Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar

It's a special LIVE episode coming to you from East coast! The lovely and brilliant Sheetal Sheth hosted our team for her Always Anjali event, where she talked to kids from the tri-state area about her book and answered all their insightful, and honest, questions.Her co-host, Hasan Minhaj is an actor, comedian, writer, and political commentator who uses his prowess in the art of storytelling to uplift and advocate for the stories of the unique. However, before Hasan is anything else, he is a father and a family man.So it makes sense he would see the value and necessity of Sheetal Sheth’s children's book Always Anjali because guess what, he too has had his Always Anjali moments. He also told me he can make some mean eggs.Frustrated by the uncommonness of her name, the story follows a young Indian girl's journey to embracing the beauty of being different, teaching her how to be creative and courageous when life doesn't accommodate your unique individuality. I interviewed them both to discuss all things Anjali, parenthood, and what’s next for Sheetal Sheth. What we talked about: Why Sheetal picked the name ‘Anjali’ (5:00)How Hasan got involved in the Always Anjali event (10:50)Hasan's own Anjali moment and using your “Starbucks Name” (12:45)Day to day Dad duties with Hasan (13:45)What Sheetal’s been up to since our last interview (19:30)Sheetal talks about other upcoming projects (22:45)Connect with Sheetal: www.sheetalsheth.comSheetal Sheth (@beneaththesheetz) • Instagram photos and videoswww.equalitynow.orgwww.therepresentationproject.orgConnect with Hasan: Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) • Instagram photos and videosHasan MinhajLet's Connect: Instagram

New trailer, new headshots, same uncle jokes.To all the new listeners, welcome to the Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar—where we interview trailblazers, experts, and prominent voices from the South Asian diaspora to discuss the messiness of growing up Brown, find inspiration, admiration, and most importantly, tons of laughter.To all those who have stuck with me this long, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a fun ride, and we're only getting started.A special ‘thank you’ to my previous guests highlighted on this trailer: Kal Penn, Rabia Chaudry, and Rishi Malhotra. Now let’s chat with some trailblazers. Produced and Edited by Ginni Media

Aparna Shewakramani had a career in law before going on a little show called Indian Matchmaking. Overnight, she became an ambassador for women and a voice contributing to the ongoing conversations concerning sexism.She is the best-selling author of the non-fiction memoir called, “She’s Unlikeable: And Other Lies That Bring Women Down,” which discusses her experience on the show, the tired and negative tropes surrounding women, and how they must be dismantled systematically.Aparna is currently building her brand and is also a “recovering attorney” who is trying to find her place in the world and is on a constant mission to evolve and grow in ways she never dreamed of.What we talked about:Aparna’s thoughts on season three of Indian Matchmaking (3:09)Aparna discusses how crazy life has been since leaving law (13:17)What Aparna hears most from other women (20:47)Aparna’s relationship with aging (22:57)How Aparna felt growing up brown in Texas (29:57)Rapid fire questions (32:37)Aparna’s bare bones for happiness (36:03)Connect with Aparna: WebsiteInstagramBookLet’s Connect:InstagramThis podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Rishi Rajani is the CEO of Hillman Grad Productions, a full service media and production company with a mission to empower underrepresented artists and amplify the stories of diverse historically marginalized communities across all industries. In the 5 years since starting at Hillman Grad, Rishi has not only learned the ropes of what it takes to be a successful producer, he also has had a crash course on how to run an exceptional media company.When he met Lena Waithe, the award-winning creator who is behind the curation of the company, they not only mutually admired each other’s energy, they agreed on the biggest mission of all- to change the idea of what diversity in Hollywood really looks like.What we talked about:How Rishi got hired at Hillman Grad (3:03)The different meanings of the word ‘producer’ (7:45)The film that had the biggest impact on Rishi (15:49)The issues in the South Asian community (24:23)The legacy Rishi hopes to leave at Hillman Grad (32:06)Rishi’s relationship to growing up South Asian Indian (37:45)Rapid fire questions (43:04)Who his ultimate collab would be (46:41)Connect with Rishi: LinkedInInstagramLet’s Connect:InstagramThis podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Satnam Singh is an Indian professional wrestler and former basketball player who is currently signed to the American professional wrestling promotion, All Elite Wrestling. He became the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA when the Dallas Mavericks selected him with the 52nd overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft. He’s also the first athlete I’ve ever interviewed on the podcast. What we talked about:Why he transitioned from basketball to wrestling (7:42)Who he would love to get in the ring with (9:42)The differences in training for basketball versus wrestling (10:13)Some of his favorite wrestling moves (11:59)Growing up in Punjab and playing basketball with his dad’s best friend (16:43)How receiving a scholarship to come play high school basketball in the US changed his life (18:07)What he learned playing in the NBA (21:07)Connect with Satnam: InstagramTwitterLet’s Connect:InstagramThis podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

I have been following my next guest for quite awhile now through social media and mutual friends. He has been doing some amazing work and also.... throwing some amazing parties- I definitely was trying to get invited to one.Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Maneesh Goyal is a self-acclaimed "insatiable people-person," and was determined to open the next great restaurant in NYC, which had to be Indian given his roots. That idea mixed with his desire to fulfill his fathers legacy, one that started in the 80s with the first Indian restaurant—India House—in Texas, led him on a journey of self-discovery of who he truly is and love for where he comes from.Maneesh is the Founder & Partner at SONA & SONA Home and has partnered with global icon Priyanka Chopra- some of you may have heard of her- to bring Indian hospitality and food to the next level.We talk about growing up in Texas as South Asians, the challenges he faces in the restaurant scene that people may not know about, and how he wants to be remembered by those he loves.He tells me how him and Priyanka ended up working together, his favorite memory at SONA so far, and the true glamour of global India today.Here is to hoping for a future SONA Dallas to open up! Produced and Edited by Ginni Media. Made Offbeat.

New trailer. Same uncle jokes. Auntie approved.Welcome to the brand new and sparkly trailer for the pod!To all my new listeners, WELCOME to the Tuckered Out family, where we interview, trailblazers, experts, and prominent voices from the South Asian diaspora to find inspiration, admiration, and most importantly....tons of laughter.To all of you who continue to listen and support, a huge THANK YOU and a promise to keep telling the South Asian story the only way I know how to-by keeping it real.A shoutout to my previous guests highlighted on this trailer- Kal Penn, Rabia Chaudry, and Rishi Malhotra. Thank you for being so generous and vulnerable during your interviews. You are true definitions of trailblazers. Produced and Edited by Ginni Media. Made Offbeat.

Aizzah Fatima is an actress and writer from New York City by way of Mississippi. Aizzah has appeared on numerous television shows and films and is the lead actor/writer and producer of Americanish, which follows two sisters and their cousin as they navigate love, careers and familial pressures, a lot of which was personal to Aizzah. The film has already won 26 awards and will be released by Sony later this yearWe talk about Dirty Paki Lingerie, her critically acclaimed comedy one woman play, how muslim girls are DTF- dismantling Islamophobia one dick joke at a time, and how we both have tried a variety of careers to figure out our calling. We discuss the differences between South Asians in the UK versus the US and how it's so key to follow your gut when it comes to content creation.She talks about growing up brown and Muslim in Mississippi, we discuss if the American accent is sexy, and why cutting an onion in the palm of you hand makes more sense than using a cutting board. Obviously.https://www.aizzahfatima.com/

It's a special LIVE episode coming at you from the very FIRST ever South Asian House at SXSW 2023!It was a fantastic weekend in Austin celebrating South Asian thought leaders in the business, tech, film, TV, theater, music, and fashion industries including seven countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The South Asian House took place at fourth + co in the heart of Austin and SXSW.From brunch fireside chats with Rishi Rajani (Hillman Grad) and Snigdha Sur (The Juggernaut) to a South Asian Live Music Showcase to one of my favorites, the Desi Drag Brunch presented by One Minute Saree (sponsor), it was a weekend of celebration, conversation and support for the South Asian community.I may have lost the One Minute Saree competition, but I'm going to keep practicing and make a comeback!A huge congrats to the team that made it all happen, Jitin Hingorani, Monica Samtani, Kirtana Banskota, and Rohi Mirza Pandya and a big thank you to my guests on this episode, Monica Samtani (Broadcast Journalist), Milan Chakraborty (Producer and Actor), Radha Patel (The Auntie Network-sponsor), Pooja Kumar (Actress), Rita Meher (Tasveer-sponsor).I can't wait to see what big things the South Asian House team does next because guess what, we ain't going anywhere!

So, you may notice we’re using some different music than our usual jam, that's because it's the first single (Anokha) from our next guest and his new platform, Indo Warehouse.Kunal Merchant is a multi-hyphenate creative marketer with deep experience building and launching products, growing brands, and ensuring that his passion for music never drifts far from his focus. He is a partner and artist at Indo Warehouse, a multi-faceted label/platform that is dedicated to authentically integrating South Asian culture with electronic music.He is also the founder Mix4Change, the first global DJ-driven community working to promote change, and is a veteran DJ and event producer, working with emerging and established brands in both nightlife and experiential capacities all over the world with a large footprint in the city he calls home now, New York.We talk about how growing up Indian in Texas means always having that supportive brown family, what our shared experience working together in India was really like, his biggest takeaways working at Meta for 8 years, and why he holds Mix4Change so close to his heart.I ask him about his third South Asian inspired brand, Indo Warehouse, how the label/platform/event space combines all of his passions, how the brand aims to expand its footprint even more globally in 2023, their insanely popular (and always sold out) events, and of course his first single, Anokha, which we had the honor to play for this episode.Check out the site for more info about Indo Warehouse, how you can support, and tickets to the upcoming Festival of Love!https://indowarehouse.co/

Nishat Kurwa is the SVP and Executive Producer of Vox Media Podcast Network, leading podcasting across Vox Media's house of editorial brands and its network of outside partners, overseeing programming strategy, new show development, and the Vox Media Studios' podcast production team.They have over 150 active shows — from daily news and policy, to tech and business, to culture and sports. Let me put it this way, Nishat knows her stuff and is truly an OG in the audio world.We talk about her journey at Vox Media, her time at Youth Radio and the positive impact the experience has had on her career, and what it's like to be on the editorial as well as business side of things. She tells me why she continues to be bullish when it comes to the podcast industry, potential disruptive trends that we should understand, and what factors she evaluates when developing new shows for the network.We also discuss the number one concern she hears from her mentees, what it was like working at places where no one looked like her, what success looks like for her now, and how she wants to be remembered by those closest to her.

Aravind Ravichandran is the founder of TerraWatch Space, an independent advisory and communications firm focused on Earth observation. He considers himself a Earth observation evangelist, satellite data strategist, a space consultant, and a generalist - jack of many trades and a master of none.His mission is to make earth observation mainstream by improving the awareness and adoption of satellite data and have more people interested in space.He is also the author of the TerraWatch Space newsletter provides analysis, insights & deep-dives on Earth Observation, Satellite Data and its Applications: https://newsletter.terrawatchspace.com/ as well as the host of the TerraWatch Space podcast focused on demystifying Earth Observation, Satellite Data and their Applications: https://podcast.terrawatchspace.com/We talk about the importance of satellite data, the latest on the space race, his thoughts on the Chinese balloon that was hovering over the US, the new space program coming out of India, and the new course he is planning on creating.

Samip Mallick is the co-founder and executive director of SAADA, which he has guided from its inception in 2008 to its place today as a national leader in community-based storytelling. SAADA, stands for South Asian American Digital Archive. SAADA uses the power of stories to create belonging to the 5.4 million South Asian Americans by documenting, preserving, and sharing stories from the South Asian American community, so that the struggles of past and current generations for equality, inclusion, and representation are not the same struggles we leave to our children.We talk about how a lot of childhood is shaped by the feeling that you don't belong, the incredible impact the 5.4 South Asian Americans truly have, the beautiful stories SAADA has collected from our community about their first days in the US, and how their walking tour of Philadelphia and Harlem shows that South Asians have been part of American history from the very beginning.We both agreed that the power of storytelling can help one truly feel embraced for who they are, discuss how SAADA's book, Our Stories, is out now and in 2500 school, libraries, and homes, and the importance of having access to information in order to really understand the whole picture.https://www.saada.org/

I’ve completely lost my voice after this episode. That should help me with the whole podcasting thing…what a weekend! Sundance Institute Film Festival has been on my bucket list since I was small enough to bathe in buckets. So, a very long time.We were super excited to participate in the first-ever South Asian Lodge hosted by filmmaker and director Shruti Ganguly, author, writer, and producer Tanya Selvaratnam and the non-profit organization 1497, whose mission is to support and uplift talent of South Asian descent to challenge their historical exclusion from and underrepresentation in the American film and TV industry.You can learn more about their mission here- https://www.1497.org/A special shoutout to The Product of Culture team and Kis Cubed Events for helping make the impossible, possible. The entire weekend ran smoothly from beginning to end.The two days of programming included a 20th anniversary celebration of Bend It Like Beckham, as the movie’s 2003 premiere at Sundance marked a watershed event for South Asian representation in film. Congratulations to the entire team for putting this historic event together. It was a weekend full of love, celebration, beautiful art, and communityAnd thank you to all my guests on this episode, I had a little too much fun with all of you.Shruti GangulyNirjary DesaiAdeel AhmedSimi ChaudryNik DodaniNisha GanatraAlex SchmiderA VERY special THANK YOU to Greg Friedman from Park Audio Sundance 2023 for taking care of my technical issues. You saved the pod.

Bharat is the award-winning author of Privilege: A Trilogy, an #ownvoices thriller about an Indian-American set in modern-day NYC. He calls himself a professional storyteller and amateur cook.After 10 years of working in politics, Bharat tried to explain how the country went from Barack Obama to Donald Trump by writing Confessions of a Campaign Manager. Then he began writing polemical fiction, such as Oasis - a desert-fantasy novel that examined what makes a family and how refugees should be treated. Bharat is always looking to make a political statement with his writing because he knows politics seeps into every aspect of society and believes we can’t understand each other without a firm, constant understanding of how politics affects us in all ways.

In honor of our upcoming LIVE episode from Sundance, I wanted to repost our first live episode from Diwali On The Hudson back in 2021! Stayed tuned for new episodes starting next week!Editor's Note- This is a live podcast so please excuse all the extra background noise. It is our first live podcast!! We had the honor to attend Diwali On The Hudson this year, NYC's premiere Diwali event hosted by The Desai Foundation. And let me tell you, we had some good times. Diwali On The Hudson celebrates love, light and of course the very important work of The Desai Foundation. This year, appearances by the talented Falu and The Resistance Revival Chorus graced the stage and we had some fantastic jams courtesy of DJ Suhel! The Desai Foundation’s main focus for over 20 years has been empowering women and girls through community programs to elevate health and livelihood in India & U.S. During the 2021 COVID crisis, they shifted their focus to address the needs of the communities we serve, while also leveraging the programs that were already in place. The foundation is currently operating in 1000 villages, and has reached a population of over 3.4 million people. Their work cultivates dignity so that everyone can dream beyond their circumstances. To donate or learn more, please go to thedesaifoundation.org A BIG THANK YOU to all my guests for being brave enough to step up to the mic. You made this episode. Megha Desai Sindya Valloppillil Monica Jindal Mehta Heena Jain Falu Ami Sheth Suraj Patel Trisha Sakhuja-Walia Megha Rao and Pooja Desai Shah-Holi Chic Meera Shah Akash Jain

Indian-born artist Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee settled her roots in the beautifully diverse city of Houston, TX in 2012.She is strongly influenced by marine life, drawing abundant inspiration from her experiences with scuba diving expeditions and with the ocean itself. In her work, Folmsbee creates ethereal, intricate shapes, which she calls characters, that are meant to invite the public into something very private. Her painting intend to take the viewer into the work’s moment of origin.This year, Folmsbee has become actively more involved in the marine community by working with conservation organizations such as the Galveston Bay Foundation and Correa Lab, with the hope of creating awareness about the struggles face by the marine world.We talk about her recently commissioned 240-ft project at Houston's IAH, why her father made her host an art show at 16, what she discovered attending art school in Chicago, and what the definition of failure really means to her.She talks about being bullied growing up because of her dyslexia, how she discovered her passion for art, how it is so important to protect your energy as a creative, and why our hometown of Houston is officially cool.

Hello 2023!! I could not think of a better guest to kick off this new year than Naomi Shah.Naomi is the Founder and CEO of Meet Cute, a modern entertainment company that produces original, scripted rom-coms that are delivered in podcast format.Meet Cute has the largest global creative network of writers, actors, and directors and has produced more than 450 rom-com stories with over 3.5 million listeners. The company is focused on diverse storytelling and characters as well as expanding the definition of what "well-being" means for audiences.She talks to me about the "secret sauce" she believes has made the company such a success, why she finds the audio medium so exciting, her experience being on "two sides of the table" at her former investment firm, and what keeps her up at night.We talk about some new projects in the pipeline for 2023, how we both feel like "Jess" from Bend It Like Beckham, which rom-com she would star in, and her dream collaboration for 2023 (Hi, Mindy:)).

