Please give a warm welcome to my guest, Marianna Cuomo Maier, certified health & wellness
coach and founder of Grata Wellness, which helps people take charge of their health, find
more joy in their lives, and often, she says, it starts with food.
Marianna holds wellness workshops, meditation, and journaling groups at wellness events in
support of finding our healthier, more balanced selves. And as she tells it, Marianna was not
always a healthy person. She had to learn how to do it.
Marianna also writes for @AppetitoMagazine, and in fact, we were introduced by Appetito‘s
founder, @AndrewCotto, as well as my friend, @AmyRiolo, writer of many books on the
Mediterranean Diet, specifically the Dummies series.
Marianna is also founder of the Emerging Leaders Council of the Italian Language Foundation,
which is dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture nationally.
And if the name Cuomo sounds familiar, she is of the infamous New York Cuomo family. Her
grandfather, Mario Cuomo, was a beloved governor of New York. Uncle Andrew was also NY
governor, and Uncle Chris is a well-known, award-winning TV journalist.
Please join my conversation with Marianna on how we can all be healthier in a world that often
promotes fast living and fast foods. She also talks about life growing up Cuomo, and how her
Italian heritage helped form her wellness routines she lives by today. You’ll find our
#DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast on all video and audio
podcast platforms. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I thank you for joining us. Please
also invite your friends, too!

Please welcome to our show the immensely talented Italian director and actress, Ilaria
Borrelli, who is also a human rights activist. In fact, much of Ilaria’s activism is
reflected in her work, often with an emphasis on the rights of woman and young girls.
I met Ilaria at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, when she was speaking
about her film, “The Goat,” about an 11-year-old pregnant orphan forced into
marriage in her small Ethiopian village, only to escape with her goat, which provides
nourishment, companionship, and even friendship throughout her difficult journey to
find her her father, and ultimately peace. The film stars Mira Sorvino and John Savage,
along with young Egyptian Tik Tok star, Jessica Hosam.
Ilaria has been behind some of the most prolific films throughout her career, including
“Life Is Beautiful,” and “A Girl from the Brothel,” among others. We will talk with her
about her adventures filming in often dangerous condition, her life’s work as an
actress and eventually behind the camera, and how it all began in Naples, Italia. She
will also discuss her intense interest in spotlighting the dangers of human trafficking
young girls, and how she hopes to shed a spotlight on the issue through her work.
I’m honored to present Ilaria on our show, and thank you to my friend, Lorenza, for
suggesting an interview. Please find my full conversation with Ilaria on all video and
audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and
#LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to
have you join us.

Meet Bunny Hull. Bunny is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with 20 Gold and
Platinum Certifications. She’s the recipient of the GMA Dove Award, BMI Performance
Award, Parents’ Choice Awards, and that’s not even why we’re having her on our
show today!

Hull, who has also been inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame, joins us
to talk about something truly dear to her heart, in addition to music. She founded
Dream a World Education, whose mission is to provide social-emotional learning and
an understanding of cultural diversity through art-based education in early childhood.
Dream a World partners with schools throughout Los Angeles county and beyond to
empower children to discover their own creativity and understand how we are all
connected. It’s a magnificent program, and Bunny joins us to talk about the many
students they’ve touched through arts education. Of course, we will ask about working
with some of the greats in her music career, like partnering with Irene Cara and
working with Michael Jackson. And she’s got stories!

Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE,
And invite your friends, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I’d like to
welcome you here and thank you for joining our show