Multi-hyphenate Muminah Koleoso amplifies Black and Muslim women’s voices on Sister Station Podcast

Meet Muminah, winner of the 2025 Young Scot Award for Culture & Entertainment.

With a background in Maths and Computer Science, Muminah has gone on to achieve great things since pivoting into Media and Literary Arts. From writing poetry and winning awards, to youth advocacy and more, Muminah is an inspiration for anyone thinking of changing careers and pursuing a multi-hyphenate path.

Staying true to her multi-passionate nature, she now plans to amplify the voices of Black and Muslim women on her new podcast, Sister Station.

Read on to learn about her achievements since changing career, why she’s launching a podcast, and the importance of amplifying the voices of Black and Muslim women today. For Muslims hoping to launch their own faith-aligned brand, Muminah shares some great advice to help you get started.

Introduce yourself—What’s your name, where are you from, and what’s your background?

Assalam alaikum everyone, my name is Muminah Koleoso. I'm Nigerian, from the Yoruba tribe, and I was born in Lagos. I moved to the UK at a very young age and have grown up in different parts of England and Scotland for over 20 years now (i.e. most of my life so far). In terms of my career, I graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Computer Science and Maths. Since then, I've pivoted into the fields of Media and Literary Arts, embracing my multi-passionate nature in full as an award-winning writer, poet, content creator, freelance journalist, youth advocate, public speaker, and most recently, as the founder and host of my very own podcast, Sister Station.

I've contributed to platforms like Black Ballad, Vericane and Friday Magazine, was shortlisted for the 2024 New2theScene Poetry Competition, and recently won the 2025 Young Scot Award for Culture & Entertainment and the MCM Comic Con Scholarship for creatives. I've performed poetry at notable events, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the inaugural Brown Shuga Books Festival celebrating African literature. Additionally, I've completed a creative non-fiction writing fellowship with the Black British Book Festival and am a current member of Pass the Mic’s national Writers’ programme, tackling the underrepresentation of women of colour in Scottish media.

I'm also an alumna of Scotland's Young Women’s Movement’s (YWM) 2024 Young Women Lead Programme, where I contributed to the design of a report focused on young women's political participation. Since then, I’ve represented YWM in the Scottish Parliament and at the European YWCA’s 2025 Study Session in Budapest, furthering efforts toward gender equality and peacebuilding. I'm also part of the 2025 My Life My Say Squad Leadership Programme, promoting youth civic engagement and democratic participation.

What inspired you to launch Sisters Station Podcast? Was there a moment or experience that sparked the idea?

So I can’t say there was one single moment; it’s been more like a series of sparks of inspiration over the years. Namely, I've enjoyed listening to podcasts hosted by Muslim women, such as The Digital Sisterhood and Honest Tea Talk, which motivated me to want to create something similar. That and also my natural inclination towards creating content. Long before I wanted to host a podcast, I even considered becoming a YouTuber, believe it or not! I've always felt like I had a lot to say and was eager to find ways to share my thoughts with the world. While I've expressed myself through writing and poetry, I feel that podcasting offers a different perspective, allowing me to share my thoughts in a more raw, less filtered way.

Since leaving university and expanding my network both online and offline, another pivotal factor in my podcasting journey has definitely been the opportunity to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, both in terms of culture and career. Knowing how much meeting  these people and hearing their stories has inspired me on my journey, I felt that a podcast would be a great platform to share those stories with the world in the hopes of inspiring others, especially fellow Black and Muslim women.

What kinds of stories or topics can listeners expect?

Listeners can expect a wide range of topics and all kinds of stories. Everything from navigating non-linear career paths to stories of overcoming trauma and hardship, cultivating creativity, finding strength in community, improving fitness and mental health, or reflecting on one's spiritual journey. I hope to share on the podcast any story that's interesting and inspiring, exploring topics both heavy and light.

How do you hope this podcast will impact Muslim women and the wider community?

I hope that my podcast can serve as a source of inspiration for fellow Muslim women and the wider community. Through the stories we explore and the topics discussed, I hope listeners see parts of themselves in the episodes, resonate with the messages, and learn new things that can help them in pursuing their goals, whatever they may be.

