Waffles Friends Work

Happy Galentine's Day! Is it a national holiday yet? It should be. In this very special Galentine's Day episode, we take a look back at all of our previous guests and have gathered insights and advice from each of our 66 guests into this one episode. We revisit why so many of our guests felt inspired to be a public servant, what lessons they have learned in their roles, and what advice they have for other women in public service. We hope your Galentine's Day is full of affirmations from the Galentine's in your life (aka, the noble land mermaids and powerful musk-oxens who walk among us)

In "Halloween Surprise" we gush over the house Leslie and Ben are going to move into, forget that Mark Brendanowicz existed, and bemoan the gang's treatment of Jerry after his fart attack (you're welcome, Tom). We also discuss the main event of the episode - Ben and Leslie's iconic proposal at the of the episode. We add U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes, former Teacher of the Year and representative from Connecticut's 5th District, to our Wall of Inspirational Women.

Cristina Leos, co-founder of Real Talk, a mobile ap that delivers sex education, joins us this week to discuss the episode "Sex Education" (hey, it's almost like we plan this kind of stuff!) She talks about how the idea of creating a mobile ap that delivers comprehensive sex education for teenagers came about, how she and her co-founders used human centered design to shape and refine Real Talk, and what the honest-to-God heck a pineapple could be used for in a sex education talk for seniors. We add U.S. Representative Deb Haaland from New Mexico to our Wall of Inspirational Women.

Waffles Friends Work has gone international! Tanya Paz, sustainable transportation consultant and former Chair of Vancouver’s Active Transportation Policy Council, joins us from CANADA to discuss "How a Bill Becomes a Law." We talk about how her work on the Transportation Policy Council has changed how Vancouver residents can use streets, what changes cities can make to improve residents' access and comfort with transportation options, and why this episode speaks so much to her (hint: it has to do with porpoises). We also add U.S. Representative Lucy McBath to our Wall of Inspirational Women.

School Board Member Raaheela Ahmed joins us this week to discuss "Soda Tax." Elected to the Prince George's County Board of Education in 2016, Raaheela talks with us about her experiences running for office, what it's like to be one of six Millennials on the county's school board, and why Leslie's experiences grappling with complex policy issues as a new City Councilor resonated with her. We also add the newly sworn-in U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood, the youngest black woman to ever serve in Congress, to our Wall of Inspirational Women.