LAUREN LUGO

An Opera singer that hails from Orange County, California. Back in 2017, Lauren solo traveled to Rome Italy where she was inspired by the pace of lifestyle and opportunity that the Eternal City offered. It was then, that the singer vowed to return a year later. She became an American expat and student in the Summer of 2018, in the pursuit to continue studying, performing Music and complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism in Broadcast Media and Television.  

In March of 2020, Lauren was encouraged to evacuate and return to the States due to COVID 19’s impact on Italy.  On the eve of her departure to return to California, a heartfelt home video of Lauren singing an Italian aria on her balcony was viewed by millions that day.  Perhaps, it was the intention of her paying homage to a city that has gifted her with many blessings of life and lessons these past two years.

Today, Lauren hopes to continue her love of music, philanthropy and writing.  For she truly feels the purpose of her voice is to spread awareness through the therapy of music and hopes others can feel inspired. The philosophy of Lauren is that through hardship, music can truly be transformative and it is the greatest gift that keeps on giving to one another.

LIFE CHANGES and VORTEX IMMERSION

Durning the Coronavirus times, there have been more positives than one can count, and each has been special and important to one person, to many, to millions. Though arguably, positive things are happening all the time, all over the world, being that the recent focus has been on so many of the obvious and maybe not so obvious negatives, a spotlight on some of the highlights that have come to our attention at LIFE CHANGES and have been brought forward by the Vortex Immersion Team, is our show tonight.

It is our trust that they will inspire, and support our faith in individuals and humanity not only in this crisis, but potentially from here on forward. May we never forget the kindness of others we are experiencing at this time and always, and pass it on, and share it in our stories for generations to come.

LIFE CHANGES

When it comes to changes, LIFE CHANGES is setting new trends and ushering in a new paradigm, featuring conversations with experts who have either changed their lives, changed the lives of others, or are changing the world in their own little or big way.  From activist celebrities to people who have achieved extraordinary things; from spiritual leaders, futurists,  to book smart, degreed and/or doctored scientists, physicians, and scholars, hear what they have to say and be part of a conversation that matters on ways to become the new “cool,” be in the know, in the now, and flow with life’s changes.

VIN ADINOLFI, a.k.a. VIN A

Vin Adinolfi, a.k.a. Vin A, was born in NYC in 1988.  His father, Vin Adinolfi Jr., was a record executive/producer for Lifesong Records for 30+ years and produced many notable artists such as Jim Croce, The Partridge Family and Dion, to name a few.  The label’s bosses came in one day and said they had been bought out by Sony, so his father was out of work and had nowhere to turn. Why does Vin A’s story start here you ask?  Since the age of 7, Vin had been learning to play piano and guitar by ear.  When his father lost his job, Vin was 14 years old and was asked by him to start a band with his younger brother, Nick (who started playing drums at age 6).  The band would be a retrospective of his father’s career and they would perform songs his dad had either produced, sung back up on, or worked with over the years.   The band they formed would forever be known as  “The Bronx Wanderers.”

The Bronx Wanderers started touring all over the NY tri-state area playing small clubs and catering halls.  After two years of performing and amassing a small, loyal following, the band started playing 200-255 shows a year across the country.  First, they were getting asked to open oldies shows for renowned artists such as Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits), Tony Orlando, The Turtles, The Drifters, The Shirelles, Gary Puckett, and more.  After a few years of hard work and honing their craft, they were headlining those same oldies shows along with major festivals, casinos and PACs across the country. 

At this same time, Vin was studying to get a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management at Stockton University in New Jersey.  Vin had to tour on the weekends to help support his family and career and attend college during the week for 4 years.  He graduated with honors in 2010.  In his senior year, he and his brother had won a battle of the bands contest and got the opportunity to open for “Brand New” at his college in front of 5,000 screaming peers and fans.  It was only his second solo gig, the first being the contest.  By the age of 27, Vin had produced 5 full-length studio albums (Bronx Wanderers and Vin A albums) under his then newly-created record label, Whichway Records.  He plays 6+ instruments including guitar, piano, drums, bass, banjo, violin, and even the 3 and 4 string cigar box slide guitar (all taught by ear).

