Karen Weliky

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Is Baked-In

Imene Barkat remembers her first event at Portland Night Market as a resounding success. “I sold out everything within the first few hours,” Barkat said of her first foray

Karen Weliky

More Than One Way to Fly

When her calligraphy teacher, Sekko Daigo, gave Rie O’Doherty the artistic name Sora, meaning universe or sky, it reminded her of her childhood

Sankar Raman

A Modern Day Odyssey

Farzad Larki was born in Iran prior to the Revolution. He grew up in a comfortable middle class family, but when the Shah was overthrown, everything changed.  

Luxe Studio Productions

Creating a Road Map to Success

Arthi Vasudevan makes a road map for where she wants to go in life, deciding on her goal and timeline and then thinking out the steps she will follow to […]

Sankar Raman

Finding the Roots of Home

Until she met her mentor, one of the best-known art dealers in Bangalore, India, Mrunalini Giri did not think of herself as an artist. “I was just somebody who painted

Sankar Raman

The Hard Way is What Saves You

In middle school, Yamini Rajan dealt with bullying, isolation, and a sick parent. Her mental health suffered, and destructive habits and self-harm nearly ended her life.  

Karen Weliky

Nurture Community Wherever You Are

When Wilber Ramirez-Rodriguez found he couldn’t continue his work as a dentist in the United States, he started his own mobile dental hygiene clinic to educate

Sankar Raman

Exploring Patterns of Identity

Through her love for patterns and problem solving, Shu-Ju Wang creates art that highlights the immigrant experience and the importance of ecology

John Rudoff

Making Peace With an Endless Search

“When I was younger, I was afraid of missing out,” Jasnam Daya Singh remembers. “I felt like I had to rush against the clock and compete.

John Rudoff

Helping Others Find Their Voice

Growing up as a U.S. citizen in Venezuela, Giselle Rincón knew what it felt like to be an immigrant. But it wasn’t until she moved back to the land

John Rudoff

Physician Works to Tackle Racism

There was the patient who made a sarcastic remark when she wouldn’t prescribe an antibiotic that was the wrong one for the ailment being treated.  

Sankar Raman

Creating Community In Portland

“The moment I stepped into the Chinese classroom, I knew it felt different,” Aria Chen says, remembering her first day at Franklin High School. “The teacher

John Rudoff

A Longing For the Tastes of Home

In a recent novel, The Committed, by the Vietnamese author Viet Thanh Nguyen, the narrator laments his inability to recreate dishes he craves from home, and

Sankar Raman

Two Homes, One Life of Music

“Mount St Helen’s reminds me of Mount Fuji,” says Fumino Ando, comparing her two beloved homes, “And Mount Fuji reminds me of Mount St Helen’s.”

Ali Estefam

Moving Away to Give Back

For her first 25 years, the only home Ali Estefam knew was a 23-story apartment building in São Paulo, Brazil. From swimming in the first-floor pool as a