It’s another very special episode of "Who Is with Ross Oteri"! Ross Oteri and Maydha Sood have an Oprah-style sit-down conversation between the big man, Kris Kringle and his jolly old 6’4” elf, Steve a.k.a. Gingerbread. You don’t wanna miss this!
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Santa - @theclaus
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Intro and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Ross Oteri (he/him) talks to Nardwuar the Human Serviette (he/him) about local music, music journalism, and his scary personal knowledge. Nardwuar reflects on his early days at CiTR 101.9 FM, the joy and chaos of Vancouver’s local music scene, and what it’s like fronting his long-running band, The Evaporators. He shares stories from decades of interviews—ranging from wildly generous artists to famously unruly guests—and explains why doing the homework is an act of respect. Along the way, the conversation detours into obscure vinyl, community radio mischief, and the strange magic of surprising people with their own past.
Doot doola doot doo… doot doo!
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Nardwuar - @nardwuar
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Meenu Handa (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about the winding, joy-filled path that led her from college basketball courts to leading communications teams at Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. She opens up about how learning to lose taught her resilience, how teamwork shaped her corporate career, and why finding something you love and doing it fully is the best advice she can give young people today. They dive into the role her mother played in inspiring her curiosity, what raising her kids has taught her, and how pottery became one of her most grounding passions. The conversation explores how passion and purpose feed into each other, what it means to live with an adventurous spirit, and how to choose a life built on experiences, not expectations.
Ross and Maydha have a super quick chat about the podcast’s newfound identity as a "Christian conservative podcast" and share their excitement about the guest.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @whoiswthrossoteri on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Meenu Handa - @meenu.handa
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Aditya Chatterjee (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about how he got into wrestling, recent trends in the job market and what it means for Gen Z, and the impact of AI. He tells Ross about dealing with his wrestling-related injuries and the lifelong journey of taking care of one’s health. Aditya and Ross discuss the finance industry and the evolution of jobs and careers for Gen Z. They also chat about how AI has changed everything for the coming generations.
Ross and Maydha consider turning the podcast into a Christian conservative podcast and also confront the dating allegations they’ve been facing recently. Do you think we’re dating? Let us know why! DM us @whoiswthrossoteri
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @whoiswthrossoteri on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Aditya Chatterjee - @adityaxchatterjee
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Ansel Tan (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about his day job as a video journalist, how his dad filmed and archived footage of him throughout his childhood, shaping his love for videography, and the Dianne Fink School. He tells Ross about the process of making a documentary using footage he's taken throughout his life at university and what inspired the project. The two of them also talk about happy accidents, like how Ansel sleeping through a class led him to his current job. The discussion takes a philosophical and inspiring turn when they begin discussing the privilege of liberty.
Ross creates a homemade lie detector test for Maydha when one of the studio lights dies. Is it a sign from the universe or just one of Ross’ ploys?
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @whoiswthrossoteri on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Ansel Tan - @anseltan014 | anseltan.ca (http://anseltan.ca/) | https://www.youtube.com/@ansel_tan/videos
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Saumyaa Gandhi (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about how she got into entrepreneurship, working on her startup, and staying motivated and focused through everything. She tells Ross about how she got her time at a student startup opened her eyes to the hardships faced by student founders and led to her co-founding the UBC Startups club. Ross and Saumya bond over how difficult it is to find a work-life balance when trying to build something of your own. They also discuss dealing with imposter syndrome and part advice to aspiring founders and creators.
Ross and Maydha discuss the joys of talking to strangers. They share stories from their recent night outs, but that comes after a fun rage-baiting session as usual.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @whoiswthrossoteri on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Saumyaa Gandhi - @saumyaagandhi
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Emmi Tsiapalis (she/they) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about her love for animals, her years spent as a dancer, and her latest short film, Motherhood. She tells Ross about her love for her idol, Jane Goodall, and the time she met Goodall as a child. Emmi also walks Ross through her creative process for writing scripts and filmmaking. She explains how the idea for her award-winning film, Motherhood, came to her and how she developed it to its final state.
Watch Emmi’s film, Motherhood, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PdcnBXKzUQ
Ross tries to multitask while talking to Maydha about parents and lying. Ross explains his Halloween costume and denies being sick!
