Her Zindagi

Simrah Farrukh is an upcoming photographer based in the Bay Area. Common themes she explores are identity, social issues and womanhood. Simrah's work is intimate, nostalgic and feminine. In the Fall of 2019, she had her first solo exhibition as a fourth-year student at Loyola Marymount University titled, The Brown Gaze. Now a graduate, she is exploring an intersection of fashion photography, art and portraiture. As an artist, Simrah ultimately aims to help South Asian- American's represented in art + fashion.

Listen to Simrah talk about:

• Cultural representation in art 
• Difference between appreciation and appropriation
• Brown girl double standards 
• Toxic brown boy culture 
• What will people 

Introducing Conversations with Gen Z with Guest Host Manaal Abbasi. Manaal is the Gen Z, younger sister of the normal host Maheen Abbasi. This episode is meant to highlight the conversations the younger generations are having, want to be having and what questions they are asking each other. 

Follow Simrah on Instagram at @simrahfarrukh

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Manaal, on Instagram: @maanaaaaal

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected].

Fareeha Molvi is a cultural essayist who’s work explores identity in America. Her work has been featured in Allure, Glamour, Teen Vogue, New York Magazine and others. She’s been cited as an expert in the New York Times, Inc. and CBC Q. She runs a website and Instagram account called Brown in Media, where she explores how brown people are represented on screen.

Listen to Fareeha talk about

• Working as a writer 
• Representation in media 
• The concept of identity 
• The Model Minority concept 

Follow @browninmedia 

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Archana Subramanian is the SVP and COO of AMER Verticals, responsible for running the Sales Strategy and Sales Development teams for the Healthcare, Financial Services, Commerce Cloud, and Retail & CPG sales verticals. She grew up in Cochin, India, where she received her undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering. She moved to the United States 12 years ago to pursue a Masters in Information Systems from Indiana University. After spending 3 years at Infosys Consulting, Archana joined Salesforce almost 9 years ago. She has been living in San Francisco for the past decade with her husband, chasing their 2 daughters.

Listen to Archana talk about 

• Her career story 
• How she makes career decisions 
• Being a Woman of color Leader in male-dominated tech
• Advice of being the minority in the room
• Finding mentors 
• Other passion projects  

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Archana Subramanian is the SVP and COO of AMER Verticals, responsible for running the Sales Strategy and Sales Development teams for the Healthcare, Financial Services, Commerce Cloud, and Retail & CPG sales verticals. She grew up in Cochin, India, where she received her undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering. She moved to the United States 12 years ago to pursue a Masters in Information Systems from Indiana University. After spending 3 years at Infosys Consulting, Archana joined Salesforce almost 9 years ago. She has been living in San Francisco for the past decade with her husband, chasing their 2 daughters.

Listen to Archana talk about 

• Her career story 
• How she makes career decisions 
• Being a Woman of color Leader in male-dominated tech
• Advice of being the minority in the room
• Finding mentors 
• Other passion projects  

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Kausar Mohammed is a half Bengali, half Pakistani writer, actress, and comedian born in San Jose, California. She is a writer/performer in the distinguished all-South Asian comedy troupe, The Get Brown, and in the 2021 CBS Diversity Showcase. She has worked on and written a variety of award-winning digital projects, such as "Smyle" and "Namaste" featured on Huffington Post, NBC, and Al-Jazeera. Kausar plays series lead in Paul Feig's (“Bridesmaids”) dramedy, “East of La Brea”. She also has worked alongside Taraji P. Henson on the film “What Men Want” (Paramount), Issa Rae on the film “Little” (Universal), and has additional credits on shows such as “Silicon Valley” (HBO), “Black Lightning” (CW), and “Carol’s Second Act” (CBS).  Kausar also voices series lead characters on both Spielberg’s upcoming Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and the hit anime show, Great Pretender. She also is the co-founder of SHIFT, a racial justice and gender justice consulting group created by all women of color. You can find her performing regularly at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theatre on their house team, Emerald. She is Queer, Muslim, and a Hufflepuff/Slytherin hybrid. 

Listen to Kauser Talk about:

• How she got into acting 
• Choosing a career she loves 
• Always checking in to what you want 
• Power of saying No 
• A Racial Justice consulting group she created 

Follow Kauser on Instagram at @kausertheperson 

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Noor Molvi created the jewelry line, NOORNOIR, after years of dreaming about being a designer and entrepreneur. She has always been a creative and visual person. After working a few different jobs in the fashion industry, She realized the only way she could truly satisfy my longing for creating beautiful design was by doing it on her own time and in her own way. SHE was scared to take the leap into entrepreneurship but I have gained so much along the way.