It's our special Holiday Bonus Episode! We’re so excited to bring you this bonus episode that will hopefully uplift your spirits like it did ours.Today, I interview Anisha Abraham, a pediatrician and author of Raising Global Teens- A Practical Handbook For Parenting In The 21st Century, and Jo Chim, an actress turned producer, director. They are team behind the short live action film One Small Visit which is currently in the running for the Oscar short list! It is a sweet film about my Anisha’s parents visit to Neil Armstrong’s parents house in the 1960’s, right after the moon landing, and the impact it had on both families. One Small Visit embodies this fight and to keep believing in coming together because fundamentally, we have a lot more in common than we have differences.It’s a story of hope, shared humanity, and how small acts of openness and kindness can make a difference. Lord knows we need all of those thing now more than ever.www.onesmallvisit.com

Guys, it’s the 100th!!! I am SO excited and honored to have the next guest close out this year and celebrate this milestone with me. Rishi Malhotra developed HBO's first Subscription Video On Demand platform HBO On Demand, co-founded and led JioSaavn, one of the largest distributors of Bollywood and other Indian entertainment in the world, and also played an integral role in JioSaavn's transaction with Reliance Industries, leading to a billion-dollar integration with JioMusic in 2018.Though JioSaavn, he has brought legends such as U2 and Beyonce to India. This man’s journey started from launching an NYC start-up to becoming Rolling Stone's Future 25 for Music. Currently, he is CEO of Luminary, audio home to Dave Chappelle and a collection of original shows from iconic talents such as Lena Dunham, Russell Brand, Masaba Gupta, Roxane Gay, Radio Rahim, and a ton more.We talk about working with a once in a lifetime talent like Dave Chapelle, how everything really comes down to energy transfer, how JioSaavn became a culturally important legacy company, and the three 'E's" he abides by as a founder, CEO, and leader.We talk about the recent launch of Luminary in India a few weeks ago, the 'SNL' type genre that he is finding to be more common in the audio world, why he will always chase goosebumps, and what the best calculator for brands should be.We of course talk about his epic stories bringing U2 to India, why all immigrants are entrepreneurs, the best concert he ever attended, and our future jam session when we meet IRL."The rain falls on everyone alike. You slingshot out of times like this, I think it's a really exciting time for a lot of industries."

Dr. Tanaya Narendra is an internationally trained medical doctor, author, embryologist, and scientist, who is passionate about medical education.For her ground breaking work in medical education, Tanaya has been awarded Sexual Health Influencer of the Year 2020 by SH24 - the online sexual health partner of the NHS, Top 25 Disruptors of India 2021 by Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Health Influencer Of The Year by the IHW Council, supported by the Niti Ayog and Ayushman Bharat.She is now the most popular medical professional on social media in India. Dr. Tanaya runs @Dr_Cuterus, which has garnered over one million followers on instagram and over 50 million views on Youtube. She uses fairytales, mannequins, fun GIFs, and hilariously relatable examples to talk jargon-free and scientifically about complex medical and sexual education topics, all wrapped up with an inclusive and gender-neutral bow.Establishing the medical content creation niche in India, Tanaya has built a thriving community that provides a safe place where no topic is too taboo to talk about!

Rohit 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.

It's a reunion! Twenty years after being his production assistant on a film set in Austin, TX, Kal Penn and I get a chance to sit down and catch up about it all.Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. You may know him from television shows such as House, Designated Survivor, Sunnyside, and How I Met Your Mother. He is also recognized for his performance in the film The Namesake and of course the Harold and Kumar series (I personally still love Taj Mahal Badalandabad). Penn has taught at the University of Pennsylvania in the Cinema Studies Program as a visiting lecturerWe talk about it all from our first impressions, to those fantastic middle school years, to his job as a farmhand right before he went to UCLA. He talks about the meaning behind the Brown Catch-22, his journey with stereotyping in Hollywood, his experience going to India with President Barack Obama, and why he needed a mini-fridge in the White House.We of course bust out with some Gujarati (our native Indian language) which Kal definitely schools me on.His new memoir, You Can’t Be Serious, is out and it’s a fantastic read! There just wasn't enough time to give a shout out to all the uncles and aunties we loved growing up.....

Nish Acharya is a Senior Fellow, Inclusive Economic Growth at the Clinton Foundation. He is also one of the OG Indian-Americans who has worked with two different presidents during his career.Nish leads Equal Innovation, which advises some of the world’s leading universities, governments, foundations and companies to assist them with innovation, entrepreneurship and globalization strategies. The Clinton Foundation is becoming a platform for new voices, emerging communities and finding economic development models to include in international policy discussions.We talk about all the work that CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) is doing and what it was like to bring the band back together this year, his takeaways from working with President Clinton and Obama, how Diwali has become mainstream, and he shares some pivotal middle school moments that defined his identity as Indian-American.

S. Mitra Kalita is a veteran journalist, media executive, prolific commentator and author of two books. She is the co-founder/ CEO of URL Media, a network of Black and Brown community news outlets that share content and revenue. Mitra is also the co-founder and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a newsletter to help New Yorkers get through the pandemic, and an inaugural member of the URL Media network.We discuss the impetus for launching URL Media, how Jackson Heights (her hometown) became ground zero during the pandemic, what she realized about national news outlets, and how first serving her community led to the launching a company.I ask Mitra if people are truly interested in Black and Brown stories, why she would love to work with Byron Allen, and what she would put up on her very own billboard.

Not many people can say that they are part of building the audio reflection of the ENTIRE country. Rahul Sabnis can. Rahul is the Chief Creative Officer of iHeartMedia, an American mass media company that currently reaches 9 out of 10 Americans every month. 9 out of 10. Let that sink in.Rahul explains how the role of Chief Creative Officer not only means being a champion of the audio medium, but also means being the bridge that gives diverse voices a platform. He also breaks down of the iHeartMedia family tree, democratizing content, and the amazing new projects they are working on in the Metaverse (which he kindly tried to explain to me).He recalls the night he called his father to let him know he would no longer be pursuing his engineering degree (one of the many “good Indian boy” career paths), what it means to discover that you’re Indian-American, our relationship to both cultures and the fact that we’re definitely NOT confused desis (Indians), packing peanut butter in suitcases for his trips to India, and his epic version of the “big fat Indian wedding”.

Puja Shah is a visionary poet who shares her voice through written and spoken word, guided meditations, and teaching. Born in Queens, New York, to immigrant parents, she defied teachers who questioned her English skills by winning countless poetry and short story awards in her youth. With over 10 years of nonprofit experience and a long public health career, she has created a campaign aligned with girl trafficking awareness causes for her upcoming debut novel, For My Sister, which launches on October 18th 2022.We talk about our relationship to our culture as adults and parents to daughters, how there was always an undertone of some traditional expectations growing up, why she wanted to work in public health, and her eye-opening experiences in Uganda and India.She talks to me about what drove her to write her debut novel, why other South Asians still have a hard time supporting one another, how her online community, Chai Mommas, was built, and our mutual love for Zarna Garg and Alka Joshi. We also agreed that thepla (spicy Indian roti) is the best food ever. Even on planes.

It's always nice to interview someone who has nicer equipment than you.Today I talk to fellow podcaster, Ginni Saraswati. She is Founder and CEO of Ginni Media, a podcast production company whose motto is, “Made Offbeat”- which I can relate to. She is also a contributor to Entrepreneur Media and Rolling Stone Magazine.We talk about everything podcasting, her thoughts on the industry, and where she sees it going in the next 5 years. She also talks about growing up brown in Australia, coming out to her family, and what she would like to be known for at the end of her career.Most importantly, we figure out who the OG influencer really is and I talk about the time I shook Madonna's hand, which can be a whole other podcast episode.

Today I talk to the co-founder of India Rising, Gautam Kapur.India Rising is the home for brown athletes. It is a media platform designed to develop Indian basketball, showcase next-level talent, and compete in professional tournaments around the world.We talk about whether our genes allow Indian people to be true athletes, the impetus for starting India Rising, the highs and lows of building a very new start-up in the "brown space", and what they hope to accomplish in the next 5 years.Gautam tells me about how they assembled their team by looking at over 60 competitive pros around the world, how they had 7 days to create a unified team chemistry before playing in the TBT- The Basketball Tournament, and when they will start working with brown female athletes.We talk about our college days and why joining an Indian dance team seemed to be the only way to show your "brownness" and he tells me more about the work he's doing with NBA's Asian Professional Exchange (APEX).https://www.indiarising.co/

Welcome back Tuckered Outers!As many of you know, India just celebrated her 75th year of independence. Our fall season begins with one of India's most renowned authors, Suketu Metha. Suketu is the New York-based author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, which was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize. The book was based off of two years of research and was an account of his personal experiences living in Bombay.He talks to me about his latest article in which he shares his concern about the future of India, why it is crucial that India remains a democracy for all its citizens and the world, and the two biggest threats facing India today.He gives me an update on his close friend, Salman Rushdie, tells me why storytellers are more powerful than we think, and how he handles our volatile environment as a writer. I ask him what Bombay and New York City mean to him, what his favorite memories were growing up in Bombay, and about his current project that he refers to as a love letter to NYC.His latest book This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto, was published in June 2019 under a 2007 Guggenheim fellowship.

It's a reunion! Twenty years after being his production assistant on a film set in Austin, TX, Kal Penn and I get a chance to sit down and catch up about it all.Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. You may know him from television shows such as House, Designated Survivor, Sunnyside, and How I Met Your Mother. He is also recognized for his performance in the film The Namesake and of course the Harold and Kumar series ( I personally still love Taj Mahal Badalandabad). Penn has taught at the University of Pennsylvania in the Cinema Studies Program as a visiting lecturerWe talk about it all from our first impressions, to those fantastic middle school years, to his job as a farmhand right before he went to UCLA. He talks about the meaning behind the Brown Catch-22, his journey with stereotyping in Hollywood, his experience going to India with President Barack Obama, and why he needed a mini-fridge in the White House.We of course bust out with some Gujarati (our native Indian language) which Kal definitely schools me on.His new memoir, You Can’t Be Serious, is out and it’s a fantastic read! There just wasn't enough time to give a shout out to all the uncles and aunties we loved growing up.....

Hey guys! Just wanted to really quickly to let you know that we've got a very special conversation coming out this week!Twenty years after being his Production Assistant on a film in Austin, TX, I got a chance to sit down with my old pal with Kal Penn to talk about his book, You Can't Be Serious, and breadth of work throughout his careerWe touched on so many important topics, including his time at the White House and the challenges he faced as an Indian-American in Hollywood. My conversation with Kal was uplifting, funny and real. I wanted to give you just a little teaser today to get you excited because I definitely am!The full episode will be coming out tomorrow, July 20th, so before then, make sure that you're subscribed wherever you're listening to my voice right now, and that you tell a friend about the show so they can listen too.Also, I'll be doing a giveaway for Kal's book, "You Can't Be Serious", so stay tuned all week for content surrounding the interview!Enjoy the clip and be sure to listen to the full episode on Wednesday and also be sure to rate and review the podcast!

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is reconnecting with people who have been part of different phases in my life. Dr. Sumun Pendakur and I met 20 years ago when I was a production assistant on her hubby’s film set. Needless to say, I knew she was a rock star even then. She is a #dei strategist, consultant and trainer who has spent the last 20 years focusing on building community strength as well as institutional capacity for #socialjustice and #racialjustice in the #highereducation sector. She was the #chieflearningofficer @uscraceequity center and has built programs that address underserved needs and communities. We talk about the influence her parents had on her career, how they were definitely both “woke” back in the day when a lot of #southasianimmigrants were not, how she got involved in amplifying the #asianamerican voice, and the history and true meaning of the term “model minority”. I admit that I have had a certain narrative in my head about the South Asian community, we discuss the awful violence against out #aapi brothers and sisters, and she tells me what she finds so shocking about it all, even after being on the frontline for so long. This episode is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the #indianapolis #oakcreekgurdwara and #atlantaspa #massshootings #balbirsinghsodhi , #vilmakari and to all of those who have suffered because of these heinous #hatecrimes www.sumunpendakur.com

One of our favorites from the past year, our interview with Malini Agarwal.....We're talking to a media mogul!! Malini Agarwal, aka MissMalini, is India's most famous blogger with a following of 7.5 million worldwide. We start out talking about how her "diplobrat" life growing up has helped shape her into the women she is today. Malini discusses living through a civil war in Lebanon, how her mom has been her rock and champion FOMO queen, and what led her to the City of Dreams. She tells me why radio is still her favorite medium, the bucket list of 24, her book, To The Moon: How I Blogged My Way To Bollywood, and some epic stories that you can only experience in Mumbai.We of course dive into her best and worst interviews, what it is really like to work with her husband, and her plan to shed light and start conversations around cyber bullying and sexual harassment in India with #ignorenomore. Malini is a staunch supporter of women supporting women, as can been seen with MissMalini's Girl Tribe, and she tells me what she regrets the most throughout her legendary journey. And guys, there's so much more....

I'm officially a Texan!....now for the unpacking. While I'm setting up shop over the next few weeks, I'll be playing some of my favorite episodes from the past two years....this episode is for all you bad betis & besharam bibis!Today I catch up with activist, writer & speaker, Sangeeta Pillai, who is the the founder of Soul Sutras. Soul Sutras is the South Asian feminist platform that is all about tackling taboos in South Asian culture, creating safe spaces where South Asian women can explore everything from sex to mental health.Their projects include Masala Podcast, featuring interviews with fierce South Asian women about taboo topics and Masala Monologues, a series of writing workshops and theatre shows in the UK & the US.Starting life as a blog, Soul Sutras now boasts a range of projects from podcast, theatre shows, webinar to books & beyond.She has become a key voice in British South Asian feminism speaking at the Women of the World (WOW) 2020 and has been featured in the Huffington Post, BBC Asian Radio, Brown Girl Magazine and is the winner of British Podcast Awards 2020 & 2019.She tells me about living life in the slums of Bombay, her volatile relationship with her father and the affect it's had on her throughout life, the complicated relationship between culture and identity, and how it's so refreshing to see the younger generation of South Asian women speak up.http://www.soulsutras.co.uk/

While I'm packing away for my big move to Texas, I'll be playing some of my favorite episodes from the past two years. I think this episode sums up how I'm feeling right now;)....Well guys, it's the end of the year and of course that means reflecting back on 2021 and thinking, why did I eat my kids (both of them) entire birthday cake this year? I get it, trust me, I already yelled at myself in the mirror this week. And that's why I so needed to talk to my next guest! Dr. Amy Shah is a renowned wellness expert, immunologist, nutritionist, and author. After years of practicing nutrition and immunology, it was a personal scare in 2012 that made Shah turn to Ayurveda and take more holistic approaches to health which involves clean eating, intermittent fasting, balancing hormones, and strengthening the gut. Basically, all the things that we know we're suppose to do but just don't have time to do it! She has written a book, I’m so Effing Tired, which highlights some of the things we can tweak to help reach our peak mind and body health. We talk about how one huge scare back in 2012 changed her journey, why we grew up thinking taking a break for ourselves was considered selfish, how its the little tweaks that we need to make that really make the difference, and why we are so addicted to Starbucks. If you’ve been struggling to achieve your health goals, follow Dr Amy Shah on Instagram (@fastingmd) for some honest and thoughtful advice. www.amymdwellness.com

I could not think of a better person to end this summer with than Mita Mallick. Mita is a DEI leader, the host of Brown Table Talk on Linkedin, and a Linkedin Top Voice.We talk about having our names mispronounced our entire lives, the horrific bullying she faced growing up in a predominately white neighborhood, how that has affected her personal and professional journey, and how she finally embraced being Indian-American.She talks about the challenges shaping minds in a corporate setting as a DEI leader, the importance of impact vs. intent, why the real training of DEI initiatives starts at home, her own toxic work experience and why having an immigrant mentality stopped her from walking out, and her transition to becoming one of Linkedin Top Voices and sharing Brown experiences.She shares a time she experienced immense heartbreak, who she would like to collaborate with on her podcast, Brown Table Talk, and why it's so awkward to make new friends as adults (hint, you may need some drinks to help out).

Hey guys! We've had to take a mini-break the last few weeks to get life in order- moving homes, new babies, and getting ready for summer time madness. We'll be back with 2 more episodes before we take our summer break where we'll rest, regroup, and get ready for an amazing fall season! Until then, enjoy this gem from last summer.Premal Dharia has spent the last twenty years dedicated to challenging injustice in the criminal system and nearly 15 years as a public defender. She has tried dozens of cases and supervised lawyers at various levels of practice. Premal will be joining Harvard Law School as the inaugural Executive Director of the Institute to End Mass Incarceration, launching this summer. The Institute’s mission is to end mass incarceration in the United States through a movement-centered, action-oriented organizing and advocacy program with a bold and ambitious innovation institute. We talk about the history of mass incarceration and the current situation as it stands in the United States. She discusses why prisoners are disproportionately Black and Latino, her work as a public defender and civil attorney, why she thinks public defenders are key to systemic change within the criminal system, founding and directing the Defender Impact Initiative, and what we need to know about post-colonialism and the impact it has had on people of color. We discuss her upbringing as a South Asian woman, what she is most excited about in he new role as Executive Director, and why public defenders have the reputation they do. To learn more, please check out- https://endmassincarceration.orghttps://inquest.org/

Arun Venugopal is an American journalist and a Senior Reporter in the Race & Justice Unit at WNYC. He covers news regarding race, immigration, gender, and identity in the United States.We discuss our personal experiences growing up Indian-American in Houston, TX, when he started reflected on these experiences while critiquing ideas of Asian-American exceptionalism in the United States, how the Model Minority myth may have evolved, and his favorite conversations while hosting WNYC's Micropolis series.We also touch upon the fear white working -class Americans still have, the idea of replacement theory, and the political and cultural consciousness of the South Asian diaspora in the United States.He talks to me about his perfect NYC day, the time he experienced heartbreak, who he would like to collaborate with, and good old fashion Indian uncle jokes.Arun has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air.". Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program.

With the upcoming Netflix film Wedding Season coming out this summer, a romantic comedy that highlights the Indian fascination for arranged marriages starring Pallavi Sharda and Suraj Sharma, I thought we should play our interview with Pallavi from last year. This interview was the first one I did live after the pandemic. We sat in our friends apartment on the LES, had a few liquid companions, and had a blast....It's our first live interview almost 2 years!! I sit down with my friend, Pallavi Sharda, in our friends apartment in NYC and chat about it all. Pallavi knows what chasing your dreams is all about. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, she knew from a very young age she wanted to become a Bollywood actress. We talk about making the decision to move to India to fulfill her dreams of working in Bollywood, her biggest takeaways from her time there and what she learned about herself, what she would tell other young women who want to make their mark on the world's largest film industry, and her relationship to Bollywood now. She discusses why there is still a lack of diversity and representation for South Asian women in the film industry, how being an Indian-Australian forced her to redefine herself time and time again, and the reason coming back home to Melbourne helped reclaim her voice and identity. An honors graduate from the University of Melbourne Law, Arts and Languages schools, Pallavi is an advocate for India-Australia relations and the strengthening of intercultural links between the two countries. She was named on the list of forty most influential Asian-Australians at the inaugural Asian-Australian Leadership Summit. Her film credits include Oscar nominated film Lion (2016), Bollywood films Begum Jaan (2017) and My Name Is Khan, Dus Tola, and Besharam. (2015), and comedy Australian film Save Your Legs! (2012). She has worked in Hindi films like My Name Is Khan, Dus Tola, and Besharam. This year, she starred in Tom Jerry and The One, now streaming on Netflix. She also has two feature films coming out in 2022- Black Site and Wedding Season.

The recent news of the leaked Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to an abortion and started political firestorm and is deepening divisions. This decision would essentially dismantle 50 years of precedent, paving the way for states to limit abortion rights.Dr. Meera Shah is the Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, the author of “You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion”, and the Medical Director of Whole Women’s Health Alliance in South Bend Indiana.I ask her about her decision to join Planned Parenthood, her highs and lows the past four years, what she believes Planned Parenthood stands for for women across America, the threat abortion providers experience, and the ground-breaking work she is doing with trans and non-binary community at her clinics.She talks about her experience working with patience from India, why the right language is so important to use and understand, what prompted her to write her book, and why everyone needs to remember that each case is unique.We of course discuss the repercussions of Roe v. Wade being overturned, who will be affected the most, what abortion clinics are preparing for now, and what the major consequences of this decision will mean for our future

Anjali Kumar works with entrepreneurs and C-level executives in all stages of business, focusing on early-stage tech, consumer products, and luxury fashion companies with a social conscience.Anjali recently founded Slightly Reserved, a home for all of Anjali’s entrepreneurial and creative ventures, including an advisory firm providing legal counsel and business strategy for entrepreneurs, executives, talent, and brands. She is also a co-founder of COVID Tech Connect which sent nearly 20,000 smart devices to hospitals and senior care facilities across the US that allow critically ill patients to connect with their loved ones.Prior to that, Anjali was the Founding Chief People Officer and General Counsel at Cheddar, the Founding Head of Social Innovation and Founding General Counsel at Warby Parker, Founding General Counsel at Acumen, and Senior Counsel at Google. She has recently launched The Important Things with Bobbi Brown and Anjali Kumar, a podcast that focuses on the things that really fulfill our souls.

BONUS EPISODEThe George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an act that would have created national standards for policing in an effort to increase accountability, sadly couldn’t reach a bipartisan deal-leaving it dead in the water. We all have heard about the horrific killing of George Floyd, the protests that occurred after, and the many stories that have been shared over social media. Today, I interviewed Rahul Dubey, one of Time Magazine's Heroes of 2020 who simply, as he puts it, opened the door to those in need. On June 1, 2020, Rahul Dubey was at home in Washington, DC, as demonstrators filled the streets to protest the killing of George Floyd. After a 7 p.m. curfew, he noticed crowds in the street outside who were seemingly trapped and being pepper-sprayed by police. We talk about his story of housing 70 protestors overnight to help them avoid curfew, the fear and pure terror he felt for himself and the demonstrators, and how that one night changed his life. https://www.wsj.com/articles/george-floyd-should-receive-posthumous-pardon-for-drug-charge-texas-parole-board-says-11633461144

Pallavi Golla is the Founder and CEO of Lark Adventurewear (larkadventurwear.com), the first and only childrens activewear brand for children 0-10 years and now adults (their fastest growing segment). They're on a mission to make technically superior clothing that makes life less stressful for parents and more comfortable for childrenArmed with years of experience working in investment research at hedge funds and later beverage product development and branding at e-commerce darling WINC wines, Pallavi Golla dove headfirst into the apparel industry -- determined to create a next gen apparel brand for millennial families focused on making functional clothing to make life less stressful and more comfortable.Lark has uniquely positioned itself as a thread-to garment technical bamboo apparel brand in the $100 bn activewear market due to its exclusive Softek bamboo that is UPF 50 sun safe, temperature regulating and hypoallergenic.They have been mentioned in numerous magazines and media outlets including Vogue, INC, Forbes, Business Insider and Huffington Post.Pallavi was generous enough to send me and my girls some of the clothing and let me tell you, I AM IN LOVE!!! They are comfortable, chic, clean and most importantly, we didn't want to take them off.

Today I get to interview my 3rd author, Neel Patel. Neel Patel is a screenwriter and author who grew up in Champaign, Illinois and currently lives in Los Angeles, where he writes for TV and film. His first book, If You See Me, Don't Say Hi, is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ choice, an NPR Best Book of 2018, and has been optioned for television.His writing has appeared in Elle India, The Paris Review, on Buzzfeed.com, and many moreI chat with him about his debut Novel, Tell Me How To Be, which I found out about after Lilly Singh gave him a shoutout on her platform, Lilly’s Library. It focuses on a mother-son relationship, Indian-American stereotypes, and has the best Guju (Gujarati) phrases sprinkled in throughout the book. What else do you want?We also chat about how we were both bad at math, his coming out story, why stories like this are so important to the Indian-American community, why leaving home and then coming back helped inspire his novel, and all that yummy Indian homemade food we both miss.

Tuckered Outers! I wanted to post our interview with Rabia Chaudry, which we published back in December, since we are planning a part 2 with her very soon!So I started this podcast back in 2017 after listening and being inspired by the first season of Serial, the most downloaded podcast of all time. I could not think of a better guest to round out this year than the woman who brought Adnan Syed's case to light, Rabia Chaudry.Rabia Chaudry is a Pakistani-American attorney, author and podcast host. A childhood friend of Adnan Syed, subject of the podcast Serial (2014), Chaudry subsequently wrote a book about his case called Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial (2016), which became a New York Times best seller. Chaudry co-hosts 3 podcasts- Undisclosed, a podcast on Syed's case and many others, which has now 360 million downloads, The 45th, which followed the crazy that was Trumps presidency, and The Hidden Djinn, showcasing the folklore and history behind the legends of the djinn, and connecting the tales through Islamic, Christian, and Jewish sources. She is also an Executive Producer of a four-part HBO documentary "The Case Against Adnan Syed." She tells me how she feels about Serial now looking back and how she is still not giving up hope, how Adnan and his family are doing now and the case as it stands, and her personal theory on what really happened. We also talk about her personal struggles at home during her first marriage and how law school saved her, the Safe Nation Collaborative, which she founded, and it's focus on CVE (countering violent extremism), Undisclosed, the biggest wrongful conviction podcast in the world, which has now helped exonerate nearly a dozen defendants, and her future innocence work with the Aspen Institute/ADL Civil Society Fellow. Rabia's second book, "Fatty Fatty Boom Boom", a memoir on food, fat, and family, is due to be out in 2022. There was so much to talk about, I have a feeling there may be a part two to this! So please enjoy my final episode of 2021 with Rabia Chaudry. www.rabiachaudry.com

Sonny Caberwal is a serial entrepreneur, a lawyer, a fashion model, a participant in global music act Thievery Corporation, and is currently the founder and CEO of Ever Scouts. Ever Scouts is on a mission to help families raise responsible kids and learn life skills not normally taught in schools. Sonny discusses how the pandemic forced him to really understand what his kids were learning in school, the core life skills he discovered were lacking in young adults, what responsibility really means and how it can be turned into a hard skill, and his experience setting up the preliminary Ever Scouts program in his own home town.He also talks about how tech can have a positive affect on children's growth, his biggest takeaways from building an e-commerce business in India, the three pillars that are important to him, and why he is an extreme optimist about our future.Sonny and I met in India while he was building the earliest e-commerce fashion companies, Exclusively.In, and he made the smart decision to hire me. I can’t even recall all the epic stories we have together working there but I’m so happy we got a chance to catch up and talk about it all.

It's International Women's Day 2022!As most of you know, March is Women's History Month and the theme for IWD2022 is #BreakTheBias- in our communities, workplaces, schools, and homes. You see it, you call it out.I could not think of a better female powerhouse to talk to as we celebrate International Women's Day than Joya Dass.Joya has spent 20 years covering the financial markets on TV from the floor of the NYSE, she has interviewed countless CEOs, and is considered one of the best public speaking coaches out there. She started LadyDrinks in 2010 with her business partner as a monthly meetup for women in film and TV to network and get jobs, and has lived in New York City since 1999 because frankly, she loves the NYC attitude. She is currently the founder of the Women's Leadership Academy, a leadership platform for executive women. She talks about growing up in a house witnessing domestic violence, how she has been in survival mode since the age of 18, why her super power consists of fantastic retreats for women, how she used her dating experience while doing a stand-up comedy set at Carolines on Broadway, and how it's all about preparation.https://www.joyadass.com/

We're talking sports people! And not just any sport....the worlds most popular sport...SOCCER! Or American football. Or soccer.Akash Jain is a global business development and strategy executive with experience growing sports properties and establishing international operations across markets for leading organizations, including the United States Tennis Association (USTA), National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the VP of Strategy and Planning at Major League Soccer. We talk about why historically soccer hasn't been as popular in the US, what has changed for US fans in the past 25 years, the relationship with FIFA and The National Women's Soccer League, what we can expect from the 2026 World Cup returning to North America, and why it will be the perfect (hopefully) post-pandemic celebration.Akash also talks about his journey opening up the first NBA offices in India, how he feels about his 5 years in Bombay growing the NBA, and we of course exchange a few India stories that may include a white tiger, Dwight Howard, and a 3 Idiots moment.

Beginning late 2016, Rishi envisioned, architected and scaled a new business to help purposeful ideas travel more evenly around the world. Today, Times Bridge, the global investment and partnership arm of Times Group, is the U.S.'s largest venture firm bringing the world's best ideas and technology to India and Asia. We talk about our relationship with our Indian identity as Indian-Americans and how it’s evolved through the years, how we both made soulful decisions when it came to our professional journeys, how his interest in India was more of a anthropological one versus a social one, and what it means to be a place-based person. We of course discuss about how we were both surprisingly fell in love with cricket and what his team at Times Bridge considers when meeting and talking to entrepreneurs. #southasiantrailblazers #tuckeredoutwithami #tuckeredoutpod