Anoshinie Muhundarajah (@anoshinie) is a professional Choreographer & Dancer who's shared with the stage with Lilly Singh (lilly, World Tour) and Simu Liu (@simuliu, 2022 Junos).

She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her experience with Canada’s Got Talent, getting her parents to buy in on her dream, going on a world tour as a feature dancer with Lily Singh, being a dancer on Disney’s Sneakerella, sharing the stage with Simu Liu at the 2022 Junos, her passion for giving back and being able to combine this with her love for dance, and so much more.

Follow Anoshinie:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/anoshinie/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Anoshinie Muhundarajah speaks on how she became a dance teacher
00:38 - Will Ara struggle to pronounce the name of this week’s guest?
02:33 - How Anoshinie developed a passion for this medium of storytelling
05:08 - Taboo subjects in the Tamil community that she talks about through her art; suicide
06:53 - How Anoshinie gained confidence through dance
08:58 - Shooting her videos in public versus on a stage; how does it feel?
10:34 - How Anoshinie has secures opportunities; networking, putting her work out there, etc.
12:33 - Going on tour with Lily Singh and dancing on the Disney film entitled Sneakerella
15:06 - Her experience with Canada’s Got Talent; breaking stereotypical boundaries
18:16 - Sharing the stage with Simu Liu at the 2022 Juno Awards
20:33 - How Anoshinie found a Manager/Agent; Choreographer’s Ball
22:07 - The ups and downs of life; how she deals with rejection
23:37 - Anoshinie’s parents supporting her dancing dreams
25:29 - How Anoshinie sustains herself as an artist
28:35 - Having to go through some level of pain and sacrifice to succeed
30:29 - Learning to say “no” and how it impacts relationships/friendships
33:12 - Who are Anoshinie’s dream collaborations? (Prabu Deva and more)
35:16 - Volunteering at orphanages and development centres in Sri Lanka
37:01 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self; caring less about what people think
38:58 - Social media as a tool; and the issue with it
39:45 - The personal legacy she wants to have and be remembered for
40:27 - Creator Confessions
44:02 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan         

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Shyam Srinivasan (@shyam990) is a professional poker player who's won millions of dollars playing both online and in tournaments all over the world.

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss foregoing a career in criminal law to play poker professionally and how his parents reacted to this decision, the different countries he’s gotten to play in, running into celebrity poker players throughout the years, why cash games involve more skill than tournaments, misconceptions about poker and much more.

Follow Shyam:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shyam990/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shyam
00:52 - His life before poker; studying to be a criminal lawyer
01:19 - How his parents reacted to him pursuing a poker career
01:53 - The moment Shyam knew a poker career “was in the cards”
02:19 - The benefit of online poker versus traditional poker
03:01 - His day-to-day schedule as a professional poker player
03:31 - Growing up competitive
04:24 - His favourite places to play poker; Australia, Macau, etc.
05:01 - Running into other Tamil professional poker players
05:34 - Being bankrolled to mitigate the risk versus using his own funds
06:24 - Getting recognized in public
06:50 - His poker friends and running into big name players
07:37 - How he manages his money without having a stable income
08:50 - When will he walk away from poker? What will he do?
09:11 - Misconceptions about poker
09:41 - Advice for people who want to play professional poker
10:17 - Why cash games revolve more skill than tournaments
11:10 - Does Shyam remember his best fold or best call?
11:31 - His biggest failure/learning lesson?
11:53 - Where he seems himself in the next 3-5 years
12:08 - What his friend circle looks like
12:29 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
12:45 - How he would describe his poker style
13:12 - Biggest differences of playing online versus in-person
13:18 - Creator Confessions
23:07 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan        

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Abarna Raj is the Co-Founder & CEO of Australian-based Palmera (@palmeraprojects). The organization is named after a tree which grows in Sri Lanka and is fundamental to the existence of the communities it's located in because every part of it is used from the bark, the timber, the leaves and the fruit. Palmera is a social startup looking to help change the way that the world tackles poverty by ensuring that the poor having a living income (with a focus on Sri Lanka).

She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami, why she left being a full-time lawyer to found a non-profit and how her ideology of work subsequently changed, the impact & thinking behind Palmera’s HANDMADE cookbook, how to address the resource challenge for non-profits and much more.