NOORNOIR is a collection of elegant, timeless jewelry handmade and designed by its namesake owner in Los Angeles, California. Often mixing high-quality gold pieces with natural materials such as pearls and aquamarines, every stunning creation feels simultaneously classic and one-of-a-kind, evoking found treasures washed up from the sea. NOORNOIR jewelry has been featured in VoyageLA Magazine and seen on celebrities like Olympic Golds Medalist Nastia Liukin & Tara Lipinksi as well as CW "Roswell" star Heather Hemmens and ABC "American Housewife" star Carly Hughes.

Listen to Noor Talk about:

• How she started her company 
• Her tips to success 
• How her biggest let down ended up being the best redirection
• What it's like being a Female, Muslim, Pakistani founder

Follow NoorNoir on Instagram at @Noornoir

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Batul Joffrey is an investor with Kapor Capital, making socially mindful investments that aim to close gaps of access, opportunity, or outcome for underserved communities. She is the current vice curator of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shaper’s LA Hub - where she leads the group in driving dialogue, action, and change through local projects, such as Los Angeles Votes, where their current focus is on increasing civic engagement in the younger LA populations. 

Previously, she was Chief of Staff at a social impact startup and also a senior consultant on a complex data analysis and management team. 

Outside of work, you can find her with a cup of chai in hand, enjoying the art of storytelling through different mediums whether it be books, movies, or photography and engaging with the people and components that make up her identity as a Pakistani-Indian Muslim American woman.

Listen to Batul Talk about:

• How she got into the VC
• Being a woman of color in this field 
• What they look for when providing funding 
• The importance of opening up opportunities to diverse backgrounds
• What her day to day looks like 

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

My name is Zoha Hussain and I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. I currently live in London where I work at the University College of London Hospitals as a Clinical Systems Senior Analyst. I have always been inspired to create positive change, whether that is by improving healthcare in low-income areas, mentoring high school children, embracing my passion for dance or using my journey as a survivor to empower other Muslim women.

Muslim women face abuse or abusive behaviors in all aspects of life- be it religious, social, cultural, interpersonal, or domestic. 

Cultural, societal and religious stigma around abuse has planted immense pressure on South Asian Muslim women to remain silent, afraid and simply helpless. Just one hand, one similar experience can pull one out of darkness towards an imaginable light of hope. 

My hope is to build a community of young women who will support, strengthen and empower one another to fight against any adversity, any inner or external battles we experience in life. Awareness and understanding begin from within. Together, we can empower one another to move through the silence.

Contact information: [email protected].

Listen to Zoha talk about

• Growing up with financial struggles in the Desi Community 
• Surviving an abusive relationship 
• Going through a traumatic health scare at 25 
• Losing her memory 
• Rebuilding her life 
• Learning how to put yourself first

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Sofia Haq was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies and studied International Business abroad for a summer at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In 2018, she graduated from the Riordan MBA Fellows Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management and the Forte MBALauncher Program.

Currently, she is an Ambassador at the United State of Women (USOW) and Founder and President of Muslim Women Professionals (MWP).

MWP is an organization that promotes empowerment amongst Muslim women by educating, empowering, and mobilizing a global network. 

Sofia lies at the intersectionality of multiple identities: Muslim, woman, Pakistani, and Mexican. She has written for outlets like Forbes, was featured on multiple podcasts, and interviewed for various publications. She is a frequent panelist at events centered around female empowerment and diversity and inclusion. Her mission is to foster unity amongst Muslim women, bring awareness to the struggles of underrepresented communities, and create resources to help them thrive.

Listen to Sofia Talk about 

• Being a Biracial Muslim - Pakistani and Mexican
• The toxic aspects of Pakistani/Muslim culture (Auntie culture!)
• Founding Muslim Women Professionals 
• Importance of Gender Equity in Desi Culture 
• 2020 election, VOTE. 

Find Sofia on Instagram at @sofia__haq

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]

Nadia is an activist and organizer who has worked in digital strategy for the last 14 years, and has channeled that skillset into creating awareness around the issues and candidates she cares about. Originally from Texas, Nadia spent 8 years in the DC area before moving to San Francisco three years ago where she ran for office as a candidate herself earlier this year. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan and Nadia identifies as Muslim and Pakistani American.

Listen to Nadia talk about 

• Going through a divorce at the age of 30
• What she learned from divorce
• Following her intuition to start a new life
• Getting involved in the Democratic Party
• Being a Muslim Pakistani woman in politics
• Running for office 
• 2020 Election, VOTE VOTE VOTE. 

Follow Nadia on Instagram, @nadiarahmansf

Follow Her Zindagi on Instagram: @her.zindagi

Find the host, Maheen, on Instagram: @maheen93

If you or someone you know would make a good guest on the podcast or if you have any questions/comments/concerns please email [email protected]