It was just after her first birthday that the parents of Journee Perry noticed that she was not verbalizing as expected for a one-year-old. Her father, Ira Perry, comes to The Offshoot Podcast to tell what it was like learning that his youngest child of nine was on the spectrum for autism. There was a lot of waiting for professional assistance and a lack of resources, so instead of passing the time waiting for appointments, he turned to artificial intelligence.

Perry is utilizing his entrepreneurial expertise to mitigate the time it takes to determine if and where children are on the spectrum for autism. He has launched an AI platform, https://klongen.ai, that will assist professionals in diagnosing autism more quickly, and that AI platform, thereby, will help children more easily adapt to social norms and calm traits like anxiety and over stimulation. The holographic technology, Klonggen AI, helps families and their children with autism by keeping consistent the familiarity that those on the spectrum need to calm anxiousness and better understand their surroundings.

On this episode of The Offshoot Podcast, listen to how this one Black father is supporting his daughter, and how he plans to share Klongen AI, with others, professionals, to ensure that children with autism are up to par with their peers. https://klongen.ai.

From Angela Harper, daughter of Archie Harper
Archie Harper is 91 and still hitting the gym three times a week. That tells you something about his approach to life.

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, he made a decision at 18 that would shape everything: he joined the U.S. Air Force. What followed was three decades in uniform, with deployments that took him across the globe - including service during the Vietnam War. After military retirement, his service continued: first as a procurement specialist, and then in security at the Sacramento International Airport.

He earned a degree in Education from Southern Illinois University, but his real classroom has always been his life experiences and the people he's met along the way. Ask him about his guiding principles and he'll tell you: truth, friendship, spirituality, and treating others the way you want to be treated. Simple ideas that aren't always simple to live by.

His personal motto is "Keep on keeping on"—words that seem to capture his persistence, his positive mindset, and his pragmatism. Looking back, he says joining the military was the best decision he ever made.

But these days, Archie is thinking bigger. His hope is that humanity can figure out how to sit down and talk instead of fight. "We could accomplish so much more," he said, "if we just stopped and listened to each other."

Archie and his wife of 50 years reside in Sacramento, CA.

Emmy nominated and executive producer of movies and television shows like "A Match Made In Heaven," "Call Me Zaddy," "False Advertisement," and "Sorry About That," Lena Jenkins-Smith doesn't give a lot of interviews. She is more comfortable being behind the camera, managing a team of creatives, to produce non-traditional content - films different from typical Hollywood stories. She has been in the game for more than 20 years, having got her big break working for renowned comedian Katt Williams, whom she still does some production work. She would say it started from being at the bottom, but now, she leads her own production company Goldstrand Media with business partner Jonathan Williams.

Coming from behind the camera, Lena sits down for a conversation on this episode of The Offshoot Podcast. From her beginnings as an extra in the classic John Singleton film "Poetic Justice," to her leadership role as a entrepreneur, motherhood, and producer, Lena has taking many pivots in her career but has stayed on the path - through the ups and downs. She is still learning and growing, and with that she is bringing young people along with her. In her conversation with The Offshoot, Lena speaks truthfully about the disappointments, the euphoria, the challenges, and her faith.

Dating isn't what it used to be - at least not prior to the advent of social media and reality TV dating shows. It seems that in today's world of dating, there is an over emphasis on romance, which is not always a bad thing, when it is genuine, but it is certainly not a good thing when it is expected to be what is seen in the fictional world of motion pictures. On this episode of The Offshoot, the discussion is about the fantasies surrounding dating in a time of heavy social media use and false realities.

Baltimore, that once thriving industrial city caught between the nation's capitol of Washington, D.C. and the city of brotherly love Philadelphia, is again making noise with music. A new form a house music and club music, that is unique to Baltimore, is drawing dancers and club goers to the city, and the musicians behind it all are now taking their creations to wider audiences globally. DJ and producer S.DOT is among the artists bringing attention to Baltimore's new and growing music scene, and he is on this episode of The Offshoot Podcast to talk about his music and what's happening musically in Baltimore.

