“Magical Girl” Journeys and Filmmaking with Jumai Yusuf

In this episode, Felicia and Rachel welcome Jumai Yusuf, a talented filmmaker and storyteller. Jumai shares her unique journey from Massachusetts theater kid to LA film director, highlighting her background in neurobiology and her passion for blending art and science. She discusses the development of her animated series 'Layla and the Starship Afrotopia,' which features a young Black Muslim girl with wormhole powers. We dive into the process of directing, from working with screenwriters to location scouting and casting. Before we talk with Jumai, we chat about our experiences at a few conferences - it turns out IRL events are still amazing!Links:Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)Sundance and Disney's Muslim Artist FellowshipIslamic Scholarship FundJumai Yusuf InstagramNate and John Film InstagramChapters: 00:25 Felicia's Networking Adventures at WBENC 04:56 Rachel's Culture Summit Experience 08:22 Introducing Jumai Yusuf 10:14 Jumai's Journey and Inspirations 20:24 Directing The Eid Gift 26:18 Casting for Ramadan America 26:46 Balancing Writing and Directing 28:13 Challenges in Directing 29:37 Impact of Me Too and Black Lives Matter 31:33 Advice for Aspiring Directors 33:06 Cosplay and Anime Passion 41:49 Renaissance Fair Adventures 44:20 Peloton and Fitness Goals 46:30 Final Thoughts and Social Media Visit us at InclusionGeeks.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out Inclusion Geeks Academy and InclusionGeeks.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.