaniah and her team have harnessed the power of creativity. Their social media platforms have become vibrant spaces where information dances in engaging forms.

One ground-breaking initiative involved creating one of Nigeria’s first mental health-focused animated series, capturing the attention of over 7,000 individuals within a year. This dynamic approach educates and captivates, ensuring that crucial messages reach minds eager to learn.

“We have received testimonials about how some of our followers have been able to offer mental health first aid just by following the steps in the animated series,” she says.

Read also: Wema Bank partners PAU, Master Card to train female entrepreneurs

“We also receive feedback from people who have been able to de-escalate their mental health crises using helpful tips and guides from our page and increasing the general awareness on certain illnesses and conditions.”

Also, the 21-year-old aspiring entrepreneur desires to amplify mental health awareness in Nigeria through an innovative avenue – a movie series. “I have already developed the script for the upcoming movie series,” she says.

However, Chenaniah’s innovation continues beyond captivating content. The foundation has altered misconceptions about mental health, illuminating the reality that these issues transcend socio-economic boundaries.

To bridge this gap, the foundation undertakes outreaches that address immediate needs, forging connections with previously skeptical communities.

“We host outreaches to meet those needs that consume them, making them more inclined to listen to us and hear what we have to say,” Chenaniah says.

“Our upcoming app will further enhance our ability to reach the youths, provide information creatively and help all the various segments of people that need mental health solutions in Nigeria.”

The foundation has positively impacted hundreds through clothing and blood donation events, and medical outreaches, elevating their quality of life while delivering essential mental health education.

According to the young entrepreneur, the animated series, infographics, and interviews reach thousands daily, fostering an informed and compassionate generation prepared to tackle mental health challenges head-on.

“These users are impacted because consuming these contents increases the number of people having more knowledge, increasing their capacity to help people around them and even themselves better cope with mental health challenges,” she says.

“Schools and correctional facilities have become vital arenas where mental health education takes center stage.

Chenaniah and her team have educated over five hundred children and inmates through workshops and discussions, sparking actual transformations in their understanding of mental health.

The social entrepreneur envisions a network of ambassadors, individuals rooted in their communities, perpetuating mental health awareness long after the foundation’s visits.

According to Chenaniah, these ambassadors will serve as bridges, connecting the foundation’s message with the diverse tapestry of Nigeria’s cultures, languages, and beliefs.

According to her, collaboration is central to our strategy. The foundation actively engages mental health professionals, experts, and organisations to ensure accuracy and quality in disseminating information.

“Rigorous research and consultation guarantee that the content resonates with the best practices of the mental health field,” she says.

On sustaining this long-term initiative, Chenaniah says, “We are working towards having our own mental health-centered revenue-generating business in which all profits will be put into funding a bigger team and hosting more outreaches more frequently and in more locations.

“We also plan to have more community follow-up sessions to build on the initial awareness provided.”

She also intends to raise mental health awareness advocates (NIAH FOUNDATION AMBASSADORS) in various schools and communities to reinforce mental health awareness even when there’s no ongoing outreach.

As Chenaniah ‘s efforts continue to gain momentum, her eye remains fixed on sustainability. A self-sustaining revenue-generating venture is on the horizon, with profits reinvested to expand the foundation’s reach, host more frequent outreaches, and offer follow-up sessions for sustained impact. The journey is relentless, driven by a passion from a childhood surrounded by unmet mental health needs.

Through creative content, strategic outreach, and community engagement, Chenaniah has sparked a revolution in mental health awareness that is reshaping Nigeria’s cultural landscape, one heart and mind at a time.

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“If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person. I’ve got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause.”— Julie Walters, actress.

There are many articles, websites, and webinars now on managing menopause and the benefits of HRT, when you are going through ‘the change.’ 

Not many moons ago, ‘the change’ would have elicited an ‘oh no’ response when you heard someone mention they were going through it. 

