Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar

Anu Seghal is a children's author and the founder of The Culture Tree, a cultural literacy and language education company that celebrates South Asian culture. Priya Krishna is a food reporter and video host for the New York Times and the best-selling author of multiple cookbooks, including Indian-Ish and Cooking at Home. Her latest book is Priya's Kitchen Adventures. 

The Culture Tree will be hosting their first annual AAPI Children's Literary Festival in collaboration with the Asia Society. This is a unique gathering place for writers, illustrators, publishers, and fans of AAPI literary works. It features readings, meet-and-greet sessions with authors like Priya, illustrators, panel discussions, and writing workshops, engaging the youth with the full diversity of South Asian culture.

Anu and Priya delve deep into how The Culture Tree and the AAPI Literary Fest will help immerse children in South Asian culture through the love of reading and food. We talk about the importance of food in our culture and what comfort food we still love, Anu shares her journey with The Culture Tree , and Priya discusses how her dad gets stopped at Costco to discuss his recipes that are now shared worldwide.

The AAPI Children’s Literary Festival will be in person Saturday, May 11th from 1 to 5 p.m. at 725 Park Avenue, New York City. 

What we talked about:

• Growing the Culture Tree: Anu breaks down the Culture Tree’s mission of celebration and education + the importance Anu places on the languages of South Asia + how South Asian culture is one of the most diverse in the world and the need to celebrate it all + the heartwarming support the Culture Tree receives from the wider community (3:28)
• Anu’s Journey: Growing up in an inter-religious, multilingual family and her passion for teaching South Asian languages + how having children inspired her to challenge South Asian stereotypes + her pride in seeing her kids haggling in a Delhi bazaar (7:33)
• Lit Fest: Putting Kids First: The original inspiration for the Lit Fest + TikTok and teaching middle schoolers the lost art of recipe reading + having children do their own writing and illustrating + how children run their panel discussion in the Festival (18:12)
• Priya's Kitchen Adventures: How Priya’s created an interactive cookbook that normalizes South Asian cooking from a young age + how she came to be involved in the Lit Fest + how she refused to bring Indian food to school so she could fit in + how she first promoted Indian cooking + celebrating the support she has received from Madhur Jaffrey and other South Asian cooking experts (23:15)
• Priya’s Further Adventures: Priya describes how her local Mutai shop was her first New York Times project + Her pride in her YouTube videos highlighting the unseen labor in the food industry + her latest project exploring identity beyond the South Asian American paradigm + her parents suddenly becoming famous (30:51)
• Final Goals: Anu and Priya express their hopes to promote the Lit Fest annually for children as young as five as well as middle schoolers + their wish for parents to join in the fun (35:17)
• Rapid Fire Round: (37:43)
• Anu’s Bucket List: (40:39)
• Priya’s Bucket List: (40:46)

Connect with Anu:

• Linkedin
• The Culture Tree
• Instagram
   

Connect with Priya:

• Website
• Instagram
• Linkedin
• Twitter
• YouTube

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Rochelle Pinto is the head of editorial content for Vogue India. She has had quite a career and is exactly how you think a Vogue head would be-poised, intelligent, well-spoken, beautiful, and as a bonus,  she’s totally down to earth. In case you were also wondering if  she does gets to work with and receive advice from Anna Wintour, the answer is yes.  Yes she does.

Rochelle shares her insights into what is currently happening in Indian fashion, content, beauty,  and all things Vogue. She speaks frankly about the challenges of representing India in all its diversity and richness and describes growing up in Goa free of gender stereotypes, how her parents keep her grounded,  and the ways Vogue India is currently uncovering untold and fascinating stories all over the country.

What we talked about:

• Walking The Vogue Tightrope: Rochelle talks about the need to balance a younger audience without alienating Vogue’s original supports + appealing India’s growing market outside of Delhi + the ever-changing role of editor-in-chief and having to deal with twitter wars (2:38)
• The Vogue Sisterhood:  Rochelle talks all about learning every day from the legendary Anna Wintour and getting to see her work up close + She expresses her gratitude for the support and advice of her predecessors Megha Kapoor and Priya Tanna (8:56)
• Tapping into the Indian Zeitgeist:  How the boom in the fashion scene and demand for Indian luxury goods in even small towns reflects the growing pride in Indian identity + discovering pride marches in small Indian towns +  Indian artists not needing validation from America (22:06)
• Current Projects: Balancing 64 projects across multiple time zones + the booming beauty industry in India + celebrating the third year of Forces of Fashion (23:46)
• Rochelle’s Learning Curve: Being the youngest columnist in Hindustan Times and what she wouldn’t get away with on today’s social media  + Co-authoring Kareena Kapoor Khan's first book + Adapting to the age of cancel culture and the perspective from her mother “You’re not that important.”
• Working with Twinkle Khanna:  Rochelle shares her experience as founding editor of Tweak, and how Twinkle taught her to stand by her convictions (34:05)
• Growing Up in Goa:  Rochelle celebrates learning to change tires as well as diapers + the inspiration she draws from her parents (37:56)
• Keeping a Shanti Over You: How staying with her parents and sleeping in her old bed  keeps Rochelle’s perspective + not letting your identity be defined by your job (45:17)
• Rapid Fire Round:  (48:20)
• Rochelle’s Bucket List:  (49:36)

Connect with Rochelle:

• Linkedin
• Instagram

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

We're going to Broadway!

Today, I am talking with the two South Asian leads in a very beloved Broadway show: Michael Maliakel and Sonya Balsara, who play Aladdin and Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway.

Michael made his Broadway debut with Aladdin in September 2021.  He has had theater experience, including being part of the national tour of the Phantom of the Opera. Sonya also made her Broadway debut as Jasmine in Aladdin and has recently worked on the pre-Broadway lab of The Karate Kid, Sense and Sensibility, and West Side Story in Tokyo, Japan.

In this episode, we talk about South Asian representation, what working on Broadway has really meant to them, and they also share some super fun behind-the-scenes stories. 

What we talked about:

• Broadway Journey: Michael describes auditioning during COVID with a flying carpet on Zoom + how the Aladdin cast is more ethnically diverse post-George Floyd  + Sonya relates her excitement on getting her first break on Broadway. (01:49)
• History of Aladdin on Broadway:  How the show was adapted from the original movie + how the leads put their unique spin on the beloved Broadway hit (06:59)
• South Asia Takes On Hollywood:  Michael and Sonya describe their unusual position as South Asian leads in a Broadway hit + the expansion of South Asians into the entertainment industries compared to the 1980’s and the reduction of stereotyping and typecasting. (10:35)
• Wow Moments: Sonya describes the inspiration and lessons learned from playing the Girls Scout Convention on Disney Broadway + Michael talks about performing Aladdin for his parents + South Asian parents’ fears for their children’s career paths (16:08)
• Bollywood on Broadway?: How Bollywood shaped the leads’ childhood + the possibility of Broadway incorporating Bollywood in the future (21:19)
• Daily Grind of Showbiz: The unique challenges of needing to sing, dance, and act and having to do each performance as if for the first time (26:52)
• Looking to the Future: The leads describe the rare good fortune of being in a long-running show + becoming a first-time Dad mid-show  (31:34)
• Growing up South Asian: Sonya opens up about being half-Indian half-white and not totally belonging + Michael reveals how growing up Indian Catholic led to him being teased by fellow Indians + the importance of accepting and celebrating your identity (36:29)
• Fast Fun Round: Pet peeves, celebrity crushes, greatest bloopers, ultimate professional collaboration  (45:59)

Connect with Michael:

• Website
• imdb
• Instagram

Connect with Sonya:

• Website
• imdb
• Instagram

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram
   

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

In honor of SXSW coming up next week, I wanted to share a previous episode with one of the keynote speakers for the conference!

Rohit Bhargava is the Founder and Chief Trend Curator of the Non-Obvious Company and is widely considered one of the most entertaining and original speakers on trends and marketing in the world.

Rohit believes the world needs more Non-Obvious thinking. He helps leaders and professionals to be more open minded, see what others miss and learn to anticipate the future. He is the author of seven popular business books, including his signature Non-Obvious Megatrends which has been read or shared by more than 1 million people and was a #1 WSJ bestseller + USA Today bestseller earlier this year.

Outside of speaking and consulting, Rohit is also the co-founder of Ideapress Publishing - a fast growing independent publisher that specializes in working with top authors to publish beautiful business books.

We talk about what a Futurist does, why he is the trend  guy, what the Human Mode trend is and why it's here to stay, how starting a publishing company kept him from becoming an a&&hole, and the reasons he wanted to start supporting the South Asian community.

 Kavita Mehta is a a non-profit leader with 20 years of service and a deep commitment to fostering cultural change, organizational transformation, and movement building.

Kavita is the Executive Director for Sahki for South Asian Women, a survivor-led gender justice organization whose goal is to eradicate gender-based and domestic violence. Sakhi is the second largest organization of its kind in the US, and celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. It has really changed the conversation on gender-based violence in our community while uniting survivors and institutions to work together.

In our conversation,  Kavita delves into how Sakhi provides a safe space and community for survivors; the high rate of gender violence in the South Asian diaspora, the challenges in overcoming it, and its connections to South Asian culture and beliefs. We talk about South Asian family dynamics and how they have impacted us, She generously opens up about her own trauma, how it drove her to do the job she does, and how she overcomes trauma to this day

What we talked about: 

• Kavita’s Sakhi Journey:  How Kavita joined Sakhi at the advent of the MeToo movement + the challenge of COVID + preparing for the migrant crisis in New York City. (6:26)
• A Force for Transformative Change:  Sakhi’s unique holistic survivor outreach from counseling to housing + how 48% of South Asian Americans have experienced gender-based violence  +  Saki’s inclusive rebranding (10:50)
• The Need for True Community and Safety: How fear of judgment and the need to keep up appearance isolates and suffocates South Asians + how feeling like an outsider in childhood impacts adulthood  19:45)
• Live in the Trauma Or Live in the Healing: Kavita opens up about her violent and traumatic childhood + haunted by the life her mother could have had + how she found healing through her work with Sakhi + South Asians breaking the stigma around mental health. (24:31)
• The Hidden Trauma in South Asian Families: Amy and Kavita reflect on their gradual awareness of childhood toxicity + the need to educate the next generation  (29:02)
• What next for Sakhi: Celebrating Sakhi’s 35th anniversary + ringing the bell of the New York Stock Exchange + gala (34:16)
• Lessons Learned: Kavita’s anxiety, learning when to accelerate and when to slow down + Sharing internal struggles of making decisions (37:26)
• The Need for Self-Care: Kavita talks frankly about her need for regular therapy +  the case that haunts her to this day (39:30)
• Rapid Fire Questions: (42:35)
• Kavita’s Bucket List: (45:36)

Connect with Kavita:

• Sakhi for South Asian Women
• Linkedin

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram
   

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

When I met my next guest for the first time after getting to know her on social media, I felt like I’d known her forever. 

Akruti Babaria is the founder of Kulture Khazana , a business is dedicated to sharing Indian culture with children through educational and play activities. 

Her story began in 2018 after the birth of her son, Ayaan. When Akruti realized that the diverse places she has lived in had no sign of her culture or community, so she decided to do something about it

Now through Kulture Khazana, Akruti is able to shares the South Asian culture with children around the US  and all of its beautiful treasures.

Kulture Khazana has a variety of incredible Indian toys and Diwali gifts as well as games, puzzles and online story albums for kids of all ages.   Kulture Khazana is also is now the first Indian cultural toy brand founded in target.com and nordstrom.com, and now will be launching with macys.com this year!

As a mother of two little girls who is trying to share our culture as much as possible . I could not recommend checking out Kulture Khazana more.

What we talked about:

• Going full force for Holi: Akruti talks about the upcoming launch at Macy + her new products that make Holi safe and fun + her most popular product (02:52)
• The Story of Kulture Khazana:  Akruti shares her original journey to normalize Indian culture through stories  + the challenge of COVID + the diversity of products and sensory experiences in Kulture Khazana
• Personal Highlights: Akruti shares her pride in talking to her son’s school for Diwali + her new school district campaign to expand South Asian culture to all classrooms. (19:31)
• Lessons from Akruti’s Journey:  People are willing to help +  Not letting “no” ruin your larger purpose is the key to peace of mind  (23:27)
• Growing up Brown in School: Akruti opens up about being treated differently for being Indian + how it became the impetus to help Indian girls find their voice (27:18)
• Women in Indian Culture:   Challenging the subservient view of women in traditional Indian stories. (34:15)
• What Next? Akruti gives the lowdown on her upcoming projects (39:08)
• Rapid fire questions (40:10)

Connect with Akruti:

• Kulture Khazana
• Linkedin
• Instagram

Let’s Connect:

Instagram
 

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

How is it February already??  While we are working on a few other projects these past few weeks, we're going to share an episode from the end of last year that we also submitted for The Webby Awards this year.  Please do go watch "To Kill A Tiger", it's one of the most powerful documentaries I've seen

Nisha Pahuja is a writer, an artist, and director and now an Emmy-nominated filmmaker. Her passion for social impact is marked by a quiet courage towards exploring complex social issues that often breed division through the lens of her camera. We chat about her latest award-winning documentary "To Kill a Tiger," which has won 19 awards from prestigious festivals such as TIFF, Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Canadian Screen Awards, and Doc Aviv and has names like Dev Patel and Mindy Kaling attached to it. The film earned its way on The New York Times Most Anticipated Fall Releases list and Anne Thompson at the IndieWire’s Oscar Contenders list.

I had the pleasure of moderating the premier of the film here in Dallas with some of the executive producers and was absolutely blown away by the film.

Nisha's storytelling prowess goes beyond this latest project, with notable credits like the Emmy-nominated "The World Before Her," the documentary "Bollywood Bound," and the insightful series "Diamond Road." Her work doesn't just capture stories; it sparks conversations and challenges perspectives, especially around themes of cultural evolution, the reality of stereotypical depictions, and the grip that shame has on so many of us. As an immigrant from India to Canada, Nisha's unique vantage point enriches her narratives, bridging diverse worlds with empathy and insight. Her journey is not just about making films but also the art of fostering understanding, catalyzing change, and alchemizing adversity into inspiration.  

We talked about: 

• How Nisha got involved with Kill A Tiger and what she feels were the hardest parts to film (4:16)
• Western and eastern societal parallels around discussing and handling sexual assault (8:10)
• Nisha’s relationship with shame and the concept of shame as a cultural inheritance (12:05)
• How Karen and her family are doing now and current projects in the works  (17:20)
• What experiencing immigrating from India and growing up in Canada was like (18:50)
• Nisha’s relationship with our culture (23:50)
• The World Before Her, the initial journey to documentary making, and her perspective on representation (29:30)

Connect with Nisha Pahuja

• Instagram
• Linkedin

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by

 Ginni Media

Nick Rathod has been thinking a lot about the power of culture and using it as a platform for change.  And he has some experience with that.

Over the span of his 20-year career, Nick Rathod has built successful campaigns, businesses, governmental and non-governmental institutions and been a key advisor to the nation's leaders. Nick has served as special assistant to the President and Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House, and was also the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama-Biden transition team. 

Nick has also built a number of nonprofit organizations. Most notably, Nick was the founder and first Executive Director of the State Innovation Exchange. Nick has most recently served as the campaign manager for Beto's race for governor of Texas. He is now the President of Impact and a founding partner in the People of Culture Studios in Hollywood, California. 

Nick shares his vision of affecting real change by using Hollywood culture to connect people of color to the mainstream, how he brought his 20 years of experience in politics to bear on the upcoming election, and his fascinating journey of growing up brown in rural Nebraska.

Nick is also currently a partner in building the first ever sneaker and streetwear museum in Houston, TX.  NBD.

Honestly, Nick is one of those undercover badasses that has done so much in his professional journey, is sincerely the kindest to everyone, and really never asked for the spotlight. 

We need more people like Nick in this world. 

What we talked about:

• People of Culture Studios + how Hollywood movies can bring stories of sexism and patriarchy as well as people of color to Middle America + bridging Hollywood and DC. (04:35)
• DEI and the challenge of creating authentic brown stories in movies without becoming a niche. (14:27)
• #ImmaBeHonest and tackling mental health taboos in the Black and South Asian communities. (16:06)
• United Dream Fund supporting immigrant investors + building the first ever sneaker and streetwear museum in Houston. (22:24)
• Beto campaign and championing women's reproductive health, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in Texas + Nick’s love of Texas. (26:51)
• Election year: Democrats need to break out of the DC bubble and connect with people to beat Trump + how Vivek Ramaswany embodies the worst stereotypes of South Asian men. (29:54)
• How Nick’s family have supported him in his career + balancing individuality and compromise in marriage. (36:33)
• Growing up brown and poor in Nebraska and overcoming racism and bullying to develop empathy + his sister, the debt owed to his immigrant parents and taking his father to meet Obama. (39:04)
• Rapid fire questions (50:29)
• Nick’s bucket list. (51:35)

Connect with Nick: 

• Linkedin
• Instagram.com
• Twitter
• Facebook

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a Harvard physician, stress expert, speaker, national television correspondent, and host of the podcast, Time Out with Eve Rodsky. She is also a lecturer at Harvard Medical School in the Division of Global Health and Social Medicine, and serves as the co-director of the Clinical Clerkship in Community Engagement. She has spoken at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, the HBS Women's Conference, and many other events.

Most importantly, her new book, The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience, came out this past week, where she focuses on how to maintain healthy levels of stress.

In our conversation, we reflect on how the pandemic and other traumatic events of the last three  years have impacted us all. Aditi shines a light on the unique challenges that make us more stressed out than our parents and opens up about the insights into stress she gained on her journey as a patient and as an expert while sharing practical tools for navigating the new normal.

Reading this book was probably the best thing I've done for myself to start out the year!

What we talked about: 

• How stress and burnout is the norm not the exception. You are not alone and it is not your fault. (03:54)
• How information overload impacts the natural stress of parenting (08:55)
• Healthy versus unhealthy stress + achieving the “sweet spot.” (18:04)
• Dismantling the myth of multitasking + monotask to overcome stress and burnout.(21:26)
• Aditi’s stress journey + her personal techniques for relaxation. + supporting the gut-brain connection to decrease stress-triggered illness. (25:55)
• Aditi’s family immigration story + tackling  taboos of mental illness in South Asian culture and around the world. (36:14)
• Aditi’s deep connection to Bombay as key to her Indian identity. (42:09)
• Rapid fire questions. (49:05)

Connect with Aditi Nerurkar: 

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Linkedin
• Podcast

Let’s Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by

 Ginni Media

We're back!  It's the new year and we hope everyone had a safe and peaceful holiday....and we also hope you're ready to get Tuckered Out this year! And what a way to start off 2024...

Megha Tolia is the President and COO of Shondaland as well as a beacon of ingenuity and leadership. Her professional journey began at Neutrogena and spanned over 20 years, where she honed her expertise in building mission-driven, consumer-centric brands. Her trajectory took a thrilling turn when she leaped into the media universe, bringing her strategic prowess to Shondaland, the brainchild of the legendary Shonda Rhimes. Megha shares her transition from the structured world of consumer goods to the vibrant and unpredictable realm of television production. It's a narrative of embracing new challenges and the excitement of stepping into the unknown.

In our conversation, Megha delves into her personal journey, reflecting on her rich Indian heritage and the influence of her family’s immigration story.  We also discuss navigating the complexities of the entertainment industry, her role in supporting Shonda Rhimes’ vision, and her efforts to implement structure and strategy in a creative powerhouse. 

As we reflect on the year and look ahead, Megha's journey provides an inspiring example of balancing tradition with innovation, and structure with creativity. 

We talk about:  

• Moving to Dallas, Texas + adjusting to a new city (2:41)
• The learning curve of shifting from CPG to the entertainment industry + discovering the initial opportunity (8:52)
• Megha's favorite Shondaland shows to watch and work on (20:11)
• How their team has grown + what it's been like working so close with Shonda Rhimes (28:59)
• Becoming a co-founding director of the William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and SMU Cox School of Business (35:57)
• Magha's family immigration story + how she nurtured her love of dance growing up (40:45)
• Rapid Fire Questions (52:09)

Connect with Magha: 

• Linkedin

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by

 Ginni Media

.