Empowering conversationZ

In this episode Mehran, the immigrant conversations host, talks about her two-and-a-half-year break, five losses she experienced, her debilitating depression, and her healing journey. Listen to this highly personal episode where you learn about the grief process for an immigrant and what you can do next time your friend or loved one is grieving. Learn more about Mehran: https://www.mehrans.com/about

How to make difficult changes, especially regarding your culture, beliefs, and assumptions? Learn to negotiate. Both with yourself and with others. Listen to this episode and learn from Reut Schwartz-Hebron, an immigrant from Israel who initially worked as an HR director and was blindsided by the non-verbal cues she received at work and more. She is currently the author of two books: Outswim the sharks and The art and science of changing people who don't want to change and the certifying Partner with KCI. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new episodes air: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 List of episodes: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz Contact Mehran: Mehran@MehranS.com Reut Schwartz-Hebron Bio: In her role as Certifying Partner with KCI, Reut has trained and certified hundreds of HR leaders, coaches, consultants, and other change professionals to use powerful Neuroscience-based models for guiding people through difficult change. She started her career at the rank of a Lieutenant Commander working with elite training teams in the Israeli military, and was the first woman consultant to be offered a prestigious field position with a combat unit. She has a BA in Psychology, an MBA in Business and Organizational Development, and has been collaborating with Neuroscientists for the last 17 years to develop a neuroscience-based Unlearning Model. While she supports coaches and change leaders to use a wide range of Neuroscience-based models, she is internationally renowned as one of the top experts in this specific field of guiding people to unlearn and relearn as part of making transitions and transformations.  For the past 25 years Reut coached and consulted in organizations that range from Fortune 500s such as NIKE, Avaya, GSK, Comcast, and Philips Medical to medium sized companies in a large variety of industries including financial, high-tech, telecom, universities, hospitals and other health organizations, retail, manufacturing, and government agencies. She is a published author of books and numerous articles, but perhaps most importantly, she is a mother, a wife, a sister, and an avid supporter of human rights.  To learn more about Reut's work and the Certification in Applied Neuroscience, please visit: www.KCIcertification.com

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Pavna Sodhi about the challenges of the LGBTQ community, the process of Coming out, the role of family, community, and the host culture in the process. Common issues LGBTQ and their families face especially as an immigrant in BIPOC communities, the Role of host culture in the process, how to educate our children, and a lot more… https://positivespacenetwork.ca/ https://egale.ca/ https://www.rainbowrefugee.com/ https://lgbtq.wvu.edu/state-and-national-resources/-resources-for-queer-and-transgender-black-indigenous-people-of-color https://www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbt https://www.strongfamilyalliance.org/parent-guide/ Dr.Sodhi's last episode: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c2a4e1fa/ez28-managing-covid-trauma-for-immigrants List of books for children: https://www.readbrightly.com/9-great-lgbtq-books-kids/ & https://www.familyequality.org/family-support/lgbtq-books/early-elementary/ Dr. Pavna Sodhi Bio: With over 20 years of psychotherapeutic and research experience, Dr. Pavna Sodhi (she/her) has interacted with a multitude of populations in both clinical and academic spaces. Her professional background and personal narrative offer a unique research perspective regarding culturally responsive trauma work, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) communities, and immigrant mental health. Her research has been featured in national and international scholarly journals and books. In 2017, she wrote, Exploring Immigrant and Sexual Minority Mental Health: Reconsidering Multiculturalism (Routledge). Content from her book is supported by first- and second-generation immigrant narratives, who share their experiences of migration, trauma, overt/covert racism, identity formation, and mental health concerns. She is currently authoring a book regarding decolonizing mental health and trauma-informed practices. Insta : @sunotherapy Website: www.pavnaksodhi.com Twitter: @DrPavnaKSodhi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavna-k-sodhi-67b81615/?originalSubdomain=ca Book: https://www.routledge.com/Exploring-Immigrant-and-Sexual-Minority-Mental-Health-Reconsidering-Multiculturalism/Sodhi/p/book/9780415841870

Immigrants face many aggressions in society especially professionally, one is around their language and their accents. In this episode, our guest is Meenakshi Iyer and we talk about Why it's important to celebrate our culture What is language inclusion Examples of microaggressions around language and accent And much more… Here are the TED talk links: Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a local - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYCKzpXEW6E Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg Sir Ken Robinson - Do schools kill creativity? - https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?language=en EZ33: Immigrants guide to racist comments: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/8e97f693/ez33-immigrants-guide-to-racist-comments EZ44 How to deal with imposter syndrome with Kim Meninger: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/916ec209/ez44-how-to-deal-with-imposter-syndrome-with-kim-meninger EZ 45 tips to speak with confidence when starting from scratch: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/905031b9/ez45-tips-to-speak-with-confidence-with-mehran-sorourian Newsletter sign up link: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 Apple podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empowering-conversationz/id1502034147 Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/mehrans.com Her bio: Meenakshi Iyer thrives at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology. She is a T-shaped servant leader with an international and interdisciplinary career in IT, Agile/Business Process Transformation, international healthcare, HR, and Training, in India and the USA, spanning more than two decades. “Stop, breathe, think, act.” is her motto. Meenakshi is the Founder and Principal of NorthStar Solutions and Services - a future-of-work oriented, virtual coaching, training and consulting practice serving clients globally. She is an ICF-certified Personal Agility and Self-Leadership Coach. She specializes in supporting People and Technology leaders in co-creating their personal transformation and leadership development journeys. Meenakshi is fluent in four languages, and has lived and worked in 10+ cities in India and the US. Connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshi-iyer-northstar/ More about her and her work - https://www.northstaratwork.com/

Mehran is a communication coach helping countless immigrants and minorities improve their communication skills at work. In this episode, I, Mehran the host of the Empowering conversationZ podcast share the story of the very first time I spoke English with a native English speaker. How it felt, the shame, and how I became fluent in English plus the 4 tips that I give my clients on improving their language while using the wisdom from my previous guests and many conversations I've had with successful immigrants, refugees, and Dreamers. Listen, Subscribe and share! EZ3 Attitudes on climbing the corporate ladder: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c0a6d889/ez03-on-attitude-for-climbing-in-corporate EZ10 Born Twice, CEO's Story https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c1174648/ez10-born-twice-a-ceos-story EZ Frederic Cherau on Accent and Culture https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c23901b0/ez15-frederic-chereau-on-accent-and-culture EZ08 Perfectionism, know it & manage it: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c119a0f0/ez08-perfectionism-know-it-and-manage-it EZ35 Upwardly and their role in supporting you get your first job as an immigrant https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/9159709c/ez35-immigrants-and-first-professional-job Sign up for our mailing list to be notified when an episode is released. https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 Booking a complimentary session: https://www.mehrans.com/service-page/explore-coaching?referral=service_list_widget

Have you ever felt like you don't belong, that you are an imposter waiting to be found? If so, this episode is for you. We have Kim Meninger who's an expert in the area of imposter syndrome with years of training corporate women and men on the podcast. She shares her experience about: -What imposter syndrome is, -The history behind it, -Who suffers from it, -How men and women suffer from it differently -The underlying racism - and what can we do about it. Both as an individual and as a manager. Kim Meningers bio: As a women's leadership coach, Kim Meninger is passionate about empowering women to become more confident, visible and influential leaders. Having spent over 10 years in the high-tech industry, she experienced first-hand the unique challenges and opportunities facing women in traditionally male-dominated environments. She strives to be the resource to women that she did not have during her own corporate career. Kim has a BA in psychology and an MBA from Boston College. She is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and CCE Board Certified Coach with certifications in career, executive and leadership development coaching. The Impostor Syndrome Files Podcast – Listen to the stories of women who have struggled with and have learned to manage Impostor Syndrome. If you are a new listener, make sure you subscribe here: Sign up for our mailing list to be notified when an episode is released. https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 Nominate our next guest: Suggested episodes: EZ08 Perfectionism, know it & manage it: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c119a0f0/ez08-perfectionism-know-it-and-manage-it EZ16 Aftermath of accepting verbal offer: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c0b492e1/ez16-aftermath-of-accepting-verbal-contract EZ22 Creating your leadership advantage: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c31f426c/ez22-creating-your-leadership-advantage EZ33 Immigrants guide to Racist comments: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/8e97f693/ez33-immigrants-guide-to-racist-comments

Migrated at 18, faced an identity crisis as a Japanese Brazilian living in Utah, tried many jobs, pivoted multiple times until she found her desirable career. My guest this week is Fabiola Fujiwara. She is an HR professional with 10+ years of experience in developing, implementing, and administrating corporate policies and procedures. Fabiola shares with our audience her migration journey as well as the many valuable insights as an HR professional. One must listen to this episode if they don't know -How to negotiate, -How to start conversations when they are happy with their jobs, -How to build their network -Why it's important to keep your resume up to date.  Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new episodes air: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 Resources: Fabiola's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiola-fujiwara/ Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/brand-studio/wp/2020/11/30/feature/culture-fit-is-outdated-its-time-to-think-about-culture-add/ Mehran email: Mehran@MehranS.com Podcast website: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz Episode 3:https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c0a6d889/ez03-on-attitude-for-climbing-in-corporate Episode 40: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/90f54071/ez40-hr-addressing-immigrants-common-issues

Migrated despite her will, slept on cardboard boxes, and left her house at the age of 15 because she couldn't tolerate her abusive father anymore. My guest this week is Dr.Bahareh Sahebi who talks about her migration journey and the different elements that make leaving abusive relationships difficult especially for immigrants. She also educates us on the steps to take to prepare. Dr. Bahareh Sahebi Bio: https://www.family-institute.org/therapists-locations/staff/bahareh-sahebi Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology with specialization in the treatment of trauma Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Illinois and a practicing clinician at The Family Institute · Assistant Program Director, Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, in the Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies at Northwestern University · Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy · Teaching Faculty in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University · Clinical Supervisor of the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program at the Bette D. Harris Family & Child Clinic Dr. Sahebi is a researcher, educator & consultant of the ParentLENS.com project that she co-developed with one of the most prominent figures in the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Mudita Rastogi She is also the recipient of Dr. Christine Bard, Compassion and Skill in Rehabilitation Practice Award; nominated by the Illinois Chapter of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals In the more recent 2 years: Associate Editor for the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy Co-author of the Integrative Systemic Therapy (IST) Handbook currently in press Published the preliminary article on telehealth clinical supervision practices and clinical supervision during a global pandemic published in Family Process Sahebi B. (2020). Clinical supervision of couple and family therapy during COVID-19. Family Process, Vol. 59(3) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12591 Co-authored series of 4 published articles for caregivers, teachers, and psychotherapists related to E-learning for children during the global pandemic You can sign up for our mailing list to be notified when an episode is released. Please write us a review: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empowering-conversationz/id1502034147 You can connect with Mehran: Mehran@MehranS.com Resources for domestic abuse: https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/abuse-specific-communities/abuse-immigrant-communities & https://www.thehotline.org/ & https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/Children_and_Families/Immigrant.pdf

Setting goals can be hard for us immigrants. Most of us haven't learned how to set them right and how to achieve them. That's why in this episode, Mehran, Empowering conversationZ host talks about a personal experience that made her aware of setting balanced goals in life. and the culprit behind her failure in reaching her 40th birthday goals. In this episode, you will hear about the importance of goal setting. several techniques in setting goals. achieving them while living a balanced life. As a career coach, she helps her clients set goals and reach them feeling supported and in this special episode, she is sharing the many techniques that she uses in her practice. my email: Mehran@MehranS.com Read more about Mehran: https://www.mehrans.com/about subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about her group sessions: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz Goal setting by Jim Rohn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOYeMDLgC0 Explore coaching with Mehran https://www.mehrans.com/book-online

Immigrants rarely are aware of their rights and the resources available to them. Most often they choose silence for cultural and personal reasons feeling unsatisfied at work. In this episode Sarah Calfee, an experienced Human Resource professional with over 20years of experience, educates our listeners on the following topics: -When to seek HR help and when to start searching for your next job -How can immigrants discuss difficult conversations with HR -Different strategies to speak up You can connect with Sarah via https://www.calfeehrconsulting.com/ Her Bio: Sarah Calfee, Principal Consultant, Calfee HR Consulting Sarah is an HR Consultant with more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources. Over the years, she has earned an MBA, the SHRM Senior Certified Professional certification, and a diversity trainer certificate. Since 2009, Sarah has maintained a passion and focus on developing increased awareness in diversity, equity, and inclusion matters. She was the 2020 Diversity Committee Chair for the San Diego Society of Human Resource Management, working with HR professionals on how to address DEI concerns in their organizations and communities. Most recently, Sarah has been designated President-Elect for the 2022 San Diego SHRM board of directors. Using her education and experience, Sarah understands business objectives and how they tie to people. She helps organizations and individuals work through sensitive scenarios to anticipate the people's impact and to translate communications so different parties hear the right message. Her goal through this approach is to help others develop higher emotional intelligence, successfully navigate sensitive topics, and foster an intentional culture. In addition to her consulting work, Sarah is a speaker for organizations about a variety of HR and DEI topics, volunteers as an HR Guru for Hera Hub, and is a part-time nanny for her infant grandson.

Evelyn Perez migrated to the United States from Guatemala at a very young age after crossing the Rio Grande River. In this episode, she talks about her immigration journey, the nights she locked the doors to stay safe while her mom worked, the days she had to try to fit in and many incidents that made her feel like an outcast both as a child and as an adult. One of the main parts of the conversation was her divorce process. How her immigrant family finally supported her decision despite their cultural norms, alcoholism, abuse, and the process that enabled her to stand up on her feet while supporting her boys as a single mother. Her Bio: Evelyn Perez is a leader who is passionate about advocating, equipping, and raising young Latina women leaders. She is originally from Guatemala but has called the Bay Area home since immigrating at the age of 2. She has served her community throughout several stages of life. Perez currently serves as director of ministries to an organization in California. In 2018 she decided to pursue her calling to ministry and is now attending North Park Theological Seminary. Perez experiences deep joy when hanging at the skatepark, with her two sons Andres and Fernando or simply taking a day to enjoy all nature has to offer. Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ podcast and hear immigrant stories and issues important to immigrants on your favorite app by searching Empowering conversationZ or through our page https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz Immigrant platform story: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/9101fbc6/ez38-educational-platform-i-build-during-pandemic Website for becoming a teacher: https://khoshhaulam.com/ EZ25 episode: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c1b79b7b/ez25-refuge-for-rape-victim

In this special episode, Mehran talks about her newfound cause and how the pandemic helped her find it & bring it to life. -The struggles of building an educational platform -How can the audience support her cause -How immigrant educators can benefit from this platform If you have any questions or suggestions send her an email Mehran@MehranS.com Website of her platform: https://khoshhaulam.com/ Join their newsletter to learn more and receive coupons.

Mehran, your host, has the honor to share with you another immigrant story. My guest today is Ilya Somin who migrated as a young child with his parents from Russia. In this episode, as always we will talk a little about Ilya's migration journey, what foot voting means, and how as an immigrant you can get a better education for your child or have a greater impact on your community. in the end, we will hear about Ilya's opinion on Afghanistan and what he is doing to help Afghan refugees. Link to Khoshhaulam: https://khoshhaulam.com/ Link to vote for Mehran until October 8th: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BRAVARisingStar2021 Link to Ilya's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Free-Move-Migration-Political-Freedom/dp/0190054581 Ilya's Memoire: https://www.law.gmu.edu/assets/files/faculty/Somin_HIASMemoir.pdf Ilya's Biography: ILYA SOMIN is Professor of Law at George Mason University. His research focuses on constitutional law, property law, democratic theory, federalism, and migration rights. He is the author of Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2020), Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter (Stanford University Press, revised and expanded second edition, 2016), and The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City of New London and the Limits of Eminent Domain (University of Chicago Press, 2015, rev. paperback ed., 2016), coauthor of A Conspiracy Against Obamacare: The Volokh Conspiracy and the Health Care Case (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), and co-editor of Eminent Domain: A Comparative Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2017). Democracy and Political Ignorance has been translated into Italian and Japanese. Somin's work has appeared in numerous scholarly journals, including the Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, Critical Review, and others. Somin has also published articles in a variety of popular press outlets, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, the New York Times Room for Debate website, CNN, The Atlantic, USA Today, US News and World Report, Newark Star Ledger, South China Morning Post, Legal Times, National Law Journal and Reason. He has been quoted or interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, The Economist, the Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian, the Associated Press, CBS, MSNBC, NPR, BBC, Reuters, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Al Jazeera, and the Voice of America, among other media. Somin's writings have been cited in decisions by the United States Supreme Court, multiple state supreme courts and lower federal courts, and the Supreme Court of Israel. He has testified on the use of drones for targeted killing in the War on Terror before the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights. In 2009, he testified on property rights issues at the United States Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Somin writes regularly for the popular Volokh Conspiracy law and politics blog, now affiliated with Reason magazine (previously affiliated with the Washington Post from 2014 to 2017). From 2006 to 2013, he served as Co-Editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review, one of the country's top-rated law and economics journals.

800,000 people lose their lives to suicide every year. Aside from its statistics and its increasing rate, suicide is personal for Mehran. In this episode, Mehran, the podcast host talks about her personal encounter with suicide, the pain of losing someone to suicide, and the 7 lessons she learned from the journey. Below are the promised links: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/suicide-prevention https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression https://www.reuters.com/article/us-immigrants-more-depressed-than-those/immigrants-more-depressed-than-those-who-stay-idUSTRE7335VJ20110404 https://www.today.com/specials/suicide-attempt-survivors/ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/15/2019-28429/implementation-of-the-national-suicide-hotline-improvement-act-of-2018 Suicide hotline: 800-273-8255 Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7 crisis Books: It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine Books: I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One by Brook Noel Books: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig Shattering the silence: Youth suicide preventionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRo5Db_7yVI Lessons from the mental Hospital https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHHPNMIK-fY Brene brown on Vulnerability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0 What I learned from my husband’s suicide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_1IklnhaU The bridge between suicide and life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CIq4mtiamY&t=672s Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ podcast and hear immigrant stories and other issues important to immigrants on your favorite app by searching Empowering conversationZ or through our page https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz

In this episode, Empowering conversationZ hosts Jane Leu Upwardly Global Founder and Jina Krause-Vilmar the current President and CEO. Together they talk about: -Upwardly Global story and the meaning behind its name, -How supported over 18000 immigrants and what it can do for you and your family, -The different ways male and female immigrants transition to the workforce, -And ways immigrants can network in order to reach their professional goals. Jane Leu is Upwardly Global’s founder. An internationally recognized social entrepreneur and expert on global immigration and workforce issues, Jane has nearly 20 years of experience as an innovator in the social sector. In addition to Upwardly Global, Jane was on the founding side of numerous projects and enterprises, including the Craigslist nonprofit venture forum, RefugeeWorks, seven Welfare-to-Work programs, and the Hauser Research Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and most recently Smarter Good, a professional services firm that leverages talent in emerging and often high out-migration markets, like the Philippines. As the Founder and CEO of Upwardly Global (2000-2009), she focused on creating the day when skilled immigrants from around the world will be seamlessly integrated in the U.S. workforce in ways that optimize their skills. Upwardly Global’s innovative idea and Jane’s leadership has been recognized by many awards, including Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award; the Jefferson Award for Community Service; as well as awards and support from the Manhattan Institute, Robin Hood Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Draper Richards Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Jane’s vision and work have been covered by National Public Radio, BBC, CNN, TIME, and Wall Street Journal. Jane holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. She is on the Advisory Council of the Migration Policy Institute, Joshua Venture Group, and Ashoka U, Ashoka’s university division. Jina Krause-Vilmar (President & CEO): Jina brings 15 years of experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. She oversees the agency’s workforce operations in four cities. Under Jina’s leadership, Upwardly Global has expanded to skill a growing number of immigrant and refugee professionals. The organization is implementing an ambitious strategy to bring clear outcomes, strong evidence, innovation through a collaborative partnership with public and private sectors. Prior to Upwardly Global, Jina worked alongside the government, the UN and corporations, to craft and implement solutions to enable refugees and immigrants to integrate into the workforce. At HIAS, she was charged with reshaping and building the agency’s economic integration programming in the U.S. and internationally, bringing clear outcomes, strong evidence, and collaborative partnerships with the public and private sectors. From 2013 to 2016, Jina started the Near East Foundation’s refugee portfolio in Jordan and Lebanon, advising the U.S. Department of State and USAID on Iraq and Syria response, and initiating the One Refugee Response. Jina has been interviewed on Aljazeera America, the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Guardian, and published in CNN, Times Magazine, and other news outlets. Jina co-chaired, alongside UN Women, an international network of agencies to advance women and girls. Jina earned her MSc in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. https://www.upwardlyglobal.org/all-news/covid-19-resources-for-job-seekers-alumni/ https://www.imprintproject.org/ https://www.upwardlyglobal.org/all-news/where-can-i-find-help-during-the-pandemic-government-assistance-faqs/ Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ here https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz

How lonely do you feel as an immigrant? -Did you have difficulty finding your first employment in the U.S? -Are you looking for meaningful connections to serve as your allies? -Are you currently looking? If so, listen to this episode of Empowering conversationZ where Haleemat Fa-Yusuf talks about her journey in the States and how one organization became the pillars of her success. She will also talk about what in her experience is important to find a meaningful job here in the states. Bio: Haleemat is a Nigerian immigrant living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their 3 young kids. Asides from her passion for serving marginalized communities through her career in public service, Haleemat is on a personal journey to make the most of life; paying attention to often overlooked concepts like the gorgeous blue skies and a beautifully illustrated children's book. She admires the simplicity, humor, and inspiration from the works of children authors like Sue Hendra and Kobi Yamada. She especially enjoys Kobi's work: What do you do with an idea? Upwardly Global website: https://www.upwardlyglobal.org/ Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ podcast on your favorite app: www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz follow us on Instagram: @mehran.sorourian or FB www.facebook.com/Empowering.conversationZ.podcast

Some conversations are hard to have for immigrants especially when it comes to racism and sexism. They could be easily misunderstood for lack of communication skills or cultural differences. They might be unaware of ways to respond when racist comments are made. That’s why I invited Maame Afon Yelbert-Sai who is an internationally recognized thought leader, passionate activist on anti-racism and anti-sexism work. As an immigrant, she is sharing with us -Ways to educate ourselves and increase our awareness. -How to define the boundaries between ignorance and racism/sexism. -How to have race-related conversations in our personal and professional lives. her bio: Exuberantly embracing her calling as a consummate connector and networker, Maame Afon enjoys her work as an activist, facilitator, executive/life coach, and mentor, supporting leaders internationally. She is an internationally recognized thought leader, passionate advocate for women and girls and a leadership development enthusiast. She is also a recording artist who uses music to promote social change and philanthropy. Maame Afon currently serves as the board chair of African Women’s Development Fund, USA and We Care Solar, and sits on the board and advisory council of other international organizations including Cocoa360, Ghana Bamboo Bikes, Days for Girls-Ghana, Moremi Initiative, Street Business School, Women Leaders for the World, and Nurturing Minds/SEGA among others. She holds a B.A. in French and Spanish and an M.A. in human rights, gender, and international development. She was named among 100 African Women in Development by Donors for Africa (2020) and has been recognized as one of the 18 African Feminists to know by For Harriet (2015). She has also been featured in AfroElle Magazine (2015) and the #Pretty-Period Campaign that celebrates black women. In 2019 she was featured in Leading Ladies Africa (LLA) as part of the release of her #RightNowAfrica single. Maame Afon is the recipient of several fellowships namely, 2020 Perennial Fellow, 2019 Rise Up Leader, 2017 Hive Global Leader, 2016 Cordes Fellow, and 2009 Woman Leader for the World. Furthermore, Maame Afon contributed her story to We Will Lead Africa - Volume Two: Women (African Everyday Leadership Stories) – 32 stories by 36 contributors, available now on Amazon. She is currently working on a full chapter titled “Steward Transformation” as part of her contribution to “The Palgrave Handbook of Learning for Transformation.” As a Whole Woman, she brings all of who she is to her work as Chief Steward of MILT (Management for Impact Leadership and Transformation), the organization she founded in 2017. She also enjoys her calling as mother and wife, raising her three children with her husband. Social Media Handles Website: www.themiltedge.com | www.maameafon.com FB: Maame Alice Yelbert-Sai; @themiltedge IG: @MaameAfon @themiltedge T: @Maameafon @themiltedge Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ podcast on your favorite app: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz follow us on Instagram: @mehran.sorourian or FB https://www.facebook.com/Empowering.conversationZ.podcast

She burst into tears as she talks about her biggest dream. A dream so big and unimaginable that aches her heart. Empowering conversationZ guest this week was Maria Estrada, a firm believer in humanity, a trauma nurse, and an undocumented mama. In this episode, she talks about the pains of not belonging, the pains of being rejected and disrespected while sharing her journey as an immigrant, and the many strengths she developed through her trauma. Bio: Maria Estrada was born in Mexico, and raised in San Diego, CA. Once in the states, she felt rejected as a Mexican national in America. She never felt belonged, as she was not Mexican enough to be accepted by her Mexican natives, or American enough to be allowed a place in her American society. Regardless, she embraced her Latina/Chicana roots in college and learned to wear her “undocumented” label like a badge of honor. Maria is currently an undocumented nurse practicing in the state of Texas. Working as a Trauma nurse felt like a perfect fit for her as she could find peace and solace knowing that she would serve those most in need. She finds satisfaction in providing healthcare to her community, for which healthcare is often denied, people like her father. Her path to citizenship has been bumpy and traumatic, however, she has healed from her traumas through motherhood and she shares her narrative as an undocumama. Subscribe to Empowering conversationZ podcast and hear immigrant stories and other issues important to immigrants on your favorite app by searching Empowering conversationZ or Through our page https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz

In this special episode of Empowering conversationZ, we are reflecting back on one year of living through the pandemic. I take you to our early lockdown days, our fears, and what I learned from hundreds of immigrants I interacted with since then. I talk about their hidden immunity in overcoming the obstacles Covid-19 created for us. And I share a trick to stay hopeful and positive during the most difficult times. As you know, we just turned one year old. If you haven’t listened to the past 30+ episodes, find us on your favorite app by searching Empowering conversationZ or through our page https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz We truly appreciate it if you leave us a review on the apple podcast. Also, you can sign up for our mailing list to be notified when an episode is released. https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8

As we are celebrating one year anniversary of the show, I am sharing the process, the fears, and the thing that got me to start the show a year ago. Listen and see how the thing can help you initiate something great! and if you want to know about the obstacles along the way listen to some of the difficulties along the way listen to https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c421e15c/updates-and-changes I am extra thankful to Dr. D my guest on the first episode, Dr. Nelson Chau my guest on the 3rd episode, and my great friends Salma Sarwary 2nd episode guest and Homa Taghizadeh 6th episode guest have been incredible supports during the early days. If you want to know more about them and the wisdom they shared with our community, go back and listen to their incredible journeys. Here are Empowering conversationZ with Dr.D https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c130cb4b/ez01-birth-of-a-miracle Dr. Nelson Chau https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c0a6d889/ez03-on-attitude-for-climbing Salma Sarwary https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c40c7bc6/ez02-from-horror-to-confidence Homa Taghizadeh https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c3220ba2/ez06-story-of-a-refugees-sacrifice Subscribe to our show on your favorite app by searching Empowering conversationZ or through our page https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz

With her law degree and a passion for the film industry, she moved to Los Angeles with a Fulbright scholarship hoping to go back despite her dad’s last-minute shocking advice. 10 years later, she is an independent film producer and writer of several documentaries as well as a podcaster on immigrant stories. In this episode, she talks about her journey and her difficulties as an immigrant in the film industry along with her passion for podcasting. Bio: Sasha was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. After graduating from law school she started her career in a film production company based in Moscow. She served as head of the legal department and as a producer on the production of several feature films involving major Russian talent. In 2010 she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and came to Los Angeles to study film producing. She’s been working as a producer since. Besides running the We The Aliens podcast, she is currently serving as an associate producer on a feature documentary Oleg about Oleg Vidov, the “Robert Redford of Soviet Union,“ who defected from USSR in 1985. She is also working on a documentary feature of her own - I Clown You, a film about clowns, who work in hospitals in Israel. Yeah, it’s a thing. Sasha holds a law degree from the State University Higher School of Economics (Moscow, Russia) and an MFA in Film Producing from the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles). She is a Fulbright Alumna Link to We the Alien’s podcast: https://www.wethealienspod.com/links/ To read more about the I Clown you documentary visit: http://www.iclownyoudoc.com/ To Support I clown you project: https://www.documentary.org/project/i-clown-you Sasha’s Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/W24DX3Vln9o Sasha’s TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@kapusterofficial?lang=en Find Empowering conversationZ podcast: https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz

Covid has been traumatic for all of us especially immigrants coming from collective cultures. With over 20 years of psychotherapeutic and research experience with first and second-generation immigrants, Dr. Pavna Sodhi weighs in on what immigrants need to do to create mental resilience and manage the stress they are facing at the moment. Her Bio: With over 20 years of psychotherapeutic and research experience, Dr. Sodhi has interacted with a multitude of populations in both clinical and academic spaces. Her professional background and personal narrative offer a unique research perspective on diaspora issues, sexual minorities, and immigrant mental health concerns. Dr. Sodhi's research has been featured in national and international scholarly journals and books. Since 2011, She has developed and taught a variety of face-to-face, hybrid, and online undergraduate and graduate courses at the university and college level. Within these modalities of teaching, her role is more of a facilitator where she helps students share, collaborate, and nurture each other's learning.  In addition to her teaching and clinical experiences, Dr. Sodhi stays current in her research by presenting at various conferences and publishing scholarly pieces. Based on her diverse clinical and research experiences, she wrote Exploring Immigrant and Sexual Minority Mental Health: Reconsidering Multiculturalism in 2017. The content of this book is supported by first- and second-generation narratives, who share their experiences of migration, overt/covert racism, trauma, identity formation, and mental health concerns. A theoretical framework: Diversity of Identity Formation Therapy (DIFT), specifically for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities is also introduced and exemplified in a family case study format. •Insta : @sunotherapy •Website: www.pavnaksodhi.com Twitter: @DrPavnaKSodhi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavna-k-sodhi-67b81615/?originalSubdomain=ca Book: https://www.routledge.com/Exploring-Immigrant-and-Sexual-Minority-Mental-Health-Reconsidering-Multiculturalism/Sodhi/p/book/9780415841870

Came from India to solely support his family and his 11 brothers and sisters. To help them financially so that they could attend college. Once here, he was isolated and rejected for his color, his heavy accent, and was ready to go back home when someone made a comment that changed many things for him. He stayed. He persevered. And now, he sees each challenge, discrimination, favoritism, and conflicting values as a learning opportunity. In this episode of Empowering conversationZ, he talks about the comment, his mindset, discrimination, and much more. My guest this week is Kam Gupta, Management consultant, and coach. Bio: Kam Gupta is President of Continuous Improvement Technology, Inc. in the Chicago area. As a trained life and leadership coach, Kam helps individual clients and organizations create alignment with their objectives and tap into their unlimited potential. The success is based on the concepts of Energy Leadership and related energy assessments for sustainable transformation; a concept which has proven very powerful in creating dynamic and actionable strategic plans. Kam has been a manufacturing and quality professional from the beginning of his career. Rising through the ranks, Kam has served as director and vice president at various companies, such as Harley Davidson, Eaton Corporation, Admiral Tool and Manufacturing. As a consultant and coach, Kam has helped over 100 companies worldwide, big, and small, in achieving success and creating memorable positive experiences. Kam works with an energetic mission of doing everything with customer success in mind, followed by a memorable positive customer experience. On the non-profit front, Kam has held many leadership positions at various levels, such as ASQ national Board of Directors, Regional Director, Board of directors at fine arts institutions, and safe shelters. Kam has presented at many events, including featured keynote speaker and presenter in the US, Mexico, India, and Brazil. Kam holds a master’s degree in engineering management from MSOE, Milwaukee. Kam loves cooking and creates experientially memorable events combining joy in cooking, learning, and honing personal leadership skills all at the same time, collectively. He fluently speaks Russian and Hindi and is a beginner in conversational Spanish. Suggested episode: EZ03 attitude for climbing https://www.mehrans.com/empowering-conversationz/episode/c0a6d889/ez03-on-attitude-for-climbing Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive content: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8

