The Tamil Creator

Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam ( @sanjeev.sockalingam ) is the Senior Vice President of Education and Chief Medical Officer at CAMH ( @camhnews ), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital. He is also Vice-Chair of Education and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto ( @uoft ), Scientific Director at Obesity Canada ( @obesitycanada ) and the author of more than 160 peer-reviewed publications.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sockalingam has worked as a psychiatrist, researcher, educator and healthcare executive. At the heart of that work has been a commitment to improving how healthcare is delivered, how mental health is understood and how future generations of physicians are trained.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how his childhood curiosity led him toward medicine, why interacting with Tamil immigrants drew him to the psychological side of care, remaining a humble clinician while leading at the highest levels of Canadian healthcare, the stigma surrounding mental health within the Tamil community, three ways AI could advance mental health research and why greater integration across Canada’s health services could improve the overall system.

He also shares the heartbreak of realizing that an NBA career was probably not in the cards.

If you are interested in mental health, medicine, leadership, innovation or how Canada’s healthcare system could improve, this episode is for you.

Follow Sanjeev:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sockalingams/)     

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sanjeev Sockalingam
01:31 — Sanjeev’s mother stimulated his curiosity in human biology
04:12 — Having parents who encouraged his exploration of different things
06:20 — What drew him to psychiatry/mental health over another specialty?
09:27 — The appeal of research, teaching, and leadership
13:09 — Working to remain an expert clinician and humble to be a better leader
14:48 — What still needs to change with mental health; Tamil stigmas and more
16:58 — Will AI help mental health research?
20:20 — What would Sanjeev change about Canada’s healthcare system?
23:19 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
24:50 — The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by friends/family
26:55 — Creator Confessions
34:03 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan     

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Senthu Velnayagam (@senthuvelnayagam) is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor and growth strategist who has built his career around scaling companies through execution, operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Senthu is the co-founder and CEO of Kimp, one of the pioneers in the subscription-based creative services space. He is also the Managing Partner of Scale Shift Ventures, a venture studio focused on acquiring, building and scaling companies across proptech, AI, SaaS and automation.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss leaving York University to pursue entrepreneurship, why he favours bootstrapping over outside funding, building Kimp’s subscription-based business model, investing in founders through Scale Shift Ventures, deciding when to hold or exit a company, evolving from an operator to an architect and why he believes formal education may become less valuable in the future.

If you have ever wondered what it takes to build profitable, durable businesses without following the traditional startup playbook, this episode is for you.

Follow Senthu:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/senthuvelnayagam/)    

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Senthu Velnayagam
01:40 — Senthu speaks on his early years; born in Jaffna and moved to Canada at 16
03:15 — His first few years of entrepreneurship; dropping out of York and building at 18
07:20 — Why does Senthu favour bootstrapping?
10:44 — From graphic designing and marketing (2003-2017/2018) to co-founding Kimp
12:00 — Starting Buy.ca in 2024 with a cashback model
13:35 — How does the model work?
16:10 — Kimp; the pros and cons of the subscription-based creative service
19:10 — Navigating resistance with customers
20:50 — Scale Shift Ventures; why he started it, how it operates, and what’s worked best
25:20 — Writing cheques for founders despite not knowing what they were building
25:54 — How Senthu determines when to hold companies versus exit
27:36 — From operator to architect; how he stays in touch while thinking high-level
31:26 — How he sources business deals
31:58 — Going against the grain of the traditional Tamil mindset
33:29 — What Senthu would do in the first 90 days if he had to start over from scratch
34:39 — Building, investing in, and acquiring; what creates the most wealth?
35:29 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
35:56 — How Senthu wants to be remembered by friends and family
36:27 — Thoughts around AI; how he uses it and how it jobs/industries
40:34 — Creator Confessions
44:19 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan    

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Hapbishan “Happi” Vijayakumar (@hxppi) is a Toronto-based storytelling barber known for blending Tamil culture, fashion, travel and modern barbering into a unique digital presence.

