Rise + Rebel

About Rise + Rebel

Rise + Rebel Radio is a podcast for people who are becoming. Hosted by Aya Hoja, this space explores what it means to rise with elegance & rebel with purpose. Through intimate reflections & lived experience, Aya speaks to the quiet seasons of becoming, the fire that follows silence, & the courage it takes to stop asking for permission. This is not a podcast about perfection. It’s a place for honesty, presence, & depth. This is for people who feel deeply, live thoughtfully, & know there is more forming beneath the surface. Rise when the world is is quiet. Rebel when your soul is loud.

Publisher

Aya Hojadova

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Jan 2026

Latest episode

27 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Sept 2026

   Homesick for a Home That No Longer Exists with Roger Vaughn

   What happens when the person, place, and life that once felt like home no longer exist? Roger Vaughn, known as Lightning in the Burning Man world, found himself asking that question after losing Lydia, his wife and partner of 18 years. Roger is a full-time digital nomad living in an RV and traveling with his motorcycle. He is the CEO of SwiftCloud.ai, the founder of Mycelia Monastery, a former professional animator, and a lifelong creative working across media, fine art, music, technology, and community. Joining Aya from Montreal, Roger opens up about grief, presence, belonging, creative rebirth, and the journey of rebuilding a life after profound loss. Together, they explore how our environments shape us, why feeling safe allows us to play a bigger game, and whether home is a place, a person, a community, or something we learn to carry within ourselves. Roger also shares how grief led him back to music, resulting in two albums created within 18 months. His song “Carry Me Home” captures the evolution at the heart of this conversation: longing for the home that was lost, then realizing we can build shelter, create warmth, and become home for the people we love. This is an honest conversation about losing home, searching for belonging, and discovering that a new chapter can grow from the ashes of the life we once knew. Follow Rise + Rebel and share this episode with someone navigating grief, reinvention, or the search for home. Content note: This episode includes candid discussions of death, grief, suicidal thoughts, and mental health.

2. 

   30 Aug 2026

   Building the Future in Charleston: Doug Hamilton on CharlestonHacks, AI & the Power of Showing Up

   In this episode of Rise + Rebel Podcast, Aya Hojadova sits down with Doug Hamilton, founder of CharlestonHacks, for a conversation about AI, hackathons, creative experimentation, community-building, and the future of Charleston’s tech ecosystem. Doug shares why CharlestonHacks exists, what makes hackathons such powerful spaces for learning and connection, and why Charleston has a unique opportunity to become a place where builders, creatives, entrepreneurs, developers, and curious people can come together to create. Together, Aya and Doug explore the rise of AI, how it is changing what it means to build, why human fundamentals still matter, and how low-pressure spaces like show-and-tell events can help people externalize ideas, receive honest feedback, and take the first step. This conversation is for anyone who has an idea, feels intimidated by technology, or wants to understand how community, creativity, and AI can work together to help people build what they are here to create. Subscribe to Rise + Rebel Podcast for conversations on creativity, entrepreneurship, identity, technology, transformation, visibility, and becoming who you were always meant to be. Join the Rise + Rebel world: risewithaya.com/start-here (http://risewithaya.com/start-here) Learn more about CharlestonHacks: www.CharlestonHacks.com (http://www.CharlestonHacks.com) Connect with Doug Hamilton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-hamilton-61517b2b/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-hamilton-61517b2b/)

3. 

   16 Aug 2026

   AI Did Not Replace My Creativity. It Helped Me Build What Was in My Head.

   In this solo episode of Rise + Rebel Podcast, Aya Hoja reflects on how AI has helped her organize her creativity, build faster, and turn scattered ideas into real execution across podcasting, newsletters, commercial real estate, Rise + Rebel Shop, brand strategy, content, and business planning. This is not an episode about AI replacing the human voice. It is about using AI as a thinking partner while staying connected to your intuition, taste, lived experience, relationships, and creative source. Because AI can help build the bridge, but the human still has to walk across it. Subscribe to Rise + Rebel Podcast for conversations on creativity, entrepreneurship, identity, personal growth, visibility, intuition, and becoming who you were always meant to be. Join the Rise + Rebel world: risewithaya.com/start-here (http://risewithaya.com/start-here)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Rise + Rebel

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.