Landed: Stories of Newcomers

Charene moved to Cleveland from Panama when she was very young. Growing up with a small, but passionate, Panamanian community helped Charene embrace her roots, and her love of cuisine inspired her to share her culture's food with others. She is the founder of Vegan Vybez and will soon be opening La Chomba restaurant.  Hosted By: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

Welcome to the first episode of season 2 of Landed: Stories of Newcomers. This episode features Jizal Seikali, originally from Lebanon. Jizal is a veteran and entrepreneur, and a fantastic feature during International Women's Month.  Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur Music: Purple Planet

This special Welcoming Week & Hispanic Heritage Month episode features Verónica Tomaschek. Born in Mexico City to a multicultural family, Verónica speaks - and now translates - English, Hungarian, and Spanish. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode, we speak with Anand Natarajan, the energy manager for the Office of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland. Originally from India, Anand is now driving and leading change in the energy efficiency and renewable sector with a focus on sustainability and climate change in Northeast Ohio.  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

This episode features Nina Setrakian. Originally born in Beirut, Lebanon, Nina's family left the country during Lebanon's civil war. She has called many places home, but chose to settle down in Cleveland, where she now works for the clothing company Nagada. Based in Cairo, Egypt, Nagada is a fashion company that features unique, beautiful textiles from around the world in their clothing. We speak to Nina about her experience as an immigrant, her home country, and the unique ways that culture - and clothing - can bring us together.  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode, we speak with one of the "Guardians of Cleveland" - and we're not talking about the baseball team! Dornat 'Wayne' Drummond, the City of Cleveland’s 41st Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, came from a humble background. He was born in Jamaica in a shack that had no running water. Thanks to his mother's hard work and his ambition, he is now leading the police force of a major metropolitan city. We speak with Chief Drummond about his upbringing and how it guides his police work and leadership. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

Crikey! In this episode, we speak with Eden Giagnorio, the Senior Communications Strategist at Cleveland City Hall. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Eden played an integral role in Mayor Justin Bibb’s campaign after arriving in the states in 2020. Eden talks to us about the self-belief it takes to be an immigrant, how she's helping make the city of Cleveland more welcoming, America's excuse for coffee, and so much more!  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

Welcome to another special International Women's Month episode of Landed: Stories of Newcomers. In this episode we speak with the incredible Marilyn "Mimi" Anne McDonald Hendricks and Kelem Tariku-Shotts. We chat about their global identities, discrimination, and how we can better pursue equity and understanding. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

Welcome to a very special episode of Landed: Stories of Newcomers. This is Global Cleveland’s second annual International Women’s Month Celebration, where we recognize the contributions, struggles, and successes of international women throughout March. Our next few episodes will feature incredible international women who call Northeast Ohio their home, beginning with Marcia Moreno. Marcia came to the U.S. in 2005 and has dedicated her career to empowering Latinos to become a true economic and cultural force in their communities. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode we speak with Kwame Botchway, "The Cleveland Optimist." Kwame was born in Ghana and calls Cleveland his "home in the U.S." Kwame has written for the Huffington Post and other media outlets on topics like economic development, social justice, environmental sustainability, poverty, and politics. Currently, Kwame spends his time consulting for non-profit organizations in Africa, helping them to grow and scale their impact. He also works with the Global Shapers Hub in Cleveland (globalshaperscle.com). Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Mark Owens. Mark is the Board President for the Cleveland Irish Network and is an Irish Network USA Board Member. He is a marketing and business development consultant with the Irish firm RelateCare and is very involved in the local community. We speak with Mark about his journey to the U.S., his work with the Irish Network, recruiting international talent to Northeast Ohio, and the uniting power of soccer.  Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode, we speak with Melaak Rashid, the co-founder and development director for Smart Development. Melaak has used her time and talents to give back to people within the international community, whether that be by acting as a cultural competency consultant, by securing over 10 million dollars in grants for various non-profits, or by translating vaccine information so that those in her community may keep themselves healthy and safe.  For more info about Global Cleveland's mission, visit www.globalcleveland.org. Connect with us on social media - @globalcleveland Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

Leen Ajlouni grew up in Jordan and received a full scholarship to a prestigious American school in her home country. After, she moved to the U.S. to attend Smith College in Massachusetts on a full scholarship. Once she graduated with a degree in engineering, she moved to Cleveland to work at BioMotiv, and later, North Coast Ventures, the largest angel fund in the country. Despite her achievements and having made a home for herself in Cleveland, Leen’s visa expired, forcing her to leave the U.S. For more info about Global Cleveland's mission, visit www.globalcleveland.org. Connect with us on social media. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In this episode, we speak with Baiju Shah, the President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Baiju was a founding member of Global Cleveland. With parents who immigrated from India, Baiju has grown up with two cultures: being an American-Indian and being a Clevelander.  For more info about Global Cleveland's mission, visit www.globalcleveland.org. Connect with us on social media. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur

In our pilot episode, we interview Fatima Rahman. Fatima currently serves as the Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow for Global Cleveland. Fatima was born in Honduras, but she has lived in the U.S. for practically her whole life. She is what is referred to as a DACA Dreamer, someone who was brought to the U.S. as a child and has grown up in the U.S., but has no way to gain legal residency. Fatima's protected status in the U.S. is always in question, and she has had to overcome many barriers to be find the success that she has now. But her work isn't done yet.  For more info about Global Cleveland's mission, visit www.globalcleveland.org. Connect with us on social media. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted by: Joe Cimperman Produced by: Gwendolyn Kochur