🎙️ Episode Description

What does it mean to belong in science when you don’t fit the mold?

In this conversation, Aisha sits down with Maynard Okereke, also known as The Hip Hop M.D., to talk about navigating identity, culture, and creativity in STEM. Maynard shares his journey from engineering to science communication, and how his love of music and storytelling became a bridge to connect with communities often left out of the science conversation. They explore code switching, systemic barriers, and how cultural connection can be a powerful teaching tool.

For anyone interested in creating a more inclusive, authentic future in STEM, this episode offers reflection, real talk, and hope.

🔗 Universal Inclusion Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universal_inclusion/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/universal-inclusion-ui/

🕛 Time Stamps / Chapters

00:00 – Introducing Maynard Okereke

How his engineering background and creative drive sparked a new path.

02:46 – Redefining who belongs in science

Why embracing creativity and culture is key to inclusion.

06:33 – Learning through mistakes

Maynard reflects on growth, failure, and staying motivated.

08:49 – Code switching and self-expression

Navigating identity and language in academic and professional spaces.

13:28 – Culture and the classroom

The importance of representation, relevance, and connection in education.

20:55 – The pressure of being “the only one”

Stories about race, belonging, and making space for others.

26:37 – Representation and responsibility

Why visibility matters and how mentorship can change lives.

35:04 – The DEI landscape in STEM

Reflections on recent backlash, and why equity work must continue.

41:29 – Small actions, big impact

Maynard’s advice on how to support others and stay in the work.

👤 Guest Bio

Maynard Okereke is a civil engineer turned award-winning science communicator. As The Hip Hop M.D., he brings STEM to life through cultural relevance, media, and performance, with a focus on engaging underrepresented youth. His platform, Hip Hop Science Show, has been recognized for its impact across education and social media.

🔗 Guest Links

Website: hiphopscienceshow.com

Instagram: @hiphopscienceshow

📄 Transcript

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQhzjxozhwQfbVEWbqs3hdwJTTeVq0W1/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111008271018771016545&rtpof=true&sd=true

🎙️ Episode Description

In this episode, Aisha sits down with Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, a linguist and astrobiologist who’s challenging everything we think we know about space exploration. Sheri shares what it’s like to float in zero gravity, why science fiction helped her imagine a future that includes her, and how space could be more accessible, creative, and human if we stopped designing it for just one kind of person.

They talk about disability, language, aliens, and why people with disabilities aren’t a problem to solve. It is the future we need.

This episode is about more than rockets. It’s about who gets to dream big, show up fully, and shape the world beyond Earth.

🔗 Universal Inclusion Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universal_inclusion/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/universal-inclusion-ui/

🕛 Time Stamps / Chapters

00:00 – What If Sight Wasn’t a Prerequisite for Wonder?

Sheri reflects on awe, sci-fi, and why blind people absolutely belong in the space conversation.

02:46 – Science Fiction, Soundscapes & Star Trek

How growing up blind shaped her relationship with space and why imagination creates possibility.

05:19 – Would We Even Recognize Extraterrestrial Intelligence?

Sheri breaks down how alien language, bodies, and senses might differ radically from ours.

08:40 – We Can’t Be Arrogant in the Universe

From dolphins to AI, why respecting Earth’s intelligence is a practice for meeting others.

11:55 – Disability Studies in Space Is Not Optional

Why excluding disabled people is not only unethical, it’s scientifically short-sighted.

15:04 – Masking & Meritocracy: The Hidden Pressures in STEM

How many neurodivergent folks feel forced to hide their needs just to belong.

17:31 – What Zero-G Taught Her

Sheri shares what it really feels like to float and why these flights are far more than tourist toys.

20:55 – Designing for Disabled Bodies in Space

How microgravity challenges traditional assumptions and opens design opportunities.

25:19 – Redefining “The Right Stuff”

Sheri flips the narrative: disabled people aren’t fragile – they’re fierce.

30:37 – Why Disabled Kids Leave STEM

The stories we tell in early education matter and they can push brilliant minds out of science.

33:59 – Science as Birthright, Not a Privilege

Sheri’s final message to disabled youth: this world is yours too. Science is for you.

👤 Guest Bio

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen is a professor of Linguistics at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She has served as the Library of Congress/NASA Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. Her research focuses on the human factors of space exploration, especially the inclusion of disabled people in spaceflight. She’s a vocal advocate for disability justice, accessibility, and shifting who we imagine as the future of space travel.

🔗 Guest Links

Website: https://sheriwellsjensen.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-wells-jensen-03222a278

📄...

🎙️ Episode Description

In this moving and energizing episode, Aisha is joined by Riyam Ojaimi, a rising voice in the space and science communication world, to talk about the power of resilience, representation, and reimagining access to the space industry.

From experiencing racism in Sweden to launching her own global space education platform, Riyam shares how her lived experiences and quiet strength have fueled everything she does. They discuss the roots of SpacePoint, why open-source access matters, and how she built a team of hundreds from a single vision.

Along the way, Riyam and Aisha dig into identity, burnout, working twice as hard to be seen, and the unspoken mental weight of navigating STEM as a racialized woman.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need permission to take up space - you just need to begin.

🔗 Universal Inclusion Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universal_inclusion/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/universal-inclusion-ui/

⏱️ Time Stamps / Chapters

00:00 – A New Kind of Space Leader

Riyam’s story begins - fueled by resilience, racism, and a childhood dream of Saturn.

02:46 – Not “Swedish Enough” for the Science Club

What it feels like to grow up excluded and how it shaped her mission to create belonging.

06:31 – The Cost of Constant Resilience

Why showing up strong every day is draining and how burnout creeps in when you’re always proving you belong.

10:00 – The Power of One Role Model

A single woman in STEM. Two loving parents. And the moment Riyam realized her dreams were valid.

15:23 – Excellence with a Side of Guilt

Being high-achieving doesn’t shield you from imposter syndrome. In fact, it often makes it worse.

20:55 – Building SpacePoint: Science for the Rest of Us

What started as a solo project became a 200+ person global platform; redefining what access really looks like.

30:41 – Saying No to Unpaid “Opportunities”

Why internships must respect your time - and how SpacePoint is modeling what ethical mentorship looks like.

38:16 – Too Young? Too Different? Perfect.

Still in undergrad, already doing space medicine. Reframing youth as an asset and challenging ageism in STEM.

👤 Guest Bio

Riyam Ojaimi is an aerospace medicine researcher and pre-medical student at the University of Toronto, where she explores the effects of spaceflight on brain energy metabolism. She’s also a science communicator and astronomy influencer with a fast-growing social media presence, dedicated to making space science more accessible and relatable.

She is the Founder and CEO of SpacePoint, an open-source global platform that breaks down barriers in science communication, empowering underserved communities and inviting new voices into the space dialogue. Riyam is passionate about education, women in STEM, and building a future where space truly belongs to everyone.

🔗 Guest Links

IG: @riyamojaimi

LinkedIn: Riyam Ojaimi

TikTok: @riyamojaimi

IG: @spacepointltd

Website: thespacepoint.com

📄 Transcript