Taking Chances

There are no short cuts in life says our guest - Raj Gopalakrishnan the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at KOGO Tech Labs - India’s only AI travel expert app.  Raj is a professional with more than three decades of rich experience in media, entertainment, design, content, video technologies and AI under his belt.  Adept at building businesses from the ground up he has founded and transformed six start-ups into successful corporate brands. An avid biker and traveling enthusiast, his passion for travel and culture became a huge part of his professional journey with KOGO.  In this episode he talks about his life’s pursuits, motivations, leadership mantras and of course KOGO.  This is Taking Chances.

What better way to get to know our guest here on The Taking Chances podcast than a round of snappy and energising Quick Takes.  

Our guest today is Nikhil Taneja, a multi-award-winning writer, producer, storyteller, entrepreneur, teacher and youth mental health advocate. He’s the co-founder and Chief of Yuvaa, India’s first Gen Z-driven youth media, research and impact organization. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the girls’ education focused international non-profit, Girl Rising. Nikhil is currently the creator and host of Be A Man, Yaar! - the viral chat series on positive masculinity. In this episode, he tells us to listen to young India, shares all that is important and interesting to him and why he believes Shahrukh Khan is a champion of positive masculinity.  This is Taking Chances.

Our guest on this podcast is Kanika Saxena, only the 2nd master scuba diving  trainer  in India. And that is just one of the many pies in which she has her fingers. A VP at a telecom major, a chef, a teacher, media honcho and an entrepreneur; she also graces the list of the most influential professionals of India.  With her vast and varied experience she has lot to say about what makes the consumer tick and how hard work always pays off. In this podcast she talks to us about her life lessons and how if you try hard enough you will always find a way. But don’t forget to have fun while you are at it, she says. This is Taking Chances.

We have with us Anupreet Dhody, co founder of I’m wholesome a food service startup that aims to provide healthy, sustainable and gourmet food services to guests She has 15 years of experience in finance, management, and entrepreneurship, plus a certification in permaculture design, which enables her to apply ecological principles and practices to food production and distribution. She has been recognized as one of the 99 Women Achievers of India for 2023 In this episode she talks about her passion for ingredients, customer service and the importance of innovation in food. We discovered what grazing tables are and how cool they have become in the last few years.  This is Taking chances. 

Our guest today is Tarun Katial Founder & CEO, coto (come together), a Web3 based social crypto community platform for women. A Kellogg’s alumnus and a TEDX speaker, Tarun excels at blending technology and consumer insights in building digital products. With an experience of over two decades, Tarun began his career with advertising. Later, he became the Head of Content and Communications at Star Network India before moving to Sony Entertainment Television as Business Head. He led BIG FM as the Founder COO-CEO before moving on to steering ZEE5, to a leadership position in the cluttered OTT market in India. He has been recognized as a Dreamer-Disruptor by Bloomberg-Quint, voted as NewsCorp Achiever for Asia and included among the best in the ‘India Today 30 on 30’ list. He was also part of the team that won the first Media Gold at Cannes. A digital thinker, Tarun is also a Vipassana practitioner and is single-mindedly focused on creating a decentralised web space designed for women that grants equal status to all. In this episode, he shares his content philosophy, importance of purpose and the need for self-talk. This is Taking Chances.

Our guest in this episode is one of the first woman to do stand-up comedy in India, the witty and incredibly funny Aditi Mittal.  She is a comedian, writer, actor and podcaster with many shows and accolades to her credit in India and abroad. Her stand up specials ‘Things they wouldn’t let me say’ and ‘Girl Meet’s Mic’ are on Netflix. She actively tours across many countries giving live performances and stand-up comedy workshops. In this podcast she speaks to us about her trials, challenges, passions and goals, in her now familiar humorous and candid style. With her mother as her muse and her wit on her sleeve, she takes life in her stride and is laughing her way through it. Just stop thinking, she says, go out there and do exactly what you want. This is Taking Chances.

Sam Balsara, has near 50 years’ experience in marketing and advertising, of which the last 34 years have been entrepreneurial. Sam has served as President or Chairman of almost every Industry body in the country. The Economic Times Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner ranks Sam as "India's Most Influential Media Person" for 11 years. Sam is also the recipient of the Advertising Agencies Association of India's Lifetime Achievement Award, Ad Club of Kolkata's Hall of Fame Award and has entered the International Advertising Association’s (IAA) Hall of Fame. Over the past 34 years, Madison has grown to become India's largest Indian owned communications company. In this episode, Sam talks about his journey, the chances he takes and the importance of integrity. This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today Shahana Goswami started her career at the age of 19 with Naseeruddin Shah's directorial début - Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. Most known for her performances in Rock On, Firaaq, Midnight's Children, she more recently has been seen in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy, Amazon's show Hush Hush, Netflix's Bombay Begums and most recently in Nandita Das's Zwigato. Shahana has varied interests - trained in classical dance, sports, fitness and spirituality. In this episode Shahana talks about her craft, her role models and why it is important to be in the moment fully. This is Taking Chances.  

Varun Duggirala is one of the leading conversationalist in business, personal development and creator landscape. He co-founded "The Glitch" in 2009 and has since helped grow it to be one of the leading creative agencies in the country (Global AD Giant WPP acquired it in 2018). He hosts one of India's most popular business podcast, 'Advertising is dead', and co-hosts one of the most irreverent business podcast, "Think Fast". He shares ways to optimise your mindset to perform better in life on his thrice a week podcast series “Take a Pause” with Varun Duggirala & writes a weekly newsletter "Unschooled". His first book “Everything is out of syllabus” came out in February 2022 and hit No.1 on the creativity & entrepreneurship best-seller charts on launch. A propagator of the slow growth life while optimising for happiness and performance , he constantly shares his fatherhood & fitness journey with the world. He is also always open to having a conversation about anything ( literally everything)!

Our guest today is the prolific vocalist - Shubha Mudgal. Born into a musically dedicated family, Shubha has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India.  In addition to being a performer she is also a composer and has received numerous awards including The Padma Shri, The Gold Plaque Award at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival and the Yash Bharati Samman from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Shubha has been closely involved with several projects related to music education in India and has an online distribution platform for musicians specializing in diverse forms of Indian music. Shubha continuously perseveres to preserve the rich musical heritage of India. This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is Anand Chakravarthy – Co founder of Eleves who thrives working with young brands and businesses; helping them setup, scale up and succeed.Anand has been recognized by Impact magazine as amongst the Top 100 digital marketers in India.In this episode Anand talks about his journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurial chaos. His insights are pragmatic and his journey is that of a complete chancer taker. His belief that he will land on his feet is inspiring. This is Taking Chances.

This episode features Steve Augeri. Steve has worked in the field of education for the last 23 years, having begun his career as a public school teacher in the U.S. An interest in life beyond America led him on a series of adventures at international schools in Bangladesh, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, and India. Along the way, Steve transitioned out of a teaching role and into leadership, culminating in his current role  as the founding Head of School at Oberoi International School - JVLR Campus. In this episode Steve shares his education philosophy, his views on topics such as competition, inclusion, mental health and the importance of failure for growth. It's critical for students and parents to have a listen, and I promise it will lead to interesting dinner table conversations.

Our guest today is an author, public speaker, culture curator, and inclusion advocate - Parmesh Shahani. He is the author of Queeristan - an award winning book about LGBTQ inclusion in the Indian work space. Parmesh has a career that has spanned academia, media and the corporate world -  including founding India’s first youth expression website, editing fashion and lifestyle magazines, setting up a media convergence think tank at MIT and a lot more. A Ted Senior Fellow and a Yale World Fellow, he has done and continues to do a lot to serve the community and to create a better and inclusive country. In this episode he shoots straight from the hip and speaks his mind about diversity and inclusion, the LGBTQ situation in India and the role  of family, law, the community itself and society at large in making the world a more empathetic and accepting place. This is Taking Chances.

In this episode we have with us actor, Vrajesh Hirjee. He is an actor who sees things differently. Perspective is his true skill. He is entertaining for sure but what he really brings to the table is ideas, innovation and the ability to reframe concepts. Vrajesh lightens up serious situations and invites you to live in the moment. This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is Ashwin Bhadri, Founder and CEO of Equinox Labs. Ashwin is a serial entrepreneur, international speaker and a pioneer in food safety compliance.  In this episode, he shares his entrepreneurial journey with all its ups and downs, his passion for food and its safety and the importance of leadership and innovation to build a successful business. This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is Sunil Kumaran, Chief Brand & Digital Officer with Reliance Broadcast Network Limited. Sunil is an MBA and has worked in reputed organisations like Dentsu Aegis Network, Universal McCann, Rediffusion DY&R and Lowe Partners. Sunil's vast experience and expertise in media and advertising is on full display. In this episode he discusses the importance of brands, defines what good content means and the criticality of understanding the consumer. His life and work insights will help you experience true success. This is Taking Chances. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/takingchances/message

In this episode we speak to the President and CEO of FIPP James Hewes, who having worked with some of the best media companies and magazine brands in the world, knows print media inside out. Having held various positions in his 12-years at the BBC, most notably leading the international development of the magazines business, he was also the Publishing Director for Top Gear, Good Food, Easy Cook and Lonely Planet Magazine and a Director of BBC Haymarket Exhibitions. He has also worked with Gulf News Publishing running more than 30 products. He sits on various boards, is an Advisor to Dojoko, an education-focused start-up and the Founder & CEO of Soho Consulting In this episode he talks about the value of print publishing and its challenges, the need for adaptability and what FIPP is doing to show the path ahead. This is Taking Chances. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/takingchances/message

Our Season 2 starts with the inspirational Apurva Purohit – Co Founder Aazol Ventures, Independent Director and Author. Apurva is well known for her people oriented leadership and focus on culture in all the organisations she leads. Her 2 books “Lady you’re not a man” and “Lady you’re the boss” are pertinent and real for women in the workplace. This episode is for everyone who wants to find their voice and lead with confidence. This is Taking Chances. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/takingchances/message

Our guest Anuradha Gupta has an innate ability to connect with people and infuse her positive approach to living life. And her work naturally follows her personality. She is the CEO and Founder of Vows for Eternity, a global matchmaking service that stands apart for its personalised and confidential approach, specialising in bringing together individuals based on shared values, education, socio-economics and a commonality of interests. Anuradha also feels very strongly about giving back to society and is an involved investor in several not for profit organisations. In this conversation she talks about her journey, her beliefs and insights, and what it takes to get two people to come together and make one of the most important decisions of their lives. Match making across borders! This is Taking Chances. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/takingchances/message