Heartistry

Megha @meghatron5 is the President of the Desai Foundation @desaifoundation an organization that empowers women and children through community programming to elevate health, livelihood, and menstrual equity in rural India. There is so much to learn from Megha as she goes in depth into the work of this organization, and even more so about her thoughtful and compassionate approach to working with co...

Farah takes us back to Pakistan for the next episode with @affanbaghpati   Affan Baghpati is a Visual Artist and Arts Educator, based in Karachi, Pakistan. This conversation is not only a window into Affan’s journey, but also shares a thoughtful and critical analysis of how and what needs to change for artists creating work in a country like Pakistan. A reflective and insightful dialogue about the...

Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy is an Indian-American percussionist, composer, and educator, and one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. His talent is undeniable, but what also makes Rohan such a joy to listen to and watch, his deep commitment and collaborative spirit. There is much to listen to and be inspired by in this episode!

Our next episode welcomes sustainability heARTivist Shila Wattamwar @shilawattamwar   Shila’s deep passion for sustainable food and the promotion of a lifestyle of sustainable consciousness, is equal parts informative and inspiring! In addition to her career as Head of Organizational Integration for @morningstarinc where she is focuses on aligning the company’s primary objectives across the differ...

We are thrilled to have Vu Le and his hilarious, but spot on, insights through his blog @nonprofitAF join us on Tues, Apr 25 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 10pm PKT Vu Le worked in the nonprofit sector most of his life, serving in various roles including as executive director of two nonprofits for over 13 years, and now dissects all aspects of the nonprofit sector with a thoughtful and necessary dose of lev...

This week welcomes our youngest guest to date, who will not only inspire you, but also want to make you try his baked creations ASAP! Meet Food Network’s Kids Baking Champion, Naiel Chaudry on Tues, Apr 18 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 10pm PKT Naiel Chaudry is a 13 year old entrepreneur, baker, volunteer, philanthropist, and public speaker whose love for baking not only landed him on Food Network’s Kids B...

Sana is deeply committed to amplifying the voices and stories of those who have been historically excluded at institutions of higher education. She has been a particular advocate for first-generation students and children of immigrants, developing and leading innovative and forward-thinking initiatives to reduce college success gaps for low-income students and students of color, and often reflecti...

Techmaker for almost 2 decades, and co-founder of PWic - Pakistani Women in Computing (PWiC), Huma reflected on the beautiful parallel of artistic flow and creativity to that of being an innovator of any kind. As an avid lover of music, dance and art in general, identifying that synergy has enabled Huma to dig deeper into her creative endeavors. This is an episode that will truly speak to the arti...

Thought provoking, soul stirring, heart led - Zara Zulfi is a musician, teacher and poet from Lahore, the city of gardens. Her indie-pop music is forever protest against gay heartbreak, and she often lands herself in trouble with her performance art. In 2021, the State levied obscenity charges against Zulfi for her “Unity, Faith, Disco” photoshoot as part of her frontwoman stinty for punk-rock ban...

We are loving the momentum in the movement to decolonize yoga, and are in respect and admiration for all who are leading this effort. This week’s guest, Melissa Shah, is a yoga therapist and founder of Find Your Breath, who skillfully adapts yoga and Ayurveda to the individual, and believes that yoga doesn’t need to be stripped of its culture and history in order for it to be palatable and benefic...

What a light this human being possesses, and emanates. In every aspect of the way she speaks, how she approaches her work, what she intends to be the outcome of her work... all of it! Not only is Parishae Adnan an amazing fashion designer and founder of @houseofparishae that focuses on circularity and sustainability in high end couture, she is also a climate change activist. Be ready to be inspire...

Friidom is the epitome of visual storytelling. His ability to move, and to move you through his movements, is somewhat of a visceral experience for all who witness his work. In this conversation, we hear what moved him to be the creative genius that he is, and why his life’s mission is to spread this movement philosophy and raw expressive movement by creating worlds and bridging divides, or as he...

Zehra is a triple threat as a journalist, actor, AND director for film and theater! In addition to sharing about all the exciting projects she has been involved in, she highlights the dynamics and support system that every creative must strike in order to follow their path which is often less traversed.

