In our season finale, we sit with Dr. Louisa May Khoo, an urban planner, storyteller, and compassionate observer of humanity, to explore what truly shapes how we live, age, remember, and belong. Through deeply thoughtful reflections on Singapore’s evolution, the transformation of iconic Chinatown spaces, and the unseen emotional costs of progress, she helps us consider how memory, place, and identity are forever intertwined. We discuss loneliness, loss, resilience, and the quiet ache that accompanies aging, alongside the extraordinary power of community and connection in restoring meaning. Dr. Khoo introduces her powerful lens of “hardware, software, and heartware,” reminding us that compassionate systems require both thoughtful infrastructure and everyday human care.Together, we reflect on grief, migration, generational inheritance, and the stories we carry forward, sometimes unknowingly. We explore the kinds of conversations families avoid, the truths buried beneath politeness, and the necessity of courage in speaking honestly with one another. And we end with a reflection on what it means to be an audience - the idea that listening, witnessing, and receiving a story completes it.This episode is tender, intellectual, grounding, and deeply human. It invites us not only to think differently about aging and community, but to hold our elders, our neighborhoods, our histories, and one another with renewed reverence.

About our guest:

Dr. Louisa-May Khoo investigates the intersections of urban change and social wellbeing with a focus on racial justice and planning for longevity. A veteran of public governance and housing policy, her international career trajectory spans academic research, planning practice and community advocacy. She brings an attentiveness to the humanistic register through her work, what she calls the other A.I., an 'anthropological intelligence' grounded in memory, relationships, lived experiences and the rhythms of everyday life. It is a belief that such a humanistic perspective gives voice to the coalescence of grievances and hope, providing openings for reconciliation, forgiveness and possibility to foster thriving societies. Dr. Khoo holds a PhD in Planning from the University of British Columbia and is currently a Senior Planner with the City of Maple Ridge in British Columbia, Canada.

"Once Mini Me, Now Mini You" traces the evolution of a mother–daughter relationship as it shifts from teaching to learning, guiding to witnessing. In this episode of Root & Seed, host Anika Chabra sits down with Kiran Mann, CEO of Brar’s, one of Canada’s leading South Asian food brands, and founder of M2M Business Solutions, and her daughter, Simran Mann, who works in digital marketing and is a content creator and freelance strategist. What begins as a conversation about upbringing and culture becomes a shared exploration of becoming, at any age. Kiran reflects on reclaiming parts of herself later in life, while Simran speaks candidly about watching her mother transform in real time. Together, they explore how ambition, food, memory, and presence shape identity across generations. This episode challenges the idea that wisdom moves in only one direction. As roles soften and expectations fall away, learning begins to flow both ways. Listening in, we become the audience to a relationship no longer defined by labels. And in that space, something new takes root.

Kiran Mann is a Canadian business strategist and global leader in organizational transformation with a 30-year career spanning fashion design, automotive manufacturing, and food production. She is CEO of Brar’s, one of Canada’s leading South Asian food brands, and Founder of M2M Business Solutions, where she is known for driving performance through clarity, culture, and compassion. Kiran is the creator of The Harmonic System, a leadership philosophy grounded in Knowingness, Presence, and Love, which she has applied to large-scale transformations and operational growth, including guiding Brar’s to 22% organic growth in two years. A sought-after speaker and advisor, she holds an Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration focused on ethical human–AI collaboration.

Simran Mann is a digital marketing professional and content creator specializing in lifestyle, mindset, and positive storytelling. With experience working both as a content creator and within brand marketing teams, she brings a unique ability to bridge strategy and storytelling. Known for her authenticity and vulnerability, Simran uses her platform to inspire women to build aligned careers and fulfilling lives. She is actively involved in community work focused on women’s empowerment, education, and mental health advocacy, and regularly speaks on panels and podcasts about creator–brand partnerships and building purpose-driven personal brands.

In this moving episode of the Root & Seed Podcast, host Anika Chabra speaks with Dr. Caron Leid, caregiver, educator, author, and accidental activist whose life was reshaped by two decades of caregiving. Caron shares how her experiences supporting her mother through Alzheimer’s, navigating grief, and rebuilding her life as a single parent shaped her professional path and PhD research on sandwich-generation caregiving. She reflects on her childhood across England, Trinidad, and Canada, where early exposure to intergenerational care and cultural traditions laid the foundation for her deep empathy today. Throughout the conversation, Caron reveals what it truly means to hold space for someone, especially when they can no longer hold their own memories. She describes caregiving as an active, dignifying practice of witnessing a person’s life and becoming the container for both who they were and who they are becoming. With her signature honesty and straight talk, she dismantles the myth of the caregiving martyr and reminds listeners that the emotional load must be shared. Caron offers practical, grounded advice for caregivers: acknowledge hard days, allow all emotions, and release the pressure to find constant joy in a deeply complex role. Her insights highlight the sacred responsibility of “holding” another’s story with compassion, presence, and integrity. This conversation reframes caregiving not only as labour, but as a profoundly human act of memory-keeping and connection. Listeners will come away with renewed appreciation for the moments, big or small, that bind families across generations.

About our guest:

Dr. Caron Leid is a counsellor, educator and author whose work is rooted in more than twenty years of firsthand caregiving. She often describes herself as a caregiver by chance, an advocate by fire, and a therapist and educator by choice, because her professional path grew directly from supporting her mother through the entire Alzheimer’s trajectory. That lived experience shaped her PhD research on sandwich-generation caregiving, published through Aspen University and archived on ProQuest.

Caron’s counselling practice in Ontario focuses on trauma-informed, schema-based work with caregivers, individuals, couples and court-involved families. She brings a long background in education to her clinical work.

Her advocacy spans national and academic networks. She serves on  Age-Well's Older Adult and Caregiver committee as the Co -Chair and contributes to McMaster University’s PERC Patient Engagement group, where she ensures caregiver realities and cultural context influence research, innovation and policy. Her work has been featured on CTV National News, and her podcast, Caron Talks, provides caregivers with grounded guidance that blends research, lived experience and emotional clarity.

Caron has spoken across Canada, France and the United States, and will be presenting in the Caribbean on dementia, grief, generational caregiving and the emotional patterns families carry. She has written several books, including Alzheimer’s: What They Forget to Tell You, Dementia & The Brain: What They Forget to Tell You, her grief-centred work Grief: What They Forget to Tell You, Self-Love: What They Forget to Tell You, the Sinkhole Survival Guide series for teens and adults, and BS and Other Childhood Tales We Learned. She has also authored several published medical journal articles.  

She is currently building a comprehensive caregiver education ecosystem, Her approach remains consistent across all platforms: to give families and caregivers practical tools, honest language and support that honours the weight of what they carry.

In this episode, we explore the evolving mother–sons dynamic behind Lo & Sons, the family-run travel brand founded when Helen Lo was 65. What began as Helen’s frustration with not being able to find a lightweight, stylish, functional travel bag became the spark that launched the company’s very first product and, ultimately, their entire family business.

Helen and her son Jan reflect on how this unexpected, late-in-life leap reshaped both their relationship and their roles as collaborators. They share how Helen’s upbringing, spanning China, Macau, and a Catholic boarding school, instilled the resilience, empathy, and global curiosity that continue to guide their approach today.

Now 15 years in, Lo & Sons faces the realities of a shifting economic landscape, prompting yet another evolution in how the family leads, communicates, and adapts together. Through moments of vulnerability, humour, and honesty, Helen and Jan open up about navigating role reversals, supporting each other through uncertainty, and staying rooted in the values and the very first bag that set their journey in motion.

It’s a story of reinvention, intergenerational learning, and the courage to build something meaningful, together, at any age.

About our guests:

Helen Lo, Board Chair and co-founder of Lo & Sons, launched the travel bag company in 2010 at age 65 after years of searching for a lightweight, stylish, and functional carry-on. Born in southern Mainland China and raised in Macau, she later earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a PhD in Social Welfare Administration from Brandeis. Before founding the company, she built a career as a community health administrator and consultant while raising her two sons, Jan and Derek, and relocating frequently for her husband Fred Lo’s astronomy career. Her frustration as an avid traveler inspired her son Jan, a product design researcher, to encourage her to create her own ideal bag. Jan, now Chief Innovation Officer, brought extensive experience in human-centered design, ethnographic research, and business education, having studied at Yale and NYU and worked in Beijing conducting design research. Together, Helen and Jan spent countless hours in airports observing travelers to understand real-world needs, and these insights shaped Lo & Sons’ earliest products. Their research-driven, user-centered approach led to signature features like intuitive pockets, protective tech compartments, and sleeves that securely slide over suitcase handles. Derek later joined to lead marketing, completing the family-run founding team. Under Helen and Jan’s leadership, the company has grown into a widely respected maker of premium travel and lifestyle bags. Today, Lo & Sons continues to prioritize thoughtful design along with environmental and social responsibility. The brand has introduced materials such as organic cotton canvas and recycled polyester made from water bottles. The company has also partnered with a solar-powered Cambodian factory working toward carbon neutrality. Jan spearheaded several circular design initiatives, including the deconstruction and upcycling of damaged or returned bags into new, small-batch products made in the U.S.

Season Eight continues with an intimate conversation about caregiving, identity, and the small “glimmers” that shape family connection. In this heartfelt episode, Anika speaks with mother–daughter duo Jacqueline and Olivia Vong about how memory, resilience, and cultural expectations inform their caregiving journey. Jacqueline reflects on growing up with a strong and stylish mother who balanced independence, career success, and caring for aging relatives. Now navigating the “sandwich generation,” she shares how those early examples prepared her to support Olivia through her recent cognitive changes.

Together, they discuss the invisible load of caregiving and the stigma surrounding dementia in many Asian communities, including how language can deepen or challenge that stigma. Olivia offers insights into the routines and passions (especially fashion) that keep her feeling grounded and joyful. Jacqueline recalls stories that capture her mother’s spirit, including her ability to turn any moment, even a business dinner, into a vibrant celebration.

Their exchange highlights the importance of boundaries, self-care, and redefining what aging with dignity can look like. This episode invites listeners to celebrate the glimmers, generations, and all the fabulous “Glamma” moments that make caregiving and family unforgettable.

Olivia Vong and her daughter, Jacqueline, share a powerful intergenerational story of migration, memory, identity, and love.

Born in Hong Kong and later settling in Canada, Olivia is remembered as a true fashion icon, the life of the party, a woman of extraordinary energy, positivity, and style. 

Her joie de vivre shaped everyone around her, but especially her only daughter, Jacqueline, to whom she passed her strength, resilience, and unshakeable belief in showing up with grace even through life's hardest chapters.

Now part of the sandwich generation, Jacqueline is raising two young children while caring for Olivia, who lives with dementia, a condition that spans three generations in their family. Through this experience, Jacqueline has become an advocate for caregivers and Asian communities, openly addressing the cultural stigma surrounding dementia, aging, and mental health. She speaks to the importance of preserving dignity, celebrating identity, and reframing what “aging gracefully” means for Asian families.

Together, Olivia and Jacqueline have become emerging voices in the caregiving space. They were featured on the cover of Mind Matters magazine, spotlighting their caregiving journey, and have appeared in panel discussions and editorial features that highlight the power of storytelling to connect families across generations. Jacqueline’s advocacy extends through her work with the Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), where she champions awareness, education, and culturally safe supports for caregivers.

On Root & Seed, Olivia and Jacqueline share a story that is personal yet universal, a tribute to heritage, memory, and the enduring spark of a mother who taught her daughter to live boldly, beautifully, and with endless heart.

Season Eight opens with a powerful conversation about legacy, leadership, and the stories we inherit. In this special live-recorded episode, Anika welcomes back filmmaker and social impact leader Mohan Sivaloganathan, joined by his sister Janani, to explore the making of Mohan’s documentary In Pursuit Of. Following the passing of their father, Mohan and his family travelled to Sri Lanka to walk in his footsteps and uncover the roots that shaped his remarkable yet complex life. The siblings reflect on what it means to truly know someone, especially a parent, and how family stories often reveal themselves in nonlinear, unexpected ways. Together, they discuss ambition, cultural identity, the pressures of immigration, and the tension between striving for greatness and allowing oneself to feel ease. The episode highlights how place, memory, and lived experience intersect…and how ancestral travel can open doors to deeper understanding. Mohan and Janani also explore the idea that “an audience completes a story,” inviting listeners to see themselves in the questions their family asked along the way. Their reflections create space for each of us to consider our own pursuits: where they come from, why they matter, and how we hope to be remembered. It’s a moving start to a season centred on the connection between telling and listening, and the transformation that happens in between.

About the guest: Mohan is known as the “Batman of Social Impact,” as an executive leader by day and keynote speaker + hip-hop artist by night. Throughout his career, Mohan has supported local and national organizations in orchestrating sustainable transformation and systems change across corporate social responsibility, education, civic engagement, and philanthropy. 

Mohan is the founder of Harmonious Leadership, a movement to address the workforce disengagement crisis through cultural change, leadership development, and sustainable impact. Prior to launching Harmonious Leadership, Mohan served as the CEO of Our Turn, a national, youth-led organization that closed education opportunity gaps. 

Mohan was awarded the “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media and a “Next Generation Leader” by the Human Services Council. Mohan’s keynote talks and thought leadership have been featured by TED, ESPN, the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Greenbiz, Synergos Institute, Nationswell, and more. His music has been awarded by the International and USA Songwriting Competitions, and his debut film “In Pursuit Of” received awards from multiple film festivals.

This interview is icing on the cake of a season all about identity and connection in the workplace. Part two of the conversation with Mohan Sivaloganathan is just as enlightening as the first interview. Mohan and Anika discuss the ways in which true respect between generations occur, why younger people’s leadership is exactly what the world needs right now, and the practical ways co-creation can be invited into communities and workplaces. Spoiler: it starts with intention but doesn’t end there. As an acclaimed TED speaker, and founder of Harmonious Leadership is positioned well to be at the forefront of this conversation. And if you haven’t listened to Mohan’s talk yet, what are you waiting for?  The holidays? (said in jest because the holidays are around the corner when this launches!).

A huge thank you to all our guests this season.

Mohan’s TEDTalk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/mohan_sivaloganathan_the_breakthrough_power_of_young_leaders?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

What does it look and feel like to build a world where there is deep connection between generations in mind? Where we can learn from the wisdom of younger generations with the same respect and reverence we do the older ones? Just ask Mohan Sivaloganathan an acclaimed TED speaker, founder of Harmonious Leadership, who builds systems of change every single day in the work that he has committed his life to. In part 1 of this two part interview Mohan and Anika discuss how his background and upbringing has influenced him, the process of developing a Ted Talk that motivates intentional learning of the experience and perspective of younger generations and how a deep multigenerational connection can ripple, expand and  influence possibility and progress in a way that we can’t even imagine. 

You’ll want to listen to Mohan’s Ted Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/mohan_sivaloganathan_the_breakthrough_power_of_young_leaders?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Stay tuned for part two.

Mohan is a keynote speaker, coach, and a "recovering CEO.” Above all, he is a proud father, husband, son, brother, friend, and a committed challenger to the status quo. Mohan earned the nickname of the “Batman of Social Impact,” as an executive leader by day and keynote speaker + hip-hop artist by night. Throughout his career, Mohan has supported local and national organizations in orchestrating sustainable transformation and systems change for education, civic engagement, racial equity, and social justice.

Mohan is the founder of Harmonious Leadership, a movement to rewrite the rules for leadership and social change. Harmonious Leadership asks “what if” by breaking down the false choice between wellbeing and performance - an antiquated leadership ideology that inhibits people and organizations from advancing their boldest social impact ideas. Prior to launching Harmonious Leadership, Mohan served as the CEO of Our Turn, a national, youth-led movement working to close the opportunity gaps for young people. Mohan was awarded the “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media and a “Next Generation Leader” by the Human Services Council. Mohan’s keynote talks and thought leadership have been featured by TED, ESPN, Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, New York University, Good is the New Cool, Fordham University, Net Impact, Penn State University, Synergos Institute, the University of San Diego, and more.

What happens if you don’t have all the answers from your family heritage and/or if your past was filled with trauma and turbulent role models in your upbringing? Bobbie Breckenridge, an innovative social worker and mind-body coach is living proof that healing can take place and that inviting in courage and compassion, often starting with yourself, can lead to healthy connection with others. Bobbie and Anika discuss how recalling and harvesting stories at different stages of your life can empower people to better understand themselves. Not only does Bobbie provide practical tips on how to connect with others in the workplace, Anika and Bobbie model a question and answer over family history that could have been triggering for Bobbie, if she hadn’t done the work in the first place and if Anika didn’t hold space for the range of emotions that can come with storytelling. You’ll leave both inspired and better equipped to bring story sharing to your workplace. 

Learn about GenWell: https://genwell.ca/

Bio:

Bobbie is an innovative social worker and mind-body coach with over a decade of experience in community development and holistic wellness. Her unwavering commitment to co-creating a better world is exemplified through her leadership in organizing initiatives that foster genuine connections and promote well-being for all.

As a key contributor to GenWell, Canada’s Human Connection Movement, Bobbie manages their social health programs, using her versatile skills to educate, empower, and catalyze Canadians around the importance of human connection to improve their physical & mental health and overall quality of life. 

Driven by lifelong learning, Bobbie continually advances her expertise through professional development. Her personal healing journey has empowered her to guide others in overcoming their challenges, helping them reclaim their power, pleasure, and purpose. She is devoted to weaving a new legacy of wellness within her community, touching countless lives along the way.

Bobbie has been lighting up stages since she was a kid, winning her first speaking competition at just 13. Now, with over five years of experience inspiring communities through speaking about health and wellness, she brings a dynamic and engaging presence to every stage, passionately advocating for a more connected Canada.

How can one design solutions for one of biggest growing demographics in a way that is unique to its proclivities but sensitive to its diversity? By listening to the experts. One such expert, Dr. Samantha Sandassie from AgeWell, a federally funded network for technology and aging, joins host Anika Chabra in this episode. Together they discuss tangible ways in which innovators can adopt a mindset and techniques to better solution and iterate for older adults and their caregivers.  We hear how Samantha’s personal journey as part of a family of immigrants influences the way that she graciously approaches her professional relationships, especially when assembling diverse teams of researchers and partners. Listeners are encouraged to widen their aperture to technological curiosity in older adults, debunking myths and misconceptions. And there’s an invitation to understand the nuances of underrepresented groups in older Canadian adults and caregivers, even before one starts the process of ideation. If you are an innovator, researcher, older adult, caregiver or have an older adult in your life, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Dr. Samantha Sandassie is the Director, Education and Training at AGE-WELL, Canada's technology and aging network and Manager for the EPIC-AT Health Research Training Platform. She has spent the last 10 years working with researchers, trainees, research professionals and multisectoral partners to build Canada's capacity in AgeTech research and development as well as the deployment of new technologies and technology-related services to support older adults and caregivers. Dr. Sandassie is passionate about supporting our innovators of tomorrow and ensuring they are well-prepared to make positive, real world impact.