Not Your Token Minority

In this episode, I chat with Dil Khosa, co-founder of creative entrepreneurship hub Manzana, based here in Auckland, New Zealand. She speaks with me about:Her experience moving to New Zealand from Malaysia in her late teensWhat it means to “just be yourself” in a world where you’re seen as “different” The biggest lessons she learned when she experienced burnout from her startup careerHer drive to improve support for traditionally under-supported startup founders Her goals for Manzana, which she established with two others in 2022 to help support women and underserved entrepreneurs in AotearoaYou can learn more about Manzana here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shaneel Lal (they/them) is a prominent activist and political commentator who sits at the intersection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s BIPOC and queer communities. They are a fierce advocate for ending conversion therapy and in February 2022, their efforts resulted in legislation being passed that bans the practice in New Zealand.In our conversation, we cover: Growing up queer in Fiji and how that informed Shaneel’s advocacy later onThe impact of colonisation on queer communities in FijiColonial queerness vs indigenous queerness, and how colonisation stripped away indigenous queer identitiesTheir journey to self-acceptance of their queer identityTheir conversion therapy experienceWhy successfully getting conversation therapy banned in Aotearoa was not their most joyful moment (and what really brings them joy in their activism)You can follow Shaneel on Instagram, Twitter, and their column for The New Zealand Herald.Remember to  rate and share this show, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on [email protected] if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Auckland-based artist and photographer Abhi Chinniah joins me in this episode to talk how colourism has fundamentally shaped her life so far and her most recent exhibition “Melanin Rising”. She shares:Her experiences at the receiving end of colourismHow her personal experiences of colourism inspire her workHow she went from Abhi, to Abby, and back to AbhiThe influence her dad has had in her journey grappling with colourismWhat she hopes she can teach future generations about themselves and the world around themHer vision for the future of her Melanin Rising projectExperience and support Abhi’s work below:Melanin RisingRamii StudioPlease rate and share this show, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on [email protected] if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vivian Chandra is a tech consultant with a huge difference. Her passion for education and democratising digital technology means she spends much of her time upskilling teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand so that they can teach kids essential tech skills. In our conversation, we talk about:Why diversity and inclusion in tech is important to herHow to use play doh to teach electronicsOne of the biggest misunderstandings about children and their use of technologyHow to encourage more digital fluency for your kids - and why that’s importantHow learning Te Reo Māori helped her explore her own cultural identity If you would like to follow Vivian’s work, you can do so on her website https://vivianchandra.com or follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/vivsterNZ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a rerun of my conversation with Iori Forsyth from 2021.-------------------Iori Forsyth is half-Australian and half-Japanese and she embodies the terms "bicultural" and "biracial" through and through. She split her childhood between Japan and Australia, which allowed her to experience both cultures fully and be fluent in both languages. She grew up with 7 brothers (she's the oldest of 8 children).Due to her family's unique status as both a large family and a bicultural one in Hiroshima, Japan, they had their own reality TV show for 10 years - a significant part of Iori and her brothers' childhoods and teenage years.We talk about what it was like for her growing up split between two very different cultures, where she felt like she fit in the most, her experience growing up in front of TV cameras, and the most important things to giving your own children a truly multicultural upbringing. You can follow Iori and her family on their YouTube channel, 大家族フォーサイス家 (Large family Forsyth). Note that the channel is in Japanese only. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on [email protected] if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.