ChangeMaker’s Book Club

An AI girlfriend, a trafficking survivor, and a social entrepreneur walk into the same conversation… and somehow it becomes one of the most human discussions I've had all year. This week on Changemakers Book Club, we're unpacking Annie Bot with Bharathy Tahiliani, the founder of Kshamata, and Yeoh Wan Qing, co-founder of Hatch. Bharathy has spent over 20 years helping women rebuild their l...

In this episode, I sit down with media founder Aparna and landscape architect Suvarna, to unpack 'Mother Mary Comes to Me' —and how trauma, fierce parenting, and resilience intersect in ways we don’t always see. We get into how public personas mask pain, the hidden systemic failures in urban infrastructure, and why extraordinary talent can stem from such relentless parenting. Aparna shares...

I thought this would be a simple book discussion… it turned into a conversation about who owns our stories. In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author Alka Joshi and Cai Chengying, Deputy CEO at Pro Bono SG, to unpack The House of Doors —and how storytelling, history, and justice intersect in ways we don’t always see. We get into how real lives become fiction, the hidden power dynamics in...

What if solving your own murder meant queuing up in the afterlife’s visa office? That’s the hilarious and haunting premise of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida . A Booker Prize novel set in 1990s Sri Lanka, it’s a wild mix of murder mystery, dark humour, and political history. In this episode, I sit down with Ingrid Srinath and Stephen Keys to unpack how this story blends war, identity, journalism,...

What does a Booker Prize novel about a struggling family have to do with philanthropy in Singapore and waste management in India? In this episode of the Changemaker Book Club, I dive into The Bee Sting with Priyanka Agarwal, Executive Director of the Tsao Family Foundation, and Vishal Kumar, CEO of Waste Warriors Society. Priyanka shares her journey from finance to philanthropy in Singapore, while...

What happens when two trailblazers from finance and clean energy dive into a murder-at-sea thriller? I sat down with Lakshmi Iyer, Group President & CEO at Bajaj Alternatives and one of Asia’s top women in asset management, and Malavika Bambawale, a global leader in clean energy and CEO of SAS Energy UK. Lakshmi opened up about her journey as a woman leader in finance and why she champions div...

What could a murder mystery teach us about fundraising and the ways they are corrupted? In this episode, I dug into The Appeal with Radha and Annu, a book that had us hooked while making us question how power, privilege, and manipulation show up in the social sector. We talk about why trust matters in fundraising, why transparency is non-negotiable, and how the wrong incentives can spiral into rea...

What happens when a gym badass and a meditation-loving doctor dive into the same book about weight loss drugs? You get stories, science, and some serious truths. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Bhakti Naik, PT, nutritionist, and founder of Ikigai Health, who helps people build real, lasting habits through movement and mindset. And Dr. Sondhi, a physician with nearly 50 years of experience treatin...

Ever met a pilot who’s blind, and runs marathons faster than most of us? In this episode, I sat down with Sudhir and Divyanshu, two leaders who are flipping how we see disability, allyship, and what inclusion actually looks like. From discovering audiobooks during vision loss to flying planes and running marathons blind, their stories challenge every stereotype we hold. We talk about pity vs. dign...

What do a children’s book author and a gender justice leader have in common? Turns out—plenty, especially when the book in question hits like a gut punch. In this episode, I sat down with Bhakti Mathur and Nisha Dhawan to unpack James by Percival Everett. Bhakti’s journey from banker to bibliotherapist adds a whole new layer to how stories can heal, while Nisha brings her fierce, frontline experie...

Can a book change how you see the world and what you do in it? I’m Gunjali, and on the ChangeMaker’s Booklub, I sit down with inspiring leaders in philanthropy and the social sector to unpack big ideas sparked by books. We talk about gender, disability, fundraising, and the invisible systems shaping our lives. Because books don’t just tell stories, they start conversations that lead to action. Joi...