Episodios

  • #170 Zaka Presents My Journey Mina Brower
    Mar 21 2025

    We sit down with Mina Brower, a distinguished Mexican-American attorney, author, and advocate whose journey captures the strength and complexity of the immigrant experience. Mina shares how coming to the United States at a young age, without speaking the language, forced her to grow up quickly. As the first in her family to learn English, she became the default advocate, translating documents, navigating public systems, and even taking the lead at grocery store checkouts. These early responsibilities laid the foundation for her passion for justice and advocacy, ultimately shaping her path to becoming a partner at her law firm and a mentor to young women in law.

    But Mina’s story doesn’t end in the courtroom. In 2024, she self-published A God of Moonlight and Stardust, a romance fantasy novel that explores themes of power, truth, and survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Her debut has earned critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews and Publisher’s Weekly, placing her firmly in the spotlight as a rising literary voice. Mina speaks candidly about the duality of living between cultures, the healing power of writing, and why her story while personal is shared by so many in the immigrant community.

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    47 m
  • #169 Zaka Presents My Journey Kathryn Ross
    Mar 9 2025

    In this episode, Kathryn takes us through her journey from growing up in Jamaica to breaking barriers, driving multimillion-dollar growth, and creating opportunities for others in the corporate and startup worlds. She shares the mindset, strategies, and lessons that have shaped her success from launching Accenture’s Black Founders Development Program to leading billion-dollar innovation initiatives. As an immigrant, she navigated challenges with resilience and vision, proving that bold leadership and innovation can create lasting impact.

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    1 h y 1 m
  • #168 Zaka Presents My Journey Lauren Brockett
    Feb 28 2025

    In this uplifting episode, we sit down with Lauren Brockett, an immigrant, HR leader, and determined advocate for economic empowerment. Lauren has dedicated her life to helping immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities build brighter futures creating pathways to employment, financial stability, and long-term success. From establishing Atlanta’s first career center for war survivors to launching community lending circles during the pandemic, her impact is both profound and personal.

    As someone who has walked this journey herself, Lauren knows firsthand the struggles of finding purpose and opportunity in a new country. She’s turned her challenges into a mission: ensuring others don’t have to navigate that path alone. We explore her inspiring story, the wisdom behind her book Always Employed, and practical strategies to help you land the right job, stay resilient, and create the future you deserve.

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    1 h y 8 m
  • #167 Zaka Presents My Journey Brigitte Jolliet
    Feb 22 2025

    What happens when a young girl in foster care refuses to let the system define her future? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Brigitte Jolliet, an attorney, advocate, and policy expert who is breaking stereotypes and proving that foster youth have the resilience, skills, and drive to succeed. Brigitte takes us through her extraordinary journey, from navigating instability in the foster care system to fighting for children’s rights, clerking on Capitol Hill, and now advocating for justice as a personal injury attorney. Along the way, she shatters misconceptions about foster youth, shares the pivotal moments that shaped her path, and offers wisdom for those facing adversity. This is a story of grit, transformation, and the power of turning struggle into purpose one you won’t want to miss

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    57 m
  • #166 Zaka Presents My Journey Micha Cooper Edwards
    Feb 14 2025

    Born and raised in Trinidad & Tobago, Micha Cooper-Edwards built a powerhouse career in corporate America, leading global marketing for brands like Nike and Jordan before taking a bold leap into entrepreneurship. As the founder & CEO of Soleil Space, she’s on a mission to dismantle the systemic barriers that keep independent filmmakers especially creators of color from owning their work. In this episode, she reveals the hard truths about Hollywood’s gatekeeping, the power of controlling distribution, and how creatives can reclaim their narratives in an industry designed to keep them out. We also dive into the lessons she learned transitioning from the corporate world to building a tech-media platform that gives underrepresented voices a global stage.

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    51 m
  • #165 Zaka Presents My Journey Farah Allen
    Feb 9 2025

    Farah Allen, a remarkable Jamaican-American tech entrepreneur and CEO of The Labz, who has redefined digital innovation and built powerhouse partnerships with Google, Microsoft, and Delta Airlines. Farah takes us through her incredible journey, from her Jamaican roots and early influences that shaped her love for technology to breaking barriers as a woman of color in leadership. She shares how her first job set the foundation for her career, the bold leap she took from corporate to entrepreneurship, and the resilience that kept her moving forward despite challenges.

    She speaks into the inspiration behind The Labz, how she built relationships with some of the world’s biggest companies, and the strategies that helped her establish herself in the tech industry. Farah also opens up about the setbacks and failures that shaped her success, the challenges she’s faced as a Black woman in tech, and the values that drive her mission to empower underrepresented groups. Whether you’re an immigrant, entrepreneur, or aspiring innovator, this conversation is packed with wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice to help you break into and thrive in the world of tech.

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    49 m
  • #164 Zaka Presents My Journey Victoria Tollossa
    Jan 31 2025

    In this powerful episode, we sit down with Victoria Tollossa, the Founder and CEO of Illume, a personal branding agency helping entrepreneurs and executives amplify their impact. But Victoria’s path to success was anything but conventional.

    Born bi-racial and navigating cultural challenges, Victoria migrated to the U.S. in pursuit of opportunity only to face homelessness. Despite the hardships, her passion for storytelling led her to a successful career as a professional songwriter, where she collaborated with top artists in the music industry. But a pivotal moment inspired her to shift gears, leveraging her expertise in branding, messaging, and storytelling to build a business of her own.

    The Grammy-nominated, branding expert and two-time founder, Victoria shares how her cultural background, industry experience, and resilience shaped her entrepreneurial journey. We discuss personal branding in 2025, why first-gen immigrants should embrace visibility, and strategies to stand out in a crowded digital world.

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    51 m
  • #163 Zaka Presents My Journey Illiana Acosta
    Jan 25 2025

    Illiana Acosta is the Make It Happen Master, a leader with over 20 years of experience in tech, global partnerships, and media sales. Currently a Senior Manager at LinkedIn’s Business Development organization, Illiana shares her journey from growing up in New York City as the daughter of immigrant parents to becoming a leadership strategist and thought leader in career development, ERG and DEI

    Illiana opens up about the challenges she faced as a Latina in the corporate world, including overcoming imposter syndrome and navigating spaces where she was often the only woman or person of color in the room. She shares actionable insights for anyone striving to find their voice, build confidence, and unlock their full potential. As the former Global Co-Chair of LinkedIn’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HOLA), Illiana also provides practical strategies for ERG leaders to amplify underrepresented voices, drive engagement, and foster lasting cultural and business impact.

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    49 m