What we know about Tejal: - Yoga Teacher, Speaker, Social Justice Educator - An advocate for yoga through a social justice lens AND educates and empowers individuals and groups around the world to do the same - Creator of Tejal Yoga - a revolutionary, online studio, with an all South Asian teacher-led yoga community focused on social justice actions and authentic, culturally-rooted spiritual pract...

The art of the “pivot” is what led Anita Mithra to embracing her life’s calling. From Journalist / Communication Specialist to running her direct marketing agency over 25 years, all the while spending her evenings on stage, Anita realized it was time to shift gears. At the age of 40, she decided to follow her heart and went on to open her own theatre production company - The Tortilla Entertainment...

A rare combination (or is it?) of being a social scientist and theatre artist, Shatarupa Bhattacharyya’s artistic practice is focused on representing the lived experiences of women across time and space on stage, which she has done in almost 30 productions over the last 12 years, primarily as an actor, though recently as a director, producer, and soon, as a playwright as well.

Annika Sharma is an agented and published author of romcoms starring South Asians. Her debut, “Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words,” has been named to Amazon’s Best Books, Apple Writers to Watch, and Library Journal’s Best Books of 2021. She is also the co-founder and co-host of @thatdesispark podcast, a show featured on Forbes, the BBC, a Spotify billboard campaign, and more. She is a lover o...

Wajiha Ather Naqvi is a singer/song-writer and music researcher from Karachi, Pakistan. As a singer, she trains in Hindustani music under the apprenticeship of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami and his son Rauf Saami from the Qawwal Bachche-Delhi gharana. She is currently based in London and is pursuing her PhD in ethnomusicology from Kings College London researching on the performance histories and heredit...

Surina Jindal is an actress, award-winning producer, and public speaking coach. She is the co-creator and executive producer of the 2021 Comedy Central feature film Hot Mess Holiday. Jindal starred, and executive produced alongside Melanie Chandra and Kal Penn. Surina co-produced “The Giants” a sumo wrestling docuseries currently airing on Rakuten TV and is the winner of 2022 Sports Industry Award...

Sujatha Balakrishnan is a teacher/counselor and a theatre practitioner based out of Bangalore. She founded “Theatre for Change”. The underlying principle of her initiatives resonate with the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe’s metaphorical description of dominant narratives, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Sujatha believes that it’s...

Marium Jeelani @mariumjeelani is a Digital Media Artivist and Content Creator from Karachi, Pakistan. She uses her online platforms to educate audiences on sociopolitical issues and to start conversations on taboo topics to help those most marginalised. Marium is also a passionate creative who has always explored different mediums of art. Aiming to combine art with activism she enjoys photography,...

Rabia Meghani is a Medical Researcher, Behavioral Therapist, Educator, Yoga Therapist and Ayurvedic Practitioner. Rabia’s formal education is in public health and epidemiology. Merging her knowledge of disease and the ancient science of Yoga and Ayurveda, Rabia aims to modernize eastern healing teachings and make them accessible to the masses while honoring the roots of the science. Her passion li...

Barnali Ghosh (she/her) @berkeleywali is a designer, artist, and transportation justice advocate from Berkeley, California. Her work bridges homes and homelands, creating spaces for belonging. She co-founded the award-winning Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour, which uses storytelling and theater to share narratives of local South Asian American resistance movements, from immigrant...

David Brandstätter’s work is rooted in cross disciplinary performance (circus, dance, physical theatre and music). He was born in Wuppertal (WOOPERTAAL) Germany, and studied applied music science in Hamburg. From the age of 15 he worked internationally as a juggler and unicyclist and became a practitioner of traditional Japanese martial arts. In 2001, he started his studies of choreography in Arnh...

Antara Bhardwaj @antaraasthaayi began her study of kathak at the age of nine with legendary Kathak maestro Pandit Chitresh Das. Her panache and magnetism have dazzled audiences throughout the U.S. and India, including a nationally televised performance in India, and lecture demonstration "Dancing Mathematics" - highlighting the complex mathematics in the Hindustani music system. She identifies her...