South Asians make up 25% of the world's population and 50% of the world's cardiac health burden. That statistic alone is staggering, and on this week's episode, we explore initiatives aimed at including more South Asians in healthcare research, the help of Medicare in reaching our parents' generation, cardiac health risk, and more, alongside Dr. Meena Seshamani (Director of the Center for Medicare) and Prince Bhojwani (CEO and Co-Founder of ASANA Voices).

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Aparna Shewakramani turned heads and raised questions in her 2 seasons of starring on Netflix' Indian Matchmaking. She has served as a rallying point for conversations about double standards, women and their villainous portrayal on television for being independent, feminism, the actual realities of reality television, and so much more. An author, a matchmaker herself, a screenwriter, a future producer, a lawyer, a future TED talker...she gets real with TDS this week about who she is. And trust us. She's loveable.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

When Avani Modi's brother reached out to her about creating plush toys based on Hindu dieties, she thought, "Are you crazy?" Four years later, she leads Modi Toys, a successful, homegrown venture that provides mantra-singing plush toys. She shares her journey, her vulnerabilities, and her goals with That Desi Spark on this week's episode.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

It's WEDDING SEASON! No, not just the time of year full of South Asian weddings but the Netflix hit romcom - screenwriter Shiwani Srivastava and producer Swati Shetty join TDS to talk creative journeys, how the movie went from script to screen, what kinds of stories are being told, and what's coming next!

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

The internet broke for Diwali 2021 when all the celebs from Chrissy Teigen to Mindy Kaling wore a label that Annika and Nehal have loved for YEARS: Papa Don't Preach by Shubhika Sharma - and she joins TDS this week to talk empowerment in fashion, the issue of copying and how it impacts creatives, her reading list, her next big reveal, and more.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

When Dr. Mrinalini Garv realized her career path wasn't full of passion or purpose, she quit - and now she coaches South Asian women to help female executives and professionals bust through their income ceiling, get valued as a leader, and create the fulfilling career they have always wanted. 

Go to https://betterhelp.com/thatdesispark for 10% off your first month of therapy with
BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help! #sponsored

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Nehal, on their personals. Until next time, keep lighting that Desi spark!

Miscarriage occurs in 25% of pregnancies - it's an everyday tragedy. On this candid, vulnerable, and raw episode of TDS, Annika shared her recent loss with Nehal and the isolation, the weird and unique stages of grief, the missing-someone-you-never-met, the way partners handle it differently, the stats, some of the feelings that might help you support someone, the reproductive rights element, and the healing…all with a little humor, compassion, and hope.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Author, pharma CEO, investor, and woman of influence Hitha Palepu joins TDS to discuss multi-hyphenate identity, learning from history, owning your multitudes, and (of course) romance book recommendations.

You can find Hitha's book, "We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story," on Amazon.

Find Hitha on Instagram.

And follow That Desi Spark on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter! 

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Founder of ShethePeople.TV, feminist, and gamechanger Shaili Chopra joins TDS to talk about women's rights, women's health in India, and  She The People, India’s first women-only platform focused on content, community, and skill development.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Follow Sujata on IG and follow That Desi Spark (and Annika and Nehal!) on IG, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!