I’m so excited to be speaking today with Harini Nilakantan, an extraordinary dancer, movement artist, and choreographer whose journey spans continents and traditions. Originally from Chennai and now based in Chicago, Harini has spent over 20 years studying styles from the classical elegance of Bharatanatyam to the electric energy of Waacking, Hip Hop, and most recently baby-stepping into Chicago Footwork. She has headlined World of Dance twice, is the lead choreographer for Movement of Desis,...
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I’m so excited to be speaking today with Harini Nilakantan, an extraordinary dancer, movement artist, and choreographer whose journey spans continents and traditions. Originally from Chennai and now based in Chicago, Harini has spent over 20 years studying styles from the classical elegance of Bharatanatyam to the electric energy of Waacking, Hip Hop, and most recently baby-stepping into Chicago Footwork. She has headlined World of Dance twice, is the lead choreographer for Movement of Desis,...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Harini Nilakantan, an extraordinary dancer, movement artist, and choreographer whose journey spans continents and traditions. Originally from Chennai and now based in Chicago, Harini has spent over 20 years studying styles from the classical elegance of Bharatanatyam to the electric energy of Waacking, Hip Hop, and most recently baby-stepping into Chicago Footwork. She has headlined World of Dance twice, is the lead choreographer for Movement of Desis,...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Adharsh Kumar, the creative genius behind Not Your Amma’s Kitchen—an Instagram sensation that’s redefining how we see South Indian cuisine. Through his stunning videos and down-to-earth approach, Adharsh invites us into his kitchen and his heritage, proving that cooking is not just about recipes—it’s about identity, connection, and reclaiming the flavors that shaped us. Whether he’s sharing a family heirloom recipe or putting his own spin on a classic,...
What does breaking the barrier mean for Aparna? Redefining success on your own timeline I’m so excited to be speaking today with Aparna Shewakramani, a South Asian author, speaker, and unapologetic voice for women choosing to live life on her own terms. You may recognize her from Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking, where she quickly became a standout for her honesty, self-assurance, and refusal to settle. Since then, Aparna has sparked global conversations about modern dating, cultural expectation...
What does breaking the barrier mean for Milan? Being loud in a space that didn’t allow that for us I’m so excited to be speaking today with Milan Mathew, a force in the beauty and content world who’s redefining what it means to shine in your own skin. From bold makeup looks that celebrate melanin-rich tones to scroll-stopping TikTok and Instagram reels that mix humor with heart, Milan brings color, confidence, and charisma to everything she does - so much so that she just released her f...
What does it mean to Nimesh to break the barrier? Just start doing I’m so excited to be speaking today with Nimesh Patel, a comedian and Emmy-nominated writer. Nimesh made history in 2017 as the first Indian American writer for Saturday Night Live. Beyond SNL, Nimesh has written for events like the academy awards and the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, working alongside big names like Chris Rock and Hasan Minhaj. In this episode we cover: 1. His journey from graduating with a ...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Payal Desai: a wife, mother, and a former middle school teacher turned full time content creator on social media. After her hilarious “no dusty sons” videos went viral on Instagram, she amassed a 349K following and took the leap of faith to pursue her passion full time. As a true teacher at heart, Payal is passionate about using her platform to deconstruct parenting myths and gender stereotypes while amplifying South Asian voices. She has many gems to ...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rene Subash, a South Indian Malayali food blogger whose cooking videos have been a viral sensation. She’s on a mission to make authentic traditional recipes less intimidating and more fun. Based in Liverpool, UK, Rene shares recipes passed down through generations of her Indian family, all while showing that South Indian cuisine doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. Her approach is all about breaking things down, keeping it simple, and making...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rianjali, a South Asian American singer, songwriter, and now producer hailing from Queens, NY. While in school, she was trained in Western vocals during her acceptance to the prestigious LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. While speaking with Rianjali off the mic, I learned she was a former domestic violence case worker in hopes of becoming a mental health therapist. As someone who initially saw music as a passion project, her passion turned...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with our one and only Ms. Lana Patel, an Afro-Indo-Caribbean trans woman who is a model and has been the face of brands like Pantene, Live Tinted, and HoliChic to name a few. She is also an activist in the LGBTQ+ space and leverages her social media presence to fight for trans individuals to have a seat at the table. Her mantra is that true liberation can only be achieved once each human being is seen as an equal. I met Lana at a Brown Girl Magazine ev...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Pooja Shah, a Kenyan-Indian-American woman who is a full-time photographer, creative director, and founder of TEMBO TONES: a multidisciplinary, creative studio focusing on photo artistry and brand design. Pooja’s cultural identity shapes how she sees the world and inspires her communications with BIPOC creative communities. Her photography explores the themes of nostalgia, identity, and slow living to honor and reclaim the experience of black and brown...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Kajal Raju, the first South Asian woman to dance for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. She just recently completed a year on this dance team, and she balances this career with a full-time role in tech as a Product Manager. She is passionate about amplifying South Asian voices in the arts and entertainment industry, and has so many gems to share with us regarding her journey. In this episode, we will highlight Kajal’s journey on how she moved across the...
What does breaking the barrier mean for Sweta? "It's intersecting passion with purpose," she answers. The guest on today’s episode is very special to me, as she’s one of my dear friends. Sweta Sridhar is a woman who wears multiple hats. During the day, she works as a Product Marketing Manager in the financial services and technology industry, and by night she is a career coach and digital content creator. She has made noteworthy accomplishments in the media space including partnerships w...
I’m so excited to be speaking with Neha Dharmapuram, an emerging actress and well-established TikTok dancer who used the pandemic to pour into her passion and creative outlet which is dancing. Her passion for Bollywood is impressive and contagious as she now has over 85,000 followers on Tiktok and over 28,000 followers on Instagram. I personally met Neha in New York City during a launch party for AAVRANI’s Vitamin C oil, and she was easily memorable with a kind, humble demeanor. As a Mas...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Nimrita Chavla who goes by Nim. She is the founder and CEO of a startup skincare spa called NC Skin located in the Chicagoland area, which she self funded after working for 4 years in corporate finance. During her journey to quit her job and pursue her passion full time, she remembers experiencing countless visits to estheticians and dermatologists and initially gave up hope on someone being able to help her with her skin for her brown skin tone. This ...
In this episode, I am thrilled to be speaking with Moumita Sahoo, founder and CEO of Zaila Skin, an ayurvedic skincare brand that fuses the power of ancient Indian botanicals and clinically proven actives to create a fun and effective skincare experience for all skin types. Zaila products are vegan, cruelty-free, and follow the Clean at Sephora standard of formulation.As her story unfolds, we will highlight how she started with an unhealthy relationship with her skin which drove her to make a...
In this episode, I am thrilled to be speaking with Fenit Nirappil, a journalist with The Washington Post, who has notably published several front-page articles related to Covid-19.As his story unfolds, we will highlight Fenit’s journey on how he pivoted from careers in law and medicine to find his passion in journalism, navigated the challenges of getting his foot in the door, and how the one miraculous call from his mentor on a Friday had him take a leap of faith and move cross-country to be...
I’m so excited to be speaking with Elizabeth Priya Kumar, founder and CEO of Premini Events. Her company is an award-winning luxury wedding planning and creative services agency that she built from the ground up. Priya has over a decade of experience planning luxury weddings for her clients all around the world, and her notable work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, South Asian Bride Magazine, and The Knot to name a few. She was also named Planner of the Year by the We...
I’m so excited to be speaking with our very own powerhouse couple iLLEST aka Sanu John and Shereene Manimala, artist manager and The Creative Hype Coach. Sanu and Shereene have been married for almost 6 years, and they’ve built their music and creative careers from the ground up. In this podcast, we will highlight how this couple quit their 9-5 jobs, faced hardships together, and fully accepted their identities as artists to get to where they are now: AKA being the official DJ for the Chicago...
Jessica works as a news reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and she's the only South Asian TV news reporter in this market in mainstream media. I know, I couldn't believe it myself! Jessica covers a broad range of topics from basketball to crime. She's a girl who wears many hats and wears them proudly. I'm so excited to be speaking to Jessica to enlighten us on her role and how we can leverage our community to get more people to do what she does. To contact her for guidance/mentorship...
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Harini Nilakantan, an extraordinary dancer, movement artist, and choreographer whose journey spans continents and traditions. Originally from Chennai and now based in Chicago, Harini has spent over 20 years studying styles from the classical elegance of Bharatanatyam to the electric energy of Waacking, Hip Hop, and most recently baby-stepping into Chicago Footwork. She has headlined World of Dance twice, is the lead choreographer for Movement of Desis,...
