Today we’d like to introduce you to The Thrive-By Podcast.
Hi The Thrive-by, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Thrive-by Podcast was created to tell the difficult stories of our communities and how pain can still serve to create purpose, passion, and beauty. Nearly two decades after his brother Jerem’s tragic and unsolved killing, Jessie “J.R.” Angeles embarked on a deeply personal journey to uncover the truth about his eldest brother’s life and legacy. Through long-overdue conversations with his family, J.R. pieced together Jerem’s experience as a Filipino-American immigrant navigating California’s gang culture in the 1990s, shaped by socioeconomic struggles and systemic challenges. Now a social worker, J.R. is working with director and filmmaker Jon Pham to create a documentary–GERM–to uncover stories, healing, and conversations many in the Filipino American and larger Asian American community have difficulty with, but are long overdue.
In the process of completing the sizzle reel for the documentary, it was apparent the topics covered in the film connected to many. Those who watched the first public images accompanying a crowdsourcing campaign connected to the themes in the sizzle reel. J.R partnered with professor and community organizer Dr. Kirin Macapugay, and filmmaker, director, and producer Marques Mallare to create The Thrive-by Podcast, a visual and audio open-source educational tool to discuss the themes in GERM. Topics so far have covered the ways Filipino and Filipino American culture impacted J.R and his family’s processing their grief over losing Jerem, the overwhelming way our audience and community members have received the sizzle reel and campaign, resilience in the Angeles family, especially J.R, who credits Jerem’s life for his own work in the difficult role of a case manager for people living on the streets on San Diego and the Inland Empire, uplifting them when they have nothing to a place they can literally call home. In Thrive-by, J.R and Kirin explore the difficult things our Asian Americans have difficulty discussing, like mental health, the traumas of immigration and assimilation in America, gang life, the ways we communicate, or not, between generations, as well as the ways we build community with one another. Together, they wanted to bring these conversations out to the public in an accessible artistic way.
J.R and Kirin do not hesitate to share their candid emotions and thoughts in the podcast, and while Marques makes sure to record these conversations. We want people who tune in see the expressions on our hosts and guests faces, and to see how they interact with one another. J.R and Kirin’s friendship is that of siblings, with J.R referring to Kirin as “ateh,” which means big sister in Tagalog. This shows a dimension of how Filipino Americans form ties with others that feel like family, although we are not related by blood. This is another theme explored in Thrive-by, the strength of friendships, of chosen family, of having people who you can call when you are struggling or need guidance. Although many difficult things are shared, many beautiful things are also shared. We capture these conversations, document them in a high production quality over three to four cameras, edit the content so it flows well, and deliver it to anyone who can get to a screen. We upload condensed clips to our Instagram page so people can hear the insight J.R, Kirin, and guests share, encouraging them to listen to entire episodes on Youtube and Spotify.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The Thrive-by team is currently using our own resources and volunteering our time. Despite this, we are committed to the podcast and the community’s feedback has been positive. The podcast helps to inform audiences of the documentary’s progress, but is intended to explore beyond and past the documentary to the stories we do not share enough. We hope to secure other resources to continue this effort.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Jessie “J.R.” Angeles Jr. has dedicated his career to social services and education for the past nine years, with a special focus on homeless services. Driven by the loss of his eldest brother to gang violence, J.R. has committed his life to helping others and making a positive impact in his community. Armed with a degree in Sociology, J.R. utilizes his academic background to inform his approach to social work. His profound understanding of social dynamics and human behavior has been instrumental to his success, leading to appearances on several news stations along with public speaking alongside the mayors of San Diego at a press conference.
J.R. played a pivotal role in piloting and creating a vital street-based case management outreach approach with a prominent homeless service organization in California. This innovative approach has significantly improved the lives of many individuals experiencing homelessness, showcasing J.R.’s dedication and ingenuity. His unwavering commitment to social justice and his ability to leverage his personal experiences to drive meaningful change make him a respected and influential leader in his field.
After nearly 30 years of working in health and human nonprofits and public education serving under-resourced communities, Dr. Kirin Macapugay is Vice-Chair for the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander (API) Affairs, and Chair of its Education Committee, which spearheaded the historic California Student Achievement Program to support lower-income API students. A longtime community organizer, she is tenured full professor and department lead of the human services department at San Diego City College, co-created the college’s Inclusive City Achievement Program to strengthen API student success and created the Program for Engaged Educational Services, the first educational and career path in homelessness prevention program in the country. Kirin is Vice President Emeritus of Southwestern Community College District. She founded the nonprofits API Community Actions and Indigenous Knowledge, Art, and Truth (IKAT). She has published a book, award-winning frameworks, and scholarly articles on civic engagement, advocacy, and culturally affirming pedagogy; is a public speaker, and has appeared on NPR, PBS, KPBS, KGTV, KUSI, among others. Her accolades include being named “Best Professor” by SDSU students, Civil Rights Woman Leader by RISE San Diego, 12 Most Influential Women in San Diego by San Diego Magazine, 50 Most Influential Asian Leaders by San Diego Business Journal, Civic Leader by the Asian Pacific American Coalition, and has a day proclaimed in her name in the County of San Diego. She is also a musician and dancer from the Kalinga and Bontoc indigenous people of the Philippines, and mother to two children.
Marques Mallare is a driven and energetic Filipino-American Director and Producer based in Los Angeles, CA, with a passion for storytelling that bridges creativity and strategy. Beginning his career as a stuntman in the San Francisco Bay Area, Marques quickly transitioned to the other side of the camera, honing his skills as a filmmaker and a storyteller. With a deep commitment to collaboration, Marques works closely with the crews who have been instrumental in his journey, bringing a fresh perspective to both narrative and non-narrative projects. His work showcases a blend of artistic vision and technical precision, earning recognition on prestigious platforms.
Marques made his mark as a director with his debut film, Palm Swings, which he also produced. The film earned accolades including Best Dark Comedy and Best LGBTQ+ Film at the Independent Shorts Awards and IndieX Film Fest. Garnering millions of views online, the project solidified his reputation as a versatile and impactful storyteller.
What does success mean to you?
There are quantifiable measures we hope from Thrive-by, in the form of subscribers, supporters, donors, sponsors, and longevity. However, we define the success of this project by the people who connect with our stories, by those who get to learn about, think of, or process conversations we have with one another. If the Thrive-by podcast continues to move people, inspire them, and reflect the realities of our life’s pains and joys, then it is successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivebypodcast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivebypodcast/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivebypodcast
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lxD5VtRxRE1xT4cPIKp9l
Image Credits
Marques Mallare, Ben Macapugay, Kirin Macapugay
