Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change

How does where we live shape our health and opportunities? In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , we speak with Dr. Monica Wang , public health researcher at Boston University and Harvard, and author of The Collective Cure. We explore how redlining continues to shape health disparities, what Blue Zones can teach us about healthier communities and why creating equity i...

What if racism was never just about hate? In this episode of Everyday Equity , Pooja Kothar i sits down with author, speaker, and DEIA advocate Paul Ladipo for a candid conversation about everyday racism, performative DEI, emotional intelligence, raising socially aware children, and what it actually takes to move from awareness to action. Paul also discusses his book, It Was Never About That: Goin...

What does it really cost to belong when success means constantly navigating stereotypes, bias, and expectations about who you’re supposed to be? In this episode of Everyday Equity , Pooja Kothari sits down with Misa Chien , founder of The Authentic Asian , to talk about ambition, identity, belonging, and the realities Asian women face while building careers and businesses. Misa shares candid stori...

What does equity look like from your first breath to your last? In this episode, Pooja Kothari speaks with Jaya Saxena—lawyer, organizational strategist, and aspiring death doula about how equity shapes our experiences throughout life, including at the end of it. Together, they explore the difference between equality and equity, the barriers many communities face in accessing end-of-life care, the...

What if telling your story wasn't just personal — it was political? Host Pooja Kothari sits down with Nia Clark, senior specialist at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, to explore storytelling as a form of nonviolent activism. Nia draws a direct line from the lunch counter protests of the civil rights movement to the storytelling work she leads today through HRC's Voices for Equality...

In this episode of Everyday Equity, Pooja Kothari is joined by Monroe France , global leadership strategist, former Vice Provost at Tufts University, and longtime advocate for inclusive leadership. Monroe reflects on how being raised by three generations of Black women shaped his understanding of responsibility, power and equity. He shares how those early experiences continue to influence how he l...

In this episode, host Pooja Kothari sits down with strategist and advocate Aparna Rae  to explore what everyday equity looks like at the intersection of work, technology, and democracy.  They discuss why most workplaces operate like authoritarian regimes, the real harm of performative DEI, and why basic needs like fair wages matter more than belonging metrics. Aparna shares her journey from buildi...

In this Episode Pooja Kothari speaks with Swati Parikh, founder of Greater Good Careers and a career and leadership coach for mission-driven professionals and lawyers. They discuss the challenges of career transitions, especially for public interest lawyers who feel stuck, burned out, or unsure of their next step. Swati shares insights on navigating the job search process, negotiating offers, and...

In this episode of Everyday Equity, Pooja Kothari speaks with Heather Shafter Co-author of Life of Libby and founder of Three P Allies, about what real change requires. They discuss lessons from historic movements, how advocacy organizations can align purpose with execution, and why asking questions matters more than defending positions, especially in conversations about Palestine. A thoughtful co...

Why does money still feel stressful, even when things are “fine”? In this episode of Everyday Equity, Pooja Kothari sits down with Anjali Jariwala , founder of FIT Advisors , to talk about money trauma, cultural conditioning, and why traditional financial advice often misses the mark. Anjali shares how growing up as a child of immigrants shaped her relationship with money and how guilt, scarcity a...

In Season 3, Episode 1 of Everyday Equity: Everyday ways to Make a Change, Pooja Kothari sits down with Brianne Brinker, a Kent State Hall of Fame hockey player, longtime assistant athletic director at Union College, and author of "Skating Out of the Vault":A Trans Woman's Escape from the Game of Masculinity." Brianne shares her journey of coming out, being true to herself and...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change, Pooja Kothari addresses a question many adults avoid: when should we start talking to children about white supremacy, race, gender, disability, and power? Drawing from her experience as a parent, Pooja explains why these conversations don’t start for children, they start as practice for adults. The early years are about building o...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , host Pooja Kothari speaks with Nicole Song three-time author, former journalist, and founder of Nicole Song Coaching about equity, identity, and self-worth. Nicole reflects on movement, mindfulness, caregiving, and the Asian American experience, sharing how representation, boundaries, and community shape everyday equity. A though...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Pooja Kothari sits down with Alana C. Brown , attorney, founder of A Cultured Business, and creator of the Safe Sister Circle. They talk about culturally specific support for survivors of violence, why equity has to start inside organizations and what it looks like to lead with care, power-sharing, and accountability especially f...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Pooja Kothari talks with Burhan Razi , VP and COO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, about what equity looks like in day-to-day operations. They discuss four-day workweeks, paid family leave, and why centering wellness and care inside organizations isn’t a perk, it’s an equity practice. A practical conversatio...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Pooja Kothari sits down with Kia Scipio lawyer, culture change leader, and founder of IC Creative for a candid conversation about what equity looks like when the pressure is on. Kia shares how early experiences of racism shaped her commitment to positive social change, and why workplace “commitments” to DEI often collapse when it...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Pooja Kothari sits down with Mahalene Dulay , wealth advisor and founder of Modern Wealth Collective, to talk about money, power, and equity. Mahalene shares her journey as a daughter of Filipino immigrants and why she created a wealth practice centered on women of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and first-generation wealth builders....

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Pooja Kothari speaks with Kamana Khadka , inclusive culture strategist, DE&I Manager at Cable One/Sparklight, and founder of Unlocking Inclusion . Khadka shares her journey from Nepal to the U.S. and the experiences that made equity personal, navigating identity as an immigrant, witnessing language and healthcare barriers in...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , Puja Ari is joined by Laura Hahn-Segundo Collins , psychotherapist, former elite Division I athlete, and trauma-informed practitioner. Laura shares her deeply personal journey, growing up as the child of immigrants and refugees, navigating elite sports shaped by obedience, overtraining and silence and later reckoning with the lon...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , we’re joined by Ming Chen , a career and executive coach supporting women of color in tech. With over 20 years of leadership experience and her work as a facilitator at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Ming shares how equity, values, and community shape leadership and career growth. She is also the founder of Nebula Coaching...

In this episode of Everyday Equity: Everyday Ways to Make a Change , we’re joined by Meenadchi , whose work centers dignity, accountability, and belonging in leadership and organizational culture. Through coaching and facilitation, she supports people and teams in examining power, identity, and impact helping equity show up in everyday decisions, not just statements or strategy.

In this episode of Everyday Equity , we’re joined by Grace Yung Foster , founder and CEO of The Inclusion Initiative , for a powerful conversation on identity, belonging, and equity through the lens of transracial adoption and foster care. Grace shares her lived experience as an international adoptee and foster care alum, and how these often-invisible identities shape how people navigate work, com...

This week, Pooja Kothari sits down with Arianne Hunter author, speaker, and work culture critic for a real talk conversation on workplace inequity, hustle culture, and what “ Career liberation ” actually looks like. They dig into why DEI backlash matters, how to handle hard conversations without ego, and the small acts of equity that make a big difference—like passing the mic, using your privilege...

In this episode, host Pooja Kothari is joined by Judy Tsuei , author, coach and entrepreneur. Judy brings a thoughtful, human-centered perspective on equity, self-trust, leadership, and the inner work required to create meaningful external change. This conversation centers on how personal awareness, boundaries and values shape inclusive leadership and why equity work must include reflection, care,...

In this episode, host Pooja Kothari sits down with Maxine L. Legall , founder and CEO of Thrive Inclusively LLC . With over 20 years of experience across healthcare, nonprofit, and corporate spaces, Maxine shares practical, no-nonsense insights on inclusion, cultural change, leadership, and why resilience and self-care are essential — not optional — for sustainable impact. This conversation moves...