Independent brand strategy consultant with expertise in brand positioning / repositioning, brand equity creation and mapping, brand architecture development, brand portfolio optimisation, consumers / markets / category understanding, growth opportunity identification and brand health measurement. Listen to my podcast on Soundcloud: All about brands and branding
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On Trailblazers, we dive deep into the journeys of trailblazing South Asians. To date, Simi Shah, our founder and host, has welcomed ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, 49ers President Paraag Marathe, and other world-renowned South Asian trailblazers. Learn more at southasiantrailblazers.com.
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Do we have a life mantra that we meditate upon at every present moment? What is the philosophy that guides us towards our greater life goals and purpose not in the past or future, but in the "now?" Or what we like to call - your philosophy of now?In the podcast series created by ROOTS Media, we converse with thought leaders and innovators to learn about their philosophies of now. By going through candid and honest conversations about their journeys and ultimately their life mantras, we seek ...
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Karishma Mehta, Founder of Humans of Bombay
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42:32Send us a text All the way from Mumbai 🇮🇳✈️ our latest LIVE ✨podcast features Karishma Mehta: Founder & CEO of Humans of Bombay, India’s largest storytelling platform. This memorable live conversation from June 2024 is finally here. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE. Born and raised in Mumbai, Karishma launched Humans of Bombay at just 21. Over the past decade, …
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REVISIT - Sri M: What is TRUE Yoga for All Faiths? NOW
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49:24This week, we revisit the episode with Sri M, the yogic master and founder of the Satsang Foundation. He speaks on the essence of yoga and how we can follow this DEEP philosophical tradition in the modern times - even if you're an atheist! Sri M speaks on what success means to him and the spirit of spirituality that the modern youth should have. He…
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Send us a text Globally-acclaimed Singer, Songwriter, and Author Ali Sethi sits down with South Asian Trailblazers Host Simi Shah for a deeply personal podcast conversation on the heels of his debut solo album #LoveLanguage. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE. Born in Lahore, educated at Harvard University and currently based in New York, he studied under acclaim…
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Consistent Contemplation: Journaling As Freeing NOW!
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17:01In this week's Consistent Contemplation, we explore the practice of writing. Yes - literally writing with a physical pen and notepad or journal. We often disregard the act of sitting in our full presence and writing down our observations, reflections, and thoughts. This may be out of the bustle of doing it for daily tasks, fear, or even laziness, b…
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Send us a text On the night his new Netflix special Full Volume hits screens, global comedy icon Vir Das sits down with South Asian Trailblazers Host Simi Shah for an unforgettable podcast live-recorded at the Asia Society of New York. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE. 🎧 This is Vir Das off-script — raw, real, and as per always, hilarious. Born in Dehradun, rai…
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Consistent Contemplation: The Essence of Who We Truly Are NOW
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15:58In this week's Consistent Contemplation, we explore the meaning of the word, 'Essence'. We use that word lightly to mean so many things, but by definition, it allows us to consider something's nature. This episode is an inspired practice from the last few episodes. In fact, it is an extrapolation of our LIVE event with Swami Sarvapriyananda! Check …
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Swami Sarvapriyananda LIVE: Guided Meditation AND Q&A
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37:18In this week's episode, we present to you a special recording of our first LIVE event! This is the second part of two. Check out the FULL Episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJBgUmYk1cs Subscribe to the podcast HERE: https://lnk.to/thephilosophyofnow-swami-sarvapriyananda In Midtown Manhattan on June 5th, we had as our guest the incredibl…
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Swami Sarvapriyananda LIVE: Becoming What You Ought to Be NOW
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1:04:00In this week's episode, we present to you a special recording of our first LIVE event! This is the first part of two. Check out the LIVE Stream here: https://youtube.com/live/CFWd-587SI4?feature=share In Midtown Manhattan on June 5th, we had as our guest the incredible Swami Sarvapriyananda. Along with an interview, we led a reflection practice wit…
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Consistent Contemplation: Presence Is The Service