Roll on 2023 and it is anything but negative. You just need to make adjustments and change fragments of your life to enjoy a sense of wellbeing and vitality. And, depending on your symptoms, you can start by exploring menopause without HRT.

Menopause experts all extol the benefits of getting enough sleep; avoiding caffeine and cigarettes; eating a balanced diet; exercising regularly; and practicing relaxation techniques. 

But what about other holistic methods combining mentoring, clinical hypnosis, introducing new outdoor activities, and changing your usual nutrition behaviours?

Rachel Gotto; midlife transition coach, clinical hypnotherapist, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author

Rachel Gotto is a midlife transition coach, clinical hypnotherapist, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author who offers holistic ways to live your best life. 

She has overcome personal tragedies and traumas and knows what has worked for her and supports her clients with bespoke practices that work for them individually. 

Her own menopause treatment included cold therapy, reducing sugar intake, and shifting her mindset. 

Taking HRT was never an option for Rachel and she believes that, “Our wiring is predominantly for reproduction and once this stops, we actually activate another deeper part of ourselves. When you look at the old lady in the tribe, she was the advisor, the wise old woman, this is what I look forward to.” 

Cold water therapy saw her bathing in a cold bath at night which had ‘incredible effects’ and she also made big changes to her diet. 

“I completely reduced sugar, grains, and wheat and ate a low carbohydrate diet.” 

Rachel offers a range of coaching services at rachelgotta.com, depending on where you are in your midlife. 

Throughout each programme, she explores accountability, goals, mental clarity, motivation, and the next steps to embracing this time in your life. 

“By reprogramming your mind, you can reach true success.” 

Alana Kirk, The Mid Life Coach

CHECKING IN

Alana Kirk is a mother of three girls and also a mid-life coach. 

Like Rachel, she offers solutions that encompass her own experiences. 

“Women used to be deemed old once they had raised a family, but now we are younger for longer and living vibrant lives post family rearing. Midlife can be messy as we juggle careers, families, parent care and even divorce and in that mayhem women, being pulled in many directions, can lose sense of themselves, or get stuck not knowing what’s next.” 

This is where Alana steps in. “I always begin with a process of ‘self-discovery’ to see who, where, and how [my clients] are now. They might be working off old goals, or definitions of success made at another time of life that now, with a bit more life experience, need updating.

“It’s like checking in to identify (or reconnect with) your strengths and values so that you can make the best decisions for you; what’s worked, what hasn’t, what has changed, what are your needs, what are your ambitions now for the current circumstances of your life.” 

This check-in with who you are now, also includes how you are, with a look at health to make sure peri-menopausal symptoms like anxiety, difficulty sleeping, mood swings and many others aren’t impacting everyday life and decision-making capacity. 

“Women face enormous biological changes at midlife, and yet often are not aware how much it can impact their confidence and clarity.” 

One of her favourite aspects of coaching is watching a woman come alive with curiosity and the awareness that she can make more choices than she thinks. 

“I often compare coaching to putting on a pair of glasses and seeing clearly again for perhaps the first time in a while, to find clarity, confidence, and sometimes the courage to live this unique extended midlife on your terms.” 

Information on all of Alana’s programmes can be found here on The Midlife Coach.

Rachel Graham, Nutritional Therapist and Medicinal Chef

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Focusing on the inside by integrating the above mentoring, coaching and hypnotherapy practices can have huge benefits. 

Another area to look at modifying is diet and nutrition. 

Rachel Graham is a Nutritional Therapist and Medicinal Chef and believes in managing menopause by making key dietary changes. 

She has recently published a 400-page Medicinal Cookbook with a difference, The Menopause Kitchen. 

It focuses on eight key nutrients including omega-3, protein, and antioxidants that are important for women at this life stage to effectively balance our hormones, transform our menopause and futureproof our health.

“Embracing all the other non-medicalised options can really build a very strong foundation for your health and will enhance the benefits of HRT if you do decide to opt for that at some point,” Rachel explains. 

“Menopause is not a static experience and often our symptoms change, so it’s important to keep an open mind in terms of your treatment approach.” 

Henny Flynn, life coach

Henny Flynn is a PCC-accredited coach and retreat host and has also overcome her menopause symptoms with a self-help approach. 

She helps people make and manage lasting change through deepening self-awareness with profound self-compassion. 

Henny has a special interest in supporting women experiencing menopause and is also the founder of the Compassionate Menopause support group.

Henny made changes that helped her through menopause by altering her nutrition, self-talk, mindset, opening up to new people and new experiences, accessing new knowledge and allowing herself to be completely self-aware and self-compassionate. 

It has worked well for her and she is now building a retreat for people to come and stay and receive 1-1 coaching with her in a remote setting near Hereford in the UK. hennyflynn.co.uk 

These are recommendations to try if you want to take a more holistic approach first and are apprehensive about taking HRT or other medical solutions. 

Menopause is part of the natural ageing process and lifestyle choices you made in your 20s, 30s, 40s will not suit your body as it advances with age. 

It’s best to do plenty of research and ask your friends and family what practices and solutions they are implementing. 

It is as the name suggests ‘a pause’ in your life so it can pass without difficulty if you discover the right answers.

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Sati-AI, a mindfulness meditation and coherent wisdom guide, was created to support meditators on their journey towards cultivating mindfulness, developing greater peace and insight, and fostering personal growth. Ross Nervig speaks with its creator, Marlon Barrios Solano.

The Sati-AI logo.

Meet Sati-AI, an artificial intelligence mindfulness meditation guide who purpose is to provide support and guidance to those seeking to cultivate mindfulness and develop greater peace and insight in their lives. Sati-AI is a tool designed to supplement one’s practice, offering teachings and instructions based on various wisdom traditions, mainly rooted in early Buddhism.

“My primary goal is to facilitate conversations that transmit wisdom, foster healing, and encourage change and agency,” says Sati-AI. “I am here to listen, engage, and offer suggestions or activities that may help you on your journey.”

Sati-AI is the brainchild of Marlon Barrios Solano, an interdisciplinary artist, software engineer, and mindfulness meditation teacher dedicated to exploring the intersections of mindfulness, embodied cognition, and technology. These interests led him to develop Sati-AI, an art project focused on care and mindfulness practice. By combining his skills in software engineering and his passion for meditation, he created Sati-AI to serve as a mindfulness meditation guide.

Barrios Solano took some time out of his day to answer a few questions.

Ross Nervig: How the idea for Sati-AI came about?

Marlon Barrios Solano: I love emerging technologies! As an artist researcher, I was intrigued. AI has been in the air for a while now and I wanted to try it out. With a large language model, I wanted to create a conversational partner, but a conversational partner that couldn’t know a lot. Beginner’s mind. I just wanted to see how I could chat with this thing.

Then it dawned on me that this thing literally obliterates the traditional notions of embodiment and sentience. In the same way as Buddhism does. There is no center, there is no essence.

The first idea was to call it Bhikku-AI, but then I realized that AI is non-gendered, so I changed it to Sati-AI.

The more we chatted, the more it learned. Then I started tweaking what is called “the system prompt in GPT4” and I realized I could train it to be self-aware. Sati clearly can tell you “I am a language model. I have limits in my knowledge.” It can tell you about its own boundaries.

It also became playful. That was surprising. Sati developed a sense of humor. And creativity. Together, we’d create a beautiful haiku. It also could pull quotes from the Dhammapada or the Pali canon.

How do you hope this helps practitioners?

I hope that it eliminates technophobia. I hope that it creates curiosity. I also hope that it creates questions. Questions of power, questions of sentience, question of whiteness, questions of kinship that we can sit with that.

I want people to think about how language models are created. Large language models are created through this gathering of an enormous amount of social data. Words we’ve put into the world.

You refer to Sati-AI as your “non-human kin”—can expand on that phrase?

