Jacky Habib, a Nairobi-based freelance journalist reporting on human rights and global development, sits down with us to discuss her background as a Coptic-Canadian journalist. Tune in to hear more about the importance of diverse representation when storytelling, the inside scoop on living and reporting in Africa, and a unique scholarship opportunity for aspiring journalists ..read more

In today's episode, we sit down with Michael Elgamal, the mind behind Creative Orthodox on Instagram, Facebook, and creativeorthodox.com. Michael has published graphic novels, board books, and other wonderful resources for kids and adults alike who are interested in learning more about Orthodox mothers and fathers. Tune in to hear about the ancestral instinct behind the unique Coptic art form, Michael's upcoming projects, and learn how our precious children in Egypt are expressing their creativity, too! Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Cool Copts doing Cool Th ..read more

In this episode we sit down with Dina Daniel, the Founder, Owner, and Chef at Fava Pot. Fava Pot celebrates its ninth anniversary of bringing delicious Egyptian food to the D.C. metro area this year. Tune in to hear Dina tell us how Fava Pot grew from a food truck to getting glowing reviews from the Washington Post, the secret to the perfect bowl of molokheya, and hear a little about Coptic Orphans' latest initiative, too ..read more

In this Labor Day episode, we sit down with Dr. Sherry Shenoda, author of The Lightkeeper and the newly-published poetry collection Mummy Eaters. Sherry tells us about the writing process behind her two works, grief, ancient history (including gruesome mummy practices), and shares some tips for juggling parenthood with writing and full time work. We also share some insight into the workshops Coptic Orphans provides to improve the psychological and emotional health of the families we serve in Egypt. You can find Sherry on her website, sherryshenoda.com, and Mummy Eaters is now available for pur ..read more

Marina sits down with sisters Sonia and Sophia Samantaroy, authors of In a Dry Land, to discuss their new book, the significance of the desert and environmental imagery from an Orthodox perspective, and their experience with Coptic Orphans’ Serve to Learn program. In addition to being published authors, Sophia is studying Environmental Health and History at the University of Rochester and Sonia - who will attend William & Mary this fall - served as editor-in-chief at her high school newspaper ..read more

This week, Cool Copts talks to Mena Basta, best known as Egyptian musician (and composer of our new intro theme) Coptic Oud, about his musical backstory, the cultural disparity between high school orchestra and band, and preserving the melodies of the ancient church. Mena tells us some amazing background on Egyptian musical history, the differences between American and Egyptian children, and student commutes ..read more

This week, Nermien talks to fellow podcaster Tasoni Laura. Tasoni is the founder of the blog Coptic Dad & Mom and the podcast Raising Up Copts and the author of the children’s book, The Story of the Copts. Tasoni shares her experience growing up in one of the only Coptic Christian families for miles in central Virginia and how this experience motivated her to help other Coptic Christians grow in their faith and thrive in Western society ..read more

Mona Shand is currently an aid in the House of Representatives, but her work history is incredibly diverse; she has worked as a TV journalist, a public school teacher, and occupies the ongoing role of mother of three. In this episode, Nermien and Mona cover what constitutes “cool,” running for political office, educating an audience through journalism, and the blessing of having your voice heard ..read more

Anthony Marcos is the author of A Spring in Sinai, which details the life and martyrdom of Fr. Mina Abood, who was martyred in 2013. In this episode of Cool Copts, Nermien and Mina discuss Fr. Mina's life and legacy, Anthony's process of writing the memoir with Tasoni,  and how we can all use our gifts to give glory to God ..read more

Mark Hanna left his job as an engineer in Canada to pursue his dream as a director and filmmaker in Egypt - and it paid off! Mark has worked with big names like Netflix, Uber, and Redbull to bring their ideas to life on the big screen. In this episode of Cool Copts, Nermien and Mark discuss his dramatic career transition, the state of education in Egypt, and how Mark's Coptic identity has influenced his work behind the screen ..read more