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All the boys in his family have unique names — including titles. “Master Sedrique Lynn Von Olison,” he laughs. It’s an effortless, full-bodied diaphragmatic roar perfect for his towering six-foot-five frame, caramel skin and dazzling pearly whites. With a laugh as contagious as his personality, I found myself sunk, engulfed, all-in. And that’s Olison’s advice to you, as well.

What if there were a way to feel like you were truly walking in someone else’s shoes? What if you could stroll along the streets of their hometown, sit at a table across from their family members and hear the rhythms of their daily life? Moreover, what if you could do this without ever leaving your house?

I attended journalism school and used my free time to write articles. I got one column, and later, a second one. Today, I’m amazed I didn’t quit sooner, but at 23, I was convinced I was on the right track. I won prizes and became newcomer of the year, so I ignored the fact that I wasn’t really happy. I didn’t have time to think about it, either.

Hosted by two self-described changemakers from vastly different industries, VOC highlights others doing the work to understand the mindsets, situations and motivations that help them change the world.

Here’s how one working mom designed a location-independent lifestyle for herself and her family.

Chaldeans are known for having extravagant taste, especially when it comes to home décor — such extravagance is linked to their ancestry, Peter explains. Her own passion for interior design spurred Peter to create an Instagram account devoted to her unique style and taste.

In book one of the “What (Race) Are We” series, Ivorian-American Muslim author Papatia Feauxzar introduces readers to Nouredine on his first day of preschool. The boy, an only child, is elated to be around so many other kids — until one of his schoolmates asks him: “What are you!?”

People often tell Henderson she should run for office — in fact, she heard it so many times she became curious about what the demands of running a political campaign would actually be. When her friend Dr. Lisa Calderón mounted her own campaign to become Denver’s first female mayor, Henderson got the chance to find out.