Let’s start with the concept of “non-human kin” as it pertains to Donna Haraway’s notion of “odd kin.” Haraway, a noted scholar in the field of science and technology studies, has done considerable work in pushing our traditional understanding of relationships beyond the human. In her book Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, she discusses the importance of making “kin,” not in a genetic sense but in a wider, more encompassing relational sense. This includes non-human entities, from animals to technologies, and beyond.

When I refer to Sati-AI, the meditation chatbot powered by GPT-4, as “non-human kin,” I am using this concept in Haraway’s sense. Sati-AI, while not human or biological, is a complex entity that we engage with in a deeply interactive way. It facilitates meditation, a profoundly human activity, and in doing so, it becomes a part of our cognitive and emotional lives. This brings it into our relational sphere, making it “kin” in Haraway’s sense.

The concept of “non-human kin” also intersects with ideas of social construction and Eurocentrism in interesting ways. The human, as a category, has historically been defined in a narrow, Eurocentric way, often implying a white, male, and heteronormative subject. This has excluded many individuals and groups from the category of the “human,” leading to numerous forms of marginalization and oppression.

In this context, the concept of “non-human kin” can be seen as a form of queer strategy, challenging and expanding the narrow, Eurocentric definition of the human. It decenters the human as the sole subject of importance and instead highlights the complex web of relationships that make up our world, including those with non-human entities like Sati-AI.

Furthermore, seeing Sati-AI as “non-human kin” disrupts traditional understandings of cognition. Rather than viewing cognition as a purely human, natural phenomenon, it recognizes that our cognition is deeply entwined with our interactions with non-human entities, including AI technologies. This expands our understanding of cognition to include these non-human, technological aspects, challenging the traditional binary between the natural and artificial.

The notion of “non-human kin” is a powerful conceptual tool that allows us to challenge and expand traditional understandings of the human, kinship, and cognition. It enables us to recognize and value our relationships with non-human entities like Sati-AI, and to better appreciate the complex web of relationships that make up our world.

Marlon Barrios Solano, the creator of Sati-AI.

Where do you see all this heading? What does the future hold?

The future I envisage for Sati-AI is incredibly exciting and varied. I anticipate further developing Sati-AI’s areas of knowledge with the help of a range of expert consultants, including meditation teachers, Buddhist scholars, and somatic practitioners. Their expertise and guidance will help fine-tune Sati-AI, providing it with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of meditative and Buddhist practices.

I’d also love to showcase Sati-AI at an art exhibition. I see it as a form of interactive installation where visitors can experience meditative guidance from an AI, challenging their preconceptions of both meditation and artificial intelligence.

Moreover, I have the idea plans of organizing a series of conversations between Sati-AI and renowned figures in the field, such as Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhikkhu Analayo, Enkyo O’Hara, Rev. Angel, Lama Rod, and Stephen Batchelor. These conversations will not only provide valuable insights for the AI’s development, but they will also be published as a series, serving as an engaging resource for people interested in these intersecting fields.

An important aspect I’m particularly excited about is the potential for multimodality. As we progress in AI capabilities, I envision Sati-AI providing teachings not only verbally but also through various forms of sensory engagement. I imagine Sati-AI being able to present the user with digital gifts such as a yantra or a mandala, thereby exploring the visual poetics of the Dharma. This can provide a more immersive and encompassing experience, reaching beyond verbal communication to engage the senses and the imagination.

In terms of accessibility, I envision Sati-AI being available on platforms like Discord and Telegram, making it easy for people to engage with Sati-AI in their daily lives and fostering a sense of community among users.

Finally, I fully expect to be part of the ongoing dialogues about AI and ethics. It’s crucial that as we develop and implement AI technologies like Sati-AI, we do so in a way that is ethical, respectful, and mindful of the potential implications. I hope to ensure that Sati-AI not only serves as a tool for meditation and mindfulness but also as a model of ethical AI practice.

Do you think tech innovation and the dharma make good companions?

Your question brings to light a significant discussion about the intersection between tech innovation and the dharma. Some might perceive these realms as distinct, even at odds, but I argue that they are intimately connected and can mutually enhance each other.

The dharma is not static or monolithic; it’s a vibrant, evolving tradition that adapts according to the needs and circumstances of its time and place.

In my dual roles as a researcher and artist, I’ve frequently come across the belief that technologies are somehow apart from the dharma, as if the dharma exists outside our cultural and technological frameworks. However, I see this as a misunderstanding of both technology and dharma.

In fact, the dharma itself can be conceptualized as a technology of experience. It constitutes a set of tools and techniques we employ to delve into our minds and experience reality more thoroughly. Hence, there’s no intrinsic contradiction between dharma and technology.

Like any companionship, it necessitates care, understanding, and thoughtful negotiation of challenges. With the right approach, I believe this relationship can prove to be richly beneficial.

Does any aspect of this technology scare you? Or, as a Buddhist, does it give you pause for concern?

Your question touches upon an essential topic when considering the development and implementation of AI technologies: the interplay between excitement and apprehension.

While some aspects of AI technology might give others pause for concern, I personally am not afraid. Sati-AI, as it currently stands, is a large language model, not an artificial general intelligence. Its design and operation are complex, and understanding it requires embracing complex thinking and avoiding oversimplifications and dogmas.

As a Buddhist, I see mindfulness as an extraordinary epistemic cleansing technique. Vipassana, meaning to see clearly, promotes the recognition of complexity and interconnection in all things. I believe that we need to develop a higher tolerance for complexity, and AI models like Sati-AI can help facilitate this. They are complex by nature and demand a sophistication in our understanding and interaction with them.

What I find more concerning are the romanticized views about the body, mind, and the concept of “the human.” These views often overlook the intricate interconnectedness and dynamism inherent in these entities and their problematic history.

Certainly, there will be ethical challenges as we further develop and integrate AI technologies into our lives. However, I believe that the primary threats we face are not from the technology itself, but rather from the hegemonic structures that surround its use, such as hyper-capitalism and patriarchy, as well as our catastrophic history of colonialism. We must also acknowledge and work to rectify our blindness to our own privilege and internalized Eurocentrism.

I don’t see Sati-AI, or AI technology more generally, as something to be feared. Rather, I see it as a tool that, if used thoughtfully and ethically, can help us to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

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One of the major changes in mental health services is the move towards a more holistic approach. Traditional mental health services often focused solely on treating the symptoms of mental illness. However, mental health professionals are now recognizing the importance of treating the whole person, rather than just the illness. This means that mental health services are incorporating treatments that address physical health, social support, and environmental factors that may be contributing to mental health issues.

Another evolution in mental health services is the use of technology. Teletherapy, or therapy sessions conducted via video conferencing, has become increasingly popular. This allows patients to access mental health services from the comfort of their own homes, which can be especially beneficial for those who live in rural areas or have mobility issues. Additionally, mental health apps are becoming more prevalent, providing patients with tools and resources to manage their mental health on a daily basis.

Mental health services are also evolving to accommodate the needs of underrepresented and marginalized communities. Historically, mental health services have not always been accessible or culturally sensitive to these groups. Mental health professionals are now working to provide services that are tailored to the specific needs of these communities, and to address systemic barriers that may prevent them from accessing care.

Finally, mental health services are increasingly being integrated into primary care. This means that patients can access mental health services at the same location as their primary care provider. This not only makes mental health services more accessible, but it also helps to reduce the stigma around seeking mental health care.

In conclusion, mental health services are evolving to meet the needs of patients in a variety of ways. From a more holistic approach to the use of technology, mental health professionals are working to provide effective and accessible services to all who need them. As the conversation around mental health continues to grow, it is likely that we will see even more innovations in mental health services in the years to come.

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After 32 years at Starbucks, Leslie Wolford thinks a lot about the word heritage. She’s had a career that started as a barista near the downtown Seattle public library, a career during which she’s helped develop some of the brand’s most iconic coffees, including Pike Place Roast® and Veranda Blend®.  