Vin A currently lives in Las Vegas and The Bronx Wanderers have secured a residency with Caesar’s Entertainment since 2016.  They’ve been performing at Bally’s 7 nights a week in the Windows Showroom (which they share with Wayne Newton), they’ve won 4 Best Of Las Vegas awards, a 5-Star Yelp award, a Top Ten Trip Advisor award (#8 out of 184 shows in Las Vegas), and still manage to have time to perform for charitable organizations such as Win Win Charity, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Neurofibrosis, and multiple veteran’s associations. 

With Bronx Wanderers raging on 7 nights/week, how Vin still finds time to pursue a solo career is baffling, but he does.  In 2018, Vin won another contest by submitting his original material to 96.3 KKLZ and got voted to open for Bon Jovi at T-Mobile Arena to perform his originals in front of 18,000+ people.  He also headlined the Motley Brews Downtown Brewfest performing for 3,000 people in October.  He’s a regular performer at the prominent “Composer’s Showcase” which features original artists once a month at the Smith Center (Las Vegas’ version of Lincoln Center.)  

Between The Bronx Wanderers and his solo accomplishments, Vin has sung the national anthem at Madison Square Garden for the NY Rangers along with the NBA summer league in Las Vegas at Thomas and Mack Center, has filled in for Frankie Valli in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, has sold over 50,000 records, and continues to make hundreds of thousands of people smile each year with his family act and personal music.  Vin A is a performer for the ages for ALL ages and his talent is only overshadowed by his humble nature.

JESSICA BAUM, LMHC

Jessica Baum, LMHC is the founder of Relationship Institute of Palm Beach and creator of the Self-Full® method — a therapeutic path to personal wellness and freedom from codependence. Jessica holds an undergraduate degree from Fordham University and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from South University.

As a certified addiction specialist, her focuses are chemical abuse, codependency, and anxiety. She is also a certified Imago Therapist, bringing her compassionate and effective relationship counseling experience to families, couples, and family programs within addiction treatment centers. Jessica has extensive training in psychodrama and experiential therapy, and is additionally skilled in cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy. Her training also includes EMDR and Post Induction Therapy, and she has a wealth of experience supporting trauma patients.

Jessica’s own personal core belief is centered around the importance of connection, both to oneself and the outside world. She believes the crux of most personal struggles can be attributed to a lack of true understanding and personal connection, and that it is this sense of disconnection that ultimately leads to pain. Jessica founded the Relationship Institute of Palm Beach to help heal, foster happine

DPAK aka THE OTHER DEEPAK, from “ROBOT NATURE”

Lead Singer, Violinist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer/Writer for Pop/Rock – Eclectic Synthesis of Modern Pop and Synth Rock band: Robot Nature

Burning Man. Black Rock Desert…



Four humanoids dressed in all-silver appeared in the Nevada Desert and introduced the Robot Nature sound to over 12,000 hyperactive burners, becoming one of the most talked-about acts of the week.



What happened next was insane…

Bookings started flying in and venues started selling out in Los Angeles and beyond, as well as the group picking up numerous awards like “Band of the Year” and “Music Video of the Year”.



The Robots have brought their hyper-catchy sound to a party so big it almost got shut down at SXSW, festival dates in Europe, and are now ready to go coast-to-coast to become America’s next big electronic live act.



Although they have been described as the new Muse, Maroon 5, or Imagine Dragons… their extraterrestrial electronic sounds, catchy pop melodies, woven with lead Robot DPAK’s tenor vocals, electrified violin and acoustic guitar give Robot Nature its own futuristic sound.