He was born deaf and migrated to Canada as an adult because he felt his country limited his growth for his physical disability. Once in Canada he was provided with opportunities to learn multiple languages and earn his PhD in special education. Now he teaches various courses on deaf culture and American sign language to deaf and hearing students in University of Alberta while being a role model to deaf especially deaf immigrants around the world. In this episode of Empowering conversationZ Dr.Rouzbeh Ghahreman, an immigrant from Iran shares his story of prejudice, obstacles in communication and offers our listeners with the wisdom they need to interact with other deaf individuals. Link to our newsletter: https://mehrans.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dfc4750bd3f20b3caae4503f&id=0329b857f8 Link to his youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=TdHMVdgoHOk&app=desktop Link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Deaf-Gain-Raising-Stakes-Diversity/dp/0816691223 Link to additional readings Rouzbeh wanted you to read: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/14/an-ng-kind-of-love/ http://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/zoom-focus-confession https://archive.org/details/cihm_24533

Being the victim of sexual violence at a very young age, seeing the impact of the Rwandan genocide, and being discriminated against in her new home for her identity could be enough to traumatize someone for life but Empowering conversationZ guest chose to heal and create a refuge for others to heal. Tabitha Mpamira is a mental health therapist, activist, motivational speaker, and consultant on sexual and gender-based violence with a long working history in the mental healthcare industry. In 2015, Tabitha founded EDJA to provide free medical, legal, and mental health services to survivors of sexual assault in East Africa. EDJA, now a program merged with Nyaka Global, has sparked rapid change in rural Uganda by supporting hundreds of survivors and bringing perpetrators to justice. Tabitha’s work in this area has been widely recognized and vividly depicted in the documentary Victors: Singing to the Lions, which has been screened globally, including at the United Nations Association of New York. She was recognized by Global Citizen in 2018 when she won the People’s Choice Waislitz Award. Tabitha has been invited to speak across the globe; recent examples include her speech at the Vatican about the urgency of working to end sexual violence and her widely viewed TEDx Talk on the transforming or transferring of trauma. Tabitha is currently pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in sexual trauma.  organization:https://nyakaglobal.org/ Her ted talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4loBphYCXI

It is hard to be stuck with a bad boss in this tough economy especially as an immigrant without support. That’s why Mehran, Career and communication coach for immigrants will address issues immigrants face in dealing with “bad bosses” especially the 3 most toxic ones: The people pleaser, the micromanager, and the Narcissist. And provides tips to deal with them and grow in their presence. Mehran is a career and communication coach and founder of Empowering conversationZ. In addition to 5 years of professional coaching experience, she has a Masters in Biology with almost a decade in academia and industry. To know more about her visit www.MehranS.com #Empowering_ConversationZ #Mehran_Sorourian #MehranSorourian #Badboss #immigrants #immigration #worklifebalance #workchallenge #Workculture #culture #interculturalcommunication #EmpoweringconversationZ #immigrantstories #immigrantinspiration #inspiration #inspire

Hungry for opportunity, she moved from Brazil to United States leaving behind her successful business back home. Once in the states she worked at Amazon “cutting tomatoes”, for which she was teased by friends and family, but her persistence paid off. This week Empowering conversationZ guest is Flavia Lemos. She is an award-winning brand strategist. She has enhanced the brand identity and generated over a $100M increase in sales for small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. She compiled 23 years of expertise into a cohesive framework. The Rio Brand Strategy increases customer loyalty, accelerates growth, and leaves the competition behind. #immigration #truestory #interview #influentialimmigrant #empowering_conversationz #MehranSorourian #EmpoweringconversationZ #immigrant #successstory #insiration

She spent her wedding gift on moving to the states and fulfilling her dream of higher education. She faced many obstacles but she kept one motto in her life. My guest this week is Mastaneh Sharafi, an immigrant from Iran. Mastaneh has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences and is a Registered Dietitian. She has received training in diet quality, ingestive behavior, and nutrition across life stages from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Connecticut. She is an author of multiple papers in peer-reviewed journals. Her experience beyond the academic years includes working in scientific and clinical affairs for nutrition and fitness industries, as well as serving as an expert, and keynote speaker for scientific and leadership platforms. She is currently the senior director of scientific and clinical affairs at Ritual, a health and technology company dedicated to improving public well-being through evidence-based science.

With her ailing mother’s encouragement, she packed her two suitcases and moved from Colombia to an empty apartment in North Carolina. She struggled to gather her life before her daughters arrived, but she learned to dry her tears and move on with her life. My guest this week is Maria Isabel Monsalve, who left her life as the dean of the school of education to live in her dream country. She faced many struggles during her citizenship journey, and finally, after 13 years she received her green card. In this episode, not only she talks about her journey, the struggles she and her daughters faced, the lessons she learned during her immigration journey, and the values she taught her daughters who are a diplomat and a Harvard student. As a kindergarten teacher to minority students, Maria has valuable insight for immigrant parents and teachers in these trying times regarding teacher, student, parent triangle, and the importance of parent involvement in a virtual setting while helping teachers understand a valuable lesson.

If you are a parent concerned about your children’s virtual learning, this episode is for you. In this special episode, Mehran your host is providing you with research-backed information to help you make an informed decision regarding an In-person vs. Virtual learning. Additionally, she will provide you with 10 tips to improve virtual learning for your children. Below are some of the resources we used in preparing the episode. We invite you to read and interpret the data yourself. Also, please remember as our understanding of COVID19 expands, some of these articles might not be relevant. So we suggest doing your own research when making important decisions. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2020/06/02/virtual-charter-schools-and-online-learning-during-covid-19/ https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/26/should-kids-return-to-school-20-medical-experts-weigh-in.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/11/us/virus-teachers-classrooms.html https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/school-openings-across-globe-suggest-ways-keep-coronavirus-bay-despite-outbreaks https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/A-Parents-Guide-to-Virtual-Learning-4-Actions-To-Improve-your-Childs-Experience-with-Online-Learning.pdf https://www.methodschools.org/blog/parent-tips-for-online-learning-success https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/coronavirus/most_parents_want_schools_to_reopen_in_the_fall https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/898584176/most-teachers-concerned-about-in-person-school-2-in-3-want-to-start-the-year-onl https://dontforgetthebubbles.com/the-missing-link-children-and-transmission-of-sars-cov-2/

