Catarina Rivera On Building A Brand And Embracing Her Identities
Always Looking Up
07/14/25
•67m
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In this week’s episode I sat down with Catarina Rivera. Catarina is a dynamic public speaker, DEIA consultant, and content creator. She works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. As a disabled Latiné woman, she is passionate about sharing her own unique story to help build a more inclusive world. We discuss how her life experiences shaped her career, changing the narratives and language around disability, who The Blindish Latina is and the platform she’s built, and much, much more.
Follow Catarina: Instagram: @blindishlatina LinkedIn: Catarina Rivera TikTok: @blindishlatina YouTube: @CatarinaRivera Website: https://www.catarinarivera.com
Join Catarina's newsletter: https://catarinarivera.kit.com/newsletter
Watch Catarina's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbXxhuraJsE
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:
Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/
United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/
Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf
Previous Episode
Jenna Bainbridge On Making Broadway History Not Once, But Twice
July 7, 2025
•78m
Welcome Back!
In this week’s episode of Always Looking Up I sat down with Jenna Bainbridge. Jenna is an actor, singer, co-founder, disability rights advocate and executive producer of two of my favorite TikTok series. She navigates the world as an ambulatory wheelchair user and, in 2024 became the first wheelchair user to perform in a New Musical on Broadway when she made her debut in Suffs. Now she is again making history portraying Nessarose in the Broadway production of Wicked, being the first wheelchair user to do so on stage. We discuss how she became Nessa, doing Broadway as a wheelchair user, why we all need to be asking ourselves if our outfits sit and much, much more.
Follow Jenna: Instagram: @bainbridgejenna TikTok: @bainbridgejenna Website: https://www.jennabainbridge.com
Follow ConsultAbility: Instagram: @consultability Website: https://www.consultability.org
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:
Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/
United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/
Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf
Next Episode
In this week’s episode I sat down with Aariana Rose Philip. Aariana is a groundbreaking trans model from The Bronx, by way of Antigua and Barbuda, known for championing representation for disabled and trans women of color in fashion. Represented by Supreme New York, she has starred in global campaigns, graced major magazine covers including British Vogue, and continues to push for a more inclusive industry. We discuss how what many call inspirational, we call survival, where disabled bodies belong in fashion, how “fabulous” is defined and should be represented and much, much more.
Follow Aariana: Instagram: @aarianaphilip TikTok: @aarirosephilip
Read "My Body Belongs In A Museum": https://www.jillianilana.com/home/my-body-belongs-in-a-museum
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:
Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/
United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/
Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf
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