The E36 Podcast
Hosted by cultural strategist and creative entrepreneur Ayofemi Kirby, The E36 Podcast explores how ideas, institutions, and individuals shape culture—and how culture, in turn, shapes us. From creative leadership and communication strategy to the shifting signals transforming our cultural landscape, The E36 Podcast offers a new lens for seeing, thinking, and creating with purpose.
The E36 Podcast
Perspective: What I Said Then, What I Know Now
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It’s been a while since the last episode, and a lot has happened. This summer, I opened Galerie36, a contemporary art gallery and creative space in Dakar, Senegal. But today’s episode isn’t about that—it’s about a rediscovery.
While searching for the syllabus to one of my favorite graduate school classes—Communications Theory with Dr. Rhonda Zaharna at American University—I came across an old email to myself with the subject line grad speech. I had completely forgotten writing it. The speech was drafted more than ten years ago, during one of the hardest periods of my life, and yet reading it now, I was struck by how relevant the words still feel today.
In this episode, I share that speech—written originally for my fellow graduates but, in truth, meant for all of us. Because we are all communicators now. We all hold platforms, we all have audiences, and what we choose to say matters.
You can read the full speech here and learn more about E36 here.
