On Episode 44 of #LearningStories, we chat with Manoj A. Panicker about becoming a film maker in India. He is an emerging film maker and architect with a passion for story telling. A graduate of College of Architecture, Trivandrum (2016 - 2021). Manoj then worked as an architect in Oman for two years cultivating his creative expertise. He continued watching films and learning about film making in his free time. In 2024, Manoj made his directorial debut with his short film, 'Sombre Skies' or 'Mekha Vritham'. This debut short film, made in collaboration with the Dying Art Collective marked the beginning of his film making journey. With a strong foundation in design and a keen eye for detail, Manoj aims to bring a unique perspective to the film industry. He reviews films on Letterboxd.

On Episode 43 of #LearningStories, we chat with Sthitharagyan Mohanty about becoming a full stack marketer in India. He is a full stack marketer, entrepreneur and poet. He was born in Baripada, Orissa. He studied Engineering Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and later earned a degree in Advertising and Corporate Communication from Birla School of Communication. He started his career as an entrepreneur with Indexify. He then transitioned to a career in marketing by working for companies like L&T, BOI, Innoplexus and Carbon Minus. He is currently working at High Radius, a Global AI Fintech company as a full stack marketer. He is also known for his poetry and published two books of poems. He writes about Indian brands and Indian entrepreneurs on Linkedin.

On Episode 42 of #LearningStories, we chat with Priyanka Achhpeliya about being a fashion entrepreneur in India. Priyanka is a fashion entrepreneur on a mission to rebrand Made in India by bridging the gap between Indian Heritage textiles and the youth through Aasman. She is a strong design professional with a 4 year Bachelor of Design degree in Fashion Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology Hyderabad and a 2 year Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design from Raffles Millennium International. She is currently pursuing a 2 year Post Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship from IIM Vishakapatnam. Her experience at NIFT, coupled with her exposure to various craft clusters, instilled in her a strong desire to preserve and uplift traditional Indian crafts. She founded Aasman in 2021 as a casual wear brand with an aim to bridge the gap between heritage Indian textiles and the youth. The team at Aasman sources these textiles directly from the artisans and converts them into apparel that is relevant. You can find her on Linkedin and Instagram.

On Episode 41 of #LearningStories, we chat with Jaikishaan Sharma about how an accident changed his life. He is an entrepreneur, digital marketer and mindset coach. He moved to Australia in 2007 and completed a Business Degree from the University of Ballarat. He then acquired 8 years of experience in sales and marketing and became the CEO of a successful Direct Sales Agency in Australia. But in 2015, Jaikishaan hit rock-bottom when he got into an accident and was bound to the wheelchair. With the support of his family he recovered from the accident and then founded Sharmatricks, Dream Chair Club and J’YUG Australia. He is here to share his story and you can find him on Linkedin, Youtube and Instagram.

On Episode 40 of #LearningStories, we chat with Salil Bajaj about bootstrapping a small business in India. Salil has over three years of experience in the entrepreneurial world. He previously built a hiring company that achieved a revenue of approximately INR 2 crore within 1/1.5 years, securing deals with notable brands such as Swiggy, Jupiter, Lenskart, and Giant Eagle. Currently, he is focused on becoming a creator, runs Badaam Lessons as growth newsletter and building a newsletter company on a side. You can find him on Linkedin, Twitter and Substack.

On Episode 39 of #LearningStories we chat with Hillori Desai Awasthi. Hillori is from Surat, Gujarat, and studied at Bhulka Bhawan School, a well-known Gujarati medium school. From the 9th grade, she dreamed of joining IIT and started preparing for it in Surat and Kota. She cleared her JEE Advanced and then completed her B.Tech in Biotechnology from IIT Roorkee. Her career began at Microland, an IT MNC in Bangalore, where she worked as a software developer for three years, later taking up roles as a DevOps engineer and project manager. Now, she’s been a senior software engineer for over a year at Floworks, a startup focused on generative AI. With hands-on experience in designing, developing, and deploying SaaS products, Hillori is deeply passionate about how technology can drive transformational change and is motivated to make an impact in the world. When she’s not working, she enjoys reading and traveling, which help fuel her curiosity and creativity. You can find her on Linkedin.

On Episode 38 of #LearningStories we chat with Agraj Rathi. He is an Adventurer, Conservationist, and Science Writer. He traded the corporate grind for a life of adventure, swapping spreadsheets for survival skills and boardrooms for breathtaking landscapes. He grew up in Bengaluru and is now based in Vancouver. He completed a 4 year Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Western University and then spent 5 years working in the Corporate Sector. However he always had a passion for Nature and decided to transition to a career in Conservation. He is currently pursuing a two-year technical program from British Columbia Institute of Technology that prepares graduates for fieldwork in conservation and resource management, focusing on outdoor skills and knowledge. Currently based on Canada’s west coast, Agraj is getting lost in conservation biology, blending his love for nature with his passion for storytelling. Through his blog, "The Pathfinder’s Diary," he shares stories of self-discovery, environmental insights, and the scientific wonders of our planet, inspiring others to embrace their wild side and reconnect with the natural world. You can follow him on Medium and Linkedin.

On Episode 38 of #LearningStories we chat with Kashmeera Sambamurthy

On Episode 37 of #LearningStories we chat with Siddharth Bothra

On Episode 36 of #LearningStories we chat with Arun Mulloth. He is a Sports Management Professional and Engineer from India. Arun is currently Head of Business Development for Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation-a non profit that runs Gun For Glory-India’s premier Shooting Academy. His job is to engage in partnerships and collaborate with central and state government bodies as well as private institutions to promote the academy and athletes that train under it. The foundation has produced over 150 International athletes in the Olympic sport of Shooting-winning 332 medals. Prior to this role he was Chief Operating Officer at VeloCT, a multi sport academy where he managed multiple verticals including Football, Cricket, MMA and Shooting. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management from SMRI, Kochi and a Bachelor in Computer Science Engineering from College of Engineering, Chegannur. He is passionate about developing the sports ecosystem in India and is a former football player and competitive shooter himself.