Wendy Stuart and guest co-host Simone Kraus will be hosting TriVersity Talk! this Thursday at 7 PM ET with featured guest Daniella Mendez.

TriVersity Talk! is a weekly web series with featured guests discussing their lives, activism and pressing issues in the LGBTQ Community. With TriVersity Talk!, the goal is to laugh and learn.

TriVersity Talk! Is part of TriVersity’s ICARE Initiative. ICARE stands for Increasing Community Awareness through Relevant Education. ICARE Programs are generously funded by The Greater Pike Community Foundation.

Simone Kraus

SIMONE KRAUS is the former Vice President of TriVersity, in Milford PA, and is a retired Pipefitter of 40 years and has been married for 40 years to her wife Mary, where they live in Glenwood, NJ. Simone is a regular panelist for Gender Equality New York and has written articles for several newspapers. She is involved with 'Operation Hope', an outreach program which is being developed to assist Veterans and their families, based out of Morris County, NJ.

Simone is on the planning committee for Morris County's Pride Event in June 2022.

Simone was interviewed for and appeared in the movie 'Rainbow Ending,' directed by Alan Kaplan which was an official selection at the 2019 Chelsea Film Festival in NYC, and has been featured on TriVersity Talk discussing Transgender issues, and most recently participated in a podcast called ' Necessary Conversations with a Black Woman ' hosted by Jessica Mason which will air at the end of January 2022.

Simone was just elected to the Sussex County Democratic Committee in NJ, as well as the Vernon Township Democratic Committee.

Simone is a 4th degree Black Belt in the Aikido system, as well as
a 1st degree in Iaido, and currently teaching Tai Chi. Simone is writing her Memoir about late stage transitioning, to be published in 2023.

Daniella Mendez

Daniella Mendez is a social and economic justice activist. She was born in Wayne, NJ and currently resides in her adopted hometown of Dover, NJ. Her mother is Italian and father is Puerto Rican. She studied social work with an emphasis on mental health in college. Daniella is the former president of the genders and sexualities alliance at Passaic County Community College. She was a part of the team that helped to bring safe spaces to PCCC and create a support network for anyone who struggles with mental health issues, bullying, and discrimination. Daniella captured the prestigious title of Miss Gay New Jersey in 2016, which provided her a platform to spread awareness on the HIV/AIDS epidemic affecting the LGBTQI community. After her reign as Miss Gay NJ ended in 2017, she then served on the board of the Beacon Light Fund, where as a board they were able to raise thousands of dollars to assist those living with HIV/AIDS. Daniella has traveled the country interacting with our youth. Advocating on their behalf and creating change where needed.

Specifically for the underprivileged and those across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Daniella has a unique understanding of marginalized communities and a passion to be a voice for the voiceless. She has worked with various non-profits to organize food drives to feed struggling communities throughout the tri state area. She currently serves on the community garden advisory committee to the Mayor of Dover. Daniella made history in the 2021 election cycle and became the first openly trans woman elected in New Jersey. Elected to the Dover Board of Education. She is the Chair of the Dover Board of Education Curriculum Committee, where she is actively ensuring the implementation of LGBTQ inclusive curriculum. Daniella is the newest cabinet member of EMERGE NJ, contributing to the mission of increasing the number of Democratic women leaders from diverse backgrounds in public office through recruitment, training and providing a powerful network. Daniella is currently the Senior Peer Services Coordinator for the non-profit Prevention is Key - CARES. Where the mission is to engage and organize the recovery community by helping individuals find, maintain, and enhance their recovery experience through peer support, educational and volunteer opportunities, and recovery friendly events, as well as working to reduce the stigma associated with substance use through advocacy, education and service.

Watch TriVersity Talk! Live on Thursday at 7 PM ET on Youtube here:

https://youtu.be/UuOXZRLIkYo

Or on the Triversity Talk! Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/75258021683/posts/10159815930471684/

The official website for the TriVersity Center may be found at https://www.triversitycenter.org

Subscribe and listen to TriVersity Talk! on Apple Podcasts/iTunes here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triversity-talk/id1614158419