If the future of work is entrepreneurial, it’s also multi-disciplinary. Just ask journalist and innovator Salimah Ebrahim. Born in East Africa and raised in Vancouver, Salimah has criss-crossed the planet to uncover and share the stories of history in the making, from the Arab Spring to presidential elections to G8 and G20 summits. As a freelance journalist, her work has been featured by Reuters, CBC, The Globe and Mail, The Cairo Times and A & E’s Biography Channel. But she’s not your average reporter. Salimah hasn’t just been a champion of telling stories; she’s also been the focus of them. Through her teenage years, she became a global champion of Canada’s rare white Kermode or spirit bear and – full disclosure – helped launch with Simon the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. Seeing the power of movement to spark thoughtful conversation and scale innovative ideas, Salimah co-founded Artery.is – a start-up that uses elements of Uber and AirBnB to democratize art and performance, while creating community. She has a degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, has been profiled by CBC as one of 25 Canadians who are changing the world and was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.
Salimah joined us by Skype from Los Angeles to discuss the role of storytelling and relationship in the making of history.
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What do you think?
- What do you think of Salimah’s approach to career, journalism and change-making?
- Do you think different forms of journalism and storytelling should be used to create conversation or build career?
- Is Salimah’s model the future of journalism? Or, by having side projects with sharp opinions, does it cloud the neutrality needed to convey a story?
- What can you learn from Salimah’s journey to help you with yours?