Shows
Grant Writing & FundingCourtney Left Her Job, Hired Her Husband & Mom, and Now Helps Arts Orgs Fund Big DreamsIn this conversation, Holly Rustick interviews Courtney Oliphant, CEO and founder of Coastal Nonprofit Consulting. Courtney shares her journey from working at a performing arts small nonprofit to starting her own consulting business. She discusses how she added services (and hired her husband full-time and her mom) to help performing arts nonprofits and organizations impacted by 2025 grant changes, the importance of being inside the Grant Professional Mentorship when hiring help, and how her business has evolved to be a grant and funding agency. Takeaways:Courtney’s journey began in the nonprofit sector, leading her to g...
2025-08-0527 min
Hollywood Wolfpack With Kaia AlexanderOn mentorship for writers, and the value of the wolf pack: Richard KahanWriter/Producer Richard Kahan was born and raised in the open prairies of Canada, and has worked in film and television for over 25 years.Richard got his start as an actor and appeared in over 100 hours of television and various films, starring opposite the likes of Dennis Hopper. In addition to his series regular role on USA Network’s Emmy-nominated THE 4400, he made dozens of guest appearances including THE MENTALIST and GREY’S ANATOMY.Richard followed his passion for writing and producing, under the wing of his mentor, prolific writer/producer/showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Rich...
2024-01-2845 min
Hollywood Wolfpack With Kaia AlexanderOn mentorship for writers, and the value of the wolf pack: Richard KahanWriter/Producer Richard Kahan was born and raised in the open prairies of Canada, and has worked in film and television for over 25 years.Richard got his start as an actor and appeared in over 100 hours of television and various films, starring opposite the likes of Dennis Hopper. In addition to his series regular role on USA Network’s Emmy-nominated THE 4400, he made dozens of guest appearances including THE MENTALIST and GREY’S ANATOMY.Richard followed his passion for writing and producing, under the wing of his mentor, prolific writer/producer/showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Rich...
2024-01-2844 min
Hollywood Wolfpack With Kaia AlexanderRichard Kahan: From Emmy Nominated Actor (The 4400) to Writer/Producer (Outlander, Killing Eleanor), and the Value of Mentors.Writer/Producer Richard Kahan was born and raised in the open prairies of Canada, and has worked in film and television for over 25 years.Richard got his start as an actor and appeared in over 100 hours of television and various films, starring opposite the likes of Dennis Hopper. In addition to his series regular role on USA Network’s Emmy-nominated THE 4400, he made dozens of guest appearances including THE MENTALIST and GREY’S ANATOMY.Richard followed his passion for writing and producing, under the wing of his mentor, prolific writer/producer/showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Rich...
2024-01-211h 11
Lagralane SpiritsACTION: Re-framing and Reclaiming the Narrative with Nambi E. KelleyHow do we personally take action to shift the narrative? With an energetic calm that is both inspiring and soothing, playwright/actor/producer Nambi E. Kelley (Native Son, Re-Memori, Jabari Dreams of Freedom) joins hosts Jason and Yvonne Lee for a discussion about how we take action to shift the narrative from one that is exclusive and often incorrect, to one that is authentic to ourselves and our stories. Knowing that small change can make a tidal wave of change, these three discuss their personal journeys as examples of how they ha...
2022-07-2757 min
Lagralane SpiritsBlast from the Caste with Lagralane Spirits Production TeamCan we move away from caste to create a more equitable society? How do we understand racism by looking at caste and class? Pull up a seat and join us for a special roundtable episode with the Lagralane Team. Using the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson as a source of exploration, we help define what caste is, and discuss how race has become the basis of our caste system in the United States. We also talk about how caste affects each of us personally – and what we can...
2022-06-291h 24
Lagralane SpiritsPassing: A Path to Equity with DeMille Halliburton and Monique MarshallWhat does it mean to look at yourself through the eyes of the ‘other’? How do you maintain a sense of self in this process? How do you build social equity to match the room that you are in? Hosts Jason and Yvonne Lee examine the pathways to equity in this season two debut of Lagralane Spirits. With guests Monique Marshall (anti-bias/anti-racist educator) and DeMille Halliburton (champion of access and equity), they discuss the historical perspectives of ‘Passing’ which is the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group that is diffe...
