The Newcomers Podcast 🎙️

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Anam Zakaria and Haroon Khalid of Qissa, one of the most interesting immigrant storytelling platforms I have come across in recent months.Qissa's flagship project, "Driving Canada," started as casual conversations with Uber drivers as Anam and Haroon navigated doctors appointments, daycare, and all the stuff new parents have to deal with. Almost all the drivers were immigrants. Almost all were overqualified. Almost all had stories about the systemic barriers that shoved them into the gig economy.The shitty thing about all this is you sometimes see people term this struggle as a "rite of passage." We call it resilience. And instead of pushing for policy changes that fix the system, we celebrate the immigrants ability to survive it. With no care for its toll on the individuals, their loved ones, their community, and Canada.In this conversation, Anam, Haroon, and I explore the cost of resilience. We also chat about:* Why most immigrant settlement programs serve yesterday’s immigrants, not today’s* Why we need to fix the system instead of glorifying the struggle* Launching Qissa* The power of storiesOfficial Links✅ Connect with Anam Zakaria on LinkedIn✅ Connect with Haroon Khalid on LinkedIn✅ Read the Driving Canada ReportOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bittersweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Robert Ndoping and Oumar Dicko of Windmill Microlending, Canada. When Robert and Oumar tell you that Windmill has funded over 14,000 skilled immigrants to get re-credentialed in their professions, with an average loan size of $10,183, totaling nearly $146 million in approved loans, and a repayment rate of 95%…You'll probably go, ‘Wow, that's impressive.’When you hear the story of the ENT surgeon driving Uber in Toronto while kids wait months for surgery, you realize that it isn't just impressive, it's necessary. There are a lot of things Canada does right about immigrant settlement. But there are also a lot of areas in which we could do better. The skilled immigrant credential recognition is one of those areas. And Windmill Microlending is proof that Canada wins when we make sure skilled immigrants can contribute to the economy as fast as possible. Because for every 10,000 clients Windmill empowers, an additional $3.6 billion in lifetime tax revenue is generated for Canada.In this conversation, Oumar, Robert, and I chat about Windmill Microlending’s loan model. We also explore:* Walking the talk when it comes to skilled immigrant settlement* Why the work is personal for both of them* The human impact of their work* Why we need to move the immigrant conversation from “immigrant struggling” to “untapped potential”* Why immigrants don’t need savingOfficial Links✅ Connect with Robert Ndoping on LinkedIn✅ Connect with Oumar Dicko on LinkedIn✅ Read Windmill’s Impact Report ⤵One AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with O'Nell Agossa, who moved to Canada from Benin as a nine year old. At 13, a lady on a bus told O'Nell to “go back to where you're coming from.” But he's refused to give that experience the power to define who he was or who he has grown up to be. Instead, he thinks that the confusion others feel is not your problem to solve. You don't owe anyone an explanation of who you are. You don't need to fit into their narrow categorizations that make them feel comfortable. You just need to be.In this conversation, O’Nell and I explore curiosity as a way of life and why he’s writing a book about the trait. We also chat about:* Why the immigrant experience is about hope and renewal* Immigrants as bridges between worlds* The weight immigrant parents carry* Why you don't need to ask permission to belongOfficial Links✅ Connect with O’Nell Agossa on LinkedIn✅ Follow along as he prepares to publish his book, Curiosity and IOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Kelly Boyi, who left Canada for the United States after 12 years of building a life here.First off, this isn't a "Canada bad, America good" story. Kelly spent over a decade in Canada. His entire family lives here. He credits Canada for giving him his first job, first relationship, and first house.But when you're an ambitious individual watching the best minds from UofT and Waterloo migrate south, when you hear that you could get better pay while working with folks building potential rocket ships, you would be forgiven for getting a tad introspective.I also like that Kelly didn't mince words about our flaws as a country. Look, Canada is a fantastic country. But we aren't moving forward if we don't get good at having uncomfortable conversations about the kind of country we want to build for those coming after us.In this conversation, Kelly and I explore why loving Canada isn’t enough to stay anymore. We also chat about:* The grant system’s interesting “apply early” secret* Why Canadian monopolies and bureaucracy are stifling innovation and ambition* The famous Silicon Valley “energy”* Why you can’t afford to be complacent as an immigrantOfficial Links✅ Connect with Kelly Boyi on LinkedIn✅ Speak to Kelly for career coaching and other related servicesOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I am speaking with Ritika Saraswat, Founder & CEO of Re-Defined, a members-only community for international students by international students. The past 18 months haven't been exactly fair to international students in Canada. They've been blamed, labelled, and threatened. They've had to deal with policy changes, uncertainty, and expiring permits. And while all that sounds depressing, Ritika has a refreshing take on all the chaos: Come to Canada. Learn. Make new friends. Build connections. And if you get the chance to stay and contribute, great. If not, take what you've learned back home. I know this is easier said than done. You probably have nothing to go back to back home. You probably can't even afford to relocate back home. But where there's a will, there sometimes is a way.In this conversation, Ritika and I chat about why international students need to focus on what they control. We also explore:* How to get feedback from your Canadian colleagues or counterparts* Why playing the long game matters more when planning to immigrate* Why you can’t afford feeling like a victim as an immigrant* What she’s learned after seven years in Canada* Why she thinks immigrants have a responsibility to come prepared, do their research, and contribute to their new societyOfficial Links✅ Connect with Ritika Saraswat on LinkedIn✅ Join the Re-Defined communityOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking to Aishwarya Khanduja, who moved from India to Canada at age 12, learned English watching Hannah Montana during her first Canadian summer, and has permanently left Canada to build her venture fund in New York.This conversation left me with a bittersweet feel. Canada keeps losing