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13:52In this week's Consistent Contemplation episode, we explore the range of episodes of the last few weeks. From understanding our intuition and gut feeling to recognizing the heart's desire for service, these episodes truly enhanced our spiritual journeys. Today, in our guided practice and reflection, we explore how we often orient service to the out…
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REVISIT - Nikhil Taneja: How Self-Care is Selfless NOW
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1:05:21Why does taking care of our mental health and wellbeing feel selfish? Why do we feel guilty, as youth, when we take care of ourselves? Nikhil Taneja, co-founder of Yuvaa, a media organization spreading mental health awareness amongst youth in India, explains how taking care of ourselves is SELFLESS. During this mental health pandemic, it was import…
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Sadhviji Bhagawati Saraswati: Remembering That We Are Divine NOW
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49:04From Stanford University to the Himalayas. Today, we have the privilege of speaking with a premier personality who brings thousands towards a spiritual lifestyle. Sadhviji Bhagawati Saraswati, PhD is the guest on our latest episode! She is the leader of the largest ashram and retreat center in Hrishikesh (the foothils of the Himalayas: Parmarth Nik…
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Dayal Gauranga: Going with Your Gut and Seeing God's Signs NOW
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48:02What does it mean to "go with your gut?" We hear that phrase often - but when do we know what is that gut feeling - our inner voice? Dayal Gauranga, a former monk and renowned wellness and therapy coach, guides us through these questions. He helps us look within and learn to trust ourselves. As a practitioner of Bhakti and Kirtan music, Dayal dives…
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Consistent Contemplation: The 'Not This, Not This' Meditation
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19:07In this week's Consistent Contemplation episode, we explore the range of episodes of the last few weeks. From understanding the teachings of suffering for our spiritual practices to the need for service to embracing the "Mamba Mentality," these episodes truly enhanced our spiritual journeys. In our guided meditation, we explore the idea of how insi…
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George Mumford: How to Master the Mamba Mentality NOW
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1:04:16How did Kobe Bryant truly dive into the clutch moments of a game through mamba mentality? How did Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls focus as winners like Zen masters? Well, there was a secret weapon behind it all - George Mumford. George is a psychologist and mindfulness coach who has worked closely alongside Phil Jackson's Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant,…
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REVISIT - Hanuman Dass: How Service Opens The Doors to Bliss NOW
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46:56This week we revisit an episode from a previous season. In The Philosophy of Now sanctuary, we believe in revisiting conversations that can help us reflect and think more deeply when we take another look. Sometimes revisiting ourselves or the conversation itself can help us grow for our present moment. This Rama Navmi, birth celebration and holiday…
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Chandra Easton: Learning from Suffering, Our Karmic Hurdles and Tantra NOW
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1:38:19Can suffering actually be a gem - a silver lining? How can suffering actually become our guiding light on our spiritual journeys? My guest today helps us understand the value and importance of suffering through the Tibetan Buddhist lens. Lopön Chandra Easton is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher, scholar and author. She is the Vajra Teacher at the…
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Consistent Contemplation: How to Embrace Suffering and Remain Present
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12:31In our second consistent contemplation episode, we bring you with us in this sanctuary. This sanctuary is an opportunity for us to come together a community and reflect on ourselves and the previous episodes we've heard. We kick it off with a guided meditation to inquire into the self, and the fluctuating nature of thoughts. We reflect on the teach…
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Sandeep Acharya, Founder and CEO of Octave Health
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42:46Send us a text On today’s episode, I’m joined by Sandeep Acharya — Founder and CEO of Octave, a company that’s quietly but powerfully transforming how we experience mental health care in America. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE. Under his leadership, Octave has partnered with major insurers to make high-quality, affordable therapy accessible across 23 states. …
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Spring Washam: Accessing Our Ancestors' Spirits and Wisdom NOW
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1:03:42How do we tap into our ancestors' consciousness - their spirit, their energy? We live in such polarizing and volatile times. How can we learn to be present and yet learn from the past? Our guest today, Spring Washam, guides us on this journey to self-discovery and ancestral wisdom. She is a meditation teacher, Dharma teacher, and author of books li…
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Dilawar Syed, U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Deputy Administrator
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52:00Send us a text On the nostalgic grounds of their shared alma mater, Wharton, Simi speaks with Dilawar Syed, the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A role he was nominated into by President Biden, Administrator Syed was the highest-ranking Muslim official in the U.S. Government at the time of this recording. WATCH …
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Dr. Edwin Bryant Pt 2: The Bhagavad Gita and Surrendering to Krishna NOW
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1:04:46Do we understand what it means to be devotional in religion or spirituality? What is the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita? In Part 2 of this deep and philosophical conversation with Dr. Edwin Bryant, we understand what bhakti or devotion to God means. The bestselling author of books like 'The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,' and Hinduism professor at Rutge…
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Dr. Edwin Bryant: Discovering Bhakti and Trusting Karma NOW
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1:02:56How does karma work? What is yoga? What is the nature of bhakti? What does it mean to surrender to our destiny? Is there free will? All of these existential questions are truly important on our seeking and spiritual journeys. Dr. Edwin Bryant, the yoga master, bestselling author and professor at Rutgers University guides us through them all. Dr. Br…
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Reflection Episode: A Sanctuary for Contemplations NOW
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9:24Every three to four episodes, we will take a time to reflect together. We will talk about the most recent episodes, some thoughts of insight and ideas to reflect on internally. The Philosophy of Now is a sanctuary for us all to be present and meditate upon the conversations we've listened to and how we wish to develop and apply them in our own live…
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South Asian Trailblazers at The Oscars: Mindy Kaling, Charithra Chandran, Manish Dayal, Deli Boys
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25:22Send us a text South Asian Trailblazers at the Oscars 🏆 WATCH this episode HERE. Founder & Host, Simi Shah, takes us inside a celebration of South Asian excellence at the 2025 Academy Awards. She speaks with trailblazers across generations and genres about their journeys to the hallowed halls of Hollywood. Join us for interviews with and speeches f…
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Jai Uttal : The Mysticism of True Love and Mantras NOW
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1:08:47What is the nature of true love? Why does our love for even family and friends sometimes feel selfless? How do we tap into the that spiritual love - bhakti? Jai Uttal, the Grammy-nominated and renowned musician, kirtan artist and spiritual guide, breaks out all down for us. He speaks about his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, meeting Ram Dass and how stumbl…
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Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: How Cinema Transforms Us Spiritually NOW
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1:02:05Can films and art change the world? How do we find purpose through our art? Why do some films stick with us, and transform us? Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is back on The Philosophy of Now! The National Award-winning renowned filmmaker sits down with us to discuss his creative process and life philosophy. We dissect some of his films by looking at them …
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Nina Rao: How Practice Makes A Perfect Seeker NOW
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58:20We are back! In our first episode of the new season, we speak with Nina Rao. The acclaimed kirtan artist and spiritual guide talks to us about the importance of practice. Practice, we talkin about practice?! The reality is - without it, we don't become true seekers on our paths towards self development ans true inner peace. Nina Rao talks about des…
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Join us in this new season of The Philosophy of Now Podcast! New episodes every Wednesday. What is you life mantra that keeps you grounded in every moment? How do we continue perservere as human beings on our spiritual journeys? How can the trailblazers and thought leaders of today guide us along our journeys? Our mantras become our best friends on…
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SPECIAL LIVE: Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement
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1:21:00Send us a text In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Simi Shah hosts a LIVE podcast with Gurbir S. Grewal — the Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement and former Attorney General of New Jersey — at the law offices of Morrison Foerster in New York City. WATCH this episode on YouTube. This event was proudly hosted in partnership…
