South Asian Stories

Aftab Pureval is the 70th Mayor of Cincinnati. He was raised in Southwest, Ohio and is making history as Cincinnati’s first Asian American Mayor. 

As Mayor, he is committed to serving Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods. He has made equitable economic growth a top priority of his administration, as well as a comprehensive reform and improvement of public safety, affordable housing, and environmental action.

In this conversation, we discuss:

How Mayor Aftab took a leap a faith into public service after giving up a comfortable career

Behind the scenes details on what it’s like to be a mayor 

How Mayor Aftab dealt with Covid crisis both personally and professionally

Mayor Aftab was all class – it was such a privilege to talk to him.

Find vaccines near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Michael Maliakel is a multi-talented singer, dancer, actor, and Broadway star. Maliakel currently plays the lead role of Aladdin in the Broadway (New York City) musical Aladdin.

His credits are numerous:  The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul u/s). NYC: Anything Can Happen: The Songs of Maury Yeston. Regional: Other World – Bucks County Playhouse; Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding – Berkeley Rep; She Loves Me – PlayMakers Rep; Bernstein’s MASS. Ravinia Festival. TV: “Bull” (CBS), “FBI” (CBS). 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

Michael’s experience breaking into Broadway and getting the “call” of Aladdin

The highs and lows of working in the industry and the “behind-the-scenes” look

How representation matters and why he believes in it so much in his industry

I got to personally see Michael on stage with my family, and it was simply amazing! If you’re in NYC, go check out Aladdin on Broadway and see Michael shine! 

Connect with Michael Maliakel

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Dr. Siva Sivaram serves as the Chairman of the board of trustees for Akshaya Patra USA, the world’s largest NGO dedicated to feeding school children. Established in 2000, Akshaya Patra serves 1.8 million children daily in close to 20,000 schools through 55 kitchens across India.  It costs only $20 to feed a child for an entire school year – just an incredible stat.

For his day job, Dr. Siva Sivaram serves as President of Western Digital Corporation where he focuses on developing the corporate strategy and the technologies that fuel its growth.

In this conversation, we discuss:

Dr. Sivaram’s experience living through the 1970s food crisis in India 

Being surrounded by tech legends as a young professional 

His hope and future for Akshaya Patra 

Amazing episode all-around and opened my eyes to the power of NGOs like Akshaya Patra and the impact it can have! 

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Sarika Jain is a Love Advisor and Dating Coach to successful, go-getter South Asian millennials. Her unique approach encompasses everything from uncovering relationship patterns and closing one’s ‘Ex Files’ to practicing self-love and mindfulness in relationships, all with the goal of inspiring people to live the lives they’ve dreamed about – experiencing profound love, success and fulfillment.

Sarika’s background includes working in the corporate world and on Wall Street for over fifteen years before deciding to pursue her dream full time of creating a movement around healthy love and empowerment for women over ten years ago.

In this conversation, we discuss:

* Sarika’s turning point in visiting and working with a psychic after her engagement ended

* How she met her her husband 90 days later

* The importance of holding space for your internal baggage in order to heal

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, don’t miss this episode with Sarika Jain and hear her amazing tips and strategies on love and dating!

A free bonus for South Asian Stories Listeners:  ‘How to Date & Find Your Mate… Without the Masala’ guide .

Connect with Sarika Jain

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Hi everyone! I’m Sameer – the founder and host of the podcast South Asian Stories. Thank you for visiting our page.

In this podcast, I profile South Asians who have taken unconventional career paths and elevate their identities, successes, failures, and most important stories.

I’ve been fortunate to talk individuals like Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, TikTok Star Rahul Rai, FBI agent Asha Rangappa, and Musician Madame Gandhi.

So jump right in your favorite podcast player and let me know what you think. Thanks for listening!

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Dr. Ranjan Ravaliya is a Hindu priest and wedding officiant in the New England area. However, she didn’t start this until she was 62 after a long career as Environmental Scientist and a consultant in Sustainable Development for over thirty years!

