Where it all began
As an accented immigrant, founder Namrata "Nammy" Sirur, spent her early years in the U.S. clinging to her Indian-ness because she lacked a sense of belonging.
Â
Then, an unlikely ally shifted her perspective - a storytelling podcast called The Moth.
Â
Listening to Americans tell normal, everyday stories about their lived experiences helped Nammy understand American culture in a whole new way. It built the necessary familiarity and empathy that allowed her to form deep, meaningful connections with her American peers and classmates like never before.Â
Â
But could it work the other way round?
She thought she'd give it a try ...
Â
In 2025, Nammy started Accent Unmuted storytelling events to provide accented speakers with a platform and to expose listeners to diverse voices through fun, relatable, slice-of-life stories.Â
​
After two successful, sold-out shows in partnership with KUTX and getting the stories on the radio, Nammy wanted to explore ways Accent Unmuted could have more impact.
Â
The organization is now a non-profit that aims to tackle accent bias in a meaningful (and truly delightful) way, one story at a time.
Â
