“A lot of time optimism gets a bad rep as if you’re delusional or got your head in the sand and all you think about is all the happy and shiny things… Meaningful optimism is looking around and saying, I know hard this is… and I know things aren’t okay right now, but I believe things are gonna work out.” - Puneeta McBryan Puneeta McBryan became the youngest and the first female and the first South Asian Director of Edmonton’s downtown association, and The Universal Radio Network’s very own Sapreet Buttar had the opportunity to talk with Puneeta about all things Edmonton and her experiences. Sapreet sits down with Puneeta McBryan, where at the beginning of the interview, Puneeta discusses her experience on being a part of Edify’s Top 40 under 40,

representing the South Asian community

and why it’s important for future generations to be inspired to represent their communities

Later on, Sapreet and Puneeta go into detail about finding the motivation and courage to pursue passions that different individuals may be scared of pursuing

the challenges Puneeta faced and how she remained motivated and optimistic throughout her career

and the importance of experiencing fear and failure in order to grow as individuals

On the back end of the interview, Puneeta and Sapreet talk about downtown Edmonton and the city as a whole

and finally, certain activities and prospects Edmontonians can look forward to within the city going into the new year