Coming from a high profile affluent family, she fled Afghanistan with nothing but a bag of clothes. Following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, she first moved to Germany in 1979, and later to Chicago at the age of 17. Currently, she is residing in San Diego, CA where she works as a speech and language pathologist in Poway Unified school, one of America’s best public school systems. My guest this week is Neda Olomi a refugee from Afghanistan. In this episode she shares her journey, her vision and her aspirations as an Afghan-American. Neda loves to paint on her spare time. She paints for herself, her clients and the charities she is involved in. you can visit her site at https://www.nedaokart.com/ The link to her charity is http://helpinghandrftp.org/ to donate to their winter drive using this link: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=234094... To increase awareness please share the incidents where you felt discriminated against at Mehran@MehranS.com or fill out this form: Coming from a high profile affluent family, she fled Afghanistan with nothing but a bag of clothes. Following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, she first moved to Germany in 1979, and later to Chicago at the age of 17. Currently, she is residing in San Diego, CA where she works as a speech and language pathologist in Poway Unified school, one of America’s best public school systems. My guest this week is Neda Olomi a refugee from Afghanistan. In this episode she shares her journey, her vision, and her aspirations as an Afghan-American. Neda loves to paint in her spare time. She paints for herself, her clients, and the charities she is involved in. you can visit her site at https://www.nedaokart.com/ The link to her charity is http://helpinghandrftp.org/ to donate to their winter drive using this link: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=234094... To increase awareness please share the incidents where you felt discriminated against at Mehran@MehranS.com or fill out this form: https://forms.gle/c2h6DLbjxa7aGXqQ6

With 35 years of experience as a healthcare executive, he is a board member to CVS Health and 7 other companies. Being involved in acquisitions and mergers up to a billion-dollar in the states and around the world, he an advisor and consultant to many new ventures in the US and Europe especially during early development. My guest this week is J.P Millon, an immigrant from France who talks about his immigration journey, his learnings in the area of cross-cultural communication, and his vision on leadership development among minorities.

Turkey’s got talent semi-finalist Temi Hason joined Empowering conversationZ podcast this week to share her taxing immigration journey. Temi traveled between the United States and Turkey 4 times in a short time to maintain lawful status. Being betrayed by lawyers and sponsors, she learned a painful lesson: to only trust herself and have everything in writing. She didn’t hesitate to clean the bathrooms, live in undesirable conditions, or stand in lines for 16 hrs to showcase her talent in 30 seconds. Her tireless attitude ultimately led her to live in the United States, play in her dream shows, and owning her personal business. This episode is an inspiring tale of an immigrant who reached her dream. Temi provided us with pictures of her shows that you can find on our YouTube channel @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hYCLVWaNShHu0482IqP1A/ You can also connect with Temi through her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amusicalhome/

Cultural awareness plays an essential role in one's professional growth. In this special episode, Mehran educates her audience on different aspects of culture that impacted Layla’s growth and how the new awareness lead her to become an effective leader. In this episode, she talks about -Communicating with Low vs. high context cultures -Hierarchy and its role in one’s leadership development -Different ways trust can be built

My guest this week is president and CEO of LogicBio Therapeutics. With 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry, he is an immigrant from France. In this episode, Frederic Chereau talks about his journey, his cultural differences as a team leader, and how his English affected the opportunities presented to him as an executive. He also shares many tips and lessons with Empowering conversationZ audience. You will enjoy this episode, especially if: -You have a strong accent wondering how it impacts your professional growth. -You have a multicultural team and looking for ways to improve communication -You are lacking a little motivation in life

Azita Khatami’s story is an empowering tale of a typical stay home mother from the middle east. Back home, her husband provided financially while she was responsible for everything kids and house related. After they won the green card lottery and moved to the States, they happily maintained their culture until the accident. The tragic accident that killed her husband. Losing her husband, Azita had to make a major decision, leaving the states knowing financial and emotional support is readily available back home or to keep her late husband’s promise and fight her way through life’s obstacles. She stayed. And not only mothered her two young boys but also learned English, attended college and found a job. Looking back Azita tells her story and hopes to inspire other women from similar cultures to be more independent. To her, this is real life!

San Diego business journal names her one of the architects of the local life science sector. As the first woman inducted into the Connect Entrepreneur Hall of fame, Dr. Magda Marquet is an accomplished immigrant from France. In this interview, you will hear -Magda's immigration story -Her path to success -Her insights on why women don’t grow in leadership positions -Her suggestions on how to grow in leadership positions regardless of gender, ethnicity, and … To know more about her Dr. Magda Marquet has built, led, and commercialized multiple life science companies. She is the co-founder of AltheaDx, a commercial-stage, precision medicine company with the world’s leading pharmacogenomics test for anxiety and depression, and ALMA Life Sciences, LLC, an early-stage investment firm creating and growing innovative healthcare companies. Dr. Marquet co-founded Althea Technologies and, as its co-CEO with full P&L responsibility, led the company to become a leader in the field and a highly profitable, commercial company. As a result, she guided Althea to a successful acquisition by Ajinomoto, a global Japanese company and leader in amino acid technology.Prior to starting Althea Technologies, Dr. Marquet held several positions in pharmaceutical development in companies such as Vical and Amylin Pharmaceuticals.She currently serves on the following Boards: Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT) (Compensation Committee Chair, member of the Audit Committee). She also serves on the Board of Pfenex (PFNX) (Nomination and Governance Committee) and she serves on several private companies boards such as Senté, Micronoma, and HUYA Biosciences International.As a former founder and CEO, Dr. Marquet has broad operational, fundraising expertise including venture, private equity, and venture debt. She also brings expertise in M&A, global commercial development, regulatory strategies, and building a winning culture of innovation and strategic growth.Dr. Marquet holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from INSA/University of Toulouse, France. She has received numerous prestigious awards throughout her career including the 2005 Regional Ernst&Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Life Sciences category, the Athena Pinnacle award, the Director of the Year award (Corporate Governance) from the Corporate Directors Forum and has been inducted into the CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Are you overwhelmed and burnt out during the pandemic. Your health is at risk due to the level of pressure? In this special episode Mehran gives insights on how to manage burnout and provides may solutions to manage emotional, financial, and professional challenges that her audience is facing. This is to create a more peaceful environment for themselves and their loved ones while navigating one of the toughest periods in their lives. Financial wellbeing being the main concern of her audience, she shares Money man’s insights. In this episode he talks about the common mistakes people make during this time. Living through one of the most competitive job markets, she talks about attitudes that can reduce one’s layoff chances and provides insights on growth despite the outcome. Listen to this episode packed with information and insights from various individuals including a CEO who recently laid off some of her employees. Article on playpen vs. playground:https://now.tufts.edu/articles/why-parents-shouldn-t-worry-about-how-much-screen-time-kids-have-right-now Money Flow worksheet: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ab060082-c800-43bd-9f6c-9a5b1e24e9b8/downloads/1B.%20MONEY%20FLOW.pdf?ver=1587859563400 Dimitris book: https://moneymanhelps.com/buy-book Dimitris website: https://moneymanhelps.com/ Let's stay connected, https://www.instagram.com/mehran.sorourian/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/comunicationcoach/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hYCLVWaNShHu0482IqP1A?view_as=subscriber https://www.mehrans.com/

