Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar

As United Way Metropolitan Dallas celebrates its 100th anniversary, Ami Thakkar brings together seