The Seva at Scale Show

Kiran Shah MBE is an actor, stunt performer, and published poet with one of the most distinctive careers in international film. Known as the world’s shortest professional stuntman, he has worked on over 40 major films, including being featured highest grossing movies in history like Titanic, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Kiran has served both as a scale double and stunt double for leading actors, contributing to some of the most technically complex scenes in cinema.

Born in Nairobi and raised between India and the UK, Kiran’s path into film was shaped by persistence and adaptability. In 2009, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contributions to the film industry and advocacy for people with dwarfism.

In this episode of Seva at Scale, Josh Roy speaks with Kiran about the realities of working in global cinema, collaborating with the likes of Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio, the physical and emotional discipline involved in stunt performance, and the challenges of representation in entertainment. The conversation also explores Kiran’s work as a poet, his thoughts on storytelling, and how he’s navigated the industry on his own terms.

Kiran offers a clear, honest reflection on his experiences, without framing them as extraordinary - but simply as part of a career built through consistency and craft. A true epitome of defying the odds! Josh and Kiran discuss the relationship between visibility and agency, and how small decisions can shape long term impact.

This episode provides a thoughtful look at a life spent contributing behind the scenes - and in the spotlight - with clarity, patience, and intention.

Hosted by Josh Roy, Seva at Scale, though primarily a business podcast, continues its mission to share grounded conversations with successful people in entrepreneurship, arts, and culture, building positively impactful work across disciplines.

Hope you enjoy!

Theodore Grether-Murray (also known as the 'Battery Man') is a high school student obsessed with the future of sustainable energy.

At the age of 15 he started working in a top electrochemistry lab focusing on lithium-ion battery research.

He then interned at CertCenterCanada, an aviation company, working on Hybrid Electric Planes and Wind Turbine sensors.

This then led him to work with Longbow Capital where he reviewed 5 to 20 million dollar deals with some of the most innovative climate tech companies in the world.

Just recently he came back from Uganda, working on installing mini-grids in the rural Northern Regions.

Achievement:

Theodore started an AI pharmacy startup that got 200 pharmacies to work with him. He also consulted for billion-dollar companies such as Shell, SwitchHealth and CIBC. He's now working on Sonda, a company that is focused on reducing noise pollution in the seas.

Both The Knowledge Society and Villars Institute students, join Josh Roy and today's guest Theodore Grether-Murray as they have an unconventional discussion what's on the table when it comes to youth innovation and making a positive impact at scale!

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Topics:

· The meaning of battery-tech to you

· What inspired you to start your journey?

· What are your productivity tips/mindsets?

· What is your advice for future change-makers?

· Building in public

And more!..

Here's Theo's highlight action item I took away:

Under-promise and over-deliver. “As ambitious people, we wanna deliver the most amazing work ever, right? I give myself no room for mistakes and I don’t do that because of course I make a mistake, I’m human or one day is bad. And as a result, I hurt my trust with a lot of different people who would’ve given me more opportunities if I hadn’t hurt their trust. Don’t set too high expectations. At one point, if you can’t deliver on it and if you’re just wishfully thinking that you can, it’s going to ruin your reputation with a lot of people. So, set lower expectation goals and absolutely do well on those goals and crush them beyond people’s expectations. Don’t set huge goals and then not end up delivering them.”

We hope you find value in our discussion and learn useful information!

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Theodore:

Neil Mitra based in Vancouver, Canada, is the Founder and CEO of Mitra Biotechnologies, a company developing nanomaterial-integrated biosensors aimed at democratizing healthcare diagnostics.

In 2022, while working in the Netherlands, Neil raised a pre-seed funding round for Mitra Biotechnologies.

This funding was led by Cory Levy, Pareto Holdings, and Alchemist Accelerator.

By the end of 2022, Mitra Biotechnologies aimed to complete their pre-seed financing, partner with hospitals, and begin patient testing.

Neil is also a Presidential Scholar at the University of British Columbia, pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering.

He has been recognized as a Global Teen Leader by the We Are Family Foundation for his contributions to healthcare innovation.

Additionally, he is a member of the Masason Foundation by billionaire Masayoshi Son, which supports young innovators.

Episode Recording date: 21st August, 2024

Atharva Rao is a high school student (going into Stanford University) who has worked on TradeSynth, an autoML app for anyone to upload a dataset and download a machine learning model trained on their data. For this app, he was accepted to League of Innovators, Canada's top pre-seed accelerator. Currently, he is building a robot arm to destem leaves after becoming interested in hardware and the deep tech space.

TradeSynth was selected to receive a $1000 grant from the Rideau Hall foundation, RHF is a non-partisan national charitable organization that amplifies and supports the past, present and future impact of Canada’s Governor General, and seeks to engage all Canadians in the core elements of Canadian democracy. This app also allowed Atharva to be accepted into League of Innovators, a national startup accelerator focused on developing young entrepreneurs at scale.

2 time Ingenious+ Regional Award winner ($1000 grant each time) 1517 Medici Fund Grant for robot arm ($1000).

Join Josh Roy and Atharva Rao as they discuss entrepreneurship from a youth perspective!

Tune in to listen to Rhea Mehra, Minh Nguyen, Neeor Alam, Youssef Kusibati, and Josh Roy (the host)!

Navjot Sawhney's journey is deeply rooted in resilience and a desire to make a difference. His family's experience during the 1947 Indian Independence, when his father fled present-day Pakistan with just the clothes on his back, instilled in Nav a profound sense of empathy and a drive to support those in need.
With a background in Aerospace Engineering from Queen Mary University, London, and professional experience at Dyson, Nav's path took a pivotal turn when he joined Engineers Without Borders UK in South India. It was here that he encountered Divya, a neighbour whose struggle with hand washing clothes for up to 20 hours a week inspired Nav to promise her a washing machine. This promise led to the creation of the first prototype and the foundation of The Washing Machine Project in 2019.
Nav pursued a master's degree in Humanitarianism, Conflict, and Development at the University of Bath, further cementing his commitment to global development. The Washing Machine Project has since conducted extensive research across 13 countries, interviewing over 3,000 families to understand their washing habits and needs.
The innovative Divya washing machines have reached almost 30,000 people in India, Iraq, Lebanon, the United States, Mexico, and Uganda. The project's tailored implementation ensures effectiveness in diverse cultural, economic, and environmental contexts. Partnerships with organizations like RS Group, JLR, Santander, and humanitarian giants like UNHCR and Oxfam, have propelled the project towards scaling up globally with support from Whirlpool Foundation.
In March 2024, Nav returned to South India with Whirlpool Foundation to deliver washing machines to Divya and her neighbours, fulfilling his promise. Recognized with numerous awards, including the 2023 George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, The Washing Machine Project continues to innovate sustainable solutions for remote and displaced communities, alleviating the burden of handwashing clothes, one wash at a time.

Episode recording date: March 28th, 2023

My guest today is Surya Maddula. He is s 17 y/o Innovator & Lifelong Student, his company is working on Open-Air Active Noise Cancellation powered by AI. At the age of 15 years and 10 months, he received the patent for his invention titled "Noise Cancellation System and A Method to Operate it."

He has achieved $42K+ in grants, granted patent, industry leaders as mentors and more!

On a personal level, I'm proud to call him a good friend from TKS and a cool guy working on dope inventions that will make a meaningful difference.

Topics:

*Our guest’s introduction

1. Please tell me about what inspired you to get into AI and what does it mean to you?

2. How did you teach yourself on this topic?

3. Please tell me about your involvement with LLMS. What was the process like from your beginnings of researching this topic to getting opportunities such as becoming a researcher at Columbia University?

4. Please tell me about Whisperwave.

5. What are some challenges that you have faced during this research process and building projects?

6. What ground ideas do your projects revolve around? How does one create an effective plan and then successfully execute, from your own personal experience? And then how do you reach out to the right experts/individuals in the industry? Can you offer any tips you learned?

7. What are some mindsets you have learnt or found useful when it comes to undertaking any innovative project?

8. What would you say is the importance of getting feedback? And tell me about the relationships you built with like-minded innovators/activators/TKS directors.

9. How has The Knowledge Society (TKS) contributed to the value of your dream?

10. Please walk me through the process of inventing a concept and being granted a patent for a novel open-air active noise cancellation using AI.

11. Why is content creation important when it comes to showcasing your work and securing opportunities? What has been some highlight opportunities (speaking at conferences like Shell Changemakers 2023) And do you have any tips for anyone to start creating content?

12. Having created a high impact project, what would your advice be to our generation, the youth, who want to make a positive impact on humanity?

13. How do you balance your work (internships, high-school programs and competitions) alongside your studies?

14. Who inspires you?

15. What are you going to be working on next?

*Our guest’s last question

Alan Tang is a corporate financier turned chef turned ed-tech entrepreneur.

His company was voted as "Most innovative educational project" by 11,000+ parents and educators, he achieved his goal of giving students from less privileged backgrounds access to CoLab, and is working in partnership with some of the most innovative schools in the world.

Calling in from London, today's guest Alan shares insights into the state of the current school system for innovators, working at Synthesis, alternative education systems and the future of education worldwide.

Topics:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:37) - What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
• (01:15) - Background from chef to education entrepreneur (influencing 11k+ parents, service to underprivileged students and securing partnerships)
• (03:44) - Why education? What got you into it?
• (05:08) - Opinion on the traditional school system, why it hasn't changed and it's future
• (08:07) - Challenges faced
• (09:58) - Working at Elon Musk's school
• (11:49) - AI in education
• (15:54) - Vision for the future of AI and the role you see shaping it
• (14:00) - Alan's startup, CoLab
• (16:52) - 3 most important traits for young people to learn
• (20:27) - Highlight failures which have proved pivotal to your career
• (23:39) - Book recommendations for getting into education and role models in the EdTech space
• (28:37) - Exemplary education systems in the world
• (30:57) - Josh's take on the education system
• (32:55) - How The Knowledge Society (TKS) is changing lives and the world as a first-of-its-kind human accelerator
• (35:28) - Advice for youth generation having worked in education
• (37:57) - Who inspires you?
• (39:41) - What are you going to be working on next?
• (40:22) - Closing
• (41:33) - Find online
• (42:14) - Outro

Here are his highlight action items I took away:

1. Learn traits like resilience, impulse control and emotional intelligence
2. Don't be afraid to make mistakes
3. Try things out. You won't know what you love until you try it out.

We hope you find value in our discussion and learn useful information!

—

Alan:

• CoLab - https://www.collaborationlaboratory.com/

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-tang-ksg/

  
  

  
  

🎥 Directed by Josh

🗓️ Recorded on July 22nd, 2024

Prajwal is a 16-year-old innovator focused on building AI projects that enhance the quality of life. He is a member of The Knowledge Society and received a grant from Ingenious+ for his JARVIS project—an AI assistant integrated into a hat, featuring image and voice recognition with low-latency conversations. Currently, he is working on CalendAI, an AI assistant designed to help schedule your life, and he will be journeying across Canada on The Boreal Express train.

When he first started out, he was a novice innovator and just another ordinary student "bored at classes". Today, he has recieved a $1,000 grant from Ingenious+ to continue building, showcased to hundreds at TKS Showcase for JARVIS, demoed to a demo-day event for CalendAI and is one of 50 selected from a global pool of applicants going on The Boreal Express across Canada for free.

In our conversation, today’s guest Prajwal offers frank and honest advice about how to start making progress, as he is showcasing his work actively to bring value to society and letting other people follow along his journey (having achieved accelerated growth in a matter of 3 months while in The Knowledge Society), and how anyone can make something cool if you put your mind to it.

Topics:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:04) - What does AI mean to you?
• (03:03) - What inspired you to get into AI?
• (04:16) - JARVIS Project and impact it's already making
• (06:35) - How long it took to make JARVIS
• (07:46) - Building CalendAI, an AI assistant
• (08:51) - The importance of building in public with your projects for securing unthinkable opportunities for a young person
• (10:51) - How has The Knowledge Society (TKS) contributed to the value of your dream?
• (15:54) - Vision for the future of AI and the role you see shaping it
• (18:09) - Selected one of 50 globally for the Boreal express for free! (hackathon in a trans-national Canadian train from Vancouver to Montreal)
• (20:40) - Learning the right technical knowledge
• (23:36) - Getting started with building in public
• (26:12) - Balancing building projects alongside school
• (28:21) - Opinion on the traditional school system and changes to be made (from a youth perspective)
• (32:28) - What are you going to be working on next?
• (34:39) - Who inspires you?
• (36:14) - Advice for youth generation having built high impact projects
• (37:58) - Closing question
• (38:55) - Find online
• (39:31) - Outro

Here are his highlight action items I took away:

1. Just start!
2. Read books (recommend Elon's biography by Isaacson and Atomic Habits)
3. "Look at what's around you, do you feel inspired? Your life it's just a cage if it's not pushing you higher". Being bored is like your life being caged. Do things that push you higher in life and to impact the world!

We hope you find value in our discussion and learn useful information!

—

Prajwal:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prajwal-prashanth/

  Website - https://prajwal.is-a.dev/

🎥 Directed by Josh

🗓️ Recorded on July 19th, 2024

Karen calling in from Uganda is exploring the power of regenerative medicine and how we can use it to grow body organs in the lab. Crazy right? Having joined The Knowledge Society under a full ride scholarship by the founder Navid Nathoo, she has been getting closer and closer to this dream. She recently won an award having emerged as a part of the winning team in a Math Contest. She also won the global TKS Moonshot single-handedly.

Giving back to those in need has also been a priority of mine as she is a strong believer that we all deserve to live a sustainable life. In order to make this impact, she set up a team called the 'Hearts of Hope' and she goes out to the streets of Kampala to truly understand how we can lend a helping hand where need be.

In our conversation, today’s guest Karen is a high-achieving person who wants the best for society.

Topics:

• (00:00) - Our guest’s introduction

• (00:46) - Please tell me about what inspired you to get into regenerative medicine and what does it mean to you?
• (02:05) - How did you teach yourself on this topic?
• (03:34) - What was the process like from the beginning of the Moonshot to winning the grand prize globally? And could you expand on any highlights you learned from the challenge from your own perspective managing the project? Please walk me through the whole process from the start of your project up to winning the grand prize and pitching to the judges.
• (07:40) - What are some challenges that you have faced during the Moonshot?
• (10:06) - How do you reach out to the right experts/individuals in the industry? Can you offer any tips you learned?
• (12:27) - What would you say is the importance of getting feedback?
• (14:22) - What are some mindsets you have learnt or found useful when it comes to undertaking an innovative project like a Moonshot?
• (18:11) - How has The Knowledge Society (TKS) contributed to the value of your dream?
• (24:28) - Tell me more about your other passions.
• (27:58) - Why is content creation important when it comes to showcasing your work and securing opportunities? And do you have any tips for anyone to start creating content?
• (31:17) - Having created a high impact project, what would your advice be to our generation, the youth, who want to make a positive impact on humanity?

• (32:47) - Tell me about your experience founding Hearts of Hope. What does your team aim to achieve and what is the value of giving back to those in need?

• (35:50) - How do you balance your work (internships, high-school programs and competitions) alongside your studies?
• (38:00) - Experience at Yale University being a part of Young Global Scholars
• (41:01) - Who inspires you?
• (42:15) - What are you going to be working on next?
• (43:26) - Our guest’s last question
• 
  

Here are her highlight action items I took away:

1. Practice discomfort
2. Get out of your comfort zone
3. Try and fail but don't fail to try (don't be afraid of TRYING! You always have to try and see how things work out)

We hope you find value in our discussion and learn useful information!

—

Karen: