ABOUT THE PODCAST
Stories of people and culture in Maine.
( A Healthy Acadia Project)
This is a Maine podcast that seeks to inform, educate and inspire. The podcast provides a platform for the BIPOC community to do their own storytelling, and a chance to share their past and present with us. These collections of stories, told through our episodes will also serve a record of the BIPOC community’s contributions to Maine Culture for generations to come. This project is made possible though our strategic partnership with Healthy Acadia, our fiscal sponsor.
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THE TEAM BEHIND DOWNEAST DIVERSITY
ALYNEÂ CISTONE
Executive Producer & Host
Given her ability to bridge cultures, she is a sought after adviser and serves on the Board of Trustees at College of the Atlantic where she Co-Chairs the Board DEI Taskforce. She is also Founder and CEO of Global Tides Consulting, a Maine based Consulting Firm specializing in strategic support for the multicultural workspace for businesses and organizations. Alyne also volunteers for other numerous organizations across Maine and is both curating and producing each podcast episode. She resides on Mount Desert Island with her family.
JAQUESÂ NEWELL-TAYLOR
Co-Host & Assoc. Producer
Jacques is the founder of The Exercise Design Lab and developer of Neuro-Logic Training (N-LT). He has over 25 years of experience and education in the fields of applied neuroscience and exercise science. His strong reputation for excellent results and thoughtful service have earned the respect of medical and exercise professionals, professional athletes, and celebrities. Jacques is an avid mountaineer. He enjoys music of all kinds, camping, mountain running, orienteering, weight lifting, and the opportunity to be mindful while participating in any activity. He enjoys helping his clients, students, and colleagues develop the skills to do the same. Jacques is married to his best friend, Alexandra. They have a daughter and a dog, and reside on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
LUKE LABREE
Creative Consultant & Assoc. Producer
Luke LaBree is Chief Marketing Officer at Dennis Paper & Food Service, a Maine-based food distributor. He oversees the marketing and awareness efforts that support Dennis’s sales and growth initiatives. Luke has spent his career dedicated to thinking about, caring for, and creating brand-building marketing for businesses. He brings experience in design, podcast production, and digital strategy to the DED team. Luke lives in Orono, Maine, with his family.
CLARA BAKER
Community Outreach Consultant
Clara Baker works out of Southwest Harbor as a nonprofit consultant in fundraising, communications, and organizational strategy. Most recently, she joined Greenlight Maine to help produce three series that air on Maine Public TV promoting entrepreneurship in the state, including Elevating Voices. She previously partnered with Healthy Acadia to create a series of events and trainings for the MDI community about gender diversity. She looks forward to bringing her experience in community organizing to the Downeast Diversity Project.
CHARLIE PARKER
DED Fellow
Charlie Parker is a senior at Mt. Desert Island High School where he has participated in multiple varsity sports (Football, Basketball and Track). He also is a member of the MDI Regional School System Anti-Racism Task Force, of which he was a founding member. Â He has volunteered his time with both local youth basketball clinics as well as the high school Unified basketball league. Charlie moved to Maine from Atlanta, GA where he was born and lived for 14 years.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
HEALTHY ACADIA
Healthy Acadia is committed to collaboration and partnership across sectors and throughout their service area, knowing that we all do our best work by building trust, listening to one another, partnering together, and sharing resources, knowledge, and skills.
THE CRITERION
The Criterion Theatre is a shining jewel of Art Deco design, proudly featuring world-famous live performers, local acts, expertly-curated films, and community events throughout the year as MDI’s cultural hub.
OUR SPONSOR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
MDIRSS
DED Youth Forum (Dialogue about Race, Identity and the future of Maine’s BIPOC Community,
Pending Approval)
ABBE MUSEUM
DED Adult Forum - Dialogue on Race and Identity. (Pending approval)
COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC
Human Ecology Forum
( Pending Approval)
Donate to the Downeast Diversity Project
YOUR DONATIONS MAKE A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE.
Through the Project, Cistone will mentor BIPOC high school students to produce their own podcasts, looking more closely at the student experience and student-led efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within their schools, teams, clubs, and larger communities.
