The Story Of You

In this episode, I speak with Radhika Bajoria, one of the youngest LinkedIn Top 20 Voices in India. Radhika runs Radically Yours, a US-based company helping women GPs and founders raise financial and social capital from across the globe. Her mission goes beyond fundraising she's working to bring more female minds into the finance and funding industry through her global network.

We talk about building a global platform in your early twenties, why women need access to networks as much as capital, and what it takes to change who gets a seat at the table.

In this episode, I speak with Nyana Sabharwal, a suicide prevention specialist dedicated to changing how we understand, talk about, and respond to suicide. Through her work in [counselling / crisis intervention / training — adjust as needed], Nyana helps break the silence surrounding one of the most stigmatised aspects of mental health, bringing both professional insight and deep empathy to conversations most people find difficult to have.

We discuss what draws someone to this work, the warning signs we often miss, how to support someone who is struggling, and why open, honest conversation can be lifesaving. Nyana's approach prioritises compassion, practical understanding, and the belief that every one of these conversations matters especially for young people.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out — helplines and support resources are linked in the show notes.

This version weaves in Divaa's complete journey - from watching her brother's diagnosis at 13 to operating Project Surya across five countries at 17 - while emphasizing the healthcare inequity crisis, her three-pronged approach (awareness, advocacy, funding), and her powerful philosophy that empathy backed by action transforms lives. The narrative highlights how personal heartbreak can become collective healing and how proximity to pain can become expertise in solving systemic injustice!

Our guest today is someone who has redefined what the human voice can do. She discovered beatboxing at just 12 years old, experimenting with sounds and rhythms at an age when most of us are still figuring out what we enjoy. 2x World Beatbox Champion, pushing the boundaries of her art by fusing beatboxing, singing, rapping, and theatre in ways the world hadn’t seen before.

Her groundbreaking artistry reached one of America’s biggest theatrical stages — Broadway — as part of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award–winning improv comedy show, Freestyle Love Supreme, proving that beatboxing belongs at the very highest levels of performance.

Beyond the spotlight, she has travelled across more than 30 countries, using her voice to teach, heal, and empower — from school assemblies to working with at-risk youth, and even partnering with New York University to design a first-of-its-kind class for blind students using beatboxing as a tool for speech therapy.

In this episode, I speak with Gia Narang and Mihikaa Jhaveri, the founders of Healing Hearts, a youth-led foundation committed to advancing mental health awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding it. Healing Hearts focuses on creating meaningful conversations around mental health through interactive sessions, school-based initiatives, informative digital content, and monthly themes that explore different mental health concerns in depth. Their approach prioritises accessibility, empathy, and practical understanding, especially for young people.

Beyond awareness, Healing Hearts actively works towards impact by collaborating with NGOs, volunteering on the ground, and organising donation drives to support mental health–related causes. Each initiative is rooted in the belief that awareness must translate into action. To learn more about their work, ongoing campaigns, and resources, visit their website and follow them on Instagram @healinghearts.foundation, where they regularly share updates, insights, and ways to get involved

Sirish may only be 14, but he’s already inventing technology with the potential to change how we eat. He built PestiSCAND, a handheld device that detects pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables- giving families an easy, practical way to know what’s really safe to eat. It’s practical, brilliant, and deeply rooted in care for people’s health. Recognised as America’s Top Young Scientist, Sirish is proof that curiosity and compassion can create world-class innovation.

But what you don’t see at first glance is just how much persistence went into building it. Designing PestiSCAND wasn’t a straight line; he had to test every possible shape and size, refining again and again until he found the form that scanned produce effectively and was easy for anyone to use. Each prototype taught him something new: what didn’t work, what almost worked, and what could work better. Instead of being discouraged, he treated every iteration as a stepping stone toward the final device.

That combination of scientific rigour and unshakable patience is what sets him apart. Sirish’s story is as much about perseverance as it is about invention- the kind of relentless testing, tweaking, and learning that turns a bright idea into a breakthrough tool the world can hold in its hands.

Nandini is 19, and she’s using cutting-edge gene editing to take on one of humanity’s greatest challenges: food security. Her work with CRISPR focuses on rice, making it more resilient to climate change, so farmers can continue to feed a growing world despite rising temperatures and unpredictable weather. She’s already been presenting her work on global stages, but what makes her stand out is her belief that science isn’t just about fancy breakthroughs. For her, it’s about something far more fundamental: feeding the future.

Her journey, though, started in the most unexpected way. The very first time she set out to experiment, she walked into a mall, bought a bag of rice, and only later realised that polished rice can’t actually be grown. That small misstep was the first of many setbacks, but instead of giving up, Nandini embraced trial and error as part of her path. With limited resources and little guidance at first, she leaned on curiosity, resilience, and the courage to ask. She wrote countless cold emails- some unanswered, some opening the right doors- and slowly built her network of mentors, knowledge, and tools.

Every failure became fuel, and every small success a stepping stone. What began with a simple bag of rice from a mall has now turned into pioneering work that holds the potential to help millions. Nandini’s story is proof that determination and a hunger to learn can turn even the humblest beginnings into world-changing science.

Meet Siyaa, a 17-year-old researcher and environmental advocate from Arizona who’s quite literally turning science into a shield for communities. She created RADAR, a material that changes colour to detect invisible pollutants like uranium and silica, a breakthrough that could transform how vulnerable communities safeguard their health.

But what’s truly remarkable about Siyaa isn’t just the innovation or the awards she’s already earned,  like the Regeneron Young Scientist Award – it’s the kind of person she is. She’s one of the sweetest, most compassionate young minds you’ll ever meet. Despite studying in a school without state-of-the-art labs or fancy equipment, she refused to let limited resources limit her imagination. Instead, she persevered, working through setbacks, improvising with what she had, and keeping her focus on why she started: to make science accessible and impactful for those who need it most.

Siyaa’s story is as much about resilience and kindness as it is about discovery and it’s a reminder that the best science is rooted in both intellect and heart.

In every episode of The Story Of you my attempt is to speak to a young adult to know what they want to be, what problem they want to solve in the world today and what is the impact we as children can create in the world?  My attempt is to learn from my peers and ensure we are all growing together as compassionate & individuals who believe in collaboration

Thaaragai, just 11 years old, but already a true force of nature. Fondly known as the Ocean’s Little Girl, she has pulled more than 5,000 kilos of plastic waste from the ocean floor- an extraordinary feat for someone so young. Through her swimming and her activism, she’s made the fight against marine pollution both urgent and unforgettable. What makes her stand out is the creativity with which she spreads her message: she’s played chess underwater, performed Bharatanatyam, practised yoga and meditation, and even staged symbolic clean-ups, each act designed to make us pause and pay attention to the ocean’s cries for help.

Despite still learning to express herself fully in English, Thaaragai makes the effort to speak up at events and conversations, and when she does, her words carry astonishing power. She often surprises everyone with simple, profound lines that cut straight to the heart, like: “Take the chance. The future is ours, and we must change it for the better.”

At the centre of her journey is the deep bond she shares with her father, who has been by her side at every dive, every performance, and every milestone. His support and belief have given her the confidence to pursue her mission fearlessly.

Thaaragai’s love for the ocean is infectious, her courage undeniable. She reminds us that no one is too small to make a difference, and sometimes, it takes the purest voices of children to remind the world of its responsibilities.

In every episode of The Story Of you my attempt is to speak to a young adult to know what they want to be, what problem they want to solve in the world today and what is the impact we as children can create in the world?  My attempt is to learn from my peers and ensure we are all growing together as compassionate & individuals who believe in collaboration.
In this episode I talk to Aryahi Aggarwal a grade 11 student of Dhirubhai Ambani she is the founder of Bella fragrances. Bella fragrances is an chemical free natural perfume. Aryahi talks to me about how a problem she faced with perfumes and how she turned it into an business idea. This brand had started out as a venture for teenagers and now all age groups love it!!