The Baltimore house and club music sound had been in the city for years but it was considered, somewhat, underground. One still has to be in the know to get into the best clubs to dance and sweat or just vibe to the music, and S.DOT has a plethora of tracks befitting any mood down for a good time. On The Offshoot Podcast, S.DOT talks of the vibrancy of house music and club music in Baltimore, and he talks about talking influence from Chicago house and AfroBeats to create a Baltimore House sound that is infectious and damn right good to listen to.

S.DOT is about to go on tour, which means he can be seen and heard:
May 2 at 1722 in Baltimore
May 3 at 618 Cocktail & Whiskey Lounge in Washington, DC
May 10 at 1835 W Oxford Philadelphia
May 17 at Pianos in New York City

https://www.instagram.com/p/DItbZJDs4cs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ruvWpLs2aMVuibVXpsJwL?si=TQDvPcIcSEmYgymRETdIKQ

https://sdotmusic1.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/sdotmusik/tracks

Not forgiving someone for a wrong is never discussed as often as forgiving someone for a wrong. The mantra is to forgive and move on, but what if not forgiving someone who has perpetrated an act of betrayal, violence, broken trust or theft , which could lead to triggers or trauma, is healing? What if it is not?

On this episode of The Offshoot Podcast, Dr. Yve Michaels flips the script and has me, the host, on her couch, as we talk about not forgiving versus forgiving as part of process toward healing from triggers, trauma and other emotional pains. Whether the pain came upon you from family, friends, co-workers, or the church, not forgiving can be easy but it is not the path to healing, according to Dr. Michaels. But, why do we sometimes feel that not forgiving is ideal? Listen to Dr. Michaels, and she will tell you not forgiving has nothing to do with the other person but rather forgiveness is solely about you.

On this episode of The Offshoot Podcast, three incredible chefs define what makes food good, and it turns out good food is more than just about taste. Chef Sherise, the owner of Sweet Sage Catering, Chef Steven Steven German-Jones the co-owner of Palate202 Catering, and Chef Maine, the owner of The Maine Course, define what is good food by telling stories about their grandmothers' cooking, the family connections, the history of Black food, and rising costs to prepares dishes like collard greens and oxtails.

Food can be basic or it can be a memorable meal. It can be an expensive cuisine of unique marinades and sauces or it can be a very satisfying grub that warms the soul. But in both cases, and everything in between, food can be good, and according to all three chefs, food should be good. Not all mac & cheese is the same, so what makes one version of the iconic dish more good than the other? Watch and listen to what Chef Sherise, Chef Steven and Chef Maine have to say about what makes food good on this episode of The Offshoot.

To cater your next soiree, dinner party or brunch contact any of these fabulous chefs at:

Chef Sherise of Sweet Sage Catering, www.sweetsagecatering.com, on Instagram at Sweetsagellc

Chef Steven of Palate202 Catering, palate202llc@gmail.com, www.palate202catering.com, on Instagram at palate_202

Chef Maine of The Maine Course, www.themainecourse.com, on Instagram at _maine_course

I am going to venture and bet that there are many of us who went through the public education system, and perhaps throughout college and grad school, did not have many, if any, Black men as educators. I would venture and add that for those individuals that attended private schools, there were not many Black men educators in their classrooms either. The lack of Black men in the classroom, direct correlation or not, seems to have impact on many youth in schools today. The impact seems to hit harder when it comes to young, Black boys.

Why are there so few Black men in education at every level of education? On this episode of The Offshoot Podcast, posed that question to two Black men who had professions in education, but chose to leave for different reasons. Their decision was despite the acknowledgement that Black men are needed in the classroom. The education profession, to hear my guests talk, had become unsafe, high demand, and low in compensation. But they offer solutions. Take a listen to this episode of The Offshoot Podcast.