Giant Step - A Journey into Music and Culture

Guest Ivan Wicksteed Chief Growth & Revenue Officer at Aspiration Bank in conversation with Maurice Bernstein. They discuss his career in marketing and advertising and how he became CMO of brands like Old Navy, Cole Haan and Oscar Health. Ivan talks about his philosophy and insights in marketing, the new category he is working on called “Clean Finance,” crypto currency, and the future of the office and retail in a post cover world. This interview was originally recorded as an IG Live on April 9th, 2021.

Guest Camella Ehlke, the founder of the iconic streetwear brand Triple Five Soul in conversation with Maurice Bernstein. She led the charge of a new wave of young designers in the early 90s New York, Camella successfully infused fashion with a downtown lifestyle of music, art, and hip-hop culture. It was built on a passion for creativity, expression and community. Created in 1989, Triple Five Soul originated as a humble storefront/apartment in New York City's Lower East Side on Ludlow Street. It went on to open stores on NYC's Lafayette Street, Los Angeles, London, and Japan influencing many of today's leading streetwear fashion brands. We discuss how she built the brand and her relationships in culture, her life after leaving the company. The importance of raising a family and her creative endeavors like setting up a BnB in the Catskills and starting a home goods business called Goodgood Community. This interview was originally recorded as an IG Live on February 26th, 2021.

Guest Lisa Cortés, the Academy Award nominated and Emmy-winning producer and director and the Founder of Cortés Films in conversation with Maurice Bernstein. She is renowned for creating challenging, visionary stories and empowering inclusive voices. We discuss her early career in music in iconic hip hop labels like Def Jam and rising to be a female executive at Mercury Records. Her shift into movies and documentaries like All In: The Fight For Democracy which chronicles the battle against voter suppression waged by Stacey Abrams. The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion tracing the impact of street fashion and African American creativity on global cultural trends. 2019’s Emmy-winning HBO documentary, The Apollo explores African American cultural and political history through the story of the legendary Apollo Theater. Her work with Director Lee Daniels on movies like Monsters Ball and Precious. We also discuss the art of storytelling in music and films. This interview was originally recorded as an IG Live on March 11th 2021.

Guest Gilles Peterson award-winning broadcaster, author, label & radio honcho at Brownswood & Worldwide FM, BBC Radio 6 DJ , masterful DJ, festival producer, curator and all around tastemaker in conversation with Maurice Bernstein. They talk about Gilles' early career in London as a club and pirate radio DJ. His influence on Giant Step, our many collaborations including the groundbreaking Nuyorican Soul album. Plus what he has been doing over lockdown in London.  Gilles is always an inspiration and a wealth of knowledge in music and culture. This interview was originally recorded as an IG Live on March 5th, 2021.

Guest Ben Pundole is former VP of Brand Experience at EDITION, founder of A Hotel Life and Stay Plastic Free in conversation with Maurice Bernstein. Ben shares his incredible story from his humble start in London at legendary venues like Groucho and Met Bar. Coming to New York and getting introduced to famed hotelier Ian Schrager through Madonna, and his work with Ian at Morgans Hotel Group iconic hotels like Delano, Royalton and Mondrian to name a few. He then followed Ian to EDITION opening hotels in Shanghai, London, Barcelona, NY, Miami, West Hollywood etc. Ben also discusses his passion for a plastic free world, his thoughts on the future of travel and hospitality in a post cover world and his love for culture. This interview was originally recorded as an IG Live on February 11th, 2021