This week we bring you two stories of people who had to reckon with the fact that their first choice wasn’t available.

Part 1: When the local science museum looks to hire performers, David Nett believes he’s the perfect man for the job.

Part 2: After finding out her uterus never developed, scientist Chivonne Battle searches for an alternative way to become a mother.

David Nett has spent over 20 years in Los Angeles writing, producing,  and acting in TV, film, and theater. Currently, he’s the writer for Geek  & Sundry’s “Starter Kit,” the VP of Entertainment Development for  ArcMedia, co-owner of Hero’s Journey Fitness with his wife, Christy, and  the Dungeon Master for two ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns,  one that he’s been running since 1987. He wants to thank his parents,  who did not utter a single angry word (to his face) when he left his  academic scholarships behind to study acting. 

Chivonne Battle is a VT graduate student with a B.S. in Material Science  & Engineering (VT, ’05), ultimately in pursuit of a Planning,  Governance, & Globalization Ph.D. Her career is based in  engineering, however, growing up unexposed and embedded in the cyclic  behaviors resulting from poverty, lives in her heart. Chivonne’s life  changed when she connected her background to the social engineering  world, in hopes of tackling the physiological and psychological impact  of socio-economic despair. On this team, she seeks and unveils truth in  working with communities/local governments with infrastructural  concerns; while journeying on to reverse the effects of poverty. 

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The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Story Collider, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

This week, for National Pet Parents day, we bring you two stories of our relationships with our cats.

Part 1:  In a battle over her apartment’s air quality, cat foster mom Tracy Rowland discovers how to use her kitten’s parasite as a weapon. 

Part 2: Gianmarco Soresi learns more about cats than he ever wanted to when his girlfriend adopts five.

Tracy is a 3-time Moth StorySLAM champion who first appeared on the  Story Collider stage in 2011, with a tale that tangentially had to do  with monkeys. She’s also part of the producing and hosting team behind  The Liar Show, a long-running NYC institution.  Tracy works days as a  writer and video editor, where her promos and shorts have appeared on  NBC, Cartoon Network, and Al Jazeera America. She won a local Emmy in  2010, but her mom still thinks it was the regular kind.  Check out more at www.tracyrowland.com.

Gianmarco Soresi is a New York based stand up comic, storyteller and actor. He’s  headlined Carolines on Broadway, Stand Up NY, EastVille Comedy Club, DC Comedy Loft, and his work has been featured on Funny or Die, Fast Company, The Atlantic, York, SeeSo’s New York’s Funniest, George Takei Presents, and Netflix’s  upcoming global series Bonding. He recently acted opposite Tracy Morgan  on TBS’ The Last O.G., Tom Selleck on CBS’ Blue Bloods, ABC’s Deception,  TruTV, and Comedy Central. More at www.gianmarcosoresi.com.

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The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Story Collider, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.