Saugatuck resident Meena Ariagno, an Indian American immigrant with roots spanning from Kampala, Uganda, to London and Chicago, takes a global view in her podcast series “Eavesdrop with Meena.” As the creator and host, Ariagno leverages her international upbringing to bring a global perspective to her wide-ranging interviews.
Her podcast series, “Conversations Without Borders,” reflects her diverse background. The series features conversations with global artists, thought leaders, and voices from around the world and across West Michigan, exploring culture and society.
The first three seasons of the “Eavesdrop” podcast are available for free on her website and through Spotify. Ariagno’s work extends beyond the microphone; she has become a prominent cultural voice in West Michigan. In June, she moderated the Athena Forum at the Grand Rapids Chamber, and in January, she served as a Cultural Lens speaker at the Holland Museum.
Recently,
The Lakeshore caught up with Ariagno to discuss how her international roots shape her podcasting and consulting work.
The Lakeshore: What is your background and your connection to West Michigan?
Meena Ariagno: I was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to London before ultimately landing in Chicago. West Michigan has been my adopted home since 2001.
As a proud Indian-American immigrant, it is a privilege to create and host a podcast series amplifying emerging voices in the global marketplace. Similarly, my consulting work – through Meena Ariagno Consulting – focuses on cultural civility and community storytelling with a focus on corporate and community social betterment.
TL: What was the vision for your podcast, and how did you begin “Eavesdrop with Meena”?
MA: “Eavesdrop With Meena” was launched to build bridges of civility in our deeply divided cultural milieu. The podcast originated during the COVID-19 pandemic amid surging trends that threatened democratic norms. I’m a connector and a peace-builder by nature. Our conversations series showcases storytellers whose decency and authenticity rise above the cacophony of political, social and religious rage and enmity.
Even in these challenging times, I believe citizens and communities that collaborate with open hearts and minds can achieve limitless outcomes. By working together with visionary corporate, civic, faith community and education leaders, we can positively impact our national and community life.
TL: How has it grown since you launched? Who were some of the big interviews you landed, and what were the stories behind them?
MA: In our first three seasons, we’ve offered listeners a range of exciting voices and stories sourced locally and from around the world. Season 4 will feature new stories in our “Conversations Without Borders”
series coming in late 2024 and early 2025.
Global civility, cross-cultural voices, and stories focused on truth, positivity and transformative change provide a much-needed balm for our fractured world. We love stories and conversations that invite us to delve deeper into what it means to be a global citizen.
- Our newest podcast, “Music & Resonance,” features folk singer Carrie Newcomer, following the Midwestern musician from Michigan to Indiana, to India, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. A singer-songwriter with over 20 albums, The Boston Globe called her a “prairie mystic.”
- Mike Goorhouse, former president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Holland/ Zeeland Area, joins me in a conversation on philanthropy and capitalism. We discuss growing wealth distribution disparities and the role of institutional and personal philanthropy to adjudicate imbalances.
- On the corporate side, Joe Matthews, vice president of DEI at Gentex, discusses talent, economic advancement, community building, and inclusion in a fiercely competitive global talent labor marketplace. We’ll take this special podcast live in collaboration with a leading-edge organization later in the year.
- Misla Barco is a retired educator from California, whose journey from Guatemala to teaching found a home at East Palo Alto Academy, a Stanford-affiliated charter school for Spanish-speaking students.
- Robin Kimball Eisenbeis is an author from North Carolina who shares lessons of encouragement and accomplishment growing up in an entrepreneurial family. Her recent book, “A Gift for Life,” is a fun read. Our conversation is a peek into the self-publishing journey. She encourages readers to soar with the “four powers” she’s mastered.
- Ekta Rajgarhia is a South Asian immigrant whose journey from India to West Michigan pays homage to her entrepreneurial father and draws on lessons of attending an all-girls school in Kolkata. She is the finance director at Steelcase Inc. Our conversation touches on the importance of valuing workplace authenticity.
TL: Who are some of the West Michigan folks you have featured, and what have you talked about?
- Lance Werner is executive director of Kent District Library, which just received the prestigious Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal for Museum and Library Service at the White House in July.
- Rebekah Bakker, a South Korean adoptee born in Incheon, South Korea, who grew up in Holland, explores trans-racial identity, heritage, history, and belonging.
- Amanda Barbour, founder of the Children’s Healing Center, is a cancer survivor who launched the first recreational facility of its kind in the nation for immunocompromised children and their families in Grand Rapids, as well as a second location in Ypsilanti, which opened this summer.
- Iris Kokalari, an Italian-Albanian international student at Grand Valley State University who grew up in Florence, Italy, offers an impressive look into American life through European eyes. Iris is a senior and a fellow at the Cook Leadership Academy’s Haustein Center for Presidential Studies at GVSU.
Three noteworthy West Michigan filmmakers profiled include:
- Jon Covington from Muskegon/Grand Rapids, whose stirring documentary “Black Man” features everyday black men in Muskegon County, a project that began at the Muskegon Art Museum.
- JohnPaul Morris, an award-winning indie filmmaker and owner of Practical, a Traverse City-based production company whose film, “Quick Sand,” made its directorial debut at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival. It moved on to the Austin Film Festival and won multiple awards at the Grand Rapids Festival, Eau Claire International, and the Soo Film Festival.
- Jennifer Johnson, a Lakeshore creative, is working on a documentary, “Our Guys,” about a group of mothers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, who started the South Shore Mothers Group, the first-of-its-kind support group in the country for families with Down syndrome children.
We hope this project continues highlighting local voices of impact and ways communities can collaborate to attract the best global talent to our state and region.
TL: What's next for your podcast?
MA: I plan to scale up with more content. Expanding the scope, reach, and impact will require global brand partnerships. I thrive on creating content that makes the world a better place. I am inspired by intellectually curious thinkers, makers, and doers who offer a fresh lens on local community and world perspectives.
I am appealing to global brand partners to invest in global civility. Podcasting is one of the hottest advertising platforms today. So I’m inviting global brand partners to join in celebrating the beauty and diversity of human experiences, to expand our mission of “uniting the world through artful conversations.”
Her podcasts are available on Spotify or at
www.meenaglobal.com. Ariagno can be reached at hello@meenaglobal.com
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