EP 15: Rashid Khan — Belonging, Emergencies, and Compassion With Purpose

Belonging can feel like a mystery when you’re new somewhere. But Rashid Khan describes it simply: it often begins with the first hello.

In Episode 15 of Chocolate & Coffee Break, Andrea Putting speaks with Rashid about migration, community, parenting across cultures, and the moment-by-moment decisions that shape safety during emergencies.

From one friend to a community

Rashid moved to Australia in 2002 with just one friend on the ground—and within months, he had a growing circle of connections. His method wasn’t complicated: small conversations on the tram, in shops, in everyday life.

He points to something many people overlook: community isn’t always “found.” It’s built—one interaction at a time.

Culture, subculture, and the willingness to adapt

Rashid explains that adapting to a new country isn’t about losing yourself. It’s about breaking a mental barrier: being willing to learn the sensitivities and rhythms of a new place while still bringing your own culture with pride.

He also adds a powerful distinction: there’s the broad culture of a country, and then there’s a subculture—your people, your circles, the spaces where you feel seen.

Parenting is a two-way journey

One of the most heartfelt insights from Rashid is about raising children who are “locals” in a way their parents may never fully be. His kids are born and raised in Australia, and they reflect local culture back to him.

“It’s a two-way journey,” he says—because kids don’t just receive culture. They bring it home. And when parents stay open to learning, it creates cohesion rather than conflict.

The emergency that never left him

Rashid traces his emergency management calling back to childhood: at nine years old, an ammunition depot exploded in his city. In the chaos, he helped get 18 kids to safety.

That experience stayed with him—quietly—until later in Australia when he was handed emergency management responsibilities at work.

When reality hits close

A major turning point came after witnessing a real emergency unfold firsthand in Melbourne—an event that reinforced how quickly curiosity can turn into danger, and how critical communication becomes in the first moments of crisis.

Rashid’s message is clear: better communication helps people stay inside, stay back, stay safe—and allows responders to do their work without added chaos.

Evacuation and EVAC Tracker: safety through clarity

Rashid founded Evacuation to modernize communication during emergencies: connecting occupants and responders with a clearer real-time snapshot.

The goal is simple but huge:

• know who’s in the building
• know who’s out
• know where attention should go first
• reduce response confusion
• reduce preventable harm

Disasters don’t discriminate—preparedness must include everyone

Rashid also connects emergency planning to diversity and inclusion. Disasters affect people equally, but preparedness improves when we include knowledge from:

• Indigenous communities who understand the land over deep time
• migrant communities who have lived through tsunamis, conflict, displacement, and recovery
• lived experience across cultures, abilities, and languages

When we broaden the circle of voices, we strengthen the system.

This week’s challenge

Share a chocolate and coffee break with someone different from you. Ask a question. Listen. Learn.

Because belonging, preparedness, and compassion all start the same way: with a human connection.

Let love be the loudest voice.