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @whoiswithrossoteri on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Emmi Tsiapalis - @Emmitsiapalis
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Maydha Sood (she/her) and Ross Oteri (he/him) read some spooky stories in the spirit of Halloween. They’re in costume and ready to be scared. From creepy neighbours to police encounters with ghosts, these spooky Reddit stories are not for the faint-hearted! Can you tell what they’re dressed up as, though?
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Karenne Lienou (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about moving to Canada from Cameroon, her chaotic childhood with four brothers, and her love for Afrodance that led her to start a UBC club. Karenne shares some devious stories from her childhood growing up around nature with Ross, leaving him speechless. She tells Ross about how she started dancing at a young age and how she founded UBC Dance HipAfro as a space for people to come together through dance. Finally, she teaches Ross a few dance moves (with a catch).
Maydha is struggling to perform her duties as the executive producer. She’s wearing sunglasses indoors because the studio lights are too bright. She had a really fun night. Ross tries to break her. She might not be the strongest soldier, but she is definitely the most avoidant one!
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Karenne Lienou - @klienou | @ubcdancehipafro
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Kevin Heieis (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about turning anxiety into confidence, how social media ruins confidence, and what it means to be AMS VP student life. They talk about how anxiety has impacted their lives and the lessons they’ve learnt from it. Kevin tells Ross about his recent election as the UBC AMS’ VP Student Life and how he plans on contributing to this role. He also reminisces about a big, burly coach who helped him through some tough times and plays us some music on the Ukelele.
The executive producer, Maydha Sood, is actually not in this episode. Josefina Bestwick and Roz Golshani fill in for Maydha and tell Ross about their “stalker” in their class who keeps inching closer with every passing lecture. Ross misses Maydha.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Kevin Heieis - @kev_heieis
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Josiah (he/him) and Elisha Ampadu (he/him) talk to Ross Oteri (he/him) about their lives growing up as twins, their bond, and their love for photography and videography. Ross and Maydha are completely taken by how similar the twins are and spend majority of the episode trying to see how deep the twin-bond goes. The Kofi twins demonstrate how twin-talk works and tell Ross about how they naturally complement each other in everything they do, making them the best team they can be.
Ross also tries (very hard) to explain Avatar: The Last Airbender to Maydha while she attempts to change the topic. Will Ross ever give up?
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Josiah Ampadu - @j.ampadu_ | @capturebykofi
Elisha Ampadu - @capturebykofi
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood
Credits:Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Delielah Moste (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about her youthful radiance and reminisces about her son playing with Ross when they were mere tots. Delielah gets emotional (on multiple occasions) while sharing stories of her life with us. Ross and Maydha discuss dating prospects for Mrs. Moste and give her ideas on how to find the love she is looking for. Mrs. Moste also reveals the secret to staying physically and mentally young as you age, often leaving everyone in the room in tears.
Ross and Maydha touch some grass! Ross talks about hosting a horse show, and Maydha tells him about her first-ever camping experience. To get there, they must power through some technical difficulties first.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Delielah Moste (played by Ellie Martin) - @elizabethm820
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Nicolas Costantino (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about family game nights, his grandpa Joe’s inspiring life, and his passion for Chemistry. He describes the differences between being Italian-American and Italian-Canadian, and reveals the truth about the existence of an Italian-Canadian Mafia. Nic teaches Ross how to play Bus Stop and tells him about the scandal that unfolded when his mother was found cheating at the game.
Maydha takes over the podcast after Ross is late because he was getting a slice of pizza. Ross is still shocked that she hasn’t seen the Marvel movies.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Nicolas Costantino - @nicolasc_c14
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Jazmine Wall-Gordon (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about her growing up in Hamilton, Ontario and her mixed race identity. Jazmine talks about becoming more comfortable with her blackness, fitting in, hair journey, and spills some high school drama. Ross also attempts and fails to uncover some of Jazmine’s secrets, including (but not limited to) her favourite thrift stores.
