Roots, Routes & Voices That Shape America
Born from lived experience and deep curiosity, Roots, Routes & Voices explores what it means to leave, to arrive, to adapt, and to thrive. From boardrooms to grocery store aisles, from mother tongues to second homes, the podcast delves into the layers of identity, integration, and belonging. It’s about the beauty and bravery of becoming, the messiness of culture, and the stories of people not just surviving immigration — but reshaping America through it.
Episodes
August 9, 2026 • 66 mins
He was told college was a waste of time. He answered in six languages.
Some immigration stories start with a plane ticket. Henry Hane's starts in a Senegalese town built by strangers from everywhere, a rice growing project where his family's household doubled as the school of faith for the whole community, and where a boy learned early that knowledge opens doors that money and connections keep shut.
Immigration storie...
Some immigration stories start with a plane ticket. Henry Hane's starts in a Senegalese town built by strangers from everywhere, a rice growing project where his family's household doubled as the school of faith for the whole community, and where a boy learned early that knowledge opens doors that money and connections keep shut.
Immigration storie...
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August 9, 2026 • 75 mins
A one-way ticket, a scholarship, and a life built around moving resources toward people who need them most.
What does it mean to leave behind everything familiar and build something entirely new, not just for yourself, but for a whole community? That is the question at the heart of this episode of Roots, Routes and Voices That Shape America, and Janice Liebenberg answers it with a story that is equal parts grit, grace, and p...
What does it mean to leave behind everything familiar and build something entirely new, not just for yourself, but for a whole community? That is the question at the heart of this episode of Roots, Routes and Voices That Shape America, and Janice Liebenberg answers it with a story that is equal parts grit, grace, and p...
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August 9, 2026 • 73 mins
What does it cost a family to arrive, and what does it take to stay and give back?
There are stories that stop you mid-sentence, stories where you realize you have been holding your breath without knowing it. Mamta Bajgain's story is one of those. She was born in a refugee camp in Nepal and arrived in Cincinnati at age nine, placed in a quiet neighborhood in Colerain Township.
This episode of Roots, Routes and Voices ...
There are stories that stop you mid-sentence, stories where you realize you have been holding your breath without knowing it. Mamta Bajgain's story is one of those. She was born in a refugee camp in Nepal and arrived in Cincinnati at age nine, placed in a quiet neighborhood in Colerain Township.
This episode of Roots, Routes and Voices ...
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July 15, 2026 • 78 mins
She came as a student. She stayed to change everything.
There is a kind of quiet power that builds over decades, not in headlines or press releases, but in community rooms, volunteer hours, and the courage to stand up when your people are afraid. Felicity Tao knows that power intimately. When anti-Asian hate swept the country in 2021 and six Asian women were killed in Atlanta, she did not wait for someone else to act. She or...
There is a kind of quiet power that builds over decades, not in headlines or press releases, but in community rooms, volunteer hours, and the courage to stand up when your people are afraid. Felicity Tao knows that power intimately. When anti-Asian hate swept the country in 2021 and six Asian women were killed in Atlanta, she did not wait for someone else to act. She or...
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July 15, 2026 • 70 mins
Some conversations stay with you long after they end, and this is one of them. In this episode, we sit down with Mayra Casas Jackson to talk about what it really means to build a life across borders — and what it takes to navigate a system that can shape a family’s future in an instant.
Mayra brings both professional insight and lived experience to the conversation, sharing a perspective that is deeply grounded, ...
Mayra brings both professional insight and lived experience to the conversation, sharing a perspective that is deeply grounded, ...
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She Quit Her Science Career to Cook African Food in Cincinnati. Here Is What Happened Next.
Have you ever been so far down a path that felt right on paper but wrong in your gut, and then realized the thing you were meant to do was waiting for you all along? This episode is a warm, moving reminder that sometimes the most honest life comes from following what truly feeds you.
This conversation matters because it sits at...
Have you ever been so far down a path that felt right on paper but wrong in your gut, and then realized the thing you were meant to do was waiting for you all along? This episode is a warm, moving reminder that sometimes the most honest life comes from following what truly feeds you.
This conversation matters because it sits at...
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Imagine being 13 years old, unable to read or write, lying on a cement floor after being crushed by a tractor, with no pain medication and no clear future. That is where Frederick Odame’s story begins, in pain, uncertainty, and sheer survival.
This episode matters because Frederick’s journey speaks to anyone who has ever felt behind, overlooked, or unsure whether their start in life will define their finish. It i...
This episode matters because Frederick’s journey speaks to anyone who has ever felt behind, overlooked, or unsure whether their start in life will define their finish. It i...
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What holds a community together when everything else is in flux - when the language is different, the food is unfamiliar, and your people are thousands of miles away? For Padma Chebrolu, the answer has always been the same: dance. She started at age three in Guntur, India, and never stopped. Not through graduate school at the University of Cincinnati, not through nearly 30 years as a global portfolio manager at Procter and Gamble, ...