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SPECIAL LIVE: Jay Sean, Multi-platinum Artist, Entrepreneur, & Record Label Executive
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1:22:00Send us a text In this special, LIVE-recorded edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Host Simi Shah kicks off Season 8 with Jay Sean — multi-platinum artist, entrepreneur, and record label executive. WATCH this and EVERY FUTURE episode on YouTube. South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevatin…
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Exciting Updates: Upcoming Events, Season 8, and our Agency
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2:55Send us a text Happy AAPI Heritage Month from South Asian Trailblazers! 👋🏼 In this short soundbite, I’m sharing exciting updates about events we’re hosting around the world(!), Season 8, and our Agency. The highlights: Season 8 goes live this Fall! But we couldn’t wait to share a sneak peek with you…which is why you can enjoy our latest LIVE record…
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Send us a text For our Season 7 Finale, we catch up with Amol Shah from OpenAI, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies and the creator of ChatGPT. Amol's career spans roles at tech giants like Facebook and TikTok, and more recently, he served as the Chief Revenue Officer for blockchain startup QuickNode. Before his foray into …
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Nishant Roy, Chief Communications & Impact Officer at Chobani
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1:03:00Send us a text In this episode, we meet Nishant Roy, Chief Communications and Impact Officer at Chobani. Chobani is one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world and has been a pioneer in the natural food movement for the last decade. Nishant has an incredibly variegated career to date. He began his career with distinguished service in the…
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Akash Mehta & Niki Mehta, Founders of Fable & Mane
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52:00Send us a text In this episode, Simi welcomes our first-ever sibling founder duo: Akash and Nikita Mehta, Co-Founders of Fable & Mane. Fable & Mane is an Ayurveda-inspired hair wellness brand. Akash is a British entrepreneur and influencer. He graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in electrical engineering. His professional journey s…
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Send us a text Simi speaks with the revered RAJA KUMARI. Born Svetha Rao, Raja Kumari is a Grammy-nominated, international singer, songwriter, and rapper. With over 43 million monthly Spotify streams, she has launched multiple hit singles and albums and collaborated with John Legend, AR Rahman, Iggy Azalea, and Fall Out Boy. Drawing from her Indian…
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Send us a text Joining us on South Asian Trailblazers is Actor and Broadway Star, Nikhil Saboo. Most recently, Nikhil played the iconic Connor Murphy in the National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen, becoming the first South Asian to ever take on the Tony-nominated role. He also performed in the 1st National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical and in the…
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Priya Singh, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Associate Dean at Stanford Medicine
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52:00Send us a text For our mid-season finale, Simi is joined by Priya Singh — Chief Strategy Officer, Senior Associate Dean, & Vice President of Stanford Medicine. Stanford Medicine encompasses a $13 billion preeminent academic health center comprised of the Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. Pri…
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Nora Ali, CEO and Co-Founder of Mason Media
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49:00Send us a text Simi is joined by Nora Ali, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mason Media, a full-service production company and brand studio, which she co-founded alongside MLB all-star Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) and tech billionaire Marc Lore. With a degree in Statistics and Quantitative Finance from Harvard, Nora began her career by building a foundation in …
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Diipa Büller-Khosla, Global Influencer, Founder of indē wild, Model
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29:00Send us a text In a first for South Asian Trailblazers, we welcome Global Influencer and Entrepreneur Diipa Büller-Khosla. Diipa is not only one of the first Indian influencers to have gained international renown, but is also breaking barriers as a founder, model, public speaker, and activist. At age 18, Diipa moved from India to Amsterdam and even…
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Ruchi Bhowmik, Vice President of Public Policy at Netflix
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45:00Send us a text Simi sits down with Ruchi Bhowmik, Vice President of Public Policy at Netflix. In this role, Ruchi strategizes around the streaming giant's relationships with key stakeholders: regulators, non-governmental organizations, and elected leaders in the United States and Canada. Prior to joining Netflix, Ruchi was Global Vice Chair of Publ…