DR. ANITA SANCHEZ

Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., Aztec and Mexican-American, is a transformational leadership consultant, speaker, coach and author of the international bestselling book, “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times,” available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook from Simon & Schuster.

She bridges indigenous teachings with the latest science to inspire and equip women and men to enjoy meaningful, empowered lives and careers. With four decades of experience coaching and training executives and their teams in dozens of Fortune 500 companies, governmental groups and non-governmental agencies, Anita is an established leader in global organizational change initiatives.

She is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council with luminaries such as Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson and John Gray, as well as the Association of Transformational Leaders, the Evolutionary Business Council, and serves on the Boards of the Bioneers organization and the Pachamama Alliance. Anita holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Development from the University of Colorado, Denver. She resides in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO with her husband and youngest son.

Whether you’re drawn to her soulful, powerhouse vocals, raw, heartfelt lyrics, or infectious grooves, one thing is for sure—Alex Nester is an artist you will remember. You can’t help but be drawn to her when she sings from such a deep and genuine place. Her music doesn’t just reach your ears, it reaches your heart. Channeling the retro artists of the 60’s and 70’s, Alex blends soul, funk, and r&b and delivers her songs with honesty and meaning.

Alex believes in the great power and beauty of music, and she felt it firsthand through her battle with cancer at 16 years-old. Along with excellent treatment, the love of family and friends, and the grace of God, Alex credits music with helping save her life.

With a grateful heart she went on to release two critically acclaimed solo albums, and opened as a solo artist for such acts as Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Rachel Platten, Evelyn “Champagne” King, and Dave Mason. Through the years she has also worked with Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, Tito Jackson (of Jackson 5 fame), and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, most recently touring as a guest artist with Carlos Santana.

Alex has made a promise to her listeners that her music will always be sincere and real. She believes that music-making is an art, and will always give her songs the time, attention, and love they need to be something special.

Alex’s third full-length solo album, “Someone Better,” will be released Spring 2020.

DEBBIE LOVE

Debbie Love did not set out to become a Karate instructor or a martial artist out of sheer interest, it was out of necessity; she was compelled to learn everything she could about the subject because of a personal family tragedy that had a profound effect and would eventually change the course of her life.  

Her close cousin Julie Love, near identical in size, was the victim of a violent crime in Atlanta in the summer of 1988 which was the subject of headline news. It took over a year for Julie’s remains to be found after her disappearance. Once the facts came out of what happened to Julie, it was clear she lost her life because of a simple mistake, she ran out of gas. And, even though it happened in Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhood, it was a fatal mistake.  

Debbie knew if it could happen to Julie, it could happen to her.  So she began a quest to learn self-defense but nothing seemed to work.  Knowing there had to be a better way, she enrolled in martial arts to learn from the ground up. That was almost 20 years ago.  

After earning her first Black Belt, Debbie began sharing basic self-defense and escape techniques to family and friends, and quite frankly, to anyone who would listen. As her experience and skills increased so did her audience. In 2009, while working in downtown San Diego, Debbie convinced management to put on a series of six 1-one hour lunch and learn classes for the female employees working in the building.  It was a success and a huge confidence boost for those women who commute to and from work everyday.

In December 2015, Debbie returned to Atlanta where her cousin was murdered to teach a special class for family and friends.

Since then, Debbie left her 40 year career as a paralegal to devote herself full time to educating women about their safety and continues to find innovative ways to provide valuable self-defense information and instruction to women of all ages, from young girls to seniors citizens, high school and college bound girls and women who work outside the home. Each class and workshop is distinctively tailored to the audience. 

Today, after almost 20 years of training, Debbie is a 4th Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor in Karate and an advocate for women’s safety.  At under 5’ and barely 100 pounds, don’t let her small size fool you; she can stop a larger opponent with relative ease. 

As a frequent speaker and self-defense instructor, Debbie wants women to know that  self-defense is much more than simply learning techniques. Self-defense is not about being strong, it’s about being smart!