Season-5, episode 1 of “ZENPod”, featuring Smt. Triveni Acharya

A Lifelong Humanitarian, a Woman Who Has Been Fighting Sex-Traffickers since 1993.

One of the 100 women achievers awarded by the President of India. Triveni co-founded the “Rescue Foundation” in the year 2000.

https://www.rescuefoundation.net

“Spirituality is Search for meaning of Life, something that cannot be explained in words, that is different from the real world, your Spirit. Listening to your inner voice, fighting against injustice, service to Humanity, maintaining your

self-balance is Spirituality:,”, says Triveni Acharya, in her conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan.

Triveni co-founded Rescue Foundation in the year 2000 with her Late Husband, Mr. Balkrishna Acharya, sheltering survivors in their own home and assumed its presidency. The organization is devoted to the "rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation of victims for human trafficking from different parts of India, Nepal & Bangladesh and sold for forced prostitution", and has been conducting "brothel raids" since 1993. The organization frees roughly 300 girls a year, and also provides counseling & job training.

2003 - Inaugurated Rescue Foundations Mumbai home supporting 100 survivors

2005 - After the tragic death of her husband, she took over rescue foundation as President.

2007 - Expanded rehabilitation operations, inaugurated Boisar home, a project on over 50 acres of land complete with multiple facilities such as training centre, recovery care centre, agriculture area etc.

2009 - Expanded rehabilitation operations to Pune, inaugurated Pune home with capacity of 100 survivors

2017 - Expanded rehabilitation operations to Delhi, Inaugurated Delhi home with capacity to house 100 survivors

Triveni has won several awards, some of the significant ones being;

• Stree Shakti Award for Women Entrepreneurs

• Asia Democracy and Human Rights award by the Taiwan Foundation by Taiwanese president

• Civil Courage prize of the Train Foundation, awarded annually to those “who resolutely combat evil”

• Humanitarian Honoree of World of Children award(twice)

• Thomson Reuters’ “Stop Slavery award”

• Dare to Dream award

• The Rajiv Gandhi Manav seva award

• Iconic Woman of the year award by Indian Merchants Chamber

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

TRIVENI ACHARYA, a Lifelong Humanitarian, a Woman Who Has Been Fighting Sex-Traffickers since 1993.

One of the 100 women achievers awarded by the President of India.

Triveni Acharya is an Indian journalist and activist living in Mumbai, best known for her work with the anti-sex-trafficking group the Rescue Foundation

Triveni co-founded the Rescue Foundation with her Late Husband, Mr. Balkrishna Acharya, sheltering survivors in their own home. Triveni Acharya assumed its presidency following his death. The organization is devoted to the "rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation of victims for human trafficking from different parts of India, Nepal & Bangladesh and sold for forced prostitution", and has been conducting "brothel raids" since 1993. The organization frees roughly 300 girls a year, and also provides counseling, job training, and HIV testing. Because these raids often result in serious financial loss or imprisonment for sex traffickers, Acharya has received several death threats as the result of her work.

Yet another season of “ZENPod” completed. What a journey it has been, for this season too.

Engaging with enlightened minds, leaders who have gone beyond themselves and empowered the eco system, such a learning!

Season 4 has also been an enriching experience, engaging with the stalwarts and masters of their respective Arts.

Thank you to:-

Ms. Sudha Raghunathan, Padma Bhushan awardee, Sangita Kalanidhi, ‘Kalaimamani’

Founder, Sudhaarnava Academy for Musical Excellence & “Samudhaaya” Foundation.

Shri Amarjeet Singh Chawla - The Turban Traveler, 61 years young retired Garment Exporter turned Film maker

Full time International Road Traveller known as “The Turban Traveller”.

Smt. Belaa Sanghvi

Indian evangelist and revivalist of Handloom, Handicrafts & Khadi

President – The crafts Council of Maharashtra, MD-Navanidhi design solutions,

Raga Olga D’silvA

Top100 wonder women in Advertising & Marketing-2021

Speaker, Author, LGBT Advocate, Entrepreneur

Shri Bhawani Singh Shekawat

CEO and Trustee – UK/Europe for “The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK”

Co-founder of Adhyayan Asia, Advisory Board at Vedica Scholars Program and HaikuJam(UK), listed speaker on London Speakers Bureau

Ms. Colleen Clines

Social Entrepreneur, Impact Designer,

Winner of NABWO Humanitarian Award

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

Season-4, episode 10 of “ZENPod”, featuring Colleen Clines,

Co-Founder & CEO - “Anchal”, a non-profit social enterprise.

https://anchalproject.org

Colleen was named was named one of Public Interest Design's Top Global 100 designers. Colleen was also awarded the NABWO Humanitarian award.

Colleen used design thinking to create innovative solutions for tackling social inequalities and reform traditional textile manufacturing practices.

“Spirituality for me is about Love and Belief that there is a bigger world outside of me and I really need to contribute to that and that’s my purpose for being here”, says Colleen Clines, in her conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan.

“We felt compelled to take the project beyond the classroom with the conviction that our design training, in collaboration with local leadership, could address seemingly intractable social and environmental systems. The women we met became our sisters, sisters we had to fight for.” - Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO of Anchal

“We both had linear projections for our careers. Then I saw that we could have more impact than I ever anticipated as a young woman. So I jumped onboard and we decided to make a go of it!” - Maggie Clines, COO & Creative Director

Colleen values how design can become the tool for sustainable solutions to gender inequality, social injustice, and environmental degradation. She combines this passion as a social entrepreneur and impact designer through her work at Anchal. A Louisville native with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky, Colleen earned her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). During her time in graduate school, she initiated the founding of Anchal alongside her sister Maggie after a trip to India.

Anchal is based on the philosophy that we can create positive change in the world through collaboration in design. We are a team of designers, storytellers, activists, and dreamers.

With backgrounds in design, sisters Colleen and Maggie Clines lead the organization by placing design and collaboration at the center of Anchal’s practice.

It all started in a design studio. Colleen Clines was taking a graduate seminar at the Rhode Island School of Design that took her on a trip to India in 2009. Through local leadership, Colleen was introduced to the exploitive world of the commercial sex trade and the lack of opportunity for women in the community. It was in this moment she was inspired to design more than beautiful landscapes, she was determined to collaborate with the NGO using design.

Colleen leads the overall strategic and operational planning for Anchal’s programs, partnerships, expansion, and execution of its mission. In 2013, she was named one of Public Interest Design’s Top Global 100 designers. She was awarded Sacred Heart Academy's Heart Award in 2015 and Presentation Academy's Tower award in 2014. Most recently Colleen was named to Louisville Business First’s 2016 Forty under 40 List, and awarded the 2017 NAWBO Humanitarian Award. Colleen has shared Anchal's mission and design thinking model as a keynote speaker at gatherings including the Fair Trade Federation National Conference, NY NOW, the Ali Center's Daughters of Greatness Series, Creative Mornings Louisville and Alt Summit.

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

Curtain raiser - Season-4, episode 10 of “ZENPod”, featuring Colleen Clines,

Co-Founder & CEO - “Anchal”, a non-profit social enterprise.

https://anchalproject.org

Colleen was named was named one of Public Interest Design's Top Global 100 designers. Colleen was also awarded the NABWO Humanitarian award.

Colleen used design thinking to create innovative solutions for tackling social inequalities and reform traditional textile manufacturing practices.

“We felt compelled to take the project beyond the classroom with the conviction that our design training, in collaboration with local leadership, could address seemingly intractable social and environmental systems. The women we met became our sisters, sisters we had to fight for.” - Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO of Anchal

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

Season-4, episode 9 of “ZENPod”, featuring Bhawani Singh Shekawat.

Bhawani is the CEO and Trustee – UK/Europe for “The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK”. www.tapf.org.uk

He is the Co-Founder of Adhyayan Asia and serves on the Advisory board at HaikuJam (UK) where he advises the start up. He was associated with Erehwon Consulting where he helped business and leadership realise their potential. Bhawani is a listed speaker on the London Bureau of Speakers and he speaks on Leadership, Purpose and suggests that at its core - every Enterprise ought to be a Social Enterprise.

He is a Faculty and member of the Advisory board at the Vedica Scholars Program and Vedica Women’s Alliance V-WA (www.vedicascholars.com)

“Spirituality is coming in contact with a very-very best version that you are; call it the spirit, soul or your deepest self. It is experiencing that ‘SELF’ in the most honest and least judgemental manner”, says Bhawani Singh Shekawat, in his conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan.

We are all born geniuses and the purpose of human life is to find an interface for that genius... and food can truly be the catalyst for that interface.”.. says Bhawani

After a career of a few decades in the Corporate world in Asia, Middle East, Africa, North America & Europe, where he led large multi-national business and global teams in organisations including Nielsen, Reckitt Benckiser and Coca-Cola, Bhawani has now committed himself to a life of service, particularly for. I have now completely dedicated myself to playing a part in making our world a better place, particularly for our children. He currently leads the Akshaya Patra Foundation – a global leader in Food for Education as CEO Europe and as a Trustee on the Board.

He is a mentor, a top leadership coach and advisor. He serves on a number of Boards in a Non-Exec and advisory capacity, including The Adhyayan Foundation (Co-Founder), The Vedica Scholars Programme and Women’s Alliance and Haiku JAM. A highly sought-after speaker and thought leader, Bhawani is a listed member of the London Bureau of Speakers on Customer Centricity, Insight, Innovation and Leadership.” Bhawani lives in London, UK.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world’s largest NGO-directed school meal program, feeding over 1.8 million children every day. Since its founding in 2000, the organization has grown to serve millions of children and recently served it 3.5 Billionth meal.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation www.tapf.org.uk (meaning = a vessel which never runs out of food) is the world’s largest, and perhaps the most celebrated school meals program. The program has witnessed quantum growth on the one hand but has also received tremendous acclaim for innovation, strategy, impact and scale. Currently we serve over 1.8 million children every day and have served over 3 billion meals! In the UK, we serve a large number of homeless and children suffering from Holiday hunger. As a leader of this organisation in Europe, Bhawani leads Strategy, Innovation and Initiatives around Akshaya Patra’s Social Enterprise.