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LIVE: Vas Narasimhan (CEO of Novartis) & Dr. Srishti Gupta Narasimhan (Physician Leader in Health and Education)
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1:13:00Send us a text To kick off South Asian Trailblazers Season 7, power duo Dr. Vas Narasimhan (CEO of Novartis) and Dr. Srishti Gupta Narasimhan (Physician Leader in Health & Education) join Simi all the way from Basel, Switzerland for a LIVE recording at Novartis Headquarters in Cambridge, MA. WATCH this episode on YouTube. South Asian Trailblazers i…
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Shruti Ganguly, Filmmaker, Director, and Producer
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54:00Send us a text For our Season 6 Finale, Simi invites Shruti Rya Ganguly: award-winning Filmmaker, Producer, and Writer to the podcast. In 2017, Shruti started honto88, a production company that works in a variety of formats — from narrative and doc features to series and branded content. She launched it with a narrative feature produced by Keanu Re…
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Swami Medhananda: Becoming a Monk and Brutal Self-Assessment
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1:16:40How do we imbibe the qualities of a monk? What is mean to detach from worldly pleasures? Why does a spiritual life seem so distant to us sometimes? Well, before becoming a monk, our guest today was a young agnostic in U.C. Berkeley trying to figure out his purpose in life like the rest of us. Today, Swami Medhananda is a sanyassi or monk under the …
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Gaurav Shah, CEO of Rocket Pharmaceuticals & Grammy Award Winner
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52:00Send us a text The founding CEO of a breakout biotech company AND a Grammy Award winner? Gaurav Shah is no stranger to dualities. In this episode, Simi speaks with the Co-Founder and CEO of Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a company developing first-in-class gene-modified cell therapies to treat rare diseases. Prior to his role as founding CEO, Gaurav was a…
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Sensei Sandeep Desai: Martial Arts For Holistic Development
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1:04:55Our guest today, Sensei Sandeep Desai, is the first South Asian to teach T'ai Chi martial arts across the globe. As a master in the martial arts and yoga, the Sensei has traveled across the globe teaching and holding workshops. Winning numerous accolades worldwide, he learned directly from the Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Tian Chi. He's been featured in…
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SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal at Impact Summit 2023
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40:00Send us a text In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Simi hosts a LIVE podcast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives — to kick off Indian American Impact's 2023 Summit in Washington D.C. WATCH this episode on YouTube. In addition to elevating the stories of South…
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Nikhil Taneja: A Purpose-Driven Life for Millennials and Gen-Z NOW
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1:07:01Our guest today is Nikhil Taneja, the founder and CEO fo Yuvaa, the purpose-driven media company for the youth of today. Nikhil is a trailblazer - an entrepreneur, media superstar, writer, creator, speaker and teacher. Very early in his life, he became a leading force within Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. He led the Dharmatic Productions, with s…
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Send us a text You’ve likely seen Zarna Garg — the Indian immigrant mom and comedy sensation cracking mom jokes on Instagram, opening for Tina Fey, or most recently, making headlines for her comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in a Billion, which premiered on Amazon Prime in May. But do you know what came before? Born and raised in India, Zarna Garg im…
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Ami Ganatra: Wisdom from Indian Mythology NOW
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1:20:18Our conversation today is with the bestselling author, Ami Ganatra. Her bestselling books 'Mahabharata Unraveled' and 'Ramayana Unravelled: Lesser known Facets of Rishi Valmiki's Epic,' swept the globe with unique perspectives and analytical gems on the ancient Indian epics. As a student of Sanskrit, yoga practitioner and lecturer on ancient Indian…
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Pooja Goyal, Chief Investment Officer of Carlyle Global Infrastructure
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48:00Send us a text In this episode, we meet Pooja Goyal: Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of Carlyle Global Infrastructure, Co-Head of the Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund (CGI), and Carlyle’s Head of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. With over $381 billion assets under management (AUM), Carlyle is one of the world’s largest inves…
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