N.R.I. Woman

There’s a particular loneliness that comes with succeeding in ways your community celebrates while quietly unraveling in ways they refuse to acknowledge. Shweta Ravi Shankar and Rema Chari know this terrain intimately. As South Asian women who’ve navigated immigration, motherhood, and multiple cultural identities, they’ve learned that the hardest migration isn’t across ocea...

What happens when life throws you an unimaginable curveball? For Moushmi Kapadia, her child’s muscular dystrophy diagnosis marked the beginning of an unexpected journey, not just as a caregiver, but as a woman rediscovering herself. Moushmi opens up about navigating the emotional chaos that followed her child’s diagnosis, the crushing weight of societal expectations around motherhood,...

Maria Menezes, Dr. Dipali Prabhu, and Sophia Gonsalves are the founders of Circle of Grey – a community built around one simple belief: growing older should feel connected, creative, and joyful. They talk about the very real loneliness many older adults face, especially after COVID changed the way we interact. What started as a small effort to check in on seniors has evolved into a vibrant s...

In this heartfelt conversation, we sit down with Jessica Kumar, an American who built a life and identity across two cultures. Jessica opens up about her journey of adapting to India, navigating a cross-cultural marriage, and finding connection through language and community. From the challenges of communication to the joy of belonging in two worlds, she shares the lessons she’s learned about iden...

Natasha Moor, world-renowned makeup artist, beauty entrepreneur, and visionary founder of Natasha Moor Cosmetics, shares her inspiring journey – from a young girl experimenting with makeup to becoming a transformative force in the global beauty industry. I n this episode of  @nriwoman  Podcast, we explore how Natasha’s passion for inclusive beauty and women’s empowerment led her to cre...

Despite increasing visibility, there remains a profound lack of understanding about the transgender experience in our society. Too often, trans individuals face discrimination, violence, and appalling prejudices rooted in ignorance about what it means to be transgender. In this episode, Celia Sandhya Daniels courageously takes us through her journey from struggling with gender dysphoria as a child...

We’re thrilled to host interculturalist Pratha Shetty, who guides us through the fascinating world of cross-cultural understanding. We learn about Pratha’s early fascination with why people from diverse cultures think and act differently. This curiosity sparked a career unveiling complex cultural concepts through educational tools, speaking, and writing. A highlight is the colorful chi...

In this episode, Shilpa offers wisdom on nurturing your passions with patience, making time for what inspires you, looking beyond labels to live authentically, and uplifting others along the way. With humor and compassion, Shilpa opens up about her multifaceted life, from balancing family and work to staying motivated through struggles. Learn Shilpa’s advice on personal growth, the insights she’s...

On our show today is the multi-talented Aarti! With degrees in two seemingly contrasting fields – psychology and computer engineering – Aarti has cultivated a distinctive perspective that fuses logic and artistic creativity. Aarti talks about her interests, from nurturing her flair for writing and painting, to channeling her energy into Bollywood dance, to succeeding in technical caree...

Anu Sehgal is a spirited cultural educator whose adventure spans over 25 years from India to the US. Hers is a heartwarming story of craving authentic Indian experiences and how that desire transformed her into an advocate for cultivating cultural awareness, heritage, and language in children. “The Culture Tree,” Anu’s brainchild initially focused on language education has now bl...

Meet Anuradha Gupta, a passionate angel investor and the creative mind behind Vows for Eternity, a globally renowned matchmaking firm. Anuradha’s journey is all about following her heart, understanding people, and taking a unique path in the business world. Growing up in India and later living most of her life abroad, Anuradha sensed a missing piece in the typical matchmaking process. The us...

Meet Sharan, the creative soul with Becker Muscular Dystrophy, who, despite the challenges, remains a creator, an inspiration, and a unique voice in the big conversation about life. This conversation isn’t about putting a spotlight on someone because they are differently-abled; it’s an open invitation for all of us to think about how we see and connect with people whose experiences and...

Roshni isn’t just making waves in the fast-paced world of PR marketing – she’s leaving an unforgettable impression on high-profile South Asian celebrities, not just in North America but globally. Beyond being the co-founder of the wildly popular Urban Asian news platform, her story goes way beyond the usual tale of success, reaching past the shiny exterior of her career. Beyond her pro...

In this episode, we explore the fascinating journey of manifestation through quantum jumping through Bianca’s lens. Discover how she taps into intuition and spiritual insight to navigate the complexities of life, offering a refreshing perspective on creating your reality, even in the face of uncertainty. Bianca shares her personal stories and insights, offering practical wisdom on manifestin...

We couldn’t have picked a more informative episode to end our season with. Sanya Sharma is a 19-year-old law student based in the UK and the founder of the global organization Scarlet Udaan. The aim of the organization is to raise awareness of Female Genital Mutilation. The team has members from different parts of the world including India, UK, Indonesia, US, Canada and many more. The World Health...

Pooja Tripathi is a first-generation Indian American actor, filmmaker and violinist based in New York City. She grew up in Pittsburgh & NYC, and studied at Carnegie Mellon University.  Pooja is the co-creator of new Dutch American dramedy series  Amsterdam Ave .  which was created by a 90% female crew and takes place in The Netherlands and NYC. Having a predominantly female crew...

Yashi, as she’s popularly known, is a Connecticut based homeopath with nearly three decades of experience in the medical field. Yashi’s way of practising homeopathy is a bit different from the traditional way. She strives to empower and educate families that are looking for a safer, alternative way to good health. She does this by teaching them the basics of homeopathy so that they can...

Karthika Gupta’s career has been a wonderful mix of corporate, technology and creativity. Currently based in Chicago, but having lived and worked in many parts of the world, she was always surrounded by so many amazing people who brought a rich cultural diversity into her life. And these interactions led her to want to know more about not just her culture but about other cultures too. After...

Anahata Meher is a Shamanic practitioner based in Goa. Before finding Shamanism, she was a city brat living a comfortable life with no worries or ambition. Despite having all the comforts, Anahata found that she was angry all the time, to the extent that her husband suggested she seek help to manage the anger. She sought help from a hypnotherapist, but it was a trip to the mountains that truly cha...

Water is the most important natural resource in the world; without it, life cannot exist. 2.1 billion people across the world lack access to clean drinking water. Marita Peters, the Executive Director of Surge UAE chapter, is determined to change that. Marita’s childhood friend, Shilpa Alva, is the founder of Surge. Growing up together, they had a shared dream to do something that makes a di...

Dipti Mehta is a scientist, entrepreneur, writer and an award-winning artist based in New York. She grew up in a conservative, patriarchal family in India. But she was not one to keep quiet; she questioned everything, especially why she was treated differently from her brothers. At twelve, an All India Radio executive discovered Dipti at an elocution competition and offered her a ten-minute slot o...

“Don’t you have long sleeves you can wear while you’re outside?”, “I brought a new brightening face scrub for you to try.”, “Try not to stay in the sun too long, you’ll get dark.” South Asian kids listen to these kinds of comments all the time. And not from outsiders but people close to our hearts. This was also the case for Anu Kumar. Born in New York to Indian Immigrant parents, from South...

Avani Modi Sarkar is the co-founder of Modi Toys a family-owned small business, that honours her Indian roots. They’re the first-ever makers of the original and mantra-singing Baby Ganesh, Baby Hanuman and Baby Krishna plush toys, which are both fun and cultural. Avani shares her story about building a generational brand that she hopes will help maintain and pass on the Indian culture. She,...

Today, Vandana Shah is amongst the top divorce lawyers in India. The story of how she got there is unique. Vandana was in an abusive marriage and only got out of it because her in-laws pushed her out of the house one night. With only 10 dollars in her account, Vandana rebuilt her life taking every opportunity that came her way. When she found that she was running around in circles as a litigant, b...

Bhavna has a career in IT, but her passion lies in connecting people through food. She’s the author of the blog, Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai which featured in the top twenty blogs in Perth. Her most recent venture, The Modern Desi, a culinary experience represents both, the girl holding on to her culture and roots in India and the newer her as she embraces and grows in a different culture...