RESET THE ALGORITHM

As our first season winds down, we are reflecting on what brought us together and led us to the creation of the shows you’ve seen on our platform. Reset the Algorithm and Artist 2 Artist are both unique shows with specific visions but one consistent throughline can be seen in all that we produce; our dedication to social justice and equity. As queer creators of color, we see the need for change within our communities. Our goal as we built out each episode of season 1 was to see how social justice is being fought for in all different avenues of life. From supporting black female entrepreneurs in venture capital and fighting Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan to speaking with artists who created life-changing music from behind prison walls, every episode showed us the magic that lives within human tenacity - especially when used for the greater good of us all. Learning from the amazing Artists, Activists, Entrepreneurs, and Educators has inspired us in countless ways and we are bringing all of that inspiration and vision into an even more impactful Season 2 this fall. Stay with us as we keep working to ‘Reset the Algorithm’ for all of us!

This week on Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors joins a discussion of heritage, art and the resistance of reimagination with artists and mother-son duo, Shahla Dorriz and alexandre ali reza dorriz. "You're the only person in the world who could get my mom and I in a room together to do a podcast of all things”, ali reza says to Patrisse… and while that may be true, we are so grateful they came to chat. This episode is an authentic reminder of the importance of personal expression in conjunction with legacy, and how the representation of heritage can transform future generations through art. Shahla, a fashion designer and creative consultant, shares her journey to finding her most authentic artistic medium through fashion, and the importance of the multi-generational approach to her work that centers the inclusion of her Iranian heritage, often in collaboration with her son. Ali Reza, an artist with a research-based practice, sheds light both on his own work with Crenshaw Dairy Mart in Los Angeles, and his work in creating localized hubs for economic, artistic and agricultural autonomy for his community, but on the awe and inspiration instilled in him through both his own experience of his artistic practice and in the one that has been nurtured between himself and his mother. In conversation, the trio explore the waters of storytelling through fabric, the influence of the duo's Iranian heritage on their work, and both the challenges and rewards that arise when one sets an intention to preserve cultural design and promote diverse, unique perspectives within the fashion industry. This mother-son duo are an impactful showcase of how divergent ideas can curate something beautiful, created through that unique channel that each of us has access to; of how that channel becomes ever more powerful the more honest and collaborative we open ourselves to be. This episode reminds us all that artists have the ability to challenge oppressive systems, to create in a way that reminds consumers of times past from which they have the opportunity to learn, and that in embracing ourselves and the roots from which we grew, we become unshakably planted in our identity. "Value your work. If you know what you're working on and if you see that work as valuable, it is valuable."

Our Anon episodes are a direct result of the number of DMs our podcast channel and Moj’s personal channel receive about our content. Hearing your thoughts is vital to us and we read everything you submit via the Anon form as well as in our DMs. We thought now would be a good time to do another one of these episodes since we are seeing the discomfort of our audience in real-time to the types of content we are putting out. What you can always depend on with us, the purpose of this show - is to break us all out of our digital echo-chambers. With that comes being stretched, being exposed to new ideas and at times hearing things you disagree with or that make you uncomfortable. It is hard - but we can all handle it. In this episode we talk through the difficulties of being on socials rn and what you can do to cope, the discomfort you all expressed in response to one of our recent releases and some Iranian Diaspora ☕amongst other things. If you want to share your thoughts with us, you can always submit to our anon form and we hope to read your feedback soon!