The FreshFaces podcast is back for season two! Hosted by FreshWater contributing editor Jen Jones Donatelli, this limited-run series shines the spotlight on six Cleveland trailblazers affecting change in their communities — namely the 2020 Fresh Innovators, as honored at Spark 2020: Grit to Great event in September 2020 by the Cleveland Leadership Center and Marcum LLP, in tandem with FreshWater Cleveland. (To purchase post-event access to keynotes, workshops, and the Fresh Innovator Showcase, click here.)

Archie Green is a songwriter and musician who is orchestrating a more beautiful future for those struggling with their mental health via his nonprofit, Peel Dem Layers Back. He’s also passionate about working with youth, having teamed up with Lexington-Bell Community Center in 2019 to mount My Violin Weighs a Ton — an immersive educational experience pairing classical and hip-hop music that culminated in a first-of-its-kind performance at Cleveland's iconic Severance Hall.

Learn more about Archie and his story of rising above adversity to become a mental health advocate and artist with impact.

Give it a listen here:  

For more information on the organizations and projects discussed on the episode, please visit these links:

• Peel Dem Layers Back
• My Violin Weighs a Ton
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Lexington-Bell Community Center
• NOLA Movement

Listen and subscribe to FreshFaces on Spotify here.