The Newcomers Podcast 🎙️

In the last episode of 2025, I’m chatting with Deanna Okun-Nachoff, an immigration lawyer and host of the Borderlines Podcast, about where Canada’s immigration system stands six months into the Carney government. Any sense of accountability by the government for where we are today with immigration has been largely absent from the raging public debate. The now-infamous “come to study or work, come to stay” messaging was pushed hard at some point. And it worked. Hundreds of thousands of temporary residents moved to Canada with the intention of earning permanent residency. Now, the government can’t fulfil those promises for some very obvious reasons. Yet, the blame for everything wrong with the process through which these folks came into the country has landed squarely on their shoulders. The big question I hope this episode helps kickstart is: What kind of nation do we want to build? And are the decisions we make going forward grounded in those values?Deanna believes that whatever path Canada chooses, it must be fundamentally grounded in being upfront, truthful, direct, fair, and accountable.Deanna and I also talk about:The TikTokification of immigration narrativesThe exhausting policy whiplash of the past 20 monthsWhy she thinks public trust has collapsedWhy she thinks good, fair, humane decision making is expensive

In this episode, I’m speaking with Aashrit Parvangada, a historical nerd based in Berlin, and one of the best folks to chat with about geopolitics, nationalism, and immigration.I must say this was a sobering conversation, but also an enlightening one for me. Aashrit is not one to hold back on what he thinks about the world and how geopolitics and history shape most of what we’ve seen in recent times.And for someone who’s lived in Dubai, India, Canada, the United States, Germany, and speaks English, Hindi, Japanese, and German, he has the lived experience to back up his takes.Aashrit and I talk about:Why he thinks the West has always struggled with multiculturalism and diversityWhy he believes the current anti-Indian hate is actually a lesson for IndiansThe “great divergence” that made the West wealthy, and the “great convergence” happening nowWhy the question of a multicultural future belongs to the West, not immigrantsWhat he finds exciting about the world’s trajectory

In this episode, I’m chatting with Rania Younes, who grew up as a third-culture kid in Kuwait, attended the American University in Cairo, and built a career in Dubai before ultimately settling in Canada.When Rania’s family moved to Canada, she had to stay behind to complete her university studies. However, watching her parents struggle to settle into the country and find their footing meant that when it was time to return, she hesitated.She came over anyway, years later, because watching her siblings integrate gave her hope that Canada could give her kids something she had never had…a place to call home.Then she lost her baby brother in 2010.And processing that loss made Rania realise that she had been mourning an imagined version of herself for the last ten years. A trajectory of a self she should have been. The social circles and friends she had to leave behind to move to Canada.Rania and I chat about:Why children of immigrants grieve belonging while parents grieve statusHow moving from a collectivist to an individualist culture creates frictionWhy understanding matters more than acceptanceThe difference between systemic acceptance and social acceptanceHow civic engagement builds belonging faster than job hunting

In this episode, I’m chatting with Dapo Bankole, a project manager and founder of Mentorfy. His viral TEDx talk, “The Hidden Struggles and Triumphs of Immigrant Professionals in Canada,” is painfully relevant to loads of immigrants looking to settle in Canada.My primary reason for interviewing Dapo on the podcast was to learn the story behind his TEDx talk.The version that includes the number of times he choked up in tears during rehearsals. The version where he describes a 19-year dream that started before he’d even applied for immigration. The version where he describes the day his family had to decide between gas and food.The one where he gets moody, irate, and flares up at the small things.Dapo and I dig into:The moment he realized the struggle of the Canadian immigrant professional is systemicThe day his Nigerian credit card saved him at a Canadian ATMStarting his podcast (The Immigrant Life) to sort out the mess in his own headBuilding Mentorfy to connect immigrant professionals with mentors who get itThe one thing he’d do differently if he were to start over

In this episode, I’m chatting with Precious Kolawole, who moved from Nigeria to Canada through the Shopify Dev Degree program, and has also seen her TEDx talk “How coding can change your life-and the world” go viral.There’s a trap that awaits most immigrants. It’s subtle, and it sounds like self-awareness: Maybe they won’t pick me because of my accent. Maybe I don’t belong here. Maybe I should expect less.Precious knows this too well. She describes sitting before a performance review at Shopify, telling herself to calm down, preparing for disappointment despite knowing she’d worked harder than anyone. When her supervisors told her she’d earned the highest rating, she screamed on the call. They paused, confused. Why this reaction? Because she’d already decided she wouldn’t get it. “It’s very funny how we think,” she says. “We think too much. We’re immigrants.”But what makes Precious different is how she reorients herself. She traces it back to coding, specifically, to debugging. When you debug code, errors are problems that always have a solution, that’s if you’re willing to keep looking.And that mindset has carried into how she approaches her immigration journey in Canada.Precious and I dig into:Leaving behind a medical degree, a Microsoft Nigeria offer, and communities she foundedHow her family stays connected across four countries through mandatory Sunday callsWhy Canada’s talent visa puts power in employers’ hands, and what that costs the countryThe Nobel Prize effect and the danger of letting success make you comfortable

In this episode, I’m speaking with Bryan McInnis, who moved from the United States to Kampala, Uganda with his wife and two daughters.Every immigrant has felt the tension of the pull towards your people as you settle into the new country. The comfort of shared references, familiar jokes, conversations that don’t require any literal or cultural translation.Bryan McInnis was no different. But he and his wife left the United States specifically to give their kids a more robust picture of the world. You can’t do that if you only hang out in the expat bubble.And so 6+ months into life in Kampala, Bryan’s learning about cultural differences that only show up if you dig in.Bryan and I chat about:What it’s like to move the United States to UgandaThe trip that kicked off everythingThe Ugandan entrepreneurial impulse that defies the “Africa is slow” stereotypeWhat it means to raise third-culture childrenWhy he thinks his family is more intentional now than ever

In this episode, I’m speaking with Simon Trevarthen, who leads the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). A big part of their work is helping helping immigrants see their skills through a different lens while helping employers access talent they desperately need.And so the big question I hoped to answer with this episode is one I have been noodling on for a bit, which is:"How do we help more immigrants see that their skills are exponential, not linear? And that the work you did in your home country can apply across multiple industries here.”Simon and I also chat about:The hidden job market and how TRIEC helps immigrants access that pool of opportunitiesHow informational interviews can help you land a job in CanadaWhy networking is non-negotiable for immigrantsWhy work connects to identity and how that complicates the immigrant experience when you have to take a role beneath your qualifications

In this episode, I’m speaking with Aman Chawla, who moved from India to Fredericton, New Brunswick in 2023.Canada wasn’t Aman’s first choice when he and his wife started considering immigrating. He wanted Ireland. The time-zone difference wasn’t much. Flights back home lasted about 13 hours.But the pandemic meant that didn’t happen. They also considered Australia. That didn’t work out too. So Canada it was. His wife moved over first for an MBA.Aman and their toddler followed along six months after. But this was only possible because a member of parliament stepped in to help with the family reunification.Aman and I chat about:Making Fredericton, New Brunswick homeLanding a job within weeks through preparationWhat four months of unemployment taught himWhy he believes immigrants need to stop complaining and start contributing

In this episode, I’m speaking with Yauhan Mehta, a career coach who’s helped 750+ immigrants land jobs they love at global companies.A major part of his success is an interesting approach he takes to career coaching. He won’t start coaching with resume work. Instead, he begins with a soul-searching session to identify what people want.Then, if they have the financial means, they can focus on getting their target role. If they don’t have savings, they get something quickly that’s still somewhat related to their profession or has transferable skills.1 like that. Because more often than not, immigrants take jobs that are not in sync with who they are or their skillset, and then continue doing that for many years.Yauhan and I also chat about:His journey from India to Dubai to CanadaHow he dropped out of engineering and ended up as a career coachWhy he’s passionate about helping fellow immigrants get their best jobsHow long it took him to settle somewhat into Canada

In this episode, I’m speaking with Selene Ricart, who moved from Argentina to Canada five years ago.There’s this unspoken rule about being the good and perfect immigrant. Don’t say too much. Stay in your box. Be grateful. And if you ever step out of line, if you ever start speaking up about stuff you think could be better, someone will curtly remind you to go back and fix your country.And sadly, it happens to immigrant women more often than not. It happened to Selene on LinkedIn.But after five years in Canada, here’s Selene’s biggest lesson: belonging does take time, but you can’t wait until you belong to use your voice to advocate for good. And I agree. Your voice matters. And if you’re going to make Canada your home, you need to shape what that home becomes.There’s this quote Selene loves that captures this sentiment beautifully: first understanding, then adjustment. As immigrants, we’ve already done the first part.We’ve listened. We’ve observed. We’ve learned how things work here. We’re more empathetic, more adaptable, because we’ve had to be. Now comes the adjustment part. And that requires you speak up and offer perspectives that come from a place of understanding.That’s the advantage you have as someone who’s lived in multiple cultures.Selene and I also chat about:Language as identityWhy she always makes pasta from scratchWords as emotion, not just communicationHow immigrating forces us to start thinking of things we took for granted, and more