2022-06-081h 13
Lagralane SpiritsStorytelling: To Honor or Exploit with Kemp PowersIn this final episode of the first season, Jason and Yvonne spend valuable time with Oscar-nominated, “brother” Kemp Powers -- journalist, screenwriter, playwright, journalist and now, director. This grounded, yet uplifting conversation circles around this notion: to maintain truth and integrity in storytelling, we must bring ourselves into the story and we do so by holding steadfast to emotional honesty and by creating empathy. This way, we create a great story, and a great story brings us together. This week: Jason asks, “How do we honor identity without exploiting it for the sake of a ‘good’ story?” Ja...
2021-11-1059 min
Lagralane SpiritsThe Responsibility to Author History with Erika AlexanderIn this episode of Lagralane Spirits, Jason and Yvonne sit down with critically acclaimed actress and documentary filmmaker, Erika Alexander. The three discuss taking control of our storytelling destiny, being the narrators of our own history, and the meaning of true power and agency in the filmmaking industry and beyond. This week: Enjoy a Boukman Daiquiri and share this recipe’s origins Erika is the creator of Color Farm Media Erika talks about the difficulties of being a darker skinned woman in the acting industry. She was often only casted as a sex worker, a slave, and m...
2021-10-131h 04
Lagralane SpiritsThe Descendant's Identity with Fanshen CoxMore and more people are questioning their identity and looking to discover their heritage. We're asking, "Who am I?" and we chase that question with, "Where do I belong and to whom?" With the increase of platforms like Ancestry.com, answers no longer die with the dead. Tonight, we live in a space that questions existing truths about definitions of identity and creates new ones. In this episode we sit down with award-winning actor, producer, podcast host and educator, Fanshen Cox. This week: Enjoy a White Neg...
2021-09-151h 08
Lagralane SpiritsThe Violence of Migration with Natividad HuffWar, marriage, and opportunity are just some of the reasons we might uproot our entire lives from one homestead to another. And while there are incredible opportunities that come with leaving all that we know and love behind, there can also be immense violence and loss -- be it to culture, identity, or life. What is at stake for those who try to assimilate into a brand new world? In episode two of Lagralane Spirits, The Violence of Migration, we tell our own migration stories and explore what our roots mean to our past, present, an...
2021-09-1547 min
Lagralane SpiritsLagralane Spirits TrailerWe, Jason and Yvonne Lee, husband and wife, father and mother, actors, producers, and explorers of identity, would like to invite you to a real talk meeting of the minds over reverent cocktails. This season we are exposing the roots of our identities, and by doing so we are hoping you’ll take some time to think about your own. From cultural connections to the authors of history, from biological origins to the families we create, we are digging deep into who makes us who we are and what makes us who we are.
2021-09-0902 min
A BRIGHTER LENSYVONNE HUFF LEE, Actress and ProducerThis week, we’re discussing the streamlined “French Hours” shooting schedule Marielle Heller used on A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which made it feasible for cast and crew to see their children while in production. Then, we interview actress and producer Yvonne Huff Lee, who is Co-CEO of Lagralane Group. This year, Yvonne has executive produced The Body Remembers When The World Broken Open, as well as Sundance darling The Infiltrators through Lagralane Group. Yvonne currently serves as president of the board at Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble and is also a board member of Array Alliance, an initiative founded by Ava...
2019-12-0240 min
Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien SwabyEp 37: Oscar Winners at The Heartbeat of Storytelling: Lagralane GroupIt was amazing for me to interview Yvonne and Jason, Lagralane Group. Yvonne Huff LeeYvonne Huff Lee is co-CEO of Lagralane Group. She is an actor, creative investor, philanthropist and mother to three with her husband and co-founder Jason Delane Lee. Yvonne is inspired by the female experience and seeks to elevate both female-driven narratives and women’s perspectives. Through Lagralane, Yvonne has breathed life into a diverse slate of films. Personal credits include executive producing two 2017 SXSW premiere documentaries (SERVED LIKE A GIRL and THE BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP) and associate producing 2017 Sundance pr...
2019-11-2830 minAll - Smartest Person in the RoomEp. #31 Bias series: Identity MattersThis episode is all about racial identity, and how it matters. I'm speaking with my friends Jason & Yvonne Lee, actors and producers, and the co-founders of The Lagralane Group, a finance and project development company that has been involved in bringing the most fascinating stories to the stage and screen, including the recent Academy Award winning documentary Icarus. See their portfolio here. I met Jason & Yvonne through our children, and in our very first conversation we ended up talking for hours about Jason's story of being a black man adopted and raised by a white fa...
2018-05-1000 min