The Brand Called You

A remarkable journey across decades of innovation—beginning with childhood dreams of space, pivoting through early internet startups, venture capital, and real estate, and culminating in building world-class startup ecosystems in Africa. This is a story about inflection points, failure as fuel, and why Africa may power the next global innovation wave.

00:16- About Philip Kent Kiracofe

• Philip Kiracofe is a seasoned global venture builder and investor.

• He is the CEO and co-founder of Startupbootcamp AfriTech.

• He has co-founded disruptive companies and pioneered world-class startup initiatives in Africa.

Join us on this special episode of The Brand Called You as Aditi Kumar sits down with Pawan Raj Kumar, Partner at ZeCa Capital, entrepreneur, angel investor, and sustainability advocate.

From scaling a family business internationally to mentoring over 100 entrepreneurs and building a sustainability-focused fund, Pawan shares insights into:

• Embracing challenges
  

• Understanding the role of luck and timing
  

• Building resilience
  

• Measuring success beyond money
  

• Staying endlessly curious

Join us for an insightful episode of The Brand Called You as host Ashutosh Garg speaks with Anita Kishore, PhD, ACC — Executive Coach, Facilitator, and Instructor based in New York City.

In this engaging conversation, Anita shares her fascinating career journey from scientist to management consultant and ultimately to executive coach. She reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped her path and the people-centered motivations that guided her transition.

Anita offers practical wisdom on balancing candor with empathy, addressing blind spots among high-achieving leaders, and navigating the systemic and internal barriers faced by women and underrepresented professionals. She also explores the transformative role of mindfulness and emotional intelligence in building resilience, enhancing decision-making, and strengthening self-awareness.

Whether you are an executive, an emerging leader, or someone navigating a meaningful career pivot, this episode delivers actionable insights for leading with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

In this episode of “The Brand Called You,” host Ashutosh Garg speaks with Salim Dewji, entrepreneur and advisory board expert, about how advisory boards function, why they matter, and how leaders can unlock their full potential.

Salim shares insights on: • The real purpose of advisory boards • How CEOs can determine if they need one • The difference between advisory and corporate boards • Key elements for building high-performing boards • Diversity, innovation, and digital transformation • Accountability and performance measurement • Compensation models and refreshing board composition • What future-ready advisory boards will require

In this insightful conversation, host Ashutosh Garg speaks with Gagan Gupta, Founder of Turn Left for Less and Points Architect, about maximizing travel points, flying business class for less, and transforming travel from a business expense into a strategic asset.

Gagan shares his journey—from booking his first business-class flight on points to building a consultancy that helps founders save thousands on premium travel.

Discover:

• The most common mistakes people make with loyalty programs
  

• Why travel points are a misunderstood asset
  

• How to build a resilient, long-term points strategy
  

• Hidden value inside airline alliances
  

• How to future-proof your travel rewards
  

Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Brand Called You. In this conversation, host Ashutosh Garg speaks with Reuven Shelef, Founder and CEO of OUT OF THE BOX Consulting, strategic engineer, and creator of the “Untangling Complex Challenges” methodology.

Discover the journey that led him into management consulting, how he integrates logic and intuition, and why empathy and vulnerability are critical for solving today’s toughest challenges. He also shares practical leadership insights on fostering curiosity, navigating technological disruption, and transforming teams.

If you are facing complex decisions, feeling stuck, or seeking greater clarity in leadership and life, this episode offers actionable wisdom you can apply immediately.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Calvin Schwartz—an award-winning author, novelist, journalist, college lecturer, and podcaster—on The Brand Called You. Hosted by Ashutosh Garg, this episode dives deep into Calvin Schwartz’s unique journey from pharmacy to storytelling, the spiritual roots behind his acclaimed novel, There’s a Tortoise in My Hair: A Journey to Spirit, and his lifelong commitment to environmental advocacy.

Discover how Calvin navigated significant career shifts, overcame limiting beliefs, and found purpose in writing and environmentalism. Gain fresh perspectives on leadership, climate optimism, the power of dark humor in literature, and spiritual awakening—especially when it intersects with mental health.

Whether you’re passionate about personal growth, spirituality, environmental change, or storytelling, this episode will leave you inspired and reflective. Don’t miss Calvin Schwartz’s compelling insights, life lessons, and his advice on embracing the slow and steady path—much like the tortoise in his hair.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Bassel Hamwi, CEO of HamwiConsult, as he speaks with Ashutosh Garg on The Brand Called You.

Drawing from over three decades of global experience—including leadership roles at the World Bank and International Finance Corporation—Bassel shares powerful insights on leadership, governance, resilience, and family enterprise continuity.

This episode explores:

• Leadership lessons learned through failure
  

• Governance practices that sustain family businesses across generations
  

• What boards must do differently
  

• How CEOs can build resilience in volatile global environments
  

• Future-ready leadership in the age of AI

Welcome to a transformative episode of The Brand Called You. Host Ashutosh Garg sits down with Pete Sacco—entrepreneur, technologist, and modern-day mystic—for a powerful exploration of leadership, artificial intelligence, spirituality, and personal transformation.

Pete shares the early influences that shaped his worldview and explains how working at the forefront of AI, data centers, and innovation has deepened his understanding of human consciousness and collective evolution. Drawing from his book Living in Bliss, he opens up about overcoming burnout, integrating mind, body, and spirit, and redefining success in practical terms.

If you want to learn how entrepreneurs can thrive in the age of AI while protecting their well-being and preserving what is uniquely human, this episode is for you.

Welcome to another episode of TBCY.

Today, we are joined by Bronwyn Williams — Futurist, Economist, Trend Analyst at Flux Trends, and Author.

In this engaging conversation with host Ashutosh Garg, Bronwyn explores the science and art behind “futurenomics,” examines the real impact of AI on the modern workforce, and shares powerful lessons from organizations that failed to adapt.

• The tension between short-term wins and long-term consequences
  

• How AI is reshaping value, labor, and society
  

• Why Africa holds unique opportunities that many futurists overlook
  

• The importance of agency and rejecting a deterministic view of the future