On this week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Jacqui Pitman - CEO, producer, advocate for children in foster care, and founder of Marvin Cares for Kids.

Growing up, Jacqui navigated the foster care system from the ages of 7 to 18, and then at 18, she received an opportunity to work in LA. Jacqui has since become a multifaceted powerhouse in the entertainment industry, serving as the CEO of PartyPit Productions Inc. and the visionary force behind Pitman Casting Inc., a premier reality television casting and development company based in Los Angeles. With a career that now spans decades, Jacqui has solidified herself as a pivotal figure in reality television, casting over 500 unscripted shows that have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide.

Her casting credits read like a who's who of television, including iconic shows such as The Golden Bachelor, America’s Most Wanted, Price is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, Wheel of Fortune, Blind Date, Kids Say The Darndest Things, Big Brother 2, and Face Off (seasons 1-13), among others. As the driving force behind PartyPit Productions Inc., Jacqui continues to push the boundaries of reality television by developing original concepts for a diverse array of platforms, including Snapchat, Amazon, ABC, CBS, NBC, Bravo, Netflix, Facebook, OWN, HBO MAX, HGTV, Discovery, Food Network, GSN, Syfy, WE Network, CMT, CNBC, Lifetime, TNT, MTV, and VH1.

Jacqui's life journey is marked by resilience and determination and her personal experiences have fueled her passion for advocacy, leading her to spearhead annual drives to raise funds for children within the foster care system, and then found her own 501c3 nonprofit organization "Marvin Cares for Kids” which is dedicated to supporting foster children as they transition out of the system and pursue careers in the entertainment industry. Named in honor of her late brother, Marvin, who tragically passed away from a fatal asthma attack at the age of 14, Marvin Cares for Kids seeks to provide guidance, resources, and opportunities to foster youth, empowering them to realize their full potential.

Jacqui joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week for this inspiring, fun, and entertaining episode! Jacqui is a bright sunshine with a powerful story and inspiring work to share. You don’t want to miss this episode!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Jacqui’s inspiring life story;

• Her experience as a child growing up in the foster care system;

• The story of how she moved out to LA and got her first job in the entertainment industry;

• How she became the multifaceted powerhouse in the entertainment industry that she is today;

• The work she’s done throughout her career to help children in the foster care system and what led her to start her nonprofit organization, Marvin Cares for Kids;

• And so much more!

For more information on Jacqui and her incredible work, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/jacquipitman

Listen and Subscribe: Don't miss this inspiring episode - and so many others! Listen to The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on #ApplePodcasts, #Spotify, #YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Join the movement to empower girls and change the world, one story at a time!

For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, to listen to all of our podcast episodes, watch our Emmy-nominated documentaries, and more, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

“I lost part of my soul when Laird died.”

On July 1, 2023, Gwyn received a call from her ex-husband that their son Laird

had died. Laird died of a fentanyl overdose – from just half a pill. The devastation that followed Laird’s death was devastating and extreme, not just for his family, his friends, and his girlfriend, but also for the entire community.

Now, nearly a year later, while Laird’s siblings and parents are still struggling to cope with his loss, and his closest friends battle daily to merely survive after his death - Laird’s mother, Gwyn, has become an activist and advocate - who has dedicated her life to combating the fentanyl epidemic.

In the days after Laird’s death, Gwyn began the first of many interviews with local, national, and international TV, newspaper, and online publications. Interviews and op-eds focused on the devastating loss of her son, education about fentanyl use, and how deeply fentanyl had become entrenched in the community, especially in the school where her son went.

About ten days after Laird’s death, a suspect was arrested on a ‘death by distribution’ warrant. The suspect was initially given a $100,000 bond; however, within hours, the bond was dropped to $50,000, and the suspect made the $5,000 bail in less than 24 hours from his arrest. Unfortunately, despite having photographic evidence and cell phone records corroborating the drug buy, the ADA declined to prosecute. Due to this legal sucker punch, Gwyn began driving change on two fronts:

#JusticeForLaird: a grassroots campaign, in partnership with other Fentanyl focused nonprofits, driving legislative change at the local and state-level.

#LiveForLaird: educating teens and their parents about fentanyl, how drugs have become exponentially stronger over the past 30 years, and how to ask for help.

Still working through crippling grief daily and dreading the first anniversary coming up, Gwyn is determined to make a difference - and she is. She is truly a 1 Girl Revolution!

Gwyn joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share her heartbreaking and powerful story, and she shares how she is turning her heartbreak and grief -- into an initiative and activism that is dedicated to help others and bringing an end to the fentanyl epidemic in America.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Gwyn’s life story and about her life before she became a mama

• About Gwyn’s children and her life as a mama;

• The story of the devastating day when she found out that Laird had died by Fetanyl;

• How Gwyn found the strength to use her voice and dedicate her life to help others as we combat the Fentanyl epidemic in our world;

• About the incredible work that Gwyn is doing to raise awareness and bring an end to the Fentanyl epidemic in our world;

• And so much more!

Listen and Subscribe: Don't miss this inspiring episode - and so many others! Listen to The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on #ApplePodcasts, #Spotify, #YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Join the movement to empower girls and change the world, one story at a time!

For more information on Gwyn and her incredible work, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/gwynbrown

For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, to listen to all of our podcast episodes, watch our Emmy-nominated documentaries, and more, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

This week on The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast we welcome our friend Rannah, founder of St. Francis Ministries + the St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Uganda. You may be familiar with Rannah and her work because we’ve covered her through the years, but this is a powerful, inspiring, and in-depth look into how Rannah decided to go to Uganda and how St. Francis Ministries and the St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Uganda came to be.

Saint Francis Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2018 that serves the Deaf and disabled in Uganda through spiritual, linguistic, academic empowerment, support, and community to those in need. The St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf is a safe haven for Deaf students in Uganda, with a focus on sign language development, spiritual growth, and academic growth.

Rannah runs this incredible organization and school, and we are so honored and excited to share her story and her inspiring mission.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Rannah’s inspiring story and how she ended up in Uganda for the first time;

• How Rannah decided to start St. Francis Ministries and the school for the deaf and about their incredible mission;

• About the lives of those that St. Francis Ministries and the school for the deaf are impacting;

• What’s next for the organization and the school – and the big things they have to come;

• And so much more!

Listen and Subscribe: Don't miss this inspiring episode - and so many others! Listen to The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on #ApplePodcasts, #Spotify, #YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Join the movement to empower girls and change the world, one story at a time!

For more information on Rannah, St. Francis Ministries, and the St. Francis de Sales School for the deaf, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/rannah

For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, to listen to all of our podcast episodes, watch our Emmy-nominated documentaries, and more, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com