Ross and Maydha try their luck at filling the void left by Jimmy Kimmel by breaking some fresh news in their own "Early Afternoon" news segment.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Jazmine Wall-Gordon - @jazmine_w.g
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme: Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme: S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Solomon Yi-Kieran (any/all) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about the AMS petition to bring the Skytrain to UBC, an old promise made by the city that is yet to be fulfilled. Solomon also tells Ross about their time in musical theatre and why their goal is to become a high school history teacher. They give answers to some of the common retorts about the Skytrain petition and make their case for the cause, encouraging Vancouver residents to sign it.
Sign the petition today: https://www.ams.ubc.ca/what-we-stand-for/campaigns/skytrain-to-ubc/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafbyj3ntcHCE0yuJ-BtZAtXBJ5fmIFBR-UorpjjF5cy0aAMZyWmJ9KDWMYCAQ_aem_KZX414SE0diNCAGJba4fAQ
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Solomon Yi-Kieran - @solomon.xyk | @ams_ubc
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Maydha Sood (she/her) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about joining Valinof as the new podcast Executive Producer, co-President of Generocksity, and her history of environmental activism. Maydha talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her organizing methods, as well as the role of online activism. She also shares why she fell asleep watching The Avengers (2012) for the first time. Maydha tells Ross about her favourite show growing up: Doraemon. But the conversation gets suddenly interrupted by a surprise (uninvited) guest.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email valinofmedia@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Maydha Sood - @maydhasood | @generocksity
Credits:
Executive producers: Maydha Sood and Ross Oteri
Editor: Soltan Sukareye
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, I sit down in the beauty of the moment to talk about the bureaucracy of Valinof. I open the episode by giving a brief thank you to everyone who’s stuck with us in the revamping of the podcast and the establishment of Valinof Media. I also announce that I’ll be recruiting editor(s), a podcast producer, a social media manager, and a videographer (link to apply below). I describe my vision for Valinof Media as a media co-op providing digital entertainment to Canadians. Finally, I’ll need to step away from the podcast for 2-3 months to get everything in order. To stay updated on everything Valinof, follow the Instagram @valinofmedia.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email oteriross@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Credits:
Executive producers: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Ash Dennis (they/she) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about their Metis heritage, growing up in Ladner, BC, and their work in different advocacy organizations. Ash shares how her Metis identity shaped them and the systemic issues still facing the community. They also talk about how they got started in advocacy through Pride and some of the challenges of being trans non-binary in a farming community. Ross and Ash also discuss the problem of infighting within organizations and how work can often go underappreciated. Finally, Ash spills the details on their involvement in the E-Sports world.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email oteriross@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Ash Dennis - @asherupt
Credits:
Executive producers: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
On today’s episode of Who Is with Ross Oteri, Moriani (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about the meaning behind his name, moving between Pakistan and Switzerland, and the value of friends. Moriani shares his first memories from Pakistan and Switzerland, as well as the culture shock from moving between the two. He also discusses his modelling career and how it differs from female modelling. Ross and Moriani discuss the ego, the dissolution of the ego, and the Default Mode Network. Moriani also talks about how downregulation is related to feelings of anxiety and depression. Finally, Moriani shares more about his clothing company, Pehchaan.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email oteriross@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Moriani - @_moriani_ | @shop.pehchaan | shoppehchaan.com
Credits:
Executive producers: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry
Today on Who Is with Ross Oteri, Edmund Zhang (he/him) talks to Ross Oteri (he/him) about moving to Oakland, California, from China, and his longing for a place to call home. Edmund shares his first Oakland memory: witnessing a car robbery. He also talks about how some people in Canada have pre-judged him based on his Oakland accent and the similarities he shares with the main character in “Fresh Off the Boat.” Ross and Edmund discuss their love of hip-hop, and Edmund describes hip-hop's connection to identity. Edmund also talks about his foster family and his love of the Golden State Warriors. Finally, Edmund shares more about his clothing company, Hiraeth, before turning the tables on Ross.
Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question or need advice? You, too, may be featured on the show! DM @valinofmedia on Instagram or email oteriross@gmail.com
Contact:
Ross Oteri - @rossoteri | oteriross@gmail.com
Edmund Zhang - @_ygeddd
Credits:
Executive producers: Ross Oteri
Graphic designer: Heath Johnson
Opening theme - Ethan Gohring | @Lyfe8k
Transition and Outro theme - S. Henry