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August 15, 2025 • 67 mins
In this episode of Roots, Routes, and Voices, Clara Matonhodze and Bryan Wright engage with Shakila Ahmad to explore the journey that has defined her as a Muslim woman in America. Moving to Cincinnati from Pakistan at nine years old, Shakila faced the challenge of being the only brown Muslim girl in her class. Her experiences during these formative years fostered a sense of resilience and belonging, ultimately leading her to become...
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August 11, 2025 • 70 mins
In this episode of Roots, Routes, Voices, Clara Matonhodze and Bryan Wright engage with Bao M. Nguyen to explore his transformation from the vibrant streets of Saigon to the serene neighborhoods of Cincinnati. Bao shares his enduring memories of life in Vietnam, the upheaval of immigrating to the United States, and his quest for a sense of belonging in the Midwest. His story highlights his family's resilience amid war and separatio...
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August 1, 2025 • 64 mins
Welcome to "Roots, Routes, Voices," the Cincinnati Compass podcast showcasing stories that shape America's diverse community. In this episode, host Clara Matonhodze and cohost Bryan Wright interview Fatou Souare, an HR professional, cultural advocate, and co-founder of the Kentucky African Women's Association (KAWA).
Originally from Senegal, Fatou shares her journey of moving to the United States, navigating cultural shifts,...
Originally from Senegal, Fatou shares her journey of moving to the United States, navigating cultural shifts,...
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July 29, 2025 • 27 mins
For over thirty years, Daniela Patterson has spearheaded marketing, branding, and communication strategies that build, expand, and rejuvenate global brands for startups, midsize firms, and Fortune 500 companies. With extensive experience both in-house and within agencies, Patterson has managed and led projects across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, bridging developed and emerging markets.
Welcome to Roots, Ro...
Welcome to Roots, Ro...
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July 18, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of Roots, Routes, and Voices That Shape America, hosts Clara Matonhodze and Bryan Wright engage with Karla Boldery—a business advisor, media leader, and founder of the Latino Entrepreneur Academy in Cincinnati. Karla details her journey from the vibrant streets of Mexico City, where she cultivated independence and resilience, to becoming a pivotal figure empowering Hispanic entrepreneurs in Ohio. Transitioning...
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July 11, 2025 • 75 mins
Join Clara Matonhodze Strode and Bryan Wright on "Roots, Routes & Voices that Shape America" as they converse with Sarah Tsai—model, diplomat, CEO, and founder of Sarah Tsai Consulting. Sarah shares her journey from Taiwan to Cincinnati, highlighting her multicultural upbringing and early aspirations in diplomacy. She discusses the challenges of changing careers as an immigrant and her successful integration into Cincinna...
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Welcome to Roots, Routes & Voices that Shape America, a Cincinnati Compass podcast that highlights the journeys of immigrants contributing to our nation's growth. In today’s episode, “Breaking Barriers: Dr. Kotagal Shashi Kant on Medicine, Immigration, and the American Dream,” hosts Clara Matonhodze Strode and Bryan Wright speak with Dr. Kotagal Shashi Kant.
Dr. Kant’s path takes him from a small ...
Dr. Kant’s path takes him from a small ...
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June 27, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode of Roots, Routes, and Voices, hosts Clara Matonhodze and Bryan Wright speak with Manny Addo, the founder of True Shea. Manny brings West Africa's prized beauty secret—100% pure shea butter—to American homes through his Cincinnati-based company.
Raised in Ghana, Manny shares his journey from aspiring medical doctor to entrepreneur after the loss of his mother at fifteen. He details his early ventur...
Raised in Ghana, Manny shares his journey from aspiring medical doctor to entrepreneur after the loss of his mother at fifteen. He details his early ventur...
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June 20, 2025 • 48 mins
In this episode of "Roots, Routes & Voices That Shape America," we introduce Nazly Mamedova, an immigration attorney whose personal history fuels her commitment to her clients. Born in the Soviet Union, Nazly's journey to American citizenship was shaped by her family's deportations under Stalin and her upbringing across diverse cultures and languages.
Nazly shares her experience of settling in Cincinnati, where she estab...
Nazly shares her experience of settling in Cincinnati, where she estab...
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June 13, 2025 • 60 mins
Welcome to "Roots, Routes, Voices," a podcast highlighting immigrant narratives that influence Cincinnati and beyond. Hosted by Clara Matonhodze and Bryan Wright, today’s episode features David Chimusoro, whose life story unfolds as a trilogy in the Queen City.
David’s journey begins in Zimbabwe and leads him through roles in Cincinnati's megachurch, city hall, and comedy stages. Raised in a creative family, he l...
David’s journey begins in Zimbabwe and leads him through roles in Cincinnati's megachurch, city hall, and comedy stages. Raised in a creative family, he l...
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June 7, 2025 • 10 mins
Born from lived experience and deep curiosity, Roots, Routes & Voices explores what it means to leave, to arrive, to adapt, and to thrive. From boardrooms to grocery store aisles, from mother tongues to second homes, the podcast delves into the layers of identity, integration, and belonging. It’s about the beauty and bravery of becoming, the messiness of culture, and the stories of people not just surviving immi...
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