In this episode, I chat with Dil Khosa, co-founder of creative entrepreneurship hub Manzana, based here in Auckland, New Zealand. She speaks with me about:

• Her experience moving to New Zealand from Malaysia in her late teens
• What it means to “just be yourself” in a world where you’re seen as “different”
• The biggest lessons she learned when she experienced burnout from her startup career
• Her drive to improve support for traditionally under-supported startup founders
• Her goals for Manzana, which she established with two others in 2022 to help support women and underserved entrepreneurs in Aotearoa

You can learn more about Manzana here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shaneel Lal (they/them) is a prominent activist and political commentator who sits at the intersection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s BIPOC and queer communities. They are a fierce advocate for ending conversion therapy and in February 2022, their efforts resulted in legislation being passed that bans the practice in New Zealand.

In our conversation, we cover:

• Growing up queer in Fiji and how that informed Shaneel’s advocacy later on
• The impact of colonisation on queer communities in Fiji
• Colonial queerness vs indigenous queerness, and how colonisation stripped away indigenous queer identities
• Their journey to self-acceptance of their queer identity
• Their conversion therapy experience
• Why successfully getting conversation therapy banned in Aotearoa was not their most joyful moment (and what really brings them joy in their activism)

You can follow Shaneel on Instagram, Twitter, and their column for The New Zealand Herald.

Remember to rate and share this show, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on notyourtokenminoritypodcast@gmail.com if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Auckland-based artist and photographer Abhi Chinniah joins me in this episode to talk how colourism has fundamentally shaped her life so far and her most recent exhibition “Melanin Rising”.

She shares:

• Her experiences at the receiving end of colourism
• How her personal experiences of colourism inspire her work
• How she went from Abhi, to Abby, and back to Abhi
• The influence her dad has had in her journey grappling with colourism
• What she hopes she can teach future generations about themselves and the world around them
• Her vision for the future of her Melanin Rising project

Experience and support Abhi’s work below:
Melanin Rising
Ramii Studio

Please rate and share this show, as well as follow along on Instagram. Reach out to me on notyourtokenminoritypodcast@gmail.com if you want to share your story - I would love to hear from you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.