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Episode 08: Resilience in Orbit: Riyam Ojaimi on Identity and Equality
Manage episode 496003567 series 3656957
🎙️ 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
11 episodes
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