As an immigrant and later raising my own children in a new country, I constantly felt the weight of being defined by narrow, often inaccurate narratives. My identity—and the identities of so many in my community—were flattened into stereotypes, leaving little room for our full, multi-dimensional selves to be seen or celebrated.
This personal struggle led me to found Immigrantly Media, where I’ve created multiple podcasts like Immigrantly, Love-ly, Banterly, Sportly, Nationly, and Invisible Hate. Through these shows, which have reached more than 2.5 million listeners, I’ve helped people unpack the layers of their identities and challenge the stories that society tells about them. My work has always been about making space for nuance, complexity, and authenticity.
Along the way, I developed frameworks like Narrative Deficit and Narrative Thinning to give people practical tools for reclaiming the parts of themselves that are too often erased. My academic background—a Master’s in Human Rights from Columbia University and an MBA from LUMS—along with my experience at UN Women and Human Rights First, has given me both the expertise and the conviction to guide others through this journey.
I built "Belong on Your Own Terms" because I know firsthand how transformative it is to move beyond stereotypes and step into your full self. My hope is that this app becomes a safe, empowering space for you to rediscover your complexity, build new habits of self-expression, and connect with a community that truly sees you.