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

Curtain raiser “ZENPod”, featuring Bhawani Singh Shekawat.

Bhawani is the CEO and Trustee – UK/Europe for “The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK”. www.tapf.org.uk

He is the Co-Founder of Adhyayan Asia and serves on the Advisory board at HaikuJam (UK) where he advises the start up. He was associated with Erehwon Consulting where he helped business and leadership realise their potential. Bhawani is a listed speaker on the London Bureau of Speakers and he speaks on Leadership, Purpose and suggests that at its core - every Enterprise ought to be a Social Enterprise.

He is a Faculty and member of the Advisory board at the Vedica Scholars Program and Vedica Women’s Alliance V-WA (www.vedicascholars.com)

We are all born geniuses and the purpose of human life is to find an interface for that genius... and food can truly be the catalyst for that interface.”.. says Bhawani

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

Season-4, episode 8 (part 2) of “ZENPod”, featuring Raga Olga D’Silva.

Raga was listed amongst Top100 wonder women in Advertising and Marketing in 2021.

Website: www.ragadsilva.com

Social media :- Instagram | FB | Twitter: @totallyoutnow

“Spirituality is being connected with your own self. When you have purpose and choice and you lead a meaningful life by choice, that is the true form of spirituality. Practising kindness, Compassion & Empathy; is finding your true purpose, finding divinity and that is spirituality, says Raga D’silva, in her conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan.

With over 25 years of experience in the creative field, Raga has worked in senior positions in advertising in India and New Zealand and has been the recipient of several prestigious awards. Co-Founder and Director of Speaking Minds, a speaker marketing agency and international bureau, Raga is considered an expert on corporate speakers and B2B content curation.

Raga is a published author of Untold Lies. Her book is now available on amazon India and UK. A story she wrote during lockdown, loosely adapted from her life, is being made into an international feature film, by the acclaimed filmmaker, Onir.

Raga is a sought-after speaker on the subjects of Diversity & Inclusion, Unconscious Bias, LGBT issues, Building a Personal Brand and Doing Business in India (her talk on 'Holy Cow, so you think you know India is hugely successful across international corporate companies). As the South Asian Ambassador for Diabetes UK and a social influencer she has appeared on BBC, Sky TV, Channel 4, ITV and TVNZ to share her personal story and views to help prevent Diabetes. She has been on several boards over the years and was the first woman to be elected on the board of the India New Zealand Business Council. She is currently a Trustee on the board of CRY UK and on the D&I Council, Sony Pictures.

Raga is a mother of twins and divides her time between London, Mumbai and New Zealand and considers all three her home.

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

ZENPod Season-4, episode 7, featuring Raga Olga D’Silva.

Raga was listed amongst Top100 wonder women in Advertising and Marketing in 2021.

Website: www.ragadsilva.com

Social media :- Instagram | FB | Twitter: @totallyoutnow

With over 25 years of experience in the creative field, Raga has worked in senior positions in advertising in India and New Zealand and has been the recipient of several prestigious awards. Co-Founder and Director of Speaking Minds, a speaker marketing agency and international bureau, Raga is considered an expert on corporate speakers and B2B content curation.

“Spirituality is being connected with your own self. When you have purpose and choice and you lead a meaningful life by choice, that is the true form of spirituality. Practising kindness, Compassion & Empathy; is finding your true purpose, finding divinity and that is spirituality, says Raga D’silva, in her conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan.

Raga is a published author of Untold Lies. Her book is now available on amazon India and UK. A story she wrote during lockdown, loosely adapted from her life, is being made into an international feature film, by the acclaimed filmmaker, Onir.

Raga is a sought-after speaker on the subjects of Diversity & Inclusion, Unconscious Bias, LGBT issues, Building a Personal Brand and Doing Business in India (her talk on 'Holy Cow, so you think you know India is hugely successful across international corporate companies). As the South Asian Ambassador for Diabetes UK and a social influencer she has appeared on BBC, Sky TV, Channel 4, ITV and TVNZ to share her personal story and views to help prevent Diabetes. She has been on several boards over the years and was the first woman to be elected on the board of the India New Zealand Business Council. She is currently a Trustee on the board of CRY UK and on the D&I Council, Sony Pictures.

Raga is a mother of twins and divides her time between London, Mumbai and New Zealand and considers all three her home.

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.

ZENPod curtain raiser, featuring Raga D’Silva.

Raga was listed amongst Top100 wonder women in Advertising and Marketing in 2021.

Raga is a published author of Untold Lies. Her book is now available on amazon India and UK. A story she wrote during lockdown, loosely adapted from her life, is being made into an international feature film, by the acclaimed filmmaker, Onir.

Raga can be reached on :-

Website: www.ragadsilva.com

Social media :- Instagram | FB | Twitter: @totallyoutnow

“ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life’s pursuit.