Rethink Desi

Bio: Jyoti Sarda brings twenty years as a senior-level global marketing executive with major studios and blue chip brands to developing impact-creating, documentary and narrative content through her company Nimble Media LLC. Currently, she is a producer on LILLY is a feature film chronicling the personal and political path of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter. Previously, she was producer on AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, an award winning docuseries following the rise of a women of color led movement to transform politics from the ground up which aired on POV (PBS) . She is also Co-Executive Producer of EQUAL MEANS EQUAL, a documentary feature that makes a case for why the Equal Rights Amendment is essential to undo the discrimination against women built into the US legal system. Until recently, Jyoti was Vice President of Marketing at Paramount Home Media where she led all facets of global marketing operations for Paramount partner brands, while overseeing international acquisitions. Prior to Paramount, she worked at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Jyoti serves on the boards of GlobalGirl Media, an organization that trains young women to become civically engaged through citizen journalism and LAANE, a leading LA-based social justice nonprofit. 

🔗 CONNECT WITH JYOTI SARDA 💻 Nimble Media - https://www.nimblemediallc.com 💻 IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7340026/ 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyotimsarda/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/

In this episode, dive into the inspiring journey of Joseph Kolapudi, Creative Director of Solve Squad, as he shares insights from his diverse background in Business Management, HRM, and Theology. From his experiences as a South Asian immigrant to his dedication to supporting refugees, Joseph discusses the intersection of entrepreneurship, creativity, and social equity. Join us as we explore how Joseph's leadership fosters inclusive communities and empowers changemakers, especially within the context of refugee support in the US.
🔗 CONNECT WITH JOSEPH KOLAPUDI 👥 SolveSquad - https://www.solvesquad.co/ 👥 SU Australia - https://su.org.au/ 📸 ARMCare - https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/c1ff2988-3aaf-e811-a961-000d3ad24182/profile 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/ #Entrepreneurship #SocialChange #Creativity #Equity #RefugeeSupport #Changemakers #CommunityBuilding #DiversityandInclusion #Leadership #SolveSquad

In this enlightening interview, join us as we delve deep into the transformative journey of Janani K.V. Rajan🩷, founder of The Indian Standard and a creative force on Instagram and TikTok. From navigating her own mental health challenges to inspiring thousands with her vulnerable storytelling, Janani shares insights, experiences, and practices that have shaped her perspective on mental health, spirituality, and self-discovery. Discover the power of vulnerability as Janani opens up about her personal journey, the mission behind The Indian Standard, and the transformative impact of storytelling in fostering empathy and understanding. Gain valuable insights into holistic healing modalities, self-care practices, and the intersectionality of mental health and spirituality. Join us on this empowering journey of self-awareness, resilience, and growth, as we explore the profound connection between authenticity💛, mental well-being, and the path to living a fulfilling life. Don't miss out on this transformative conversation that has the potential to inspire, educate, and empower!👨‍❤️‍👨 ➤Thanks for your support. 💚💚 And share your nice feedback on how our videos turned out in the comment box👏👏 💚💚 You can help us make another new video by leaving a comment💚💚 🔗 CONNECT WITH THE INDIAN STANDARD 👥 The Indian Standard - https://www.theindianstandard.co/ 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theindianstandard/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH JANANI K.V. RAJAN 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/by.janani 💻 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@by.janani 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/ #SouthAsianMentalHealth#SouthAsianCommunity#DesiWellness#AsianMentalWellbeing#DesiMentalHealthAwareness#SouthAsianWellness#AsianMindfulness#DesiEmotionalWellbeing#SouthAsianTherapy#AsianSelfCare#DesiMentalHealthSupport#southasian #SelfDiscovery#HolisticHealing#Empowerment#Vulnerability#Storytelling#Spirituality#SelfCare#MentalWellness#CommunityBuilding#Inspiration#PersonalGrowth#Wellbeing#MentalHealthJourney#Authenticity#Positivity#Mindfulness#theindianstandard #Interview#Podcast

A Journey to Mental Health & Self-Discovery | Interview with Janani K.V. Rajan 2024 ।। #Health #Self-Discovery #Interview #ReThinkDesi 🥰In this enlightening interview, join us as we delve deep into the transformative journey of Janani K.V. Rajan🩷, founder of The Indian Standard and a creative force on Instagram and TikTok👌. From navigating her own mental health challenges to inspiring thousands with her vulnerable storytelling💚, Janani shares insights, experiences, and practices that have shaped her perspective on mental health, spirituality, and self-discovery👈. 🥰Discover the power of vulnerability as Janani opens up about her personal journey💚, the mission behind The Indian Standard💛, and the transformative impact of storytelling in fostering empathy and understanding👌. Gain valuable insights into holistic healing modalities, self-care practices👨‍❤️‍👨 , and the intersectionality of mental health and spirituality.💚 🩷Join us on this empowering journey of self-awareness, resilience, and growth, as we explore the profound connection between authenticity💛, mental well-being, and the path to living a fulfilling life. Don't miss out on this transformative conversation that has the potential to inspire, educate, and empower!👨‍❤️‍👨
🔗 CONNECT WITH THE INDIAN STANDARD 👥 The Indian Standard - https://www.theindianstandard.co/ 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theindianstandard/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH JANANI K.V. RAJAN 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/by.janani 💻 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@by.janani 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/ #MentalHealthAwareness#SelfDiscovery#HolisticHealing#Empowerment#Vulnerability#Storytelling#Spirituality#SelfCare#MentalWellness#CommunityBuilding#Inspiration#PersonalGrowth#Wellbeing#MentalHealthJourney#Authenticity#Positivity#Mindfulness#TheIndianStandard#Interview#Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria, a licensed clinical psychologist offering telehealth services across Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Join us as we explore a wide range of topics including anxiety, depression, stress, identity exploration, self-worth, multicultural issues, relationship challenges, and spirituality. Dr. Sekhsaria shares her journey into clinical psychology and discusses common strategies and approaches she employs to help clients navigate mental health concerns. Discover how she integrates cultural sensitivity and spirituality into therapy sessions, fostering a holistic approach to mental wellness. Throughout our conversation, we delve into the challenges encountered in supporting individuals with their mental health and offer valuable advice for those considering therapy for the first time. Plus, gain insight into Dr. Sekhsaria's future plans for her telehealth practice and her vision for continued community support. If you're interested in unlocking mental wellness, gaining expert tips for managing stress, or exploring the transformative power of therapy, this episode is for you. Join us on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment with Dr. Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering conversations on mental health and holistic well-being! 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. KAVITA PALLOD SEKHSARIA 👥 Couples Sessions - 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kps_psychotherapy/?hl=en 💻 Research - https://www.proquest.com/openview/51b708048d9238fc60ddac5b9c31ca4e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y 💻 Website - https://www.kpspsychotherapy.com/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/ #MentalHealth#Therapy#ClinicalPsychology#SelfCare#Wellness#Mindfulness#Telehealth#Anxiety#Depression#IdentityExploration#Relationships#Spirituality#CulturalSensitivity#CommunitySupport#SelfDiscovery

In this episode, Arpita interviews Mrinal Gokhale about her new book, Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories. They discuss the inspiration behind the book and its focus on navigating mental illness, neurodivergence, identity, culture, and trauma in South Asian culture. They also explore the importance of challenging the model minority myth and providing a platform for South Asian Americans to share their stories. Mrinal shares insights into the selection process for the stories and the organization of the book. They read snippets from the book and discuss the surprising and impactful stories that were included. Mrinal also shares her personal growth and learning experiences throughout the process of creating the book and offers advice for aspiring authors considering self-publishing. Takeaways Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories is a collection of true stories that navigate mental illness, neurodivergence, identity, culture, and trauma in South Asian culture. The book challenges the model minority myth and provides a platform for South Asian Americans to share their stories and be seen as human, with their own struggles and hardships. The selection process for the stories involved reaching out to individuals and organizations, and the order of the stories was carefully chosen to provide breathing room between triggering themes. The book aims to promote intergenerational healing, educate readers about South Asian mental health, and contribute to the destigmatization of mental health and wellness in the South Asian community.

🔗 CONNECT WITH MRINAL GOKHALE 👥 First Book - https://www.amazon.com/Saaya-Unveiled-Mental-Health-Spotlighted-ebook/dp/B092Y9132V 💻 Second Book - https://www.amazon.com/Taboo-South-Mental-Health-Stories/dp/B0CFZGXQG4/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sharma-6554001b/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/ #SelfPublishing#IndieAuthor#AuthorTips#WritingCommunity#BookMarketing#PublishingAdvice#AuthorTube#BookTube#WritingTips#SelfPubTips#BookPublishing#AuthorLife#BookPromotion#CreativeWriting#WritingJourney

Voting for the presidential primaries and local representatives is set for March 5, 2024. Bhavin Jindal, the youngest city council member in Loma Linda's history, shares his background and journey into local politics. He discusses the challenges he faced during his campaign and the importance of voter registration. Bhavin also highlights the unique perspective he brings to the City Council as a South Asian and his focus on promoting social impact and community development. He addresses the issues of affordable housing and shares specific initiatives for the South Asian and low-income communities. Bhavin discusses the challenges he faces in bringing ideas and making changes on the City Council and offers advice for aspiring politicians and community leaders.

