Hey there, I'm Dolores!
“Bella Figura” developed out of my years as co-host of The Italian American Podcast, the first podcast dedicated to helping Italian Americans celebrate their brilliant heritage.
From the hundreds of conversations I've been fortunate to have with prominent guests, themes emerged—assimilation as a source of both success and sorrow, the spiritual pain created by disconnect from ancestral traditions, and the soul-level desire to live a life rooted in the truth of who you are and where you come from. I realized there's a deep need for people to connect to their roots, gaining strength, confidence, and boldness from this connection.
Through conversations with some of the top voices in self help, wellness, and the arts, Bella Figura explores the ways we can tap into our heritage—whatever that heritage may be—to make our lives as beautiful as they can be.
I'm a New York native who has spent more than two decades working as a writer, editor, and speaker. I recently served as Director of Italian Affairs for the Office of the Governor, State of New York. I've attended Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Millay Colony for the Arts, been Artist in Residence at Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, and am a scholarship recipient of the Norman Mailer Center. Previous to the Governor’s Office, I served as a Senior Consultant at The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in Washington, DC.