Culture Talks with Olga Maria

Olga Maria also known as Liberating Mella is a bicultural Chicago native, creative, author, kombucha master brewer, maker, POC wellness advocate and overall ...

Olga Maria also known as Liberating Mella is a bicultural Chicago native, creative, author, kombucha master brewer, maker, POC wellness advocate and overall conscious explorer. She has created and curated art and wellness based content, ranging from art shows, workshops to products. 

  • Author of “Damaged Goods – Learning, Growing, and Letting go” a book that explores a young Woman’s coming of age story and the challenges she goes through as she moves from hopeless to the master of her destiny. 

  • Liberating Mella is her personal brand. It celebrates transforming moments that were meant to hurt into what allows her to thrive. 

  • She is the founder of  “ConsciousXplorer” a wellness shop that cultivates creative, conscious, healthy living and makes fresh, handmade products to nourish the body and lift the spirit.

Currently Olga Maria serves as the Communications & Operations Specialist for the Health and Wellness department of Chicago Public Schools focused on creating marketing and communications that engage underserved communities, providing access to social services, healthcare and nutrition. 

Connect with Olga:
Instagram
Website

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With Love,

Rebecca Muñoz
Founder & Curator
Cultured Society

Culture Talks with Rafael "Scheme" Navarro

Rafael Navarro Jr., a Mexican-American first generation college graduate and Founder of Loop Theory and Beats & Bars. Navarro has been a respected artist for...

Various Songs by Navarro aka Scheme

Rafael Navarro Jr., a Mexican-American first generation college graduate and Founder of Loop Theory and Beats & Bars. Navarro has been a respected artist for many years in the Chicago scene. As a self-sufficient artist he has developed a multitude of skills, which have helped him gain experience in various areas of life. With background experience in Behavioral Therapy with children in a group setting, as well as one-on-one with teens at Chicago Public Schools, in combination with my years of experience as an artist, he has created programs that he strongly believes in.

Navarro’s passion for music and working with youth were always two separate worlds. It wasn’t until one of his students came across his music online at the school he was working with at the time. This led to a group of students suggesting he start an after-school music program, which is where Beats & Bars originated. He finally found the place to have these separate worlds come together. Rafael came to realize the value there is in a skill set he taught himself as a teen.

He looks forward to the day where Beats and Bars spaces exist throughout our communities and provide the necessary resources for our teens to realize the options that exist for them. He wants nothing more than for the youth in his city to realize how valuable they are to themselves and their communities. Giving youth options and showing them that there isn’t one correct path to take. Teaching them to take responsibility, while helping them find the path that works best for them.

Rafael has refocused his purpose and is committed to developing artists to their full potential. Having experience as an artist gives him a unique perspective needed in helping new talent identify their vision and sound. Navarro’s goal with Loop Theory is to build a network of Creative’s and artists that will focus on the development of their artistry and a team, which will assist in managing the process.

As an active member of his community, a youth mentor, artist and now artist manager, Navarro believes it’s key to nurture new talent and guide them through the necessary steps to develop their artistic identity. He focuses on providing all the essential resources needed by the artists in order to support and achieve each individual's vision. Navarro envisions Loop Theory becoming a reputable artist development and management company for the next generation of creative’s. For Creators, by Creators.

Connect with Rafael:
Loop Theory
Soundcloud
Scheme Navarro IG
Loop Theory IG
Beats & Bars IG

Grow the CS Channel & Circulate the energy of LOVE by donating:
Paypal
Cash app
Venmo

With Love,

Rebecca Muñoz
Founder & Curator
Cultured Society