In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Ashley Smith (studio owner and director of SMASH Dance Academy) to talk about meeting her husband, Ryan Smith(executive chairman and co-founder of Qualtrics and Utah Jazz owner), their love and passion for Utah, and how the Utah Jazz fandom helps unify the entire state.

Then Ashley opens up about her love for dance, her decision to open a dance studio, and how dance has been and can be an outlet for so many students during rough times in their lives. 

We also dive into the moment when Ashley and Ryan realized that they were going to have the opportunity to become the owners of the Jazz, the amazing responsibility that comes with such an opportunity, and how they've been able to use their platform to help make positive changes in Utah.

To learn more about the organizations talked about during this episode follow the links below:

Encircle: https://encircletogether.org/
5 For the Fight: https://www.5forthefight.org/
Utah Jazz Scholarship: https://www.nba.com/jazz/scholarship

In this week's episode, Utah's First Lady Abby Cox is joined by Ashley Smith (studio owner and director of SMASH Dance Academy) to talk about meeting her husband, Ryan Smith (executive chairman and co-founder of Qualtrics and Utah Jazz owner), their love and passion for Utah, and how the Utah Jazz fandom helps unify the entire state.
Then Ashley opens up about her love for dance, her decision to open a dance studio, and how dance has been and can be an outlet for so many students during rough times in their lives.&nbsp;
We also dive into the moment when Ashley and Ryan realized that they were going to have the opportunity to become the owners of the Jazz, the amazing responsibility that comes with such an opportunity, and how they've been able to use their platform to help make positive changes in Utah.
To learn more about the organizations talked about during this episode follow the links below:
Encircle: <a href="https://encircletogether.org/">https://encircletogether.org/</a> 5 For the Fight: <a href="https://www.5forthefight.org/">https://www.5forthefight.org/</a> Utah Jazz Scholarship: https://www.nba.com/jazz/scholarship

Join Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox and her friends for timely and candid conversations with fascinating people with unique perspectives in an effort to unite us all through our common humanity. Each week, Abby dives into discussions on topics ranging from education to motherhood to mental health and beyond. 

Abby is an outspoken advocate for “getting proximate” with people who have different viewpoints, and using her platform as Utah’s First Lady to combat the empathy crisis our country is facing. 

Come along with us as we journey to bring courage, compassion and connection back into our homes and communities... and have a lot of fun along the way! THANK YOU for being our friend.

Join Utah&rsquo;s First Lady Abby Cox and her friends for timely and candid conversations with fascinating people with unique perspectives in an effort to unite us all through our common humanity. Each week, Abby dives into discussions on topics ranging from education to motherhood to mental health and beyond.&nbsp;
Abby is an outspoken advocate for &ldquo;getting proximate&rdquo; with people who have different viewpoints, and using her platform as Utah&rsquo;s First Lady to combat the empathy crisis our country is facing.&nbsp;
Come along with us as we journey to bring courage, compassion and connection back into our homes and communities... and have a lot of fun along the way! THANK YOU for being our friend.

First Lady & Friends

Ashley Smith on the Utah Jazz,  dance's impact on the youth, and making positive change in Utah

Michael Bonner(Teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, International Speaker, CEO of Bonnerville) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about developing ways for students to be passionate about the process of learning, how the Ron Clark Academy is transforming the classroom, and why pouring love into students is so important for their growth in and outside of the classroom.

We also talk about the challenges that Michael faces in the education system, some of the ways that he recharges to stay focused on being the best teacher possible, and why we all need to be advocates for our teachers as a community.

Lastly, we dive into practical ways to talk about social media in the classroom, how to navigate AI in the classroom, and why traditional educational curriculums may need to be reformed to fit in today's era of technology.