its best and brightest to the south of the border. It sucks because we aren't just losing talent. We are losing the future.And it's a worrying trend that seems to be accelerating by the day. We talk a big game about immigration being a talent pipeline. But it means nothing if the immigrants end up leaving for other countries because their chances of succeeding are higher outside Canada. As Aishwarya puts it, "Canada doesn't have the resources for me to thrive." This is what the Canadian brain drain looks like up close.In this conversation, Aishwarya and I chat about what Canada loses when builders leave. We also explore:* How immigration helps build anti-fragile societies* What you need to qualify for the O-1 visa * Why she’s all for building a life she doesn’t have to escape from* Watching her parents sacrifice everything and start from zeroOfficial Links✅ Connect with Aishwarya Khanduja on LinkedIn✅ Follow Aishwarya Khanduja on Twitter✅ Explore her personal blog✅ Check out what she’s building with AnalogueOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Oluwaseun Ayebiwo, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Halifax, Canada with a ready-made community. Most immigrants wait till they get to Canada before they start building a community. Taking this approach means they start with zero social capital, they have no one to turn to when trying to understand the unspoken cultural rules, and they find integrating slow and frustrating. Well, Oluwaseun rolls different. The dude connected with 40+ people who were all moving to Nova Scotia from Lagos at the same time. They planned their trips together, some even flew on the same aircraft, and they've been supporting each other ever since. What started as finding "one person and the other" quickly became a coordinated movement of 40+ people from Lagos, all planning their new lives together. That community has grown to over 700 people over the years. In this conversation, Oluwaseun and I explore his community-first approach to immigration. We also chat about:* How their success attracted and transformed Halifax's existing Nigerian community* Finding people in your new country who share your values and goals* What it means to serve on IRCC's Advisory Council for newcomers* Why Halifax is a geographical hidden gem for NigeriansOfficial Links✅ Connect with Oluwaseun Ayebiwo on LinkedInOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Saïd M'Dahoma, neuroscientist turned pastry chef.For reasons I can understand, people love to flatten the immigrant experience into simple or monolithic narratives. Be one thing so we can understand you.Saïd's story pushes back against this oversimplification. Growing up in Paris as the son of Comorian parents, he had to be French, full stop. His parents' heritage was something to minimize, not celebrate. Integration meant a silent erasure.Then he immigrated to Canada. “I think I am French. I am Comorian. I am Canadian,” Saïd says. “Sometimes people ask you to choose, like, what are you? Which one are you out of the three? I think I'm all of them at the same time.”Saïd’s story isn't just about Canadian multiculturalism being nice in practice. It's a story of what happens when we allow individuals to accept the various parts of themselves, to be complex, and luxuriate in all the nuances that come with being human.In this conversation, Saïd and I chat about how long it takes to feel like you’ve truly settled into your new country. We also explore:* His journey from a PhD holder in neuroscience to pastry chef* Why food is one of best ways to pass on cultural heritage* The immigrant as a monolith* Why the immigrant experience resists categorizationOfficial Links✅ Connect with Saïd M’Dahoma on LinkedIn✅ Learn how to make pastry the French wayOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with Victoria Patenaude, a communications coach who helps immigrants find their voice. Literally.For most immigrants, especially the non-native English speakers, they think the reason they struggle to express themselves clearly is due to a limited vocabulary, poor grammar, or a bad accent. Well, Victoria thinks otherwise.And she's not just talking as a coach, she has the lived experience. Victoria grew up constantly code-switching between Polish, Greek, and English cultural contexts. By her twenties, she was what she calls “a very careful person.”That hypervigilance followed her through university and through moves between Quebec and the United States. Even as a successful professional with advanced degrees, she still carried the emotional burden of never feeling quite confident in her communication. Her breakthrough came when she realized confidence isn't something you earn through perfect pronunciation. It's a choice you can make right now, regardless of your skill level. Now she helps other immigrants break free from the same patterns.In this conversation, Victoria and I chat about a teenage years embarrassment that led years of anxiety whenever she tried to speak French. We also explore:* How we pass on our immigration-induced anxiety to our kids* The science behind her method of coaching* Practical tips you can try out for building language confidence* And why we need to stop assuming negative intent when we have cultural misunderstandingsOfficial Links✅ Connect with Victoria Patenaude on LinkedIn✅ Work with Victoria on your communication skills✅ Check out her TEDx talk on Why We’re Connected To The Internet, But Not Each OtherOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.In this episode, I'm speaking with the amazing journo, Alyanna Denise Chua, who moved from Philippines to Canada in 2019 to study at University of Toronto.One of my biggest gripes with the dominant immigrant conversation is we often seem to disregard the human in the loop. Policies change overnight (for good reasons they say), and suddenly folks who have followed all the rules find themselves stranded.That is Alyanna's story. She moved to Canada, paid 10X the fees of domestic students to study, excelled academically, gained Canadian work experience, and integrated into the country.She did everything the immigration system told her to do. But by the time she graduated, Canada had moved the goalposts. The same pathway that led to permanent residency now led to... uncertainty.In this conversation, Alyanna and I explore what it felt like to watch the rules change. We also explore:* Missing home while building a new life* Immigrating as a student vs. a PR* Why Canada's rhetoric shifted from “we want you to stay” to “study doesn't guarantee residency”* The unfairness of retroactive rule changes* How Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie inspired her journalism careerOfficial Links✅ Connect with Alyanna Denise Chua on LinkedIn✅ Read her piece on The Walrus; Pay Tuition, Follow the Rules, Then Pack Your BagsOne AskIf you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewcomerspod.com