Links: Bhavin Jindal's Campaign Website - votejindal.com

Anu Kumar is a Communications Manager at BRAC. She is responsible for the Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative’s digital communications, including the engagement and management of digital platforms. Prior to joining BRAC UPGI, Anu was the Communications Specialist for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) focused on outreach and advocacy for issues centering racial, gender, and worker justice. Anu has supported communications efforts at think tanks such as the Council on Foreign Relations and New America. She also worked as a consultant at APCO Worldwide supporting projects and communications strategies for governments, corporations, and nonprofits. As a first-generation daughter of immigrants from South India, she is passionate about contributing to an organization based in and serving the Global South. Anu holds a Master’s in Intercultural and International Communication from the School of International Service at American University, and received her Bachelor’s in Journalism and International Studies from Indiana University Bloomington.

Apurva Bhandari is the Founder of SankalpTaru Foundation, a tech-enabled nonprofit whose mission is to promote sustainable development and preserve the natural environment through community engagement, education, and implementing innovative techniques. Users can choose to plant a tree, proceed to pay for it, and the organization will plant and provide users with a geo-tracker which has the trees live location on google map.

Dr. Preeti Kaushik has has completed her PhD. in Nano and Micro Technology from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. She has recently completed her postdoctoral research at Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. She talks about her journey and some of her work.

🔗 CONNECT WITH PREETI KAUSHIK 👥 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/preeti-kaushik-8b3a4152/ 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nanolifetales/ 🎥 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EHUqbIUysf8 🔗 CONNECT WITH ARPITA 🎥 YouTube Channel - @arpitasartjourney 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/artsbyarpita 💻 Website - https://arpitasharma.net 👥 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpita-sh... 🔗 CONNECT WITH RETHINK DESI /rethinkdesi 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/rethinkdesi 💻 Website - https://rethinkdesi.org 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5EDxEd5...

Krishma immigrated to the United States from India when she was five years old, and like her protagonist Mira, grew up in Long Island and then attended NYU. She is a poet, writer, and public speaker. Krishma was the author of “Free Spirit,” a regular column in her hometown magazine, Brookville Living. She has an MS in education, as well as an MS in marketing. She has also worked as a high school social studies teacher for 11 years. She lives in NY with her husband and four children. She began writing From Ash to Ashes seventeen years ago, after the death of her first child. His loss was the inspiration for her book, and she has dedicated it to his memory. In addition to From Ash to Ashes, she is also writing a nonfiction book, titled Brown Girl’s Guide, a collection of essays on womanhood and motherhood as seen through the eyes of a woman of color.

Ashesh Kamdar is President of Pratham, LA Chapter. He is also the President CEO of GBS Linens, which he joined in 2006. Prior to GBS, Ashesh worked in the technology sector for over a decade. He held various product management, marketing, consulting, and engineering positions with firms such as Symantec, Nortel Networks, Deloitte Consulting, and Hewlett-Packard. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Pratham, established in 1995 to provide education to children in Mumbai slums, is now one of the largest and most successful non-governmental education organizations in India.Working in collaboration with governments, communities, parents, teachers, and volunteers, Pratham focuses on innovative interventions to address gaps in the education system. The clarity of our mission—“every child in school and learning well”—drives us to make an impact on the lives of India’s children and extends from our leadership to our team in the field.Pratham USA is a volunteer-driven organization with 14 chapters across the United States that raise awareness and mobilize financial resources for our work on the ground.Link: https://prathamusa.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prathamusa/

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Reframe Series, where we are unpacking what it means to be Desi, locally and globally. Please follow ups for more content!

For this week, we will be having a discussion on what a multi-national partnership for promoting education within India looks like. For this discussion, we have Shrithika Logeshwaran, a third-year student at UC Berkeley, who is the project steward for Asha for Education’s Rewards Trust, an organization that adds additional teachers in government schools in India,, and Anandhi ma’am, who is the treasurer of Rewards Trust. Reward works with nearly 70 teachers in 40 government schools in primary, and, upper primary, and high schools in villages in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu.

