The Immigrant Story Podcast

Episode 13 - Stanley Opara with Gayathri Shukla

For the first time, I share my story. I sat down with Gayathri Shukla, host of the Heart2Heart podcast, at the CJSW 90.9 studio in Calgary for an open and reflective conversation about life, talking about where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we might be headed. We explore our upbringings, the journeys that took us across continents, the work that gives our lives meaning, and the values that continue to shape our choices. The conversation moves naturally between the personal and the global, including a thoughtful look at what the rise of AI may mean for humanity. Along the way, we pause to appreciate the quiet perspective offered by the Rocky Mountains, the landscape we’re both fortunate to call home, reminding ourselves of scale, beauty, and possibility. This was a deeply enjoyable and grounding exchange. I hope you find as much value and connection in listening as I did in sharing it.

Episode 12 - Meenakshi Lamba

Meenakshi “Meena” Lamba has helped hundreds of newcomers build new lives in Calgary through her work at Immigrant Services Calgary. Deeply fulfilled by this work, she finds joy in watching newcomers discover their strengths, find their footing, and secure opportunities that allow them to support their families. Meena’s commitment is deeply personal. An immigrant herself, she moved from India to Canada years ago with curiosity, resilience, and an open mind. In this conversation, she reflects on her own journey navigating multiple moves across Canada, finding community in different places, and ultimately arriving in Calgary, where she now supports others on their settlement journeys. This episode is a thoughtful exploration of belonging, service, and the quiet impact of helping people find their place in a new home.

Episode 11 - Jay Kiew

Jay is an award-winning keynote speaker, Amazon bestselling author and a master at Change Fluency. Jay guides organizations through the process of navigate change is world where the only constant phenomenon is change. He has created more than $2B of impact for 400+ executives by designing, developing, and delivering organizational transformation across North America and around the world. Jay shares his growing-up story on this episode and challenges us to re-imagine work in this era of AI. See Jay's work at: www.changefluency.com

Episode 10 - Bukola Ojemakinde

Our guest on this episode is Bukola Ojemakinde, she is the Executive Director of Ladies in the Family Foundation and Bridge to Oasis Foundation - two amazing organizations doing good work in Canada. She is a passionate community builder and a strong advocate for girls, women and seniors of Afro-Caribbean heritage. Through her work at Ladies in the Family Foundation, Bukola empowers Black girls through the transformative power of art, music, poetry, and crafts in the fight against racism. Her work with Bridge to Oasis focuses on supporting seniors of African and Caribbean heritage in Canada with programs and tools to enable them to live full lives after years of building and contributing to society.

Episode 9 - Lekan Olawoye

Lekan is the Founder/CEO of Obsidi by BPTN, an online platform that's very quickly becoming an ecosystem for Black professionals and allies in Tech to connect on multiple levels, from career advancement opportunities to interesting events and much more. On this episode, Lekan and I delve into his childhood, we unpacked some of the struggles his family went through, and how those experiences shaped his ethos and approach to how he leads today. We take a deep dive into Obsidi by BPTN, how it all started, the challenges he faced and some of the drivers for the success the network has experienced so far. Lekan also shares his vision for Obsidi by BPTN, his take on the meaning of Black History Month and Blackness and concludes with advice from his experience on how to navigate the road to success. It is a packed episode, enjoy.