The SafeTea Podcast

Blair Imani is a brilliant author, educator, and the creator of viral web series Smarter in Seconds. But beind all of that is a story of deep self-discovery.

In our season finale of The SafeTea Podcast, Blair Imani opens up about growing up Black in the South, finding Islam in college, and navigating queerness in religious spaces. From coming out on Tucker Carlson Tonight to writing bestselling books and building an inclusive digital empire, Blair shares what it means to embrace complexity, challenge stereotypes, and define safety on her own terms.

We talk about reclaiming faith, surviving trolls, celebrating intersectionality, and why visibility isn't the finish line - it's the starting point for true transformation.

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She had a Wharton MBA, a finance career at Goldman Sachs, and a clear path to “success.” But something deeper was calling.

In this episode of The SafeTea Podcast, Rooshy Roy, founder of Ayurvedic-inspired beauty brand AAVRANI, sits down with Akbar to unpack her journey of reclaiming identity, rejecting societal timelines, and building a business rooted in culture and purpose.

From growing up as the only Indian girl in her Michigan school to redefining beauty on her own terms, Rooshy shares how shame gave way to self-expression, and how rituals passed down from her mother became the blueprint for a global brand now carried at Sephora!

Follow Rooshy: instagram.com/rooshyroy

Follow AAVRANI: instagram.com/aavrani

Check out AAVRANI online and at Sephora: www.aavrani.com | sephora.com/brand/aavrani

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His designs have been worn by icons like Michelle Obama, Priyanka Chopra, and Zendaya... but Bibhu Mohapatra’s journey from a small town in India to the global stage is anything but ordinary.

Bibhu opens up to Akbar about growing up queer in India, navigating life in America as an immigrant, and using fashion as a language of liberation. From his early days studying economics in Utah to designing couture in New York City, Bibhu reflects on reinvention, and finding safety in self-expression. He also shares stories about dressing First Lady Michelle Obama, taking the leap to start his own line, and why authenticity is the most luxurious thing of all.

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You’ve seen her shine in Griselda, The Resident, and indie hits across Colombia - but behind the spotlight is a story of bold leaps, heartbreak, and tenacity.

In this episode, Akbar Hamid sits down with actress Julieth Restrepo for a powerful conversation about leaving a thriving career in Colombia to start over in Hollywood. She opens up about navigating rejection, learning English in her 20s, auditioning while nursing a newborn, and finding her voice both on and off screen.

Follow Julieth: instagram.com/julieticarestrep0

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They made headlines with their viral wedding story in 2019, but this love story is still unfolding.

In this episode of The SafeTea Podcast, Akbar is joined by creative power couple Amit Shah (founder of AATMA Performing Arts) and Aditya Madiraju (beauty and lifestyle creator) for a hilarious yet honest conversation about discovering their queer identity, finding each other, and reinventing themselves, both creatively and personally.

From growing up in Desi households in New Jersey (Amit) and New Delhi (Aditya) to chasing artistic purpose and building a shared life, the duo gets candid about the paths they took (and almost didn’t take) to arrive at their truth. We get into everything: first kisses, chosen family, making it work as creative collaborators, and what it means to be stylish new dads.

Follow Aditya: instagram.com/adityamadiraju | tiktok.com/@aditiyamadiraju

Follow Amit: instagram.com/thisisamitshah | tiktok.com/@amitandaditya

Follow AATMA: instagram.com/aatmaperformingarts

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He lights up red carpets and champions queer visibility, but behind all of that, Anthony Allen Ramos (VP of Communications & Talent at GLAAD) brings a deeply personal story of identity, advocacy, and hard-earned authenticity on this episode of the SafeTea podcast.

Today, Akbar and Anthony talk about growing up mixed-race in LA, his coming to terms with his identity, and his journey from morning show producer to cultural changemaker. Anthony opens up about reclaiming his Filipino heritage through food, building chosen family, and how representation in media (of all forms!) can truly change lives.

Follow Anthony: instagram.com/anthonyramosah

Follow GLAAD: instagram.com/glaad

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You’ve seen her bring the laughs on stage (and play Akbar’s drag twin in their short, Poreless). But behind the comedy, Sureni Weerasekera carries the layered story of a queer Sri Lankan-American trying to find her voice in a world that didn’t always make space for it.

In this episode of The SafeTea Podcast, Sureni talks about growing up in an immigrant family in San Diego, busking on the streets (with her father's permission), and navigating the pressure to choose security over self-expression. She shares what it took to drop out of Berkeley, pursue stand-up full-time, and build spaces for queer BIPOC comics to thrive. From generational shifts to saying no to grind culture, Sureni gets real about what it means to choose freedom, and use comedy as both a survival tool and an act of resistance.

Follow Sureni: instagram.com/sureni

See Sureni on tour! Check out her website: www.surenicomedy.com

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You’ve seen her light up the screen in Orange Is the New Black, Encanto, and Jane the Virgin - but behind the smile, Diane Guerrero has lived a story of survival, silence, and stunning transformation.

In this episode, Diane opens up to Akbar about losing her parents to deportation, growing up alone, and learning to rewrite her own narrative. From her first acting class (thanks to a crew of nightlife guardian angels) to finding purpose through storytelling, Diane gets real about what it means to reclaim safety, joy, and identity on your own terms.

Follow Diane: instagram.com/dianexguerrero

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YouTube: youtube.com/@theSafeTea

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Before she was everyone’s favorite on The Real Housewives of New York, Jessel Taank was already a force in the fashion world as an all-star publicist, global nomad, and barrier breaker. In this episode, Akbar gets real with Jessel on her path from London to NYC's fashion scene, how she landed RHONY (without ever seeing the show) and her creation of ŌUSHQ, a platform to uplift South Asian fashion and artisans.

Follow Jessel: instagram.com/jesseltaank

Follow ŌUSHQ: instagram.com/OUSHQ

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In this episode of The SafeTea, actor Saagar Shaikh (Marvel’s Ms. Marvel, Hulu’s Deli Boys) takes us through the real behind-the-scenes of breaking into Hollywood as a brown, Muslim, first-gen creative. From TaskRabbit gigs to beard oil startups, getting fired by his own dad to landing his first audition tape that changed everything—this is the truth behind the “breakout.”

We talk about:

• Why representation without nuance isn’t enough
• His 10 year journey to landing his first Marvel role (with no credits to his name)
• The full-circle moment of playing a Muslim character who’s just... human
• Getting fired by your dad from his deli (and now making him proud on Deli Boys)
• The 4-week window that decides a show’s fate
• What happens after you get the gig... and then don’t work for 15 months

Follow Saagar: instagram.com/saagarshaikh

Follow us: instagram.com/thesafetea | instagram.com/akbar.hamid

YouTube: youtube.com/@theSafeTea

TikTok: tiktok.com/@safeteapod

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