We recently had the chance to connect with Nora Alwah and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nora, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My secret joy lives just above me: the rooftop of my Brooklyn apartment. Technically not meant for lounging, it has become my hidden escape. I sneak up there with a cup of coffee and look out at the Manhattan skyline. It feels like having my own secret vantage point over the city, a place where perspective opens up and everything slows down for a moment. Those skyscrapers stretch before me like the Colorado mountains I left behind—grounding me and reminding me I carry home wherever I go.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nora Alwah, a psychotherapist, speaker, and the founder of n’betweener®, a global community and movement for people who feel they live n’between worlds—whether that’s cultures, languages, geographies, or identities. My work is rooted in helping people transform the pain of marginalization into possibility and discover the unique gifts that come from living at the intersections of multiple identities.
What makes n’betweener® unique is that it isn’t just a concept—it’s a lived experience. I coined the term in my living room in Boulder, CO, and it has since grown into a brand, a coaching program (The nest), and now a platform that provides spaces of belonging for people who often feel overlooked.
I recently moved to what I call the n’betweener capital of the world—New York City—while still keeping my business based in Colorado. I’m now working on expanding n’betweener® through live events, a book, and community-building efforts. My vision is to create a parallel society of n’betweeners—a place where people who’ve been told they’re “too much” or “not enough” can finally feel at home, be supported in their dreams, and know their complexity is their greatest strength.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when I realized I could travel by myself. At 17, I was working at Blockbuster in Copenhagen, earning 47 DKK/ 7 USD an hour, and somehow managed to save enough to buy a plane ticket and spend a month in Buenos Aires learning Spanish. My family thought I was crazy, but for me it was pure freedom. Buying that ticket, boarding the plane, and creating that possibility entirely on my own made me feel unstoppable. Looking back, it was the beginning of a journey that shaped me—I’ve now been an immigrant for a third of my life here in the US.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Being in nature. I would go outside and feel like the trees were my friends—steady, quiet, and always there. Sitting among them gave me a sense of safety and belonging that words couldn’t. As a kid, I didn’t have friends and often felt misunderstood in my sensitivity, but nature held me exactly as I was.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They would say that I value realness + depth—that I love knowing people fully and seeing their potential. I’m always drawn to what lives beneath the surface, and my happy place is in those intimate spaces where we can hold both lightness and depth at the same time. That balance of laughter and truth, play and meaning is what matters most to me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I helped give language to their lived experience—that I named something they had always felt but never had words for. That n’betweener grew to become a word in the dictionary to honor those of us who live with this kind of complexity. And most of all, I hope people felt less alone, more rooted in their own power, and more at home in themselves because of my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nbetweener.com
- Instagram: noraalwah
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraalwah/
Image Credits
Kareem Wilder. Jay Begay
