Why do something about interculturality now?

As founders of OEF!, we want to share our intercultural experiences with a wider audience and create a space where others feel just as comfortable sharing theirs.

We've lived, studied, and worked across countries, cultures, and languages. Along the way, we've seen how these experiences shape not only how we communicate, but how we think, decide, and do business.

We've also met many people with extraordinary stories and insights, and we're inviting them to share their perspectives here.

Our goal is simple: to bring fresh, practical insights into intercultural interactions (whether personal or professional). While technology has made the world smaller, navigating cultural differences remains one of the biggest - and most underestimated - challenges.

Why is getting off on the right foot so important?

Do we have any insights from all these experiences we'd like to share now?

Sure, the truth is we all make presumptions, assumptions, and judgments about our own culture. And, more importantly, about others. We all carry these cultural values and norms around with us and have done so since birth.

Even when we don’t realise it. (lack of awareness)

Even when we believe we don’t. ( false confidence)

Even when we actively try not to. (failed effort)

At OEF!, we call these our intercultural blind spots

Blind spots are just that for a reason. They're subtle, persistent, and often invisible. Yet, they shape how we communicate, collaborate, and view (or judge) others.

It's also the reason behind our name: On Equal Footing. Our starting point and our goal remain simple: to bring cultures onto equal footing by helping people recognize these blind spots and overcome them so they can move up the ladder of interculturality.

What is interculturality, you say? Interculturality is not just living with differences, but actively connecting through them. It's about engaging across cultures to build trust, understanding, and a sense of shared belonging.

And, we're looking forward to doing that together with you.

TEAM OEF!

(tip: keep an eye out for insights and suggestions along the way)