Asha Berkeley: https://berkeley.ashanet.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha_berkeley/

Link: https://ashanet.org/project/?pid=590

Connect with Shrithika here: shrithikal02@gmail.com 

Dr. Laxmi Ramasubramanian is Interim Associate Dean for Research for the College of Social Sciences and Professor of Urban Planning at San Jose State University. Her research focuses on how to improve the quality of public engagement about complex urban problems; and how to innovatively use local/indigenous community knowledge to inform planning and policymaking.

#urban planning #education #research #coproducingknowledge

Saumya is a Research Associate at the Global Center for Environment & Energy at the Ahmedabad University. She also works on the Opportunities for Climate Mitigation and Sustainable Development (OPTIMISM) project, which is funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council as part of the research council’s “Towards a Sustainable Earth” program and the DBT at Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.  Saumya is also an element scientist for the COVID Element in the Third Assessment Report on Cities & Climate Change (ARC3) anchored by Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), Columbia University.  She believes in data-driven decision making and the use of high-quality research for advocacy. Her research focuses on the intersection of urban planning and climate change, urban and regional equity, and climate resilience. Saumya holds a Master’s in Planning degree from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, with a specialization in sustainable development, and a bachelor’s degree in Planning from CEPT, Ahmedabad. During her time at CEPT, she recieved a prestigious UKIERI (UK-India Education and Research Initiative) scholarship to study comparative urban development and planning. Saumya also received the Best Gender Thesis Award in 2017, for her undergrad thesis, ‘Gender and Public Spaces: A Case Study of Sabarmati Riverfront’.  You can connect with her here: https://instagram.com/saumya_lathia?igshid=Yzg5MTU1MDY=

Hi everyone, welcome back for Season 2 of the Reframe Series podcast. This podcast helps us unpack what it means to be Desi locally and globally. Before we get started, please like and subscribe!  Mrinal Gokhale is an Indian-American writer with a special interest in psychology and wellness. As a former freelance journalist, she has worked for minority owned publications in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the most segregated city in the U.S. Though she has covered many events on Mental Health Awareness Month in the Black and Hispanic communities, she felt there was lack of education surrounding Asian mental health, and strived to change that. Her aim is to help other South Asians navigating mental health journeys in the western part of the world feel less alone, and to promote education and acceptance of mental health in South Asian communities. Her book, Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted shares true stories of second generation Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrants and how they navigate mental health in the West. From topics like identity, culture, religion, socialization, academia, love, loss, and trauma, each unique story unveils a part of the shadow (saaya) of mental health in the South Asian diaspora.  

You can check out her book here:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57940012-saaya-unveiled 

Contact Info: https://linktr.ee/mgokhale

Hi friends...

So finally the last episode of Season 1 of Reframe series is out now. 

For episode 15 we have the Co-Founder of Rethink Desi, Arpita Sharma. Arpita holds dual Master’s degrees in Public Policy and Planning from the University of Southern California and a BA in Development Studies with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice from the University of California, Berkeley. Arpita is interested in helping nonprofits, local governments, and philanthropy groups better understand issues of immigrant integration and racial justice, economic inclusion and climate equity, and social movements and governing power. Prior to joining the Equity Research Institute team, she conducted quantitative and qualitative research on policy issues related to capital access for minority entrepreneurs and small business owners at the Milken Institute. She also worked as a Research Analyst at Estolano LeSar Advisors where she assisted in implementing active transportation projects for LA Metro and developing an equitable economic development plan for Cathedral City. Arpita’s passion for social justice work began in her youth when she learned about the importance of empathy, compassion, and advocacy as a first-generation immigrant living with a brother with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with strength and beauty. Since then, she has worked with several organizations both in the United States and India to help solve challenges in education, health, and economic development.

#rethinkdesi #reframeseries #publicpolicy #dataanalyst #socialchange #southasiancommunity #southasians #usa

In this episode we discuss "Climate Change: From Research to Market." We get into conversation with Nikhil Gargeya who is a Senior Strategic Partnership’s Manager at Activate, a nonprofit organization that empowers scientists to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market to address climate change and other global challenges of our time. His work between the government and private sector, transforms scientists into high-impact entrepreneurs through a fellowship that guides them along every step of the journey. Before this, Nikhil worked with next47, the Siemens venturing arm. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. He has been on the board of YPE SF Bay Area and he is also a Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) Fellow.