Ranjan’s desire to learn about the Hindu Vedic philosophy was reignited once more by the constant struggle and confusion I was confronted with when my children, nieces and nephews asked me “Why do we do this ceremony?”, “What does it mean?”, during religious events at the temple and at home. Inevitably, these questions were followed by statements such as “I don’t believe in that…” or “That sounds outdated…”, so she was determined to answer their questions in a scientific and logical manner. I decided to go to Haridwar, India (one of the religious epicenters of India) and focused on learning and understanding the meaning behind Vedic rituals and ceremonies to address these common questions with grounded knowledge and understanding.

This conversation was fascinating – and it taught me it’s never too late to follow your dreams!

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Dr. Raj Iyer is first Chief Information Officer of the United States Army after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020.

One of the highest-ranking Indian-American civilians in the US Department of Defense, Raj Iyer, who holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army. He directs representation of the secretary in matters relating to information management/information technology (IT).

Equivalent in rank to a three-star General, Raj Iyer supervises an annual budget of USD 16 billion for the US Army’s IT operation. Over 15,000 civilians and military personnel posted across 100 countries work under him.

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Hi everyone! Today we have an episode from my good friend Suraj from Brown People We Know podcast. 

Similar to South Asian Stories Podcast, Brown People we Know  iis interview podcast about the non-traditional paths and shared experiences of the South Asian American diaspora.

In this episode, Suraj chats with Vikas Arun. Vikas is a professional tap dancer that has performed on So You Think You Can Dance, done commercials for J. Crew and Vogue, and is the first South Asian artist-in-residence at the American Tap Dance Foundation.  

His story is really interesting, as Vikas shares the perspective on risk that allowed him to pursue a career as a full-time dancer the importance of representation from the perspective of a South Asian gay male in the Western dance world. Please enjoy Suraj’s conversation with Vikas Arun on Brown People We Know!

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Sunnie Delilah is a British fashion designer and founder of Delilah’s Dressing Room.  She focuses on creating functional designs and bespoke accessories for Men, Women, and Children. 

Last year, Sunnie invented a long beard mask to protect men with long beards and those who wore religious headwear such as turbans during the COVID 19 pandemic.. Her design and invention was praised on a global scale as well as aired on news stations worldwide, such as BBC, CNN, Sky, Metro, ITV and more.

In this conversation, we discuss:

Sunnie’s favorite memory growing up and her identity being Sikh and British

The amazing story how Sunnie’s  father-in law inspired her to create a beard mask ended up on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

How Sunnie took the plunge to start Delilah’s Dressing Room and how she navigated through the highs and lows of owning her small business

Sunnie is a creative force and just delightful to chat with – she left me feeling energized and excited about the impact inclusive design has on the world. Please enjoy my conversation with Sunnie Delilah! 

Connect with Sunnie Delilah

* Instagram – Sunnie Delilah

* Instagram – Delilah’s Dressing Room

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* Facebook

* Website

* TikTok

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Azeem Azhar is an award-winning technology author, entrepreneur, and investor. He produces Exponential View the leading newsletter and podcast on the impact of technology on our future economy and society with close to 50,000 subscribers including investors, academics, and journalists around the world. 

Azeem brings a unique background to explain the intersection of breakthrough technologies and the economies and societies in which we live. An entrepreneur and an investor in many technology startups, Azeem speaks regularly on television and radio (BBC, Sky, CNN amongst others). His new book The Exponential Age is coming out September 2021. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

The amazing history of his family and how he came to the UK (and figured out his love for Cadbury!)

Facing 57 job rejections after graduating from Oxford University 

Azeem’s start on Exponential View and the new technology he’s most excited about

Azeem’s view of the future was fascinating, there are so many interesting tidbits. Please enjoy my conversation with Azeem Azhar! 

Connect with Azeem Azhar

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