Coming To America

Wilson Kubwayo is the founder of wksocial, a thriving social media marketing agency that is revolutionizing the way businesses engage and attract their target audience. With years of experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and an MBA in Marketing and Business Innovation, Wilson has developed a deep understanding of digital strategy and community engagement, making him the go-to expert for businesses looking to build a strong offline and online presence.At WKSocial, Wilson leads a team of digital marketing experts and web developers who create customized experiences that drive growth, engagement, and revenue. Their proven techniques have helped countless businesses and organizations increase their online presence, improve their overall engagement, and drive more sales.Wilson's passion for business innovation and implementing effective marketing strategies has established wksocial as a trusted partner for businesses and organizations looking to succeed in the digital age. With his unwavering commitment to delivering results, Wilson and his team at wksocial are dedicated to helping businesses attract and connect with their target audience.  https://wk.social/ 

In this episode of Coming to America, the host talks with Grace Moen, an Oslo-born freelance journalist and event producer who moved to Portland with her parents in 1991. They discuss Norway’s geography and economic model (fjords, hydropower, oil policy, and the sovereign wealth fund), social trust, and the country’s push for electric vehicles. Grace shares how her American mother and Norwegian father built a Norwegian-speaking home in Oregon, spent summers in Norway, and navigated the “in-between” identity of immigrants. She reflects on living in San Francisco during the tech boom, returning to Portland for community and arts, and how Oslo invested in transit and public waterfronts. Grace also describes earning an online Harvard journalism master’s during the pandemic, focusing on prison healthcare, and contrasts U.S. punishment-driven incarceration with Norway’s rehabilitation-centered prison design. The episode closes with ways to connect through Grieg Lodge, scholarships, and Portland’s May 17th Constitution Day celebration.   https://www.grieglodge.org/ https://www.gracemoen.com

In this episode of Coming to America, the host speaks with Meike Bradley, an immigrant from Hamburg, Germany, who first arrived in Portland in 2005 as an au pair on a J-1 visa. Meike shares what it was like growing up in Hamburg—independence, public transit, and a strong cultural scene—then explains how a failed visa extension sent her back to Germany before she found a way to return and planned to study at PSU. She ultimately studied international business management in Breda, Netherlands, while returning to Portland each summer after meeting her future husband through her host family. Now a mom of three girls (including twins), she discusses language at home, travel back to Europe, differences between Germany and the U.S. around structure, hierarchy, and family support, and her upcoming jewelry brand -https://www.baubledots.com/

In this episode of Coming to America, the host talks with Esraa Alkhateeb, an immigrant from Amman, Jordan, who moved to the U.S. three years ago and studies biochemistry and molecular biology at Lewis & Clark College. Esraa shares what it was like growing up in Jordan, a safe country amid regional conflict, and how financial constraints led her to seek scholarships. At 16, she left home to attend a United World Colleges campus in Mostar, Bosnia, completing the IB program and gaining an international community and a new learning style beyond memorization. She then came to the U.S. on the Shelby Davis Scholarship, choosing Lewis & Clark for its small size and access to research. Esraa reflects on cultural differences in relationships, loneliness abroad, and what she loves about Portland—nature, diversity, and great food—then encourages young people to pursue opportunities and ignore “you can’t” answers.

Kjell van Zoen, use they/he pronouns, from the Netherlands and England, came here in 2004. For money, Kjell work as an organizational development and change management coach, and has passion for making and playing music.