Shabnam Lotfi is an immigration lawyer who offers her clients something more than many other lawyers do, her big open heart. In this episode, she shares her journey as a young immigrant and why she chose law as well as her view on our immigration system through her personal and professional lens. Given the present delays on immigration cases, Shabnam continues to support her community around the globe through a large Facebook group where she answers questions in English and Farsi, offers free advice, and addresses immigrants' immediate concerns. Because of her passion and thorough understanding of the travel ban on people's lives, in 2018 she filed a law suit against it making it one of her longest cases to day. https://www.facebook.com/groups/immigrantsunited/ https://lotfilegal.com/

This week’s guest Dr. Kleanthis Xanthopoulos was a serial entrepreneur whose passion is building healthcare companies focused on innovation. He has over two decades of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical research industries as an executive, company founder, chief executive officer, investor, and board member. Dr. Xanthopoulos has founded four companies, introduced three life science companies to NASDAQ, and financed and brokered numerous creative strategic alliances and partnership deals with large pharmaceutical partners. In this episode, he talked about his immigration journey and offered many suggestions for those with a passion for business and entrepreneurial path. As promised below are some of the Value assessment tools: –Value assessment by D. Martini (http://fillyourcup.global/values-determination-test-dr-john-demartinti/) – Values Assessment List (VAL) by Golden LLC (https://www.psionline.com/assessments/values-arrangement-list-val/) –Read the book: Actions speak louder than words by Celia Oyler For questions about the podcast, speaking opportunities or nominating an immigrant contact us at Mehran@MehranS.com https://www.mehrans.com/

How does running a chicken business and a tiger mom who can’t speak any English make a forensic psychiatrist with a degree from Harvard? My guest this week is Dr. Michael Takamura who migrated with his mom at 5 from South Korea. Not only he played the role of a translator at a young age but also he managed their chicken restaurant. In this episode, Michael talks about his migration journey, financial difficulties, regrets, and how adversities built his unique character. I especially recommend this episode to immigrants struggling to make ends meet, those questioning their decision to migrate, and those who want to develop a positive mindset. Dr.Michael Takamura is currently practicing at Psychiatric Behavioral Hlth Grp15525 Pomerado Rd Ste E3 Poway, CA 92064 (858)592-6644 For questions about the podcast, speaking opportunities or nominating an immigrant contact us at Mehran@MehranS.com

Certain cultures are more predisposed to perfectionism and the complications that come with it. In this episode, Mehran shares her research on different types of perfectionism, the impact of culture on raising a perfectionist child, and ways we can mitigate its impact on our personal and professional lives. https://www.mehrans.com/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/perfectionism-test

Empowering conversationZ guest this week is Dr. Mohamad Oskoorouchi who migrated from Iran at the age of 25. Despite his visa application being rejected over 10 times, he found his way to the states and is the associate dean at the College of Business at California State University-San Marcos. In this episode not only he shares his life story and struggles but also educates our audience on the importance of mindset and ways to be confident as an immigrant. Reach out to him: moskoorouchi@gmail.com Questions for me: Mehran@MehranS.com website: https://www.mehrans.com/

Born and raised in Afghanistan, Homa Taghizadeh fled her country and through UNHCR found her way to Canada and ultimately to the States. Despite being born in a culture that limited women’s value, she dreamed of becoming an independent, capable woman. That dream became the reality in various stages throughout her life. -When she migrated by herself to Europe -When she fled her country alone and found her way to the states -And ultimately when she rose to rescue her mother and two sisters during a difficult time in Afghanistan, leaving behind her dream career. Now, she owns her business interpreting, supporting and educating immigrants in their very early stages. nominate an immigrant: https://www.mehrans.com/ezpodcast Learn about Mehran: https://www.mehrans.com/about

Dr. Doris Maria Luft Santos Baker was born in Brazil and migrated twice before coming to the States, learning 4 languages and experiencing many cultures. Currently, she is the director of Master in Bilingual education at Southern Methodist University or SMU looking into developing tools and assessments in English and Spanish to improve and monitor the academic performance of English learners with or without disability. As a researcher and a published author with many publications and books, she shared many insights during our interview. Whether you are an immigrant trying to learn English or you are raising/teaching kids in multilingual environment, you will benefit tremendously from this episode. The highlights are: -Integrating into the new culture and finding a sense of belonging -Learning English during adulthood -Supporting multilingual kids in learning English while developing cognitive skills that enhances their academic performance Below you can find the book we referred during our conversation which is geared toward teachers and educators. https://www.amazon.com/Second-Language-Acquisition-Perspectives-Challenges/dp/1536143057

In this episode of Empowering conversationZ podcast, Mehran shares the difficulties her community is facing during COVID-19 pandemic. Providing valuable resources and techniques, she inspires them to think back to their immigration journey and utilize the muscles they have developed to overcome the challenges they are facing today. Topics she covers are: Ways to entertain and home school kids peacefully Working efficiently from home Managing stress To pick up your copy of your cheat sheet sign up at https://www.mehrans.com/ezpodcast

Dr. Nelson Chau is a successful immigrant with contributions in discovering and developing multiple pre-clinical RNA based therapeutics. He is currently serving as Vice President of Discovery Biology and Translational research at Logic Bio Therapeutics. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he shares his challenges during early immigration and beyond. As a minority with English as his second language, Nelson gives many insights on growing in a competitive environment such as the biotech industry.

In this episode of Empowering conversationZ, I interviewed Salma Sarawary. She is the Director of business development at a small company here in San Diego. As an immigrant woman born in Afghanistan, Salma experienced a range of challenges. From being smuggled out of her country at a young age to being bullied in the states and facing many obstacles to graduate from high school. However, these encounters only strengthened her to believe in herself more and pursue her dreams courageously. Her inspiring story challenges us to embrace diversity and empowers us to believe in ourselves despite the cultural limitations we face.

In this episode of Empowering conversationZ, Shahram Daneshmand (Dr.D) shared his struggles as a young immigrant who left behind the comfortable life he had in Iran and came to the states with challenges that teenagers can relate easily: Challenge of fitting in especially when you look different and speak little English. Now, he is a successful high-risk obstetrician with a passion to help women and children. Besides his private practice and medical spa, he is the founder of Miracle babies a non-profit organization with the mission to reunite sick newborns with their families. https://www.instagram.com/miraclebabies/ https://www.facebook.com/MiracleBabies/ 5K Superhero walk: https://www.facebook.com/events/180317566673428/

In this episode, Mehran talks about her why and her vision for her podcast.