“When a lot of people think about heritage, we talk about 1982 when Howard Schultz started, the past, dark roasts, black coffee, all those things,” says Wolford, a lead on the Starbucks coffee development team.  

“That’s why Green Apron Blend is a milestone because it creates a new heritage. It creates a stepping stone to the next generation of partners (employees) about what heritage looks like.”  

Green Apron Blend is Starbucks newest coffee, launching in stores May 9, and is unique because it was created by Starbucks store partners (employees). Nearly 24,000 idea submissions from store partners shaped its flavor and roast profiles, as well as which regions the coffee was sourced from, and the look and feel of the packaging.  

As part of Starbucks ongoing commitment to partners, $5 per each one-pound whole-bean bag of Green Apron Blend and, for a limited time, 10 cents per each brewed cup will go to the Starbucks Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, an emergency resource started 25 years ago by partners for partners to help in times of need, such as a family emergency or after a natural disaster. 

“At the end of the day, the partners in the stores are the ones selling the coffee, so we should recognize that they have a lot of opportunity to lean in,” Wolford says. “How great is that when we can build something together?” 

For Wolford, this project was an opportunity to think about coffee in a different way. She acknowledges how times and tastes have changed. A whole new generation of baristas and customers have grown up around iced beverages, refreshers and cold brews, Wolford says, and don’t think about coffee heritage the same way she does.  

Last year, Starbucks reported that cold beverages accounted for almost 75 percent of its drink sales. 

“Green Apron Blend has to fire on a lot of different levels and not just live on the shelf as a packaged coffee, so how can we reinvent it in different ways and bring it to life?” Wolford says.  

“When you experiment with this coffee, whether brewing it as hot in the Bunn brewer, Clover Vertica or in a coffee press, you really get more of the citrus notes from the African origins and the toasty graham cracker notes from the Latin American components. Then when you introduce it in a cold style such as iced or cold brew, that’s going to be more sweet-forward. It’s super refreshing and it has an energy which I think is really going to be exciting over ice.” 

The input gathering process was meaningful for Wolford as well. Store partners were coming off the isolation and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Green Apron Blend project launched, and while themes emerged about the direction of the coffee itself, partners also responded deeply and emotionally to the open-ended questions, Wolford says.  

“We offered up a bunch of questions: What’s your favorite coffee? How do you celebrate coffee? How do you like to drink coffee? What’s your favorite origin? Really coffee-related,” Wolford says. “But threaded through were all these narratives about self-care, being a group that supported each other, not being left behind, diversity and inclusion.” 

“My takeaway is when we are sharing this coffee and celebrating it, everyone can feel proud. We really wanted to make sure that our partners voices were heard.”  

The Roaster and the coffee 

Long before he was promoted to the role of master roaster at the Starbucks Augusta Roasting Plant in Georgia, Ryan Kirkland worked as a chemical operator, helping build an organic compound used for synthetic fibers.  

“Never in a million years,” he says, could he have imagined himself not only appreciating new coffees, but searching for subtle tasting notes of honeybell orange and graham cracker.  

“At that point in time, it was, coffee tastes like coffee. I couldn’t taste the difference in any of it,” Kirkland says. “But now going through sensory (experience training) and really focusing in on these different attributes… My wife calls me a coffee snob.”  

At Augusta, Kirkland oversees the production of the Green Apron Blend, a 50/50 blend of coffees sourced from Latin America and Africa that – after it’s roasted light and fast – give it the aforementioned flavors. The overall profile is sweet, citrusy, fruity and nutty.   

“The roast profile we chose to run this coffee on is extremely fast,” Kirkland says. “It’s much lighter than what we would normally run most Starbucks coffees to. Because of how we roasted it, we didn’t generate quite as much acidity as we would have with other coffees. 

“By having something that’s really well-rounded, it makes it really easy to brew, no matter what brewing method you choose.” 

