Making It In America

“My experience in the United States helped me to picturize myself in a different way. It helped me to practice my grit and it helped me to realize that no one has to be born super talented as long as you try. As long as you have the grit to try, your journey is what you deserve. It’s not always the goal that matters, it’s how you navigate to reach your goal.”

Born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh; Anika Sharin is an immigrant who is currently working as a Business Integration Manager in Intuitive Surgical Inc. She came to the US after completing her undergrad in Electrical Engineering from a Top-tier University in Bangladesh.

Anika learned early on that she enjoyed working in groups, something that her field of study didn't allow much of. As a result, she began seeking jobs outside of her field. When she finally arrived in the United States to pursue her Master's degree in engineering, she recognized that her true interest had always been for the business aspects of the products, not the engineering. Despite the fact that she began her career in a Semiconductor company, she soon began looking for opportunities to transition from Engineering to Business. As a first step, she started working for startups to gain experience in the business field. Anika has dealt with everything during her stay in the United States, from learning money management skills to dealing with unconventional work conditions. What stands out about her personality is her upbeat attitude and her belief that negative events lead to constructive growth. Her willingness to try new things paved the path for new opportunities and experiences, which she discusses in the podcast. Rather than focusing solely on her ultimate goal, she believes in making her journey worthwhile. Tune into Anika's journey as she adjusts to life as an immigrant in a new country, puts her unfavorable experiences aside, and makes her way into the health-tech field.

GUEST LINK:

“I couldn’t succeed without having the ability to talk to strangers, to be able to strike up a conversation with anyone, to be able to build relationships with the campus and school administration, with anyone that was involved in the campus recruiting activities and the executive level at the company, so I very much was forced to develop those skills and to change in a very short time and because I was so used to change that I adapted to it.” Despite being an introvert Leang built her strength towards networking.

Leang Chung is the founder and CEO of Pelora Stack where she helps early-stage founders, people teams, and mid-career women prepare for their next stage of growth. Leang had a very adventurous journey right from the very beginning of her life. She has come from a refugee camp with a very unstable financial situation and finally, now she is paving the way for new CEOs as a CEO herself. Leang is an incredible inspiration. She is the first person in her family to have a professional career versus a job and came with many career skills that she had to discover and develop on her own. She shares how she believes in uplifting each other and how it is a powerful tool in building a strong community. She speaks about how feeling different helped develop skills that helped her progress in her career.

“I grew up in a remote village in Bangladesh. My father had a small job, and my mother worked at home. I did not see the beginning of my life in a very comfortable way. There was always a shortage in the house. I spent most of my childhood in the fields - farming, fishing. I had 4 sisters. We lived in a 400 square foot house.

I used to study during the day as we didn't have money for a lamp. After the sunset when everyone would start reading, I was getting ready to go to bed.

...

It is beyond my imagination that I’d get a full scholarship for higher studies in a US university. When the opportunity came I couldn't believe it. I went through a long-winded path to where I am today. I even had the opportunity to work in the US Army. I’m living with my family in Dallas now with our own little daughter. From a remote area without electricity, today I live in a place where electricity never shuts off.”

Mosharraf Hossain is now an Information Security Senior Analyst/AVP at CitiBank US. Hear the full story:

“At this point, I had the choice of going back to China or trying to stay here and I chose to stay here because I have been here for so long and I didn’t feel that I was Finished!” 

Toni Xu came to the US when she was 17 years old, being the first college-going member of her family. Her father was a marine engineer & mother was working as a shoe designer. She started her academic career as a musician, but circumstances changed during her academic life, which opened a new pathway for her to switch her education to psychology, then economics, philosophy, and finally law.

This is the story of an ex-international student from China who became a successful entrepreneur through her resilience and adaptability. Tune into the journey on how Toni's own hardship inspired her to build a platform to make the migration process easier for future immigrants.

GUEST LINKS:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonixulaw

Website: https://www.xulawgroup.com

Company Website: https://opencitizen.io

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXcBNLy8nt-FuLHbRiJheA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-xu-60250566/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamopencitizen

OUTLINE:

Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

1:08 - Thought of coming to USA

2:19 - Role Model

4:06 - Home in China

4:34 - Major Struggles at First

5:49 - About School

6:54 - The Transition

7:46 - Having Some Music

9:42 - Rediscovering the Culture

11:07 - Moving to Law

13.54 - Enjoying Surroundings

16.20 - Personal Consent about USA & China

22:00 - Genesis of Immingo (Now OpenCitizen)!

32:20 - Ambition

36:22 - Advice for newcomers

40:15 - Ways to communicate


PODCAST INFO: