Journeys Podcast

Carlos Carmonamedina studied Fine Arts in Mexico and Romania. His artwork, which combines his love for travel, bicycles, food, old cameras and comics has been featured in many exhibitions around the world. After living in Europe for 7 years, he is now settled in Washington DC, where he works as an illustrator and graphic designer. His postcard art, known as “DC is my city”, is a testament to our time, a homage to an exciting and awesome metropolis changing at an ever-accelerating pace. Music: Acid Road - Ketsa

The concept of Patriotism has received a lot of attention, especially over the last few years with the increased polarization of the United States. Joining us for part two of our interview with Paola Salas to hear how, from growing up on a military base to then moving to D.C., her understanding of patriotism changed. Music: Acid Road by Ketsa

Washington D.C. is an amazing city with a diverse and vibrant local community. However, the city is often seen only as the seat of the federal government and is local community is often ignored and overlooked. Join us to hear how Paola Salas became involved in the DC community and her recommendations for others on how to get involved to support their community, neighbors, and city. Music: Acid Road by Ketsa

Kibonen’s unique search for identity begins by leaving her home country of Cameroon to launch her career in the United States as a designer and philanthropist. Her clothing infuses African culture and contemporary designs. She explains her purpose is to make a difference in Africa and build employment opportunities in her hometown of Bamenda, Cameroon, where she launched a fair-trade textile manufacturing plant. She speaks on her journey to help others and find her purpose. Music: Acid Road by Ketsa

Ed Beetar, a journalist from Syria and co-founder of KAMA DC, tells us how he used laughter and comedy to overcome the negative emotions endured during the war in his home country. Through humor, he has been able to speak the truth publicly on the current problems of Syria. He says humor has saved his life many times. Ed grew up in Syria and moved to the U.S. in 2013, but his love of laughter has followed him his whole life. Music: Acid Road by Ketsa

Transformations can take many shapes: a single coming-of-age moment, a shared experience or a years-long evolution. For Sarah Ahmed, transformation came in the empowering moment of becoming a U.S. citizen. Listen to her story from KAMA DC’s Storytelling Night in November 2020, where she shares the power of using her own voice to heal generational trauma. Music: Acid Road by Ketsa

So much of the immigration journey is focused on where you’re going. But what happens when you look back at where you came from? Hangda Zhang moved to the US as a college student. Now she works in the DMV area, with a stable career and a supportive social circle. Her family, though, is still back in China, and reflecting on that distance has been particularly meaningful over the past year. Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

We all have recipes handed down through generations of family: they tell stories about who we are, where we come from, and what defines our heritage. Sherina Kunnath, the guest on this week’s episode, tells us how and why coconut is unique to cuisine from her home state of Kerala, India. Native to the region and versatile beyond imagination, coconut is present in almost every dish. Learn how Sherina’s journey from a teen in her mother’s kitchen to an experienced chef with Cuisine: As Told By has been shaped by the recipes and support of her family. Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

Hanan Seid wears a lot of hats: Social Media Strategist, Digital Illustrator, Author, Poet, Artist. And she also comes from a lot of places: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Being so many people at once can seem like a lot, but Hanan channels her struggles with identity into her writing, and processes it with us on this episode of KAMA DC Journeys. Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

In the premiere episode of Journeys, we chat with Rajiv Desai (he/him), founder and CEO of Chrysalis, LLC. Rajiv is no stranger to taking a chance; in fact, he says it’s at the core of his identity as an immigrant who was born and raised in India. His secret? Surround yourself with people who have similar values as you do. Listen to the episode to learn more about how Rajiv quit his corporate job as a practitioner of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to forge his own, authentic path to help smaller organizations get started with their DEI journeys.

Music Credit: Ketsa - Acid Road