Lifestyle

It All Stems from Love

Published

4 years ago

September 5, 2022

When she arrived in California from New York, Kathleen “Frankie” Francesca wanted to make a difference. Her dream job—working for a modeling agency in New York—had turned out to be an unfulfilling pit stop.

While supporting her parents, both of whom have diabetes, Frankie began to volunteer with the American Diabetes Association (ADA). After attending ADA committees and recognizing within herself the desire to help others, she decided to enter the world of medicine.

Meanwhile, the occurance of a family hardship meant Frankie had to sell everything she had. Her father was laid off at work and then had to recover from an accident; her mother had to stay home to take care of him and help Frankie with her daughter, as she had just become a single mother. There was something Frankie’s mother would say to her that rang true, even in times like these:

“As long as you are breathing, there is always hope.”

Frankie lost neither her hope nor her compassion. Her goal was to begin working at R3 Regenerative Medicine (R3), a company that helps doctors obtain turnkey operations for stem cell clinics. Starting out, she had no phone and no computer. For the internet access she needed to be able to do her job, she was continuously going to libraries.

“I couldn’t tell the CEO that I didn’t have anything,” says Frankie. It wasn’t until two years ago that she did tell them about her initial struggle and lack of resources. Today, she is grateful that the CEO of R3 took a chance on her.

Five years later, she is Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President and partner at R3 Medical Training. She is doing the kind of work that she came to California longing to do: helping people, educating them, and changing the way they live their lives.

“Doctors use [stem cell regenerative medicine] to avoid surgeries or help slow the progression of any existing conditions,” says Frankie. “Anywhere from diabetes to neurological issues and joint issues. There’s a lot that you can do with stem cells.”

Frankie is a single mother to her 9-year-old daughter, Valentina. When she isn’t at work, she is spending time with her. They travel together, too, but working seven days a week means that she doesn’t have much extra time.

“I feel bad having to leave her when I have to travel for work,” says Frankie. “But at least I’m leaving my daughter knowing that I’ve done something that I can be proud of, and she can be proud [realizing] how much of a difference her mother made in those people’s lives.”

Where R3 was once a small marketing company, there are now 43 affiliated clinics across the United States and eight internationally. They are opening their own headquarters and anti-aging clinic in Scottsdale this September, a clinic in Nashville in November, and soon another in India. Frankie is preparing for their very first Health and Wellness Summit in Temecula this January—which will not be without celebrities.

One clinic, co-owned by Frankie, recently opened in the Philippines. She is especially excited to start visiting this location; she has family there, and has not been back in 25 years. With the opening of this location, she will be able to visit a few times a year.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my daughter so that she can learn the culture,” says Frankie. She is planning a trip for as soon as January 2022.

Currently, Frankie is in the process of finalizing a memoir, which she has written to tell her story to both her daughter and generations to come. She is not writing the book with commercial success in mind; rather, it is a heartfelt gesture to her daughter, a vessel meant to preserve important memories. She wants her daughter to know her journey, including how she dealt with negativity on the way.

“Especially as a single mom, you know, being Filipino, back in the day, we’re kind of looked down upon,” says Frankie. “Getting to where I’m at now in life, [I’m] supporting my family, giving my daughter everything that she can ever hope for.”

Frankie moves through life with a big heart and an eye on the future. She wants everyone to know that they can achieve a lot more than they think is possible, if they do as she did: keep at what you’re passionate about, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, and in her words, be “willing to sweat bullets.”

Lifestyle

Fozia Rashid’s Vision for a Future Where Every Woman Is Heard and Respected

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Michelle Langton

Progress often starts with someone who refuses to accept silence as the only option. Many women experience unfair treatment at work, yet feel they have nowhere safe to turn. That gap, the distance between speaking up and being supported, is where real change is still needed, and it remains one of the biggest barriers to true equality today.

Fozia Rashid knows this firsthand. After raising concerns about serious misconduct in her own workplace and losing her job as a result, she saw how isolating it can be for women who try to do the right thing. That experience pushed her to create She Speaks Out, a platform designed to give women clarity, tools, and a voice during some of the most challenging moments in their careers.

From the beginning, her aim was not to build another information site. She wanted a space where women could feel understood, where complicated processes were broken down into simple steps, and where no one felt that reporting misconduct meant stepping into a dark tunnel alone. Her HR training helped shape this approach, turning what is often overwhelming into something practical, direct, and genuinely supportive, especially for women who feel lost navigating workplace policies.

Her long-term vision stretches far beyond offering resources. Fozia wants She Speaks Out to help shift the culture around how women are treated at work. She believes that when women share their real experiences, discrimination, dismissal of their concerns, or subtle daily biases, it exposes patterns that organisations can no longer ignore. This focus on storytelling is not about sympathy; it is about awareness. Stories make the invisible visible, and visibility forces change in a way that statistics alone rarely can.

A key part of her mission is amplifying those voices so they reach people who can influence policy and workplace culture. She hopes the platform will push employers to rethink how they respond to reports, how they support employees, and how they build environments where women don’t fear retaliation for raising concerns. She wants leaders to understand that equality is not a slogan, it is a responsibility that requires honest action and genuine accountability.

Fozia also envisions She Speaks Out playing a role in larger societal change. She wants the platform to encourage companies to review their internal practices, improve reporting structures, and train managers to recognise and address problems rather than avoid them. She hopes the platform will support the push for stronger workplace protections and help challenge outdated beliefs about women’s roles, abilities, and credibility. The goal is simple: fair treatment should not depend on who you are, but on the basic respect every employee deserves.

As the platform grows, she aims to build a strong community where women can connect, support one another, and encourage those who feel unsure or unheard. A community where experiences are shared openly, not whispered privately. She believes that building solidarity among women is one of the most powerful steps toward lasting equality. When one woman speaks up, it can be dismissed. When many do, it becomes a movement that organisations cannot afford to overlook.

For Fozia, the future is not just about better policies or clearer reporting tools, though those matter. It’s about creating workplaces where women don’t have to prepare themselves for resistance every time they raise a concern. A future where safety and respect are not exceptional, but expected.

And through She Speaks Out, she is steadily pushing that future forward, giving women what she once needed most: a place to be heard, believed, and supported without hesitation, and a reminder that they never have to face these challenges alone.