Why is it important to amplify Muslim women’s voices right now?

It’s important because Muslim women are often excluded from mainstream discourse, and when we are included, we are so often misrepresented in the media. With rising Islamophobia, this has reinforced a lot of harmful stereotyping and misconceptions. Especially as Black Muslim women, our nuanced perspectives and experiences are rarely recognised or discussed. Therefore, rather than waiting to be included in the conversation, I believe it’s important to create and lead our own spaces. This allows us to take control of the narrative, produce content for us by us, sharing stories with the unique perspectives that come from our lived experiences.

What has been the most challenging part of starting this podcast?

Me. I have been the most challenging part of starting this podcast. And by that, I mean I’ve been standing in my own way essentially. To overcome these challenges, I’ve had to confront limiting self-beliefs, self-sabotage, procrastination, pessimism, perfectionism… you get the idea. But alhamdulillah, I’ve managed to overcome these obstacles by working on changing my mindset and receiving support from those around me. I try and remind myself often to manage my expectations, as I’ve never started a podcast before, so naturally, I won't get everything perfect or right on the first attempt (which the perfectionist in me is still coming to terms with). I’m also fortunate to be part of an amazing youth-led media network - Be the Change. Media Network. Shout-out to director Lily Mott and all the members of the network for their help and support so far with launching my podcast! And finally, I’m grateful for all the support I've received from family, mentors, friends, and an ever-growing online community - the constant, unwavering belief they have in me and my work greatly boosts my confidence.

How can listeners get involved and support Sisters Station Podcast?

Please follow and subscribe to the podcast on your favourite streaming platform so you never miss an episode! Don't forget to follow Sister Station on social media - like, save, download and reshare our posts and episodes with your friends and networks. If you’re interested in being featured in an episode or know someone who would be a good fit, feel free to send a DM to @sisterstationpodcast on LinkedIn or Instagram. And if you represent a brand interested in collaborating or partnering with us, please get in touch - we’d love to hear from you!

How do you create the right balance between Deen and Dunya as a multi-hyphenate?

Tough question. And honestly, there's no easy answer, but I’d say trying as much as possible to ensure that in whatever project I'm working on, I find a way to make it bigger than myself by constantly seeking ways to positively impact my community and those around me. It’s easy, especially as a multi-hyphenate, to get caught up in project after project and end up chasing this dunya, but staying focused on the ultimate goal of building for the akhirah, not just this life, helps me remember what all this is for. It encourages me to pursue projects that align with my values and use my various skills and talents in work that’s truly impactful and beneficial to others.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a fellow Muslim thinking of starting their own faith-aligned business or project?

Mentioned this in a podcast interview recently actually: "dream big, but start small." (I know you said one peace of advice but hopefully this 2-in-1 package still counts.)

In terms of “dreaming big”, I’d say it’s okay to have ambitious goals that initially seem like unattainable pipe dreams; don’t let others talk you out of it just because they can’t see the vision. But make sure your vision is clear to you at least and that you know what it is you want to achieve. That way you have something to work towards, which helps guide your work and keep it purposeful and driven. You don’t want to end up aimless, floating, and wasting time on things that aren’t really worthwhile (trust me I've been there - don't recommend). Once you’ve decided what it is you want to do, pray on it, do your research, seek advice and mentorship. If it’s something you feel drawn to and guided in that direction, go for it!

As for how and where to practically begin, this is where the “start small” part comes in to help you build up to the bigger picture. Break it down into smaller steps or mini-projects that you can manage with the resources accessible to you. For example, if you want to host large-scale, sold-out community events internationally (which would require some mega budget, team, and logistics management), you can maybe start with solo-hosting small-scale events in your local area or creating an online community and organising virtual events. It’s a starting point, a step in the right direction. Eventually, as long as you work at a pace that’s sustainable and manageable for you, all the small steps and efforts you make will add up, and you’ll see the results, insha’Allah.

Where can people listen, and how can they connect with you?

Sister Station is out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and all other major streaming platforms: https://linktr.ee/sisterstation. And you can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and I'll soon be launching my Substack as well: https://linktr.ee/minahsmusings . I'm also open for collabs, features, interviews etc. so feel free to drop me a dm on my socials or send me an email as well.