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In our country, Indian Americans are a group that defies being painted in one stroke, be it in political/ideological leanings, definition of identity, or perception of their place in society. So, why not then hear directly from a diverse group of Indian-Americans, or desis, their experience, through light-hearted, casual conversations, and see if we can find common threads, maybe shed some myths, and hear some interesting stories!
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Send us a text On this podcast we have been talking about preserving the wonderful Indian values of prioritizing family, education, respectfulness and such virtues but we have not talked enough about the other side of Indian society such as women being objectified and finding themselves vulnerable and up against many obstacles when it comes to asserting their freedom and sometimes matters relating to something as basic as their personal safety. The film Pinch that debuted at the Tribeca Festi...
Send us a text In this unique episode I speak to two noteworthy people: Dr. Ratan Sinh Mehta, a centenarian, an amazing man who has left an indelible imprint on the lives of so many people in his life of 100 years and continues to be amazingly articulate, eloquent and a really good sport! He shares his wisdom and his priorities in the long life that he has lived as a brilliant cardiologist, neurologist and an overall disciplined, strong and inspiring man. I then speak to his son Deepak Mehta ...
Send us a text In this podcast episode, I have a conversation with Rashi Livesey, an Indian American millennial pursuing a master's degree in social work. Rashi eloquently expresses her pride in her Indian heritage, discusses the challenges of maintaining her Indian identity in the US, and emphasizes the importance of embracing cultural roots while acknowledging its complexities. She also touches on the pressures and pitfalls of the 'model minority' stereotype and challenges the narrow defini...
Send us a text In this episode, our guest is Rajvi, a 28 year-old software engineer at Microsoft living in New York City. Born and raised in New Jersey, with a stint in Seattle, Rajvi shares her journey of embracing her Indian heritage while growing up in America. From being raised vegetarian in a Jain household to adopting veganism, she reflects on the cultural influence her Indian upbringing had on her, including dance, music and cuisine, and how it shaped her identity amidst the challenges...
Send us a text In this captivating interview, Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, New Jersey, serving as the city's 39th mayor since 2018, shares his journey from a civil rights lawyer to a two-term mayor. He discusses his childhood, his path to politics catalyzed by a grassroots campaign for Barack Obama, and the challenges and achievements during his tenure. Mayor Bhalla also speaks about the importance of identity and heritage, and his future aspirations, encouraging fellow Indian Americans to d...
Send us a text Samina Radia is a sophomore at Adelphi University majoring in political science, who, at just 19 years old, exemplifies dedication to public service, highlighted by her various roles such as interning at the New York City mayor's office, active involvement in the Student Government Association and engagement with The Innocence Project. She shares her experience of growing up in diverse New York City, and the impact of being South-Asian American in striving to meet 'model ...
Send us a text In this interview, Shaun Vakil, also known as Paz, discusses his two-decade-long career in music as a DJ and music curator for Paz America. He shares his experiences working with top hospitality brands, Fortune 500 companies, and philanthropic foundations, as well as performing at intimate events worldwide. Shaun recounts his upbringing in central New Jersey, where he grew up in a diverse and idyllic Americana environment with supportive parents who encouraged him to find his p...
Send us a text In this episode, I chat with Anika, a first-generation Indian American and pharmaceutical market access consultant, who shares her remarkable journey of balancing her rich Indian heritage with a modern digital nomadic lifestyle. From her roots in New Jersey to her traveling adventures spanning across Seattle, London, and South America, Anika delves into her unique identity, the cultural significance of her name, and how her upbringing shaped her professional aspirations. She al...
Send us a text In the second episode of the young generation’s perceptions and aspirations about life as an Indian American, Anchal Dhir, in her gentle, sensitive, inimitable way, shares candidly and generously her thoughts and feelings about the importance of heritage, identity in the world of performing arts, and her compassion toward her parents’ generation. Anchal also explains beautifully the details of the art and skills that she has learned and honed, and is hoping to fully embrace a...
Send us a text In this episode, I welcome Addy Pai, a young millennial working in sustainable research in New York City. Addy, who was born in India and raised in New Jersey, shares her love for both her Indian culture and American identity. We discuss her upbringing in an immigrant household, her current role integrating sustainability into investment processes, and her aspirations to complete the CFA exams. Addy reflects on how her Indian heritage influences her personal and professi...
Send us a text In the Season 1 conclusion of the Indian American Experience podcast, we reflect on the intricate layers of the Indian American experience, the diversity of answers we got to the questions on identity, cultural heritage, parenting styles, assimilation and more. There were some patterns formed and some myths shed but the most outstanding revelation was the uniqueness of everyone’s experiences and perceptions. Season 2 is up next, where we will continue to celebrate the evolving...
Send us a text In this episode, retired senior IT executive Sanjay Bery shares his inspiring journey from growing up in a vibrant joint family in Delhi to becoming a successful tech leader and a dedicated community leader in New Jersey. Sanjay discusses the cultural dynamics of his upbringing, his unexpected path to the U.S., and the challenge of balancing career ambitions with cancer recovery. He emphasizes the importance of sharing one's story, integrating diverse treatment approaches, an...
Send us a text Jai Shekhawat is the Chairman, Technology Advisory Board, Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC. He was the Founder and former CEO of SAP Fieldglass, maker of the world’s most widely used Cloud platform for the procurement of contract labor and services. Under his leadership, the Fieldglass platform grew globally with users in 120 countries, multiple languages and currencies and over $50 billion in annual spend. Fieldglass was acquired by SAP in 2014. He is Ernst &Young’s 2012 Mi...
Send us a text My guest Kapil Seth was born and raised in India, and came to the US about 40 years back and got his doctorate degree in Economics from The New School in NY. Kapil is a fine and rare gems specialist, though he describes it a little differently! Kapil has two adult boys and lives in New Jersey with his wife Taruni. Through his interesting and engaging stories he shares his diverse experiences during his trips to find the most flawless of gemstones and talks about his prin...
Send us a text Prema Roddam is a senior associate with the New Jersey office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, a firm of 6000 professionals across 60 offices worldwide (https://www.fragomen.com/). She focuses her practice in the areas of global mobility, workforce management, corporate immigration, related corporate compliance and advisory services. Her experience spans across various industry verticals such as Telecom, IT, Healthcare, Pharma and Entertainment. Prema is an exper...
Send us a text My guest Rajinder Rai is a Wellness Coach and the founder of Sunrais Health that empowers women in midlife through information and inspiration. Rajinder has taken her expertise in physiology and biochemistry along with her training in functional medicine to create her unique women-centric coaching. Through the lens of being a mother and a pharmacist, she works with women to use midlife as a catalyst to achieve their highest potential by providing personalized plans and support...
Send us a text In this episode, I interview Pradip Patiath, currently a senior partner at McKinsey & Company. Pradip shares how serendipity molded his career and personal life paths. He recounts his journey working for Schlumberger in Europe to studying computer science in the twin cities to earning his MBA, the happy coincidences as well as the personal challenges including his brother's illness, and how his close-knit circle of friends and family helped him overcome those challenges and...
Send us a text My guest Deepak Verma’s is a story of deep dedication and drive, of building up on one rich experience to lead to another bigger and more impactful accomplishment, each done with selflessness and grace and joy. In spite of all his accomplishments, Deepak is remarkably unassuming and has a very generous attitude toward people and life. Interestingly, that may explain his degree of success and the joy he continues to derive from his work. It’s interesting because Deepak’s definit...
Send us a text My guests this week are VijayaLakshmi Nagaraj and Anirvan Sengupta. Together they are a confluence of spirited dedication, intelligence and wisdom. VijayaLakshmi, Viji to her family and friends, got her Doctorate degree in Microbiology from India. She has undertaken various adventures since then, including her one year of research at Trieste, Italy followed by a quarter century of work at Rutgers University as a researcher in Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular biol...
Send us a text My lovely guest this week, Nadia Jagessar, is an Indo-Caribbean Jersey girl who may be best known for her appearance on Netflix's "Indian Matchmaking". But Nadia is much, much more than an ex-cast member of a reality show. She is a vibrant, spirited go-getter loving her life and firing on all cylinders while being a warm, gentle and thoughtful human being. Nadia is the founder and owner of Euphoria Events, an event planning company that specializes in weddings. She ...
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