Related Links:

The Ron Clark Academy
https://ronclarkacademy.com/

Michael Bonner
https://twitter.com/MichaelBonner_
https://www.michael-bonner.com/

Michael Bonner (Teacher at the Ron Clark Academy, International Speaker, CEO of Bonnerville) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about developing ways for students to be passionate about the process of learning, how the Ron Clark Academy is transforming the classroom, and why pouring love into students is so important for their growth in and outside of the classroom.
We also talk about the challenges that Michael faces in the education system, some of the ways that he recharges to stay focused on being the best teacher possible, and why we all need to be advocates for our teachers as a community.
Lastly, we dive into practical ways to talk about social media in the classroom, how to navigate AI in the classroom, and why traditional educational curriculums may need to be reformed to fit in today's era of technology.
Related Links:
The Ron Clark Academy <a href="https://ronclarkacademy.com/">https://ronclarkacademy.com/</a>
Michael Bonner <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelBonner_">https://twitter.com/MichaelBonner_</a> <a href="https://www.michael-bonner.com/">https://www.michael-bonner.com/</a>

How The Ron Clark Academy is Transforming the Classroom with Michael Bonner

Amy Antonelli(CEO of Humanitarian Experience, Inc.) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about her experience working in the Silicon Valley boom, the impact that Steve Jobs had on her passion for creating positive change, and how a natural disaster completely shifted her mindset towards helping others.

Amy also opens up about her experience working in the leprosy colonies that existed throughout India while working with Rising Star Outreach, being invited by Mark Zuckerberg to join Facebook to change their internal culture, and the events that led her to joining HXP to continue her passion for humanitarianism.

Lastly, we talk about the early beginnings of Humanitarian XP, the connections that HXP aims to develop through volunteerism, and some of the amazing places that HXP has been able to serve over the past few years.

Related Links:

Humanitarian XP: https://www.humanitarianxp.org/

Rising Star Outreach: https://risingstaroutreach.org/

Amy Antonelli (CEO of Humanitarian Experience, Inc.) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about her experience working in the Silicon Valley boom, the impact that Steve Jobs had on her passion for creating positive change, and how a natural disaster completely shifted her mindset towards helping others.
Amy also opens up about her experience working in the leprosy colonies that existed throughout India while working with Rising Star Outreach, being invited by Mark Zuckerberg to join Facebook to change their internal culture, and the events that led her to joining HXP to continue her passion for humanitarianism.
Lastly, we talk about the early beginnings of Humanitarian XP, the connections that HXP aims to develop through volunteerism, and some of the amazing places that HXP has been able to serve over the past few years.
Related Links:
Humanitarian XP: <a href="https://www.humanitarianxp.org/">https://www.humanitarianxp.org/</a>
Rising Star Outreach: <a href="https://risingstaroutreach.org/">https://risingstaroutreach.org/</a>

From Silicon Valley Entrepreneur to Humanitarian Advocate with Amy Antonelli

Curtis Bennett (Co-chair of JustServe) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to share his experience growing up in Mesa, AZ, and to talk about how mentors he gained in Mesa made an incredible impact on his work ethic. 

Curtis also shares the lessons he and his family learned while living in Santiago, Chile, learning to be successful in the business sector, and why it's so fundamental to find a positive mentor in life to promote healthy personal growth.

Then we dive into just a few of the service opportunities that JustServe provides throughout Utah, why it's beneficial to get out of our normal routine to serve our communities, and various ways that you can participate in this year's upcoming 9/11 Days of Service to honor those killed and injured on 9/11.

Related Links:

JustServe: https://www.justserve.org/

Mentors International: https://mentorsinternational.org/

9/11 Days of Service: https://911day.org/

Tiny Tim's Foundation for Kids: https://tinytimstoys.org/

Curtis Bennett (Co-chair of JustServe) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to share his experience growing up in Mesa, AZ, and to talk about how mentors he gained in Mesa made an incredible impact on his work ethic. 
Curtis also shares the lessons he and his family learned while living in Santiago, Chile, learning to be successful in the business sector, and why it's so fundamental to find a positive mentor in life to promote healthy personal growth.
Then we dive into just a few of the service opportunities that JustServe provides throughout Utah, why it's beneficial to get out of our normal routine to serve our communities, and various ways that you can participate in this year's upcoming 9/11 Days of Service to honor those killed and injured on 9/11.
Related Links: 
JustServe: <a href="https://www.justserve.org/">https://www.justserve.org/</a>
Mentors International: <a href="https://mentorsinternational.org/">https://mentorsinternational.org/</a>
9/11 Days of Service: <a href="https://911day.org/">https://911day.org/</a>
Tiny Tim's Foundation for Kids: <a href="https://tinytimstoys.org/">https://tinytimstoys.org/</a>

Ashley Smith on the Utah Jazz, dance's impact on the youth, and making positive change in Utah

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