Igor
My world was shaped by immigrant parents that lived their day-to-day life struggling to feed and clothe their children while suffering to keep their souls afloat. The chaos was much for a young child and I emerged plenty wounded, but I am oh so grateful for it. Thanks to my journey starting this way I now have a passion for bringing people together in beautiful spaces, listening to them describe their inner lives, and feeding them like my grandmother would feed me - with love.
I’m a bit of a cultural nomad. I’ve wandered looking for the right community just as one searches for a good pair of jeans. But none fit until I started asking deeper questions of myself and those around me. This led to the restructuring of my mind, my profession, and my daily experience. Our Inner Lives is one small way for me to share my gratitude for life with others.
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Dream Dinner Guest: A young Grandma Nella, Grandpa Anatoliy
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Favorite quote: “What a wonderful life I've had, I only wish I'd realized it sooner” - Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
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Go to dish to cook: Pappardelle Pasta with Cauliflower and Gorgonzola (Vegetables from an Italian Garden, p 412)
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Jessie
Fascinated by how we, as 21st century humans, experience daily life, I find myself regularly in search of the sacred; sunsets on the esplanade, early morning strolls through sleepy Boston and most all, long dinners with deep conversation.
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Whether it was a perk of being the youngest child, witnessing the experiences of my older and wiser siblings or a philosophical tension in my childhood; growing up in an intensely religious, somewhat insular community in the world’s most diverse locale (Queens, NY), I've always been more interested in the the "how" than the "what" of life.
This deep interest in how we live our lives has led me to co-create the Behavioral Economics Association at Brandeis International Business School, take a year-long cross country road-trip with my brother, launch Wine and Truth with the same brother, run IVY Boston, The Social University and ultimately has led me here.
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Dream Dinner Guest: Deeya Khan
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Favorite quote: “The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.” - David Foster Wallace
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Go to dish to cook: my grandmother's berginis (breaded eggplants, tomato sauce dish)
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