Adoptive Citizen

Episode 5 brings the extraordinary tale of biomedical scientist and philanthropist, Dr. Jan T. Vilcek. Dr. Vilcek and his wife, art historian Marica Vilcek, arrived in the United States as refugees from the former communist Czechoslovakia in 1965. In New York, Dr. Vilcek joined the faculty of NYU School of Medicine as a research professor. His work on cytokines – and specifically on Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF), were instrumental in the development of the first member of a new class of therapeutics called TNF blockers. Dr. Vilcek’s contributions to the development of TNF blockers revolutionized the treatment of autoimmune disorders.  The success of treatments like Remicade® have generated significant royalties, which enabled Dr. and Mrs. Vilcek to establish the Vilcek Foundation in 2000. The Vilcek Foundation is a nonprofit private operating foundation; the mission of the foundation is to raise awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and foster appreciation of the arts and sciences. To date, the Vilcek Foundation has awarded more than 11 million dollars in prizes and grants. Love and Science Book:  https://vilcek.co/loveandscience-acpodcast Vilcek Foundation:  https://vilcek.org

A conversation about resilience, friendship, sticking to your values, second generation immigrants and discrimination within your own community. In this episode, Asma Khan, one of the worlds most prolific Indian cuisine chefs, featured in Netflix's Chef's Table series and celebrated by Business Insider, Vogue or GQ, shares her immigration story. Listen to her transformative from a PHD in law, to becoming a chef and an immigrant who empowers others to succeed in their own journey. 

An optimistic conversation about the passion for doing what you love, traveling the world and meeting new cultures. Stefan Sagmeister shares his immigration journey and gives the audience a humble view over what made him who he is today - a design legend, having designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO or the Guggenheim museum, a winner of 2 Grammy awards and the creator of the most visited graphic design show in history. 

This episode a heartfelt conversation around being a global leader, a mom, a wife and an immigrant. Paloma Azulay shares her story as an adoptive citizen of Austria, Canada and the United States and the journey she and her family had all the way to Miami, where they live today.

PJ Pereira - an advertising and entertainment pioneer - shares his own personal success story and the hurdles he went through as a Brazilian immigrant in the United States.

Honest, open and sometimes blunt, these interviews will provide a personal vantage point into the amazing immigration stories of ad legends, global leaders, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists who have made a new home in a new country. Join Ioana Filip - an adoptive citizen of US and Europe, mom of a whippet, wife of an entrepreneur and an executive creative director -  as she tries to restore the true face of immigrants into adoptive citizens, one inspiring story at a time.