The INDUStry Show

Kellan Carter "I graduated in 2009, eerily similar conditions to today. The job market was tough so I combed through our alumni list and reached out to John persistently till I got a reply. When he agreed for a call, I flew out to meet him at his office. If he was kind enough to give me time, I was going to respect him by flying out there. Several years later when I was ready, he brought me in at...

Lindsay Mitrosilis "I started as a waitress and found myself in IT staffing. You don't choose recruiting, recruiting chooses you. It isn't necessarily an easy route, however, it's really rewarding to help businesses, specifically female entrepreneurs with their people management needs. A lot of people think of LinkedIn as an online resume and it is so not that anymore.  If you want to be seen...

"I struggled quite a bit in the initial years until I got my first break. Passion is what kept me going, and still does. Unless you get a kick out of the work you do, it's hard to survive or thrive in a highly competitive industry such as entertainment."  Sameer Vijayan is a Bollywood actor. Sameer has leading roles in Marathi movies and prominent TV series. His portfolio includes critical an...

Auto manufacturers have pledged $225 billion to develop new EVs. Today there are 18 EV models, and it is expected to grow to 64 by the end of 2020. There are significant opportunities arising out of this exponential growth. Reddy Marri is the President, CEO of EVGateway, a full-service EV charging and station management network. Reddy is also a subject matter expert in enterprise and network secur...

Manoj Shinde "My proudest moment was when my small lab at Adidas turned into an enterprise-wide innovation program. That org culture and experience also helped me launch and grow Orbo". Manoj Shinde is the founder and CEO of Orbo.ai, a computer vision and AI-powered imaging leader. Prior to Orbo, Manoj founded 3otherthings and was the Head of Luxury eRetail at Reliance Brands. He also held leaders...

Piyush Somani turned a $700 investment his dad made in him into a $100mn company that employs 800+ across 3 continents. Learn more about this overnight success story that's been 17 years in the making. Piyush Somani is the Founder, CEO and CMD of ESDS, a leading managed data center and cloud hosting provider with several patents. Piyush is a first-generation entrepreneur and has successfully scale...

"The quest to get up every morning, push the envelope and to do things just a little better is what drove me to quit a well-paying, secure job and jump into the ocean of entrepreneurship." Joshua Northcott is the CTO and co-founder at Hounder, an award-winning design and development company that specializes in large web system implementations and product applications. Prior to Hounder, Josh led th...

What's the relation between #jiujitsu and #recruiting ? Find out in this 7-minute interview. Rick Girard is the founder, CEO of Stride Search - a boutique retained search firm headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. Rick is the co-founder and host of Hire Power Radio, the #1 talent podcast for executives and entrepreneurs. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Rick loves surfing, snowboarding, and rock-...

"I love growing up with people. It literally took a village to raise me and I am now part of that village, paying it forward and helping others who need it.". Michelle Mehta is a Certified Professional Coach, and an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. Michelle is the best-selling co-author of the worldwide hit - Yes, I Can. Michelle is an alum of Cal State Fullert...

"Women say they can have it all. I like to think that we can have it all just not necessarily at the same time. We need to prioritize and decide what is important in this moment." Zeena Dhalla is the founder, CEO of the Orange County based VerticAlign. Zeena is a certified postural alignment specialist and works with individuals and corporates. She is a premier personal trainer, and pilates instru...

"If you have a work culture, you have a problem. If you have a party culture in which work is happening, you're doing something right." Mangesh Mahajan is Partner at Watermark Venture Capital, a $50mn+ fund focusing on AI, SaaS, NLP, and Process Engineering. He is also the Principal and Managing Partner at Single Skull. Mangesh is an investor and serves on the boards of several startups, and is an...

"I look for inspiration in every form and give it my best every day. If that helps somebody and changes their life for better, that would be the best payback."  Smita Mohindra is the founder CEO of Ethnic Essence Inc, the leader in luxury ethnic weddings, social, charity and large brand-based events. Smita is an alum of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She has planned and led over...

"It amazes me when people strive for Excellence. What can you create that's above and beyond what you think you are capable of, and then go after that in the pursuit of excellence." Parimal Rohit is a renowned journalist and the co-founder of The Asian Highway, a digital first media outlet covering Asian Americans. Parimal is the former editor for The Log, Managing Editor of the Mirror Media Group...

"Give people the freedom and space to deliver. Innovation doesn't come from deadlines." Also, "Lead by example and believe in openness - open book and open office policy with your team. Give them the information, empower them, and treat them as owners." Shafat Qazi is the founder-CEO of BQE Software, a Torrance, CA-based global software company. BQE has 200+ employees across offices on 3 continent...

"A stand-up comedians' mentality of going up there with your material and constantly updating it based on the audience feedback is the core of entrepreneurship." Samson Koletkar is a Jewish Indian stand up comedian. Samson is the founder of Comedy Oakland - a live comedy stand-up experience. He is also the co-founder of Desi Comedy Fest - the largest South Asian Comedy Festival in the United State...

Harvinder Singh "Instead of getting a job, on the insistence of my dad, I started working part-time in the family business to pay my tuition. The business took on a life of its own after that." Harvinder Singh is the President, CEO of Ganesh Machinery - a privately held, broad-range CNC machinery provider. Ganesh machines' install base includes manufacturing businesses, technical schools, and mach...

"Growth motivates me. I look for people that are authentic, real, have grit, and the willingness to learn." Avetis Antaplyan is the founder, CEO of HireClout - a technology recruiting and staffing solutions company working with startups and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to HireClout, Avetis was the President and COO of The Mitchell Group, and held senior leadership positions at Kaplan Education, LA...

"My morning routine, and the energy and smiles of our customers keep me going, day after day". Padmini Aniyan is the co-founder and CEO of Maruthi, Inc. and Mayura Indian Restaurant. Southern California's leading and critically acclaimed authentic Kerala cuisine restaurant, Mayura is frequented by Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities such as A.R. Rahman and Jack Nicholson. Padmini has a PhD in Mark...

"I love solving puzzles, helping customers figure out solutions to complex organizational problems. It's all about the why, and the focus." Smita Bagla is the CEO of Aligned Strategies LLC, and Managing Partner at Amritt, Inc. Smita is the co-founder of Women Initiative Network, and a board member of the South Asian Network. She was awarded the South Asian Woman Entrepreneur of the year (2013) by...

"I am a life-learner. Every new day is a new challenge, new setback, new victory, and that has shaped me as an entrepreneur" Sagar Shah is the founder and CEO of Nature's Guru, a Los Angeles-based global tea brand focused on creating innovative and convenient healthy beverages. Prior to Nature's Guru, Sagar was an investment banker and financial advisor with CK Cooper and Morgan Stanley. Sagar is...

"Go out there, do the things that make you uncomfortable. It's all about the journey, and the evolution". Cary Burch is Managing Partner at Bryce Capital and Senior Operating Advisor at LLR Partners. An active investor, advisory board member, and C-level executive, he specializes in leading LegalTech, FinTech, and Enterprise SaaS companies. Cary was the Chief Innovation Officer at Thomson Reuters,...

It was great talking to Sundi Sundaresh as he shared his management philosophy, guiding principles, and what continues to drive him. 'Sundi' Sundaresh is the President & CEO of Cinarra Systems. Prior to Cinarra, Sundi held various senior leadership positions at Adaptec, Jetstream and Hewlett-Packard. He also serves as an executive advisor and sits on the Boards of various startups and non-prof...

Rohitava Banerjee is a young luxury womenswear designer. He made his New York Fashion Week debut in February 2016, showing a 30-piece collection inspired by Greek mythology. His brand seeks to make commentaries on current events by drawing historical parallels to offer perspective. Rohitava has incorporated his passion for storytelling through intricate embroidery and print work into his garments.

Atul Singh is the Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of the Fair Observer - a US-based, 501 c(3) nonprofit publication with 2,100 worldwide contributors. A true global citizen - Atul has worked as a corporate lawyer in London, led special ops on India's borders, and has taught at UC Berkeley and IIT-Gandhinagar. Atul studied at the University of Oxford and earned his MBA at the Wharton School.

Astha Dixit is an actress, choreographer, dancer, and teacher. Astha has performed classical Kathak dances all over the world, on the same stage as renowned artists such as Abida Parveen and Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan. Astha has also starred in full-length feature films and documentaries.