The Brand Called You

Welcome to another inspiring episode of TBCY - "The Brand Called You." In this episode, host Ashutosh Garg is joined by Murali Bukkapatnam, Chairman of the Global Board of Trustees at TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) and founder of Folksy Technologies. Murali shares his remarkable journey from rural Andhra Pradesh to the US and back, sparking his entrepreneurial spirit along the way.

Tune in as we explore:

• The key cultural differences between startup ecosystems in India and the US

• How Murali’s upbringing and personal values shaped his focus on underserved communities

• The vision and mission of TiE and how it’s fostering global entrepreneurship

• TiE’s programs supporting women entrepreneurs and intergenerational mentoring

• Why global investors must look at startups from India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities

• Folksy Technologies’ unique venture-building approach and commitment to social impact

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Penny Ferguson, founder of The Living Leader, shares her 32-year journey redefining leadership. Learn how authentic leadership starts with self-change, embracing responsibility, and building trust through vulnerability. A must-listen for anyone ready to lead with impact.

00:38- About Penny Ferguson

• Penny is the founder and CEO of The Living Leader.

• She's an award winning author, a podcaster and a speaker.

In this powerful episode of The Brand Called You, finance leader-turned-coach Manfred Mahrle shares his journey from auditing to founding ActyMind GmbH. Discover how Positive Intelligence, servant leadership, and mental fitness helped him—and now others—lead with clarity, trust, and purpose across cultures and continents.

00:39- About Manfred Mahrle

• Manfred is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of ActyMind GmbH.

• He's a fellow member of the YPO.

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Kevin Surace, CEO and CTO of Appvance.ai, discussed his entrepreneurial journey, emphasising the importance of company culture for innovation. He shared his role in creating soundproof drywall and the first AI virtual assistant, Portico. Surace highlighted the impact of generative AI on QA, predicting job displacement in tier-one customer support and manual testing. He also discussed sustainability initiatives, such as retrofitting the Empire State Building with high-R value windows, which recovered costs in three years. Surace's forthcoming book, "The Joy Success Cycle," advocates for joy as a strategic business advantage to enhance productivity.

00:33- About Kevin Surace

• CEO and CTO of Appvance.ai, known as the father of virtual assistants

• Serial entrepreneur with 95 worldwide patents across technology and sustainability

• Broadway enthusiast and author of the upcoming book "The Joy Success Cycle"

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman of GTT Data Solutions and 5F World, discussed his journey from a missionary school in Karti Silvai to leading successful tech companies. He emphasized the importance of leadership, processes, technology choice, and culture in digital transformation. Natarajan highlighted the dual intelligence model, combining human and AI capabilities. He shared insights from Harvard Business School case studies on Zensar, focusing on a culture of love and democratic decision-making. Natarajan also discussed his social venture, Lighthouse Communities, which aims to empower slum youth through skills training and public-private partnerships, targeting 100 lighthouses and 1 million beneficiaries.

00:37- About Dr Ganesh Natarjan

• Tech entrepreneur and innovator who led successful companies like Zensar and Aptech

• Passionate social impact leader through Lighthouse Communities Foundation

• Advocate for dual intelligence, balancing human potential with AI capabilities
  

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Sahana Hallur, founder of Foodlovery, shares her transformation from homemaker to mompreneur at age 45. Starting during COVID-19 by delivering nutritious food to senior citizens, she built a successful business creating natural, preservative-free products like granola bars and puffkins, emphasising grassroots marketing, employee dignity, and her philosophy to "trust the process, not the destination."

About Sahana Hallur

• Sahana is a Mompreneur, and the proprietor of Foodlovery.

• Key products of her brand are granola bars, dry food bars, makhanas, puffkeens and mattris.

• She now specialises in customised snack boxes for seminars, meetings, and conferences.

Discover the inspiring journey of Rashi Anand, founder of Lakshyam and co-founder of India’s first 100% ecological animal sanctuary, Tuk Tuk Gilhari. From rescuing street children to empowering women and caring for animals, Rashi’s story teaches us the true meaning of leadership, empathy, and sustainable impact.

00:32- About Rashi Anand

• Rashi is the founder and CEO of Lakshyam.

• She's also the co-founder of Tuk Tuk Gilhari, India's first 100% ecological and sustainable animal sanctuary.

Veteran and leadership coach Charles Browne shares his unique journey from nuclear submarines to corporate boardrooms, revealing essential lessons on authenticity, managing stress, overcoming imposter syndrome, and making powerful decisions under pressure.

00:34- About Charles Browne

• Charles is a certified No more Mr. Nice Guy coach.

• He's the author of a book titled The Pursuit of Identity & Purpose.

• He went from a nuclear submarine to a boardroom.

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Michael Erath, a seasoned entrepreneur and leadership coach shares hard-earned insights on building elite teams, overcoming betrayal, and the Five Obsessions framework that drives clarity, alignment, accountability, execution, and profit growth for lasting business success.

00:37- About Michael Erath

• Michael is the Founder and lead guide of Next Level Growth, with certifications as an EOS implementer and Scaling Up coach.

• He is the bestselling author of Rise: The Reincarnation of an Entrepreneur, The Path to the Pinnacle, and Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations.

He is a proud fellow member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

In this episode of The Brand Called You, Dr. Cecilia Dones, data leader and AI ethics expert, on moving businesses from mystical AI hype to mastery — leveraging data responsibly, balancing automation with human touch, and empowering organizations to innovate ethically.

00:33- About Cecilia Dones

• Cecilia is the founder and Chief Data Officer of 3 Standard Deviations.