S4E08: Meet Dr. Mohamad Yasin— a Pakistani, Muslim doctor and content creator! You may recognize him as “Scrubby Mo”

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Dr. Mohamad Yasin’s upbringing and family life in Long Island, his Muslim identity, and the journey that led him to become a first-generation doctor. In the Hot Seat, we get into rapid-fire questions, and in Shadows, we unpack the darker side of social media— from hate comments and insecurities to navigating loneliness behind the screen. In Spotlight, we explore how he balances his life as a practicing DO and content creator, his path to medicine, the realities of social media at work, and how humor and purpose shape his vision for the future!

Mo’s IG: @scrubbymo (https://www.instagram.com/scrubbymo/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E07: Meet Sagar— a South Asian content creator focusing on comedic skits and wellness. He’s also a PharmD, marketer, and personal trainer!

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Sagar’s upbringing in New Jersey, his high school experience, and the moment he pivoted from PharmD life into content creation. In the Hot Seat, we dive into rapid questions, and in Shadows we explore his mental health journey and the social media dopamine loop. In Spotlight, we unpack his transition from pharmacy to becoming a viral wellness + cultural creator— tackling Kurta Marathon activism, Big Pharma criticism, the opioid crisis, the Trump-era healthcare landscape, Ozempic takes, personal ethics, South Asian skit inspiration, collaborations, and more!

Sagar’s IG: @thesagarparekh (https://www.instagram.com/thesagarparekh/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E06: Meet Mina— a Pakistani founder and influencer. You may recognize her as the founder for the Kismet Reserve, her vintage watch empire as featured in the Boston Globe!

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Mina’s upbringing in Cambridge, MA growing up in a post-9/11 America with immigrant parents, early political activism, and developing her Muslim identity. In the Hot Seat, we get into rapid fire Q&A, and in the Shadows, we sit with the emotional gravity of losing her brother. In Spotlight, we dive deep into how she built Kismet Reserve from scratch — becoming a Pakistani founder pioneering the vintage watch space, her Boston Globe feature, speaking up online, building community spaces like The Chai Room, and more!

Mina’s IG: @minahasan (https://www.instagram.com/minahasan/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E05: Meet Faaris— a Pakistani rapper. You may recognize him from the viral Zayn Malik lookalike competition, or his collaborations with various artists. He also just did 2M+ streams on Spotify in 2024 alone!

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Faaris’s upbringing in Austin, his family background, and his path to breaking into the music industry with viral milestones and millions of streams. We explore rapid-fire questions in the Hot Seat, delve into Shadows around excessive female attention, comparison traps, and public perception, and then spotlight his journey as a South Asian rapper in a white-dominated music industry. We also discuss his viral Zayn Lookalike moment, major performances at SXSW and Masala Mixtape, hit singles like “MEMO” and “All or Nothing,” his inspirations, creative process, and more!

Faaris’s IG: @faaris.mp3 (https://www.instagram.com/faaris.mp3/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E04: Meet Mussab Ali— Jersey City’s mayoral candidate (aka “Black Zohran Mamdani”) with a Pakistani, Muslim identity. He was the formerly elected President of the Jersey City Board of Education, has his JD from Harvard Law, and is a cancer survivor.

As BOE President, he made headlines as the youngest elected official in Jersey City history, and at the time, was the youngest Muslim elected official across the United States. His main competitor is Jim McGreevey, the disgraced former governor of New Jersey who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal and corruption allegations.

❗10/14 TUES IS THE JERSEY CITY VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE❗

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Mussab’s family’s immigrant story, term on BOE bringing clean drinking water to Jersey City schools, battle with cancer, academic journey across Rutgers and Harvard Law, endorsements, cradle to career initiative, multifaceted platform, and more. We also grill him across Islamophobic/Zionist Q&A, Zohran Q&A, Competitors Q&A, Platform Q&A, and Online Criticism Q&A. Stick around until the end for key election information and how to get involved!

Mussab Ali’s Website (election info, volunteer, donate): https://www.ali2025.com/

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E03: Meet Ashna— a South Asian model and influencer. She is the brown girl on every billboard; you may recognize her as she’s been on Cover Girl, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and the NYFW runway!

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Ashna’s upbringing near Chicago, initial path to med school, rapid fire Q&A, eating disorders, mental health, journey into modeling, first big break, skillset evolution, how to model 101, being brown in a white industry, Ashna & Rohil’s wedding, relationship support through creative career, redefining relationship with social media, plans for the future, and more!

Ashna’s IG: @ashnagray (https://www.instagram.com/ashnagray/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E02: Meet Usama— a Bengali, Muslim comedian. You may recognize him from his recent special and Fall 2025 Tour USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’! He was also a finalist on America’s Got Talent and a guest on the Stephen Colbert show.

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Usama’s upbringing in red Texas, initial path to med school, rapid fire Q&A, a personal roast for the host, growing up as “Usama” post 9/11, getting canceled in headlines for America’s Got Talent, embracing physical imperfections, performing on Stephen Colbert, the USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’ special and tour, Hajj experience, parents’ view on his comedy, plans for the future, and more!

USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’ tour: https://www.usamastandsup.com/shows

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S4E01: Meet Shevya— a Desi pop star singer.

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Shevya's upbringing, eduction, career, rapid fire Q&A, heartbreaks that made their way into songs, insecurities, online hate, self-image, IG story drama, criticism of Bollywood, decision to remain an independent artist, early innings with Tik Tok covers, biggest hit “Nasha”, future projects, and more!

Shevya’s IG: @shevthehev (https://www.instagram.com/shevthehev)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

Join us backstage with Raja Kumari at Masala Mixtape by And Aur. We sat down with Raja Kumari: an AMA-Winning, Grammy-Nominated artist redefining global music. She joined us fresh off her powerful new album “Kashi to Kailash” while decked out in a show stopping collaboration with Kalki Fashion. Raja also owns Godmother Records, a label creating a safe space for women in music.

Raja’s IG: @therajakumari (https://www.instagram.com/therajakumari/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina 

S3E05: Meet Sundas— a Pakistani, Muslim Beauty & Fashion Influencer.

In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments:

We talk about Sundas’ path to the present, being a minority in the beauty industry, rapid fire Q&A, community gossip culture, her benign tumor diagnosis, online hate, career highlights, identity in fashion, the importance of showing brown romance online, unrealistic beauty standards, the Scandinavian dabutta trend, and more!

Sundas’ IG: @lifewithsundas (https://www.instagram.com/lifewithsundas/)

🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina