n a tight-knit Armenian enclave in Lowell, Massachusetts, Richard Juknavorian ’95 (CLAS) grew up surrounded by a community of fierce matriarchs, immigrant mothers who juggled full-time jobs while keeping their families intact. “A lot of these women escaped the 1915 Armenian genocide and thrived in America against all odds,” he says. This early exposure to female resilience laid the foundation for his podcast, “Meeting You Where You’re At,” in which Juknavorian talks to trailblazers, visionaries, and change-makers who draw from a similar well of uncompromising grit. These women are taking action and driving real impact — as advocates for child internet safety, nonprofit leaders uplifting women’s causes, and champions of gender pay equity. Selecting just 10 standouts from his more than 90 insightful episodes to date was no easy feat for Juknavorian, but a common thread binds his picks together. These women don’t just dream of changing the world — they do it.

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