Growing up in Poland, Maz Bednarczyk says criticizing one’s own country was almost like a national sport — so they were struck by such a stark sense of American exceptionalism that relies on competitive outlooks and discounting the opinions of outsiders. In reality, they learned, life in the U.S. is complicated, dynamic, and constantly evolving. But that was no problem for Maz, who approaches learning and acclimating to American life with a healthy dose of curiosity. 

Marta Bednarczyk (they/them), known to friends and colleagues as Maz, is an expert in intercultural and non-formal education with more than eight years of experience developing and delivering training courses, workshops, and e-learning activities on leadership, human rights, global citizenship, and more.

Listen to the episode to hear their thoughts on combating assumptions with curiosity and compassion.

Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

Getting Curious with Maz Bednarczyk

Anna is a security professional with over 10 years of experience in the government and private sector. She mentors students from her alma mater- American University, as well as Girl Security- a non-profit organization preparing girls, women, and gender minorities for national security careers. 

Anna immigrated twice in her life, and is very passionate about cross cultural communication, and supporting immigrants and refugees. In January 2022, she launched AlisAdel www.alisadel.com- a social entrepreneurship venture. In addition to being an aspiring social entrepreneur, Anna is the host of the Immigrant² Podcast. On her podcast Anna provides a safe space for immigrants and refugees to share their journeys, struggles, successes, and advice for other immigrants. In addition, she is partnering with and hosted organizations who work tirelessly to support immigrants and refugees.

Learning from Each Other with Anna G

Andres Almosny has enough cultural ties to weave an intricate tapestry — born in Argentina to a Venezuelan mother and Argentinian father, raised in the Dominican Republic, and married his Puerto Rican wife before moving to the U.S. in 2022. Being focused is a key part of his approach to making a lifetime of transitions feel sustainable and achievable. As a former sports broadcaster and current development coordinator at Lutheran Social Services, Andres brings a goal-oriented mentality to everything he does. Taking ownership of his identity as an immigrant has kept him in positive spirits with an open mind, and given him a penchant for finding a soccer team wherever he goes.

Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

Keeping Your Eye on the Ball with Andres Almosny

Join us for the beginning of Season 3, as we follow Sana Salah through her unexpectedly dramatic journey from Kolkata, India, to the US. Sana, who works with the American Red Cross, explores the difference between low-context and high-context communication and the power of courage when talking to strangers. She’s learned firsthand that the willingness to be open and direct can take you incredibly far — even as far as her first Thanksgiving meal, and a meaningful relationship to follow.

Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

Building Relationships with Sana Salah

Join us as we hear from Téa Ivanovic, the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Immigrant Food, a social enterprise startup that fuses innovative gastronomy and social justice advocacy. In this episode, we hear how Téa first came to the U.S. for tennis, began working in the political field, and has now opened three restaurants with the mission to celebrate immigrants' contributions through food, while being an advocate and platform for educating on behalf of immigrants.

Advocating Through Food with Tea Ivanovic

Yao Zhao is a man on a mission. In his family’s home in China, sichuan peppers were a culinary staple, and now he’s determined to expose the world to the unique, tingly spice. On this episode of KAMA Journeys, he tells us about the cooking experience that inspired his business “50Hertz Tingly Foods,” the story behind its creative name, and why exactly he’s so passionate about sharing Sichuan’s magic with everyone he meets.

Broadening Culinary Horizons with Yao Zhao

Join us as we hear from Liz Kleinrock (she/her), a Korean-American transracial adoptee, queer, Jewish, anti-bias and anti-racist educator, facilitator, and author. In this episode, we discuss Liz’s experience growing up as an intercountry, interracial adoptee, her current work in raising awareness in the intercountry adoptee community, and her upcoming second book. In 2018, Liz received the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2019 delivered her TED Talk, “How to teach kids to talk about taboo topics." In the spring of 2021, Liz released her first book, “Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community.”

Adoption and Identity with Liz Kleinrock

Follow Stella's "love journey" from Armenia to the U.S., where she opened Yerevan Cafe in the heart of Adam’s Morgan with her husband in 2021. In this episode, Stella shares her perspective on approaching cultural diversity with curiosity, bringing a slice of Armenian life to DC, and the meaning behind Armenian apricots' unique flavor. 

Music: Ketsa - Acid Road

Exploring New Cultures with Stella Grigoryan

Journeys is a bite-sized podcast series featuring immigrants and refugees living in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. Our mission is to center the voices of immigrants in our community while providing a platform for storytelling, cultural connection and unity. 

If you’re interested in participating in the podcast, please email kamawashingtondc@gmail.com with your name and contact information.

Exploring New Cultures with Stella Grigoryan

Journeys Podcast

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