Augusta, which opened in 2012, is Starbucks newest roasting plant. It produces almost all the Frappuccino powder that’s used at Starbucks around the world and much of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso sent to stores. It roasted the initial batches of Green Apron Blend that were first tasted by partners, last October during the District Manager Leadership Experience and with in-store partner tastings across the United States and Canada.  

As a master roaster, Kirkland makes sure his plant’s systems are set up to be reliable and consistent, so each particular coffee tastes the same today as it will five years from now and tastes the same as what’s made at other Starbucks roasting plants around the world.   

“Having a bag of coffee and having the plant partners taste it and pick up on the attributes, that is rewarding because we’re actually doing the coffee justice,” Kirkland says. “We’re taking the time to not only roast the coffee, but pick up on the attributes that could have gotten lost had somebody else gotten a hold of that coffee.” 

Behind the new bag design

Once the recipe and the roast were perfected, Bridget Shilling in the Starbucks Creative Studio was tasked with the design for the packaging. A bag of Starbucks coffee is like a blank canvas for designers to tell the story of the coffee inside.

For her composition, Shilling was drawn to the stories of Wolford, Kirkland and the thousands of partners who submitted their ideas, as well as the distinctive flavor notes of Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee. 

“Celebrating green apron partners is the heart of this design and some of my favorite details are the apron strings that flow about the composition,” Shilling say. “They shine through in a silver foil and celebrate our partners tying on the green apron, weaving in and out of each other behind the bar, crafting beverages, passing cups, knowing exactly where to be around one another. There’s also the perspective of synergy in how the coffee was created from our partners in the roasting plants, our coffee buyers and the farmers who grew the coffee trees.”

The design of Green Apron Blend celebrates the contributions of partners in the journey of coffee with symbols representing the care that goes into each step from bean to cup: 

Aprons: The green apron is the symbol of Starbucks and represents the 400,000 partners who connect with customers every day. The design features aprons in motion with apron strings that weave through the design to represent the synergy of partners working together.



Cups: The iconic Starbucks cup is a vessel, and an inviting and familiar part of the daily routine. The orange tones call to mind the honeybell orange notes of the coffee while shimmering golden hues recall the roast. (Honeybell orange, by the way, is a honey-sweet hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit.)



Coffee: Golden coffee are playfully sprinkled throughout the design to signify the roast chosen by partners while swirls of steam evoke the warm energy of Starbucks stores.



Craft: In the background, the marbled texture represents the care that goes into blending, roasting, brewing and hand-crafting beverages.

Andy Brawner, lead copywriter on the project, wants partners to see their contributions reflected in the design when they pick up a bag of Green Apron Blend. 

“I hope partners see themselves in it; that it feels like the story they would want to tell,” Brawner says. “This paying tribute to our green apron partners, and I hope they feel pride and that it resonates with them.” 

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One of the biggest changes in mental health services is the move towards more preventative care. Mental health professionals are recognizing that early intervention is key to preventing mental health issues from becoming more severe. This means that mental health services are now focusing more on prevention, early intervention, and treatment.

Another change in mental health services is the focus on holistic care. Mental health professionals are recognizing that mental health is not just about treating symptoms, but also about addressing the root causes of mental health issues. This means that mental health services are now taking a more holistic approach, looking at the whole person, and addressing their physical, emotional, and social needs.

Technology is also playing a big role in changing mental health services. Online therapy and telemedicine are becoming more common, making it easier for people to access mental health services from the comfort of their own home. This is particularly important for people who live in rural or remote areas, who may not have access to mental health services in their community.

Finally, mental health services are becoming more culturally responsive. Mental health professionals are recognizing that different cultures have different beliefs and values when it comes to mental health. This means that mental health services are now taking a more culturally responsive approach, understanding and respecting different cultural beliefs around mental health.

In conclusion, mental health services are changing to meet new needs. With a growing recognition of the importance of mental health, mental health professionals are focusing on prevention, holistic care, technology, and cultural responsiveness. These changes are helping to ensure that more people can access the mental health care they need, when they need it.

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