Follow Abarna:
- Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abarna-raj-34976761/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Abarna Raj
01:48 - How her childhood led her to starting a non-profit
04:44 - Being in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami
07:15 - How the 2004 tsunami impacted her decision to found Palmera
08:38 - Raising tens of thousands of dollars for Palmera
10:23 - Balancing her job as a lawyer and the early development of Palmera
12:16 - Leaving a job with strong income to work full-time for a non-profit
14:05 - The HANDMADE cookbook
16:24 - Is there a non-profit that Abarna wants Palmera’s structure to emulate?
20:12 - Is there a declining participation of developmental efforts?
26:11 - The long-term effects of the war
28:38 - How Abarna remains hopeful
30:11 - The lack of talent in the non-profit space when compared to tech, finance, etc.
33:25 - Incentivizing volunteers; Benevity and more
38:33 - Resources and sustainability being key challenges for non-profit organizations
42:04 - Tax receipts and Palmera’s Australian accreditation
44:35 - How long will Abarna stay in the non-profit space?
46:43 - Was she questioned by friends/family for her decision to enter the non-profit space?
48:34 - The programming side of Palmera
52:13 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self; the personal legacy she wants to have
54:05 - Creator Confessions
59:24 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan       

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Ganesh Thava (@ganesh.thava) is a Tamil-Canadian Director, Writer & Actor. He's had roles in movies "Spin" and "Cyber Underground" while writing & directing his own short film "The Orchard & The Tree" (premiered at @reelasian).

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being pro-therapy, having rejection rituals, his movie screened at international film festivals, dealing with pushback when he told his parents he wanted to apply for theatre school, how having a business background has helped with his creative career, and so much more.

Follow Ganesh:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ganesh.thava/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ganesh Thava
02:37 - Ganesh speaks on his upbringing; growing up in an environment of love and comfort
04:36 - Being a shy kid/rule-follower; feeling like he was living for other people
08:17 - His recollection of Sri Lanka; feeling more free there than in Canada (mental health)
10:44 - How Ara heard about Ganesh; his movie ‘Spin’
12:42 - Almost landing a role but not being able to ultimately get it; rejection rituals
16:13 - Using therapy to improve physical/mental well-being, and the power of social media
18:23 - ‘The Orchid & The Tree’ and how it was received by viewers
24:16 - How he had his movie screened at various film festivals; the application process
25:25 - The entrepreneurial element of filmmaking; shifting between being a director & actor
29:04 - How his family/friends reacted to his decision to immerse himself in the world of film
37:29 - His perception of money; how he goes about making it, saving it, and more
42:56 - The impact that the Toronto-Tamil community has had on Ganesh
48:28 - What he would tell his 16-year-old self & the personal legacy he wants to have
52:02 - Creator Confessions
57:54 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan      

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Keerthana Rang (@keerthanarang) is the Corporate Communications Lead at @Uber in Canada.

She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss transitioning from politics to tech, growing up in the Tamil co-op in Parkdale, how governments & private companies interact to drive innovation forward, her involvement in developing the new @tamilcommunitycentre in Scarborough, if school actually matters in the grand scheme of things, and much more.

Follow Keerthana:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/keerthanarang/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Keerthana Rang
00:57 - Keerthana speaks on her upbringing in the GTA
03:42 - How she got involved in politics; the impact of living in a co-op
06:02 - Taking freedom for granted; the boom of Tamil people in politics 
06:39 - Wanting to be a teacher with a house in the suburbs; grade 11 changed things
10:23 - Working for the sister company of Google, Sidewalk Labs
14:11 - Moving to Radical Ventures: an organization investing in AI to solve real-world problems
16:58 - Will the role of governments change as technological innovation continues
20:10 - The importance of storytelling and communicating your story; Uber
25:04 - What Keerthana’s day-to-day looks like at Uber
26:37 - Uber communications staff in Canada versus America
27:25 - Being involved in the development of the new Tamil community centre in Scarborough
31:00 - When will the community be live and available for people to start making use of it?
32:43 - Being a part of the Empire Club: a speaking platform tackling daily issues
34:12 - Balancing work and sleep; waking up at 5AM and sleeping at 10PM
34:45 - The role of education in hiring in the future; is student debt worth it?
40:47 - Her biggest learning lesson on her path to success
43:10 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
44:55 - The personal legacy she wants to be remember for by friends and family
46:46 - How Keerthana wants to be remembered by her daughter
48:23 - Creator Confessions
1:00:09 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan     

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Piraveen Sivalingam (@piraveens) is an entrepreneur who owns & runs a Boston Pizza Franchise with his brother in Markham (Canada).

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got into the franchising game, doing business with family, missing out on fun with friends/family when he was younger because of the responsibilities that came with being a business owner, the future of franchise businesses, the challenge of finding good staff post-pandemic, not paying himself for the first couple years of running the business, and so much more.

Follow Piraveen:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/piraveens/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Franchising and how Ara found this week’s guest
01:22 - Ara introduces Piraveen Sivalingam
01:56 - How Piraveen became a franchisee; his family’s involvement with restaurants
04:39 - The challenges of him and his brother being young entrants into the franchisee world
06:53 - Doing business with family; what Piraveen would do different if he started again
08:14 - Why his dad became a franchisee; what else Piraveen wants to be a franchisee for
12:52 - Will franchise businesses like A&W and McDonald’s continue to thrive?
14:29 - The challenge of finding good staff post-pandemic
16:40 - What does Piraveen’s day to day look like now, versus when he first started?
18:53 - Being a young franchisee while all his friends were partying
20:34 - The sacrifices of pursuing entrepreneurship
23:13 - Where Piraveen see himself in 10 years; expanding
25:35 - The process of buying a Boston Pizza
27:32 - Piraveen’s relationship with money; side hustles, real estate, and more
29:08 - His connection to the Tamil community
30:50 - Piraveen’s biggest failures/learning lessons over the last 3-5 years
32:02 - The first 100K being the hardest to make; setting aside a failure/learning budget
35:55 - His strategy for driving sales at Boston Pizza
37:29 - What he would tell his 16-year-old self
39:05 - How he wants to be remembered by his friends and family
39:57 - Creator Confessions
51:29 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan    

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Vanessa Raquel Raponi (@vanessaraquelraponi) is a Senior Product Development Engineer at Spin Master (@spinmaster) and Founder of EngiQueers Canada (@engiqueerscanada).

She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being a poor brown kid in a wealthy part of Toronto (Leaside), being queer, surviving childhood abuse, getting the opportunity to be the Willy Wonka of product development, her grandfather’s orphanage in Sri Lanka and the impact he had on her, and so much more.

Follow Vanessa:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vanessaraquelraponi/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Vanessa Raquel Raponi
01:12 - Being Tamil/Italian, growing up in Leaside, experiencing abuse, and becoming an engineer
04:48 - Being silent about her struggles from the age of 9 until the age of 20
06:08 - Growing up in Toronto, Tamil community not being emphasized much
08:51 - Opening up to her family about what happened to her; how they reacted
11:18 - Her grandfather, Paul; his story and the impact it had on Vanessa
16:32 - Studying at McMaster, working for Spin Master, 
20:22 - Difficulty managing volatility, the intense workload at Spin Master; thriving in chaos
21:38 - Her day-to-day as a product developer; leading the sustainability committee
23:49 - Why she started EngiQueers, how she picked the name, and pansexual vs. bisexual
31:23 - How she funded for EnqiQueers and split responsibilities with the Co-Founder, Dao
33:49 - The revolutionary impact of EngiQueers on the culture of engineering
35:45 - Being queer in the Tamil community; coming out to her family
38:00 - Where he confidence comes from; a survival tactic
40:01 - Was there anything Vanessa thinks could’ve changed her willingness to speak up earlier; going to therapy in second year of University
43:25 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
45:36 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
46:28 - Creator Confessions
48:30 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan   

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Sundar Viswanathan (@sundarvmusic) is an award-winning (including a 2022 JUNO) Canadian Jazz musician.

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how being subjected to racism led him to a career in music, how his dad got him a second opportunity for music education after he failed an audition, going from getting paid in wings to winning a JUNO (@thejunoawards), similarities between being a musician and entrepreneur, the importance of The Canada Council for the Arts (@canada.council) spreading Canadian music around the world, his biggest regret (Creator Confessions), and so much more.

Follow Sundar:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sundarvmusic/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sundar Viswanathan
01:25 - Convincing his parents that music was a viable career path
05:03 - Growing up in Sudbury with few South Asians; racism, being bullied in high school
08:38 - His popular brother, Sudbury being less racist, and Sundar’s perspective on this
10:28 - Confronting one of his bullies, and his bully having no recollection of it
11:44 - Embracing challenges and changing the narrative
12:45 - Being optimistic and naive; the time Sundar wanted to ask a girl out on a date
14:26 - Getting rejected from Laurier; his Dad getting him a second opportunity
18:35 - No expectations of winning a JUNO; critical mass leading to this award
21:19 - Similarities between musicianship and entrepreneurship; the work never stops
23:26 - Where Sundar draws inspiration from; different types of music
27:26 - His first music gig; getting paid in chicken wings
29:07 - Playing in a ceremonial guard band in Ottawa; marching on Parliament Hill
30:34 - How people book Sundar for a performance; networking
34:02 - Mostly not being able to cover his costs; teaching music to compensate
36:44 - The Canada Council for the Arts spreading Canadian music around the world
38:53 - Travelling to Japan, South Africa, and more; what he prefers the most
41:05 - Has his connection to Canada faded as a result of touring from a young age?
43:24 - How Sundar maintains his passion with music, despite doing it for 30+ years
47:00 - Never being satisfied with success; Sundar's supportive
49:00 - Does Sundar identify more as Indian or Tamil; Aziz Ansari’s ‘Master of None’
51:14 - Advice he would give his younger self, and how he wants to be remembered
52:27 - Creator Confessions
57:38 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan  

Support the show

Anusha Srijeyanathan (@anusha_srij) is the Executive Vice President of Client Success at Benevity (@benevity). She was previously part of Eloqua (which was acquired by Oracle).

She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss making the most of your circumstances, why she went from finishing her last day at Oracle in Toronto on a Friday and starting hew new job at Benevity on a Monday in Calgary, key differences between start-ups like Eloqua versus larger corporations like Oracle, how a vision board changed her life, how Nike contributed to Benevity’s growth early on, the benefit of exposing children to technology at a young age, and so much more.

Follow Anusha:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anushasrijeyanathan/)

Timestamps

00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Anusha Srijeyanathan
02:14 - Growing up between Sri Lanka and Nigeria before moving to Canada in the mid-80s
05:32 - How your environment and certain experiences shape you
14:00 - Being employee #17 at Eloqua where she was Director of Vertical Solutions; being driven by curiosity
18:21 - Eloqua getting bought out by Oracle; the biggest differences Anusha saw in both companies
20:46 - How her opportunity with Benevity came along; the impact of vision boards
25:51 - Eloqua versus Benevity do; early marketing tech versus powering the biggest and most iconic brands
28:23 - How a recruiter convinced her to join Benevity
32:31 - Moving to Calgary on a whim and why Anusha didn’t take a break in between; building resiliency
34:26 - Benevity being structured as a B Corp
36:35 - How Benevity acquired its first group of customers; Nike
39:43 - How Benevity makes revenue; subscription fees and more
41:22 - Studying one thing but having a completely different career trajectory; Anusha’s view on education 
44:30 - What Anusha looks for when she hires new employees; picking between talent and the best-fit
48:40 - Will Anusha build her own company in the future?
50:52 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
52:29 - Biggest learning lesson in the last 3-5 years
54:36 - The personal legacy Anusha wants to be remembered for by her friends and family
55:53 - Creator Confessions
1:00:10 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan       

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Gokul Natesan (@gokuln_) is a professional basketball player who grew up in California.

He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss getting his basketball chops from his dad who played in India, the process of becoming a professional basketball player (the good and the bad), hooping with NBA star Jordan Poole, the Raptors vs. Warriors championship series, South Asian representation in the NBA, the importance of keeping a long-term view in mind, and so much more.

Follow Gokul:
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gokuln_/)

Timestamps:
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Gokul Natesan
01:06 - Gokul’s childhood; Starting basketball 5 years old, getting a scholarship, his parents being supportive
06:58 - Growing up as a Golden State Warriors fan, his family being enthusiasts as well, the Raptors parade
08:42 - How Gokul became a professional basketball player; how he found his opportunities
10:11 - Playing in Australia, Ukraine, Finland, and Uruguay - his favourite experience? How does he pick a league?
12:20 - Acclimating to different team cultures and hierarchies to stand out individually and fit in as well
13:49 - How to build team camaraderie and chemistry
14:55 - The downside of being a professional athlete; isolation
16:27 - Travelling to games and how taxing it is
17:49 - Playing shooting guard, hooping with Jordan Poole, and what Gokul wants to get better at
19:34 - The different types of basketball trainers Gokul works with; nutrition, strength, etc.
20:13 - The lack of South Asian representation in the NBA & WNBA; will this change?
21:23 - Advice for the younger generation of hoopers
24:17 - What his friend circle looks like; does everyone understand his journey?
25:49 - The Tamil community in the Bay Area
26:59 - Will Gokul join the Ontario Tamil Basketball Association / Ontario Tamil Basketball League?
29:14 - His biggest learning lesson; how it translates from the basketball court to real life
30:54 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
31:57 - The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by his friends and family
32:35 - Creator Confessions
41:20 - The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan      

Support the show