In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Ashaba Faridah, one of a small handful of female pilots in Uganda, to discuss interweaving our personal and spiritual lives, finding ways to give back and be of service, what flying can teach us about life, and much more. Ashaba was 1 of 9 women innovators to represent the UN women’s “Impossible to Ignore” campaign in 2019 and was listed among the most influential women in Africa by The Africa Diversity and Inclusion Center.

Meet first-generation Alaskan and distinctively awesome person, Jamie Klaes, Director of Aviation for Alaska EXCEL, a nonprofit that provides resources and skills for rural youth across Alaska. She also flies Medevac missions to rural villages in remote areas and is a backcountry flight instructor in remote Alaska – on floats and skis. She was a dog sledding guide, Former Mayor of Bettles and spent summers as tour pilot around Denali, the largest mountain in the world from base to top.

Sylvia is joined by Melissa Burns, a professional aerobatic pilot, display skydiver, B.A.S.E. Jumper and mom. As a pilot and athlete, she was the youngest female member of the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Team in history, was named the Fastest Woman in the World at the World Champion Wingsuit Jumping Race and has numerous Skydiving World Records. She is Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

Sylvia speaks with Alaskan glacier pilot, artist, and mother Leighan Falley. Leighan shares with listeners how growing up in the grandeur of Alaska shaped how she engages with the world, her experience as a female pilot, and how she balances her life as an artist, pilot, and mother.

This episode is an uplifting conversation with Captain-Crystal Stout, an entrepreneur, innovator, balloon pilot and Founder of the Dream Catcher Balloon Rides. Captain-Crystal has a clear and powerful passion for giving back and serving others especially individuals with physical challenges or disabilities. She has found a way to adapt her aircraft and use her love of flight to change lives.

Sylvia talks with pilot, visionary and strategist Ivy McIver, the Director of the SR Product Line at Cirrus Aircraft. Ivy talks about parachutes in airplanes, where planes can go and how they can change your life, why training is so critical, the importance of collaboration in the design process and bringing outrageous innovations to market. They also dig into the psychology of endurance multi-sports and how lessons learned from extreme physical challenges can be applied in other areas of life.

Sylvia is joined by social entrepreneur, pilot, and educator Refilwe Ledwaba. Refilwe is the first black woman from South Africa to fly a helicopter and she is also the first black woman to fly for the South African Police Service. Most recently she founded the Girls Fly Program in Africa, a nonprofit designed to shape, empower, enable and support the next generation of changemakers and problemsolvers in the aviation and space industry.

Sylvia is joined by entrepreneur, pilot, and watchmaker Abingdon Mullin. A successful businesswoman and a mentor, Abingdon drew inspiration from her love of flying to build the lifestyle brand Abingdon Co. The founder of the Abingdon Foundation, Abingdon has channeled her influence into empowering women to pursue their dreams in STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art and math) fields and enabling ventures in entrepreneurship.

In this first episode of 2021, Sylvia talks with Alaska native and speaker Shannon Huffman Polson about her journey as a thought leader on grit and resilience. She served as one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the US Army and earned her MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth before writing The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World and founding The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces.