Millennial Musings with Anurag

On the latest episode of Millennial Musings, host Anurag welcomes onboard his good friend and DJ, Divyae Sharma, aka sharma, to discuss all things dance music. They discuss sharma's journey into becoming a DJ, his fascination with dance music, its history, and how it continues to be a close-knit and deeply engaged community.

Having grown up in Dubai and lived in the UK and US; sharma intends to jump genres while enticing people into the beautiful community of dance music and explore the culture. During the day, Divyae dons a different hat - working as a design engineer in the medical device sector.

*Explicit language warning*

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As one of the most impactful and influential NGOs in India, Magic Bus has transformed the lives of over one million children and young people living in poverty. This week's guest, Anuj Alphonson, who is the Director of Livelihood programs at Magic Bus, shares with Anurag in great detail, the work that his organization does on empowering and helping young, vulnerable people access sustainable livelihood opportunities. They discuss many of Magic Bus's Livelihoods programs, explore how these interventions create impact, and in closing, look ahead to the goals and objectives that Magic Bus has set for the upcoming years.

Anuj Alphonson is Director-Livelihoods at Magic Bus India Foundation. He is passionate about working with youth from all walks of life, guide them on holistic development, and prepare & connect them with the right livelihood opportunities. He is an avid reader, ardently follows parallel cinema, and actively engages in Outdoor sports including Badminton, Volleyball and Football.

Founded in 1999 by Matthew Spacie, Magic Bus is a non-profit organisation that works with children and young people, living in poverty, in India, taking them from a childhood full of challenges to a life with meaningful livelihoods. They equip children and young people in the age group of 12 to 18 and above with the skills and knowledge they need to grow up and move out of poverty.

Magic Bus's youth-centered Livelihoods Programme connects the aspirations and potential of young people to available livelihood opportunities. Since the Livelihood programme began in 2015, more than 60,000 young men and women have so far been supported with high impact skills training and sustainable livelihood opportunities. The programme has over 50 livelihood skilling centres and 8 entrepreneurship incubation centres in high-need strategic locations in India.

Introducing Millennial Musings Shorts (MMS), my stories, thoughts, and rants - in under 5 minutes!

Today is the fourth of July and while reminiscing all the unforgettable memories I've had on this day while living in the United States, I wanted to share my most epic experience celebrating the American Independence Day - with my favorite rock band, The Foo Fighters at their 20th Anniversary celebration in Washington D.C. in 2015.

What did you think of this new format? I'm experimenting with short form audio and would love to hear from you - what did you like, what did you not, and how can I make it better :)

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The institution of marriage is often propped up to be this sacred, unbreakable bond between couples (and in some cultures, their families) and places unhealthy and sometimes dangerous expectations on individuals. Due to these inflated expectations, when a relationship begins to fail, the individuals are often left in an incredibly difficult position, especially in countries like India, where taking the step towards divorce is largely frowned upon. On today's episode, Anurag and Shasvathi discuss normalizing and de-stigmatizing divorce in India, and how Shasvathi's personal experience led her to becoming a champion for others through her movement #DivorceIsNormal and the subsequent support group it spawned. Among many other topics, they discuss societal pressure of being in a marriage, dealing with the trauma of divorce, the arduous legal journey of seperation, and how allyship matters in normalizing divorce. 

Shasvathi Siva is a Chennai girl settled in Mumbai. After her divorce in 2018, she started vocalizing her thoughts about it, and is now on a mission to normalize divorce in every household. She also runs a support group for the same. Shasvathi is a TedX speaker, and is publishing her first book titled 'Divorce Is Normal' in 2022.

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We're departing from our usual approach in this episode. In fact, we are shining our light on yet an another misunderstood generation - Generation Z. Many recall Tik Tok dances and other social media trends when thinking about this generation, but they are a whole lot more than that. In just a few years, they will grow to be one of the most influential generations, if not already. So in today's episode our host Anurag and the show's first Gen-Z guest, Vishal, talk all things about this generation. Additionally, they explore the relationship of this generation with the internet and technology, as well as how marketable they have already become. They close out the conversation with a deep dive into how the future of marketing will change - given Vishal's experience as the founder and Managing Partner of fireflies, a dynamic marketing and advertising agency, focused on Gen-Z.

Vishal has been in the branding, marketing and events space since his freshman year of university. From co-founding the first and only licensed youth social organization in UAE, running concerts and working in the edtech space to conceptualizing and executing campaigns for global brands like American Eagle, Bath and Body Works, Yamaha, Upfield and Logitech through his Gen-Z brand fireflies, he's always been chasing the big goals.

Vishal also does workshops for schools and Universities in the region. He's keen to get into the non-profit space and is exploring opportunities with the UNWFP. Apart from this, he works on his music, enjoys working out, and loves chocolate milk.

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Following a prolonged hiatus, Millennial Musings is back with a brand new episode. Recorded in mid-2020, host Anurag and guest Rohit Bhatnagar discuss the challenges of growing up as a third culture kid, the difficulties in defining where home is, and navigating the often painful yet frequently encountered question, “Where are you really from?” Additionally, they chat about the benefits of such an upbringing and how it has influenced them in specific ways.

In 2016, Rohit graduated with an economics degree from New York Uuniversity and moved home (?) to India, capping off a colorful 15 years living and studying in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. He’s spent the years since working a management consultant in New Delhi, first with EY and now with Dalberg, putting him face-to-face with his identity crises as a cultural and professional generalist.

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In the first episode of 2021, host Anurag and guest Havovi Wadia discuss in depth, all things pertinent to child and adolescent rights in India. They discuss the difficulty of being a child during the transition into adolescence and adulthood, as well as the way society dictates the agency afforded to them. Additionally, they dive deep into the prevalence and rampant existence of child abuse in India, as well as avenues for rescue and rehabilitation for survivors. Finally, they also chat about the state of affairs in the development sector today, specifically with regards to children and adolescents.

Havovi is an often inefficient, mostly happy, rather verbose person who loves local trains, is addicted to detective fiction (especially of the modern kind), and cannot function without a cup of tea made by her husband first thing in the morning. She is a sporadic writer and in her years in the development sector, has become a better listener than she was. She currently leads Save The Children India and continues to believe that we will have a world where children and women will not be infantilised, and where participation and protection are not seen as conflicting rights.

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We're back! Season 3 is now live and we kick it off with an in depth exploration on imposter syndrom with author, broadcaster, and Rhodes Scholar Eusebius McKaiser. Anurag and Eusebius open up about their constant struggles with imposter syndrome, and how it has impacted their lives. They explore their first experiences of feeling like an imposter, the ways in which it limited their abilllities to own the spaces they were in, and ultimately how they are trying to curtail its impact on their everyday lives. 

Eusebius McKaiser is a Broadcaster, Author, Political Analyst, Debate and Public Speaking Coach, Lecturer, and Rhodes Scholar. He has studied law and philosophy, and specialised in moral philosophy with particular interest in whether or not people are morally responsible for the beliefs they hold. He has also lectured in various areas of academic philosophy in England and South Africa.

Eusebius is the author of three best-selling books, the most recent being Run, Racist, Run. He has previously written columns for Business Day and New York Times. His essays have appeared in many local and international media. He has also appeared as an analyst on many platforms including CNN, BBC and others. Eusebius hosted radio and television shows for many years and is currently completing his fourth book, provisionally entitled Searching for Sello Duiker.

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In this milestone episode of Millennial Musings, Sarvesh shares his inspirational story - about his difficult childhood, his mother's strength and many sacrifices, the need to assimilate to different environments, and his journey against all odds to fight the numerous challenges that were thrown his way, and still take risks in the pursuit of happiness. Anurag and Sarvesh further discuss the state of India, the development sector, cancel culture, and more!

Sarvesh Singh is a strategy consultant from Mumbai. His journey from Chartered Accountant to Teach for India fellow to development consultant has been as unusual as his journey from small-town Kon gaon to the bustling cosmopolis that is Central Mumbai. In keeping with his unconventional voyages in life, he has his unique take on just about anything - from Urdu literature to international politics to fine wine

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Building a business in China is one of the most notoriusly difficult tasks to accomplish. Now doing that as a foreigner? Next to impossible! Argentinian national Tomas Fuentes Benitez, however, begs to differ with convention. He is accomplishing the impossible though his startup, STOKES, the first and only all-natural beef jerky statup in China - which is well on its course to disrupt a US$ 3B category. In this episode of Millennial Musings, Anurag chats with Tomas on how he grew STOKES from a makeshift food lab he built in his dorm room, to now becoming one of the hottest food products in Chinese supermarkets - largelly all by himself. Along the way, he has attracted investments and support from massive names, such as football legend Javier Mascherano. The rocketship rise definitely has had many ups, but also several challenges. But at its core, this is truly a story of perseverence, dogged persistence, and rising up to the occasion. Make no mistake, Tomas is an absolute inspiration for budding entrepreneurs around the world.

About Tomas: Tomas Fuentes Benitez is a business lawyer turned entrepreneur from Argentina. He has lived in China for several years, where he founded STOKES, the first all-natural beef jerky startup in this market. Because of his experience in doing business in China, he also serves as the Investment Advisor of Argentina's Embassy in Beijing.

About STOKES: Founded in the dorms of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, STOKES is the first and only all-natural beef jerky startup in China. Based in Beijing and with factories in Shanghai, we are disrupting a US$3B category. Our products are on the shelves of supermarkets across China and have become category best-sellers in only a few months. Among our investors is football legend Javier Mascherano, former captain of FC Barcelona.

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The protests that have broken out in the United States following the brutal murder  of George Floyd in Minnesota by a white police officer has led to a lot of uncomfortable, yet overdue  conversations about race relations, police brutality, and systems of oppression, amongst others. On this episode, Anurag chats with two young black leaders, Willie Thompson and Justin Bryant to unpack some of these conversations that are finally happening now. They discuss what it was like to grow up black in America, how as young people, we can work to address and combat systems of oppression, and how they took initiative to bring about tangible change in a community that they are active members of - the Schwarzman Scholars Program.

Surya Karki is one of the most inspirational people you will ever come across. He was born and brought up in poverty by a single mother in a village where education was a rare sight and schooling was a 2.5 hours walk to-and-from the school. He left his family and his village at 8 years old to study in the capital of Nepal and went on to study at the United World College of Venezuela, finished his undergraduate from the College of the Atlantic in Maine and his Masters Degree as a Schwarzman Scholar in China. Recognizing the opportunity he had, he dedicated his life to educating those with a similar background to him--building over 34 schools and educating over 5200 vulnerable children in Nepal, through his organization, United World Schools in Nepal.

In this episode of Millennial Musings, Anurag chats with Surya about his incredible journey, and tries to understand the mentality, dedication, and perseverance of one of the most impactful young leaders in the world today. They further discuss some of their experiences as Schwarzman Scholars in Beijing, a year that bonded them for life.

While Surya does not like to discuss his awards and recognition, Anurag has no problem revealing it. For his work in education and sustainable development, in 2014, he was awarded the Prince of Wales and UNILEVER Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Award; in 2016, he was recognized as one of 30 under 30 International Literacy Association leaders; and in 2017, he was listed in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia.

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In this episode, Anurag and his guest Ruchita chat about the mental health consequences of social distancing in the time of coronavirus. They chat about many of Anurag's recent struggles, including break from routine, isolation from friends and family, as well as the difficulty in seperation between work and personal life. They also discuss several global trends being observed, and culminate the chat with Ruchita's recommendations to tide over these difficult times. 

Jonathan Lopez lives and works in Beijing, China, where he just recently completed his 50th day in self-imposed social isolation. With Anurag, he shares his experience of living in a China that is plagued by Coronavirus, and how he has mastered the art of effectively living in social isolation. Additionally, he breaks down some of the myths and media narratives around life in China currently, how China has now effectively controlled the spread through stringent measures, and also discusses how and why he set about raising awareness through his social media posts. Finally, he shares his advice for all of us who are just about embracing social isolation and working from home.

Jonathan Lopez was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia, and migrated to Montreal, Canada for his Bachelor's at McGill University. In Canada, he embraced an identity of global citizen, learning several languages and travelling to 60+ countries. Subsequently, he was chosen as a Schwarzman Scholar to complete a Master’s degree at Tsinghua University in China. Currently, he resides in Beijing, China, and works at ByteDance, the world’s most valued start-up, as a Content Strategy Manager for a key SaaS product. He shares his daily updates on living in a China (Beijing) plagued by Coronavirus on his Instagram account. Ultimately, Jonathan aims to become an entrepreneur and investor; an inspirational figure and leader; a philanthropist; a Colombian diplomat, and eventually, President.

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