What happens to families AFTER they’ve survived a traumatic historical event? Veera Hiranandani set out to explore this question in her sequel to the beloved Newbery-honor winning middle-grade novel ‘The Night Diary’. ‘Amil and the After’ now finds Nisha and Amil navigating a new life in Mumbai following their family’s migration from Sindh during t…

Ever wondered whether you should take that step to turning your hobby into a business? New York based Simran Khiantani (also goes by Namrata) shares her journey from Bombay to New York via the Canary Islands! Inspired by her MIL’s amazing sauces and her friends’ insistence that she start selling them, Simran recently launched her condiment brand af…

Exploring her husband’s Goan and Portuguese heritage led writer Christine Chitnis to create a beautiful celebration of the visual culture of Portugal: “Patterns of Portugal”. Having successfully completed a similar project in 2020 with “Patterns of India”, Christine was inspired to share her view of the beauty of this small nation at the edge of Eu…

“You know, as Asian Americans, we often don't know our history. I myself have lived in the US more than 50 years, and yet a lot of people still think that you’ve recently come from India. This is not just about MIT, it's actually an important part of the history of South Asians in America.” - Ranu Boppana A physician and former President of the Mas…

Ever wondered how an author takes a flash of inspiration and weaves a story from it? My guest Sheela Chari shares how she came to write her many wonderful children’s books, including the moment in college (as an economics major) that changed her life. Sheela now teaches writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts while creating new stories of her o…

Sumaira Ahmed is a force! Upon being diagnosed with a rare neuroimmune condition (Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder/ NMOSD, whose symptoms can include vision loss, paralysis, and weakness), Sumaira couldn’t find the community she needed, so she went right ahead and launched a foundation (two months later!) to create that support for herself an…

My guest Chandana Singh is a lawyer, founder of ‘Advocacy for Dyslexia’, and of The Office of Learning Support at India’s leading liberal arts university Ashoka University. Join me in this chat as Chandana dives into what makes life challenging as a neurodiovergent learner and what we can do as parents, friends, and community members to both suppor…

Ever wonder what makes people take that leap and pivot into a second or even a third act? My Boston-based guest moved from a successful career in consulting to non-profit leadership, and now to landscape design! So inspiring to hear how this dynamic and passionate Bangladeshi-American has jumped into new fields and established her own business. I’m…

Ever wonder how museums go shopping for art? What does a curator see when they look at a picture? What makes something special enough to spend a fortune on? Join me in this first mini-sode featuring Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as she gives us a ‘behind the scenes’ l…

Ready to re-evaluate what success looks like for YOU? To move toward a values-based career and life? My latest guest Rimi Chakraborty helps leaders create just that for themselves and their employees. Rimi shares how she took lessons from her MBA, her yoga studies, and her start-up jobs to overcome a difficult childhood and create new entrepreneuri…

I don't want to go look back at the end of my life and say “I wish I'd done this”! But how does she do it!? We all wonder about people with full-time, demanding careers who manage to keep their creative flame burning. My latest guest Dr. Harini Nagendra is a Professor of Sustainability and now a best-selling mystery writer. Join me as Harini shares…

Innovating in an old industry that’s dominated by men, my latest guest Portfolio Manager Sweta Singh shares how her curiosity and sense of adventure led her to join the founding team of a new investment management firm based in (and inspired by!) Sante Fe, New Mexico. Sweta and I chat about the big picture of working in finance, especially as a wom…

“If there's something you really love, you need to make time for it. I think that was the first step for me, deciding that I wanted to do something for myself, for no other purpose other than I just wanted to make myself happy, to do something creative for me.” An absolute delight hearing the super-charged doctor and writer Rajani LaRocca talk abou…

My supercharged guest Kaamna Bhojwani helps people explore and express their sexuality by connecting more deeply with their inner selves. Are you ready for a shake-up of your relationship with your body (and hopefully your partner too)? Tune in to this chat where we explore South Asian attitudes toward sex, how to speak to your kids about it, and s…

“What we needed was somebody who was willing to fail, somebody who was willing to experiment, and somebody who wasn't afraid to build the plane and fly it at the same time.” My latest guest Megha Desai brought her sense of adventure and decades of experience in the corporate world to her family’s foundation when she took the helm. She’s since prope…

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, then living in London, Singapore and now India, my guest Bharti Lalwani believes her outsider status is key to ‘speaking truth to power’ - the job of an art critic. Now experimenting in art criticism through perfumery, Bharti brought Mughal and Rajput paintings to life through a study of their gardens, flowers, and sce…

So many of us think “Why hasn’t someone created this already?” yet so few go ahead and create it ourselves. My latest guest Jyoti Rajan Gopal is an educator who began writing picture books when she found frustratingly little diverse choices for her kindergarten class. Jyoti taps into her international upbringing and deep experience with young child…

Growing up in Morocco, then studying in England, France and Spain have all shaped artist, writer, and illustrator Karishma Chugani Nankani in countless ways. Among the many stories she has shared is one of her widespread Sindhi clan which she tells through her art and her books. Karishma also guides others in connecting with their own stories and a…

Such a delight to meet someone who continues to pursue a wide range of interests while specializing enough to be a University Professor! Usha Raman is Professor of Communication at the University of Hyderabad, Vice President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research, Editor of ‘Teacher Plus’ magazine, writer for ‘The Hin…

Ready to cosy up your house this Fall? Boston-based interior designer Vani Sayeed joined me to share her love of art, textiles and design in this landmark Episode 75! Hear how Vani followed her doctor husband from India to the midwest, then San Francisco and finally to Boston, and managed to break into a notoriously closed industry in all these pla…

Having lived across 3 continents (moving from Malawi to the UK and finally to New Zealand) and having had multiple fascinating careers, it’s no surprise my latest guest does not take NO for an answer! Join me in this chat with inspiring mother of two Ashia Ismail-Singer who has taken her passion for food and ‘can-do’ attitude to publishing TWO (tra…

“Pan-gender to me means any gender expression that exists right now, I identify with in some way. So there are days where I feel more masculine, I feel more feminine, I feel non-binary. It depends on where I'm at internally. I don't like to limit myself to one gender. So pan-gender feels the most accurate.” — Sushma Saha Energetic and inspiring, my…

“If some teachers can create magic in the classroom, then why not all?” Anju Saigal founded the non-profit CEQUE (pron. Seekhey) to upskill teachers in underprivileged communities in India after working in the education space for decades. Trained at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and in field work through Pratham (one of India’s largest edu…

“I was behind the desk, but my heart was really in the garden. So I tried to work as little as possible so that I could spend every free moment tending my garden.” Curious about gardening and growing your own food in small spaces? Or how someone published THREE books in three years!!? Join me as Gardenerd founder and debut novelist Christy Wilhelmi…

Boston-based author Sena Desai Gopal is a long-time journalist and first-time novelist. She’s set her debut novel ‘The 86th Village’ in her ancestral village in Karnataka which has been devastated by flooding caused by the Upper Krishna dam project. Hundreds of villages have already been completely submerged, and Sena’s beloved hometown is next. Sh…

“A witty, gentle, original and very modern quest for the magical (not the mythical) in Britain’s landscape, which both made me laugh and moved me.” - Robert Macfarlane I was delighted to have this chance to speak with writer Jini Reddy about her yearning to connect with the landscape of Britain, her adopted homeland, which resulted in her delightfu…

An absolute delight to speak with a young Nepali entrepreneur working on TWO start-ups! Join me in this chat with Ishu Dhakras, co-founder of lifestyle brand Ne Nepal and marketing manager of restaurant group Burma Burma! Ishu grew up in Nepal, was educated in the US, and is now based between Bombay and Kathmandu. Loved hearing how she tried many s…

Ever wanted to gather your family’s recipes to celebrate and pass on your unique home culture? My latest guest Sri Bodanapu took a lengthy Word doc and turned it into a beautiful, glossy, bound cookbook for her own family and has now started a company to help you do the same! Founder of Heirloom Project Co., Sri shares her journey into motherhood, …

From Bharatnatyam in India to modern dance at the Guggenheim, my latest guest embodies both range and depth in her movement practice, insights which she now shares with young people in her role as an educator. Choreographer, performer, and founder of Thresh Performing Arts Collaborative, Preeti Vasudevan joins me in this chat about dance, identity,…

Sustainability is on all our minds these days, but sometimes it’s hard to sift through the noise and the greenwashing to make choices that are truly earth-friendly. Shila Wattamwar helps me navigate this important topic by sharing both financial and lifestyle advice based on her expertise in sustainable investing and as founder of the Sustainable M…

A great honor to bring you my latest guest author, musician, educator and environmentalist Leela Gour Broome who shares her love of the natural world with children through her books and teaching. Currently based on her farm outside Pune, she brings her deep knowledge of life on the tea plantations of South India to her books Flute in the Forest and…

Happy 2022! To kick off this New Year, I’m delighted to bring you someone who has energized the online sari world with her style and substance! Amanpreet Birgisson joins me in this chat and shares her journey from her childhood in a Sikh family in Ranchi to designing homes in Washington D.C. where she lives with her Icelandic husband and two sons. …

Give kids the gift of an adventurous palate this holiday season! My New York based guest Sarah Thomas has followed her passions from the worlds of Renaissance literature to food and wine and now children’s picture books as founder of a new company Kalamata’s Kitchen. I love her commitment to sharing her knowledge and passion with kids and their gro…

Ever wondered what really goes into a bottle of fine fragrance? Join me down the rabbit hole of niche perfumery with perfume creator, entrepreneur, architect and author Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan. Now based in Paris and Goa, Jahnvi trained with master perfumers in France before launching her own line, available at Good Earth stores in India, and online,…

Grab a cup of chai, a glass of champagne, or go for a walk and hear how my new favorite book series starring Perveen Mistry, lawyer and sleuth extraordinaire, was created! Author of this historical mystery series which includes The Widows of Malabar Hill, The Satapur Moonstone, and The Bombay Prince, Sujata Massey tells me her own story of journali…

How does someone with an Economics degree turn a love of stories into a career? Tune in to hear Bombay-based Tara, the founder of Bound India, share her journey from book-loving kid to publishing entrepreneur and podcaster. You maybe surprised by her favorite format and time of day for reading, and stay tuned until the end for reviews to find your …

Happy October! The podcast is back! Join me and my delightful new guest in a journey to the Great North - Shayan Pandole is a food & beverage industry veteran who found herself leaving New York and moving to Iceland to join her husband’s family restaurant in the remote Westfjords. The Soho House and Ritz Carlton seem a world apart from the fish res…

I had so much fun speaking with author Sonali Dev, creator of Bollywood-style love stories with a multicultural cast of characters you will definitely root for! I love her Bay Area based, Jane Austen inspired series based on the Raje family - the latest of which just released and is a great end of summer read! Join me in hearing how this architect …

As I travel around the sheep-dotted fjords of Iceland, I’m reminded of the stunning landscape of a part of the world that my latest guest has made her home. Looking to work with a textile community, Catherine Allie moved from Germany to Ladakh in the High Himalayas, sandwiched between Tibet and Kashmir. Together with her Ladakhi husband and his nom…

Georgia-based human rights attorney and newly minted Picture book author Shelly Anand joined me for this wonderful chat about body positivity and championing immigrant rights. Her new book Laxmi’s Mooch is out now and another one is due next year! Listen now on your favorite podcast app, Spotify or www.theindianedit.com and please take a second to …

From her childhood in a small town to leading an internationally known brand, Anavila Misra has grown her fashion design label while remaining grounded in both innovation and tradition. Anavila reinvented the sari by using linen, while maintaining a strong connection with the artisan craft clusters who create her beautiful clothing. Join me as she …

Teaching mindfulness in the US as a South Asian immigrant, my latest guest Zeenat Potia is working to make meditation instruction more inclusive and sustainable. She shares her journey from Bombay to the US, her own experiences with meditation and so many MANY wonderful and wise suggestions for us beginners. We discuss the reasons why people medita…

Curious how this British journalist and mother of three went from idea to (physical) product launch within a (global pandemic) year? London-based Nishika Patel shares how she recruited the right help to create a high-quality and fun kids magazine focused on India, Koolfi Club. I learned so much from the magazine and this chat, and stay tuned until …

Two wonderful cultural entrepreneurs - Anu Sehgal of The Culture Tree in NYC and Shikha Malhotra of IFNet in Boston - share how and why they launched their organizations to bring South Asian cultural programming to their communities. Two different backgrounds and journeys, but the same passion for ensuring their and other families could connect wit…

The best sort of cookbooks (and conversations! ) expand your world view by taking you on a journey - whether it’s a new place, new techniques or just new ways of using age-old ingredients. I’m so grateful I got to have this chat with the Adelaide-based restaurateur, writer and activist Durkhanai Ayubi, who, along with her family, is bringing Afghan…

A Dutch family’s love affair with heritage Indian jewellery began with their mother Bernadette and continues on with my latest guest Noelle Van Gelder and her sister Fleur. The challenges of finding and valuing vintage fine jewellery in India makes this family’s commitment to their work truly remarkable. Noelle takes us behind the scenes of how thi…

I thought, “Wow! I can't imagine I'm in America and I have to make this choice — to either have a family or to work... and that's when I thought to myself.. this is what I needed, a kick in the pants to launch on my own.” My latest guest belongs to a lineage of independent, female interior designers, but has carved out her own unique style and desi…

“If you have an idea, don't just sit on it, honestly just go for it! Don't be scared of failing!” Thrilled to bring you this energizing conversation with the founder of STAC Jewellery (and my cousin) Aakriti Tapuriah! Listen in as we chat about Bombay-based Aakriti’s start in the NGO world, her desire to create something independent from her family…

Drawing on her own American childhood as the daughter of immigrants from Kerala, and parenting her own kids as an expat in Hong Kong and Amsterdam, my newest guest Dr. Anisha Abraham has built on her training and expertise in adolescent health to create a fabulous resource for parenting cross-cultural kids. If you have or will have a teen in your h…

“If I don’t back myself now, then who will?” My dynamic Singapore-based guest Kshama Alur left her corporate branding career to start Indigrow Kids along with her co-founder and child development expert Akhila Das Blah. They’ve set out to diversify kids’ playrooms with their sustainably produced, multicultural books and games focusing on India and …