After nearly pursuing a career as a paramedic, Happi began cutting hair during the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually dropping out of university to pursue barbering. His journey started with cutting people’s hair on a wooden stool and cold-DMing barbers, including Fred VanVleet’s (fredvanvleet) barber, looking for an opportunity to prove himself.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss overcoming naysayers, building his clientele through TikTok, approaching pricing with statistics instead of emotions, how travelling through Asia challenged his limiting beliefs and prejudices, why fear drives so many of our decisions and his belief that “greatness leaves clues.”

If you’ve ever questioned whether to follow the traditional path or take a chance on what you genuinely love, this episode is for you.

Follow Happi:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hxppi/)    

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Hapbishan (Happi) Vijayakumar
01:17 — Raised by his parents and brothers; switching from a paramedic career to barbering
04:56 — Thinking he wasn’t meant to cut hair after messing up his brother’s haircut
06:29 — Cold DMing Fred Vanvleet’s barber and more to find his first barber shop to work in
08:51 — Going above and beyond to show love and naturally maturing faster
10:03 — The birth of the Tamil storytelling barber; overcoming naysayers in his own circle
12:20 — Being DMed by others with positive messages and his parents’ support paying off
14:13 — His relationship with his parents; then versus now
16:29 — Fear driving so many of our decisions but it not necessarily being logical
18:29 — Barbershop economics; the way Happy started building out his success
19:44 — Building out his client portfolio; leveraging TikTok early on
20:38 — Happi’s mindset on pricing; statistics over emotions
21:06 — Does he want to be a barber for the rest of his life?
23:52 — How going back to Eelam changed his entire perspective on life
25:43 — The interesting conversations he has daily with customers
27:19 — Looking for reliability with those who sit in his chair, and challenging perspectives
28:56 — Who holds Happi accountable?
30:11 — Learning lessons since beginning his journey; don’t wait for someone else
31:51 — Some beliefs he had at 16 that he no longer has
33:05 — How Happy wants to be remembered by friends and family
33:32 — Creator Confessions
36:30 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan         

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Pirasaanth Varatharajan (@thepvrajan) is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), real estate investor and co-founder of Foundation Capital. After starting his career at PwC and later becoming a Partner at Galleon CPA, he transitioned into building a real estate private equity firm focused on multifamily investing, asset management and helping investors create long-term wealth beyond traditional investing.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss realizing that "the game" was played a certain way, why delaying gratification and avoiding lifestyle inflation changed his financial trajectory, lessons from investing in crypto before his exchange collapsed, why debt isn't as dangerous as many people believe, building wealth through real estate and the mindset shifts that separate financial freedom from time freedom.

If you've ever wondered how financially successful people think differently about wealth, risk, debt and long-term investing, this episode is for you.

Follow Pirasaanth:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pirasaanth/)    

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Pirasaanth Varatharajan (PV)
01:18 — Growing up in Jane & Finch; building street smarts & hustling Pokemon cards
03:59 — Realizing that trading time for money at PWC wasn’t sustainable
05:38 — Starting his real estate journey; seeing someone do it first
07:20 — Knowing someone who knew someone who had retired at 30
10:44 — From duplexes and triplexes to collecting as many properties as possible
13:51 — The role discipline plays in PV structuring his deals
16:43 — What is the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)?
17:51 — Ensuring business transparency with investors through social stories, live streams, etc.
19:47 — Some investment advice for high income earners
21:41 — Financial learning lessons from early on his career
24:21 — Shifting his mindset from financial freedom to time freedom
26:11 — The need for mental stimulation seemingly never going away
27:40 — Investment options Foundation Capital offers; private REIT and purpose built rentals
30:21 — Fear of risk when expanding Foundation Capital’s offering?
33:40 — Why the market isn’t being corrected despite rentals being more affordable?
36:14 — Does PV feel connected to the Tamil community?
37:09 — Wealth building myths the Tamil community should rethink
39:36 — How he diversifies his wealth
40:29 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self; work on sales
44:18 — Personal legacy, compound interest, and delayed gratification
48:45 — Creator Confessions
58:32 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan        

Support the show

Anitta Krishan (@anittakrishan_) is the Chief Culture & AI Transformation Officer at Hoogly and a globally recognized people and culture leader who has helped companies like TikTok, Trivago and Grab build high-performing teams across North America, Europe and Asia, living and working in Germany, Singapore and now Bali.

She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss what it takes to build high-performing teams, why taking calculated risks accelerated her career, how AI is reshaping leadership and the future of work, finding freedom beyond professional success and why leading with authenticity and human connection matters more than ever.

If you've ever wondered how great leaders navigate rapid change, embrace uncertainty, and build careers with both impact and purpose, this episode is for you.

Follow Anitta:
- Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anittakrishan/)    

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Anitta Krishan
03:16 — Being independent early; realizing excelling in school equaled freedom
05:59 — What the future of work looks like; work moving to where talent is?
09:37 — How to approach AI as the employer/employee pendulum swings
13:31 — Learning; ditching LinkedIn, being weary of the news, and pursuing coffee chats
16:30 — Anitta’s thoughts on small teams building big companies with AI
21:41 — From the Terminator to vibe coding; is doomsday upon us? 
26:58 — If man and machine merge; what remains uniquely human in leadership?
33:07 — TikTok, Trivago; the risks that accelerated her career (and can speed up yours)
49:34 — 2025 revelation; making impact without burning out is possible + freedom
55:30 — Stop caring about other people’s opinions; work, but enjoy life on your own terms
01:04:55 — Creator Confessions
01:28:08 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan       

Support the show

Supendra Chandrakumar (@supendra) is the founder behind the viral #LoveMyCityProject and one of Toronto's most recognizable digital storytellers.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he spent nearly a decade building content creation from a passion into a career, the mindset shifts required to bet on yourself, collaborating with Google Pixel, navigating AI as a creator, balancing authenticity with growth, representing the Tamil community, and why he has made it his mission to share Toronto's story with the world.

If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build a personal brand, create content consistently, or turn a side passion into something bigger, this episode is for you.

Follow Supendra:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/supendra/)    

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Supendra Chandrakumar
01:00 — Supendra speaks on being born in Toronto and his life’s progression to this point
02:37 — An inflexion point; turning content creation from his passion to a career
08:38 — Staying motivated to keep going; internal validation versus external validation
12:05 — How he balances creating content that is authentic but still “algorithm-friendly”
13:28 — Supendra’s view on AI as a content creator; threat or opportunity?
16:01 — Choosing to “throw more eggs” into his entrepreneurial endeavour
17:31 — His most exciting opportunity; partnering with Google Pixel
19:17 — Assumptions people make about his content/life and what his family thinks
23:50 — His wife being a key factor in Supendra’s decision to pursue content creation
26:14 — Toronto’s biggest strength, insecurity, and what it wants the world to know?
29:55 — Where he sees himself personally and professionally over the next few years
31:19 — How connected does Supendra feel to the Tamil diaspora?
33:06 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
34:18 — The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by friends/family
35:00 — Creator Confessions
41:30 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan      

Support the show

Michele Peter ( @missionswithmcmichie ) is a host, public speaker, @amazingracecda contestant & woman of faith.

She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how she found her calling as a social worker, the stories behind her appearances on various TV shows (Family Feud Canada, Amazing Race Canada, etc.), meeting Lily Singh ( @lilly ) and being dubbed her doppelgänger, how she finds healing in entertaining others, her unwavering Christian faith, and so much more.

Follow Michele:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/missionswithmcmichie/)   

Timestamps

00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Michele Peter
01:37 — Formative years; being born in France, facing racism in Canada, etc.
09:28 — Seeking a career where she could help others & leverage her passion for art
14:04 — Being forced to make an audition video that would change her life
18:23 — The most difficult moment she faced on Amazing Race Canada
20:40 — Facing inner thoughts / cultural considerations while being on reality TV
25:03 — Meeting Lily Singh; being called her doppelgänger
28:53 — Her experience with Family Feud Canada
32:25 — Has Michele ever bombed on stage?
36:32 — Embracing her Christian faith; learning to express it via social media
41:23 — Being an outgoing / expressive Tamil woman; the cultural stigmas
44:04 — What success looks like to Michele, even if no one is clapping
47:08 — Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
48:50 — The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends / family
50:29 — Creator Confessions
01:05:15 — The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan     

Support the show

Siva Balakrishnan is the Indian-based Founder Of Vserve Ebusiness Solutions ( @vserveebusiness ) and Angel Investor with the Mumbai Angels Network.

He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how observing the scarcity mindset around him while growing up in India taught him to come up with solutions on the fly, why your first customer is always buying you as the founder (not the product/service), the state of AI being more probabilistic that deterministic at the moment, finding value in failing fast, living by the belief that the journey is the reward, and so much more.

Follow Siva:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/siva-balakrishnan-38216b1/)   

Timestamps

00:19: Ara introduces this week’s guest, Siva Balakrishnan
00:49: How growing up in India shaped Siva’s solution-oriented mindset
03:02: Early entrepreneurship; being a mechanical engineer, outsourcing a web developer gig
05:01: Seeing a gap and capitalizing to launch Vserve; hiring a browsing centre
06:37: The evolution of Vserve; from what it was to what it is
08:21: How entrepreneurs can secure a first customer and find their niche
10:59: Balancing offering white glove customer service while being cost competitive
14:10: Maintaining company culture as the CEO of a distributor outsource workforce
17:28: Siva’s view on AI now and looking forward
21:25: What’s the next phase of life after 20 years into his journey?
23:11: How Siva decides what he is willing to put money behind as an angel investor
25:43: Other South Indian Tamil entrepreneurs making waves
26:56: The role Siva’s family plays in the choices he makes
28:48: The importance of failing fast; a past learning lesson from his journey
30:37: Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
31:47: The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for and the value of compounding
36:51: Creator Confessions
49:02: The Wrap Up  

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan    

Support the show

Meena Kothandaraman ( @meena_ko ) is an Experience Strategist at twig+fish, UX Expert, a long-time graduate lecturer at Bentley University ( @bentleyu ) and a proud Canadian Bostonian.

She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in Ottawa with Indian-Tamil roots, how she enhances users experiences and the importance of connecting to peoples’ stories, how her & her business partner came up with the twig+fish name, why the education system needs to change, her creative endeavours (a children’s book and cooking show), and so much more.

Follow Meena:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakothandaraman/)    

Timestamps

00:19: Ara introduces this week’s guest, Meena Kothandaraman
00:40: Meena speaks on her early childhood; the impact of her parents
03:29: Indian-Tamils and Sri-Lankan Tamils
05:09: Moving from Canada to the United States for education
06:40: Meena speaks on her siblings
08:02: What her parents did to strengthen Meena’s bond with her siblings
09:22: How she named her company and designation
14:40: Why she chose her career field; the rise of UX
18:22: Should you follow your passion or something you’re good at?
21:54: Balancing her entrepreneurial efforts and lecturing at Bentley University
25:51: Do both roles go hand-in-hand to bolster her credibility?
29:18: Meena explains the ‘NCredible Framework’
32:07: Writing 10 children’s books and hosting a cooking show
39:29: Innately being an adventurer; wanting to try different things
40:17: Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
41:33: The legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends and family
42:42: Creator Confessions
55:57: Advice for Tamil creators
58:39: The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan    

Support the show

Sivathasan “Siv” Sivasamy ( @siv.sivasamy ) is the New Business Director at Charles Square as well as the UK-Based Co-Founder Of The Mayfair Collective, a trusted circle of family office advisors that builds business relationships with purpose.

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to drop countless gems while discussing arranged marriages, why the Mayfair Collective was created, why modern day relationships are like microwave meals, how boredom can actually be a gift, the “let them” theory, having always been able to connect with people/how it naturally led him his career path, and so much more.

Follow Siv:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasamy/)    

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Siv Sivasamy
01:20 - Siv’s formative childhood years; from Sri Lanka to the UK
05:50 - Do arranged marriages have more longevity?
08:13 - Why he chose an arranged marriage
11:16 - Modern day relationship dynamics
13:49 - How the age of abundance leads to shallow perspectives
15:08 - Is boredom a gift?
16:37 - Men struggling to have deeper conversations/a loneliness epidemic
20:34 - Andrew Tate, Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, etc.
26:44 - Losing the fine art of debate and why you can’t force people to change
30:01 - How he ended up with Charles Square, what he does, and more
40:25 - Mayfair Collective; what it is, how it works, and Ara gets rejected
47:51 - Siv hangs up on Ara and calls back?
51:41 - Creator Confessions
1:00:32 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan      

Support the show