Ivan Rahman has lived a life full of change, transitions, and always finding a community wherever he goes. He has experienced the east coast, the west coast, and has now landed in the midwest. As a child of immigrants, a mother from Guatemala, and a father from Bangladesh, Ivan developed a strong work ethic from a young age. From growing up in New York to moving to Southern California and starting school there, to couch hopping, and finally, to packing what fit into his car and moving to the midwest, Ivan jumped into the nonprofit space and found a community in Milwaukee. Ivan shares his experiences of resilience, change, education, and much more. Check out the full interview to hear Ivan's epic journey.
Life's Not Linear with Mahmoud Khedr
Mahmoud @moody.io is a beacon of hope for our youth today. Born in Egypt and being Muslim, assimilating to American culture was very difficult. He struggled with avoiding and hiding his culture, lying about his ethnicity, and doing all he could to “fit in”. Mahmoud later realized that people’s opinions of him did not and do not define him or his identity. His entrepreneurial ventures started young, selling candy bars, and washing dishes. Moving into college, he worked for a couple of startups but soon said he did not want to pursue another startup UNLESS it had deep intrinsic value. And then, @flora.mind was born. He and his two best friends, @danny.ts0 & @khandkeraham had a conversation that sparked a movement to bring mental health education to our youth. Watch to find out more!
Life's Not Linear with Yadira Santana-Dowling
Yadira is an inspiration. She has navigated many different transitions while learning to always put herself first. She knows that she is the only one responsible for her happiness. At 10 years old, she moved from the Dominican Republic to New York, without even knowing it! Huge culture shock. She was a rockstar in high school as she was involved in Student Government all four years, and following in the footsteps of her sister as student body president. Yadira turned down ivy league schools to attend Miami University in Ohio - another culture shock as she lives the diversity, hustle, and bustle of New York to move to the Midwest. This opened her eyes, gave her a new experience of America, and gave her friends from all over. Yadira took a job in finance at the World Trade Center, although finance is not her thing - she is an incredible strategist in advertising in marketing. Yet, she took the position to learn. Then, 9/11 happened. Watch to find out more!