The Origins of Omek: Building Community for Biculturals in the African Diaspora (Part 1)

On Entrepreneurship, Confidence, and Betting on Yourself ft Carmen

Some people spend their lives asking “what if?” Carmen decided to find out. In this episode of Interesting People of Earth, we talk about what it means to move through life with initiative, confidence, and the willingness to bet on yourself before anyone else does. Raised in a small Dutch town, Carmen always felt she was meant for something more. After moving away for the first time to London and experiencing a variety of cultures, particularly those from the African continent, she developed a deep appreciation for African fashion, music, art, and creativity, something that would later shape her career path. Today, Carmen owns a showroom in Amsterdam showcasing African art, photography, fashion, and culture. She works with designers from across the continent, creating a space for them to showcase and sell their work in the Netherlands. Carmen’s mindset is refreshing: “If what I want to exist doesn’t, then I’ll create it.” And that is exactly what she's done. She did not see spaces in the Netherlands celebrating and presenting African culture in the way she felt it deserved to be seen, so she built one herself. In this episode we explore how early childhood experiences impact who we are, the importance of betting on yourself, racism, prejudice and misperceptions, and much more... 🎙️ Interesting People of Earth

The Omek Story ft Kemo (Part 2)

What happens after you find Community? More importantly, what happens when you build it on purpose? In Part 2, Kemo moves beyond the early patterns of community that followed him, and into the conscious creation of Omek. What began as organic connection evolved into something far more intentional. Not just a network, but an ecosystem. A space designed to support people before, during, and after major life transitions like moving countries. Because the reality is simple. Moving to a new country is rarely just physical. It’s economic. It’s social. It’s emotional. And without the right support system, it can quietly break people down. Through a series of serendipitous moments, Kemo began to recognize a pattern. The people who thrived weren’t necessarily the most talented or the most prepared. They were the ones who had a community waiting for them. That realization became the foundation of Omek. In this episode, we explore: * The shift from building diaspora-based spaces to cultivating a broader bicultural identity * Why pre-built community can determine how successfully someone integrates into a new environment * The intentional design behind Omek and what it takes to create a space where people genuinely support each other * The difference between proximity-based networks and value-based communities * What most people misunderstand about building “real” community This is Part 2 of our conversation with Kemo, we dive deeper into the philosophy, and impact of Omek.

The Origins of Omek: Building Community for Biculturals in the African Diaspora (Part 1)

What does it actually mean to move people from point A to point B? Not just physically, but economically, socially, and culturally? That question sits at the center of Kemo’s life and work.  Today, Kemo is the founder of Omek, a growing community for biculturals rooted in connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. But long before Omek existed, he was already living inside the very thing he would later build. Growing up in a large compound in Guinea, surrounded by relatives, siblings, and extended family, community was daily life. In that environment, Kemo learned what it takes to build and maintain a responsible and healthy community, and the quiet work required to hold people together.  When he later moved to the United States in pursuit of “The American Dream”, the same pattern reappeared. Community followed him. First through the Guinean diaspora. Then through informal networks of African immigrants connected by a shared love of soccer. What began as casual gatherings soon evolved into organized tournaments bringing together teams representing different African countries across the diaspora. Without fully realizing it at first, Kemo was doing what he had always been doing, creating community wherever he went. Eventually, the pattern became impossible to ignore. In this episode, we explore: * Kemo’s upbringing in Guinea and how communal living shaped his worldview * The immigrant journey and the search for belonging in the diaspora * How soccer became a vehicle for organizing African communities abroad * The preamble to the origins of building Omek This is Part 1 of our conversation with Kemo, where we explore the foundations of his story and the early forces that shaped his mission. Because sometimes the work we are meant to do finds us long before we recognize it. “There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk” -Guy Gavriel Kay

Vulnerability, Healing, and the Safety of Being Seen ft Madison Brandt

This week on Interesting People of Earth, I’m joined by Madison Brandt, host of The Deep Talk Podcast, a show dedicated to exploring the relationship we have with ourselves and the world around us through honest, meaningful conversation. Our conversation is a true deep talk: real, reflective, and grounded in lived experience. We explore why vulnerability is essential to healing, how connection supports personal growth, and what it means to feel safer within ourselves through shared understanding.

Modern Adulthood is a Scam (Solo)

Modern adulthood feels like a bait and switch. We followed the rules we were given, school, career, stability, only to enter a world defined by uncertainty, rising costs, institutional failure, and constant change. In this solo episode of Interesting People of Earth, host Onyi breaks down why adulthood feels harder, more unstable, and more improvisational than what previous generations experienced, and why that feeling isn’t a personal failure. This episode offers a grounded, big-picture analysis of how economic, cultural, technological, and geopolitical shifts have quietly rewritten the social contract of adulthood. From globalization and automation to housing crises, education inflation, climate anxiety, and declining trust in institutions, we explore how the old “adulting” script collapsed, and what’s emerging in its place. You’ll hear: • Why the traditional adulthood model worked for some, and excluded many • How global instability and rapid change reshaped work, identity, and belonging • The emotional toll modern adulthood takes on young adults worldwide • Why anxiety, burnout, and restlessness are adaptive responses, not weakness • How change is a feature of human history, not a modern glitch • Why this moment, despite the chaos, may be an opportunity to redefine adulthood on our own terms This conversation draws on global research from the WHO, OECD, IMF, UNESCO, Pew Research Center, and more, while grounding the analysis in lived experience. If you’ve felt behind, disoriented, or like the rules changed without warning, this episode is for you. Adulthood isn’t broken. The script is. And that means we get to write a new one. Sources: Utrecht University — Youth in a Digital World: Complexity & Social Polarization (2023) * ScienceDirect — Technological Change, Automation & Labour Market Impacts on Youth * WHO — Global Mental Health Update (2022–2023) * World Happiness Report 2023 — Youth Well-Being Trends * The Atlantic — Young Adult Mental Health in America * UNESCO — Global Education Monitoring Report * OECD — Housing Affordability & Wage Stagnation Data * IMF — Global Employment Outlook & Youth Labour Market Challenges * African Youth Survey — Youth Mental Health & Economic Conditions in SSA * Pew Research Center — Global Trust & Political Participation Among Young People * Edelman Trust Barometer (2023) — Trust in Government & Institutions * NCBI — Jeffrey Arnett: Emerging Adulthood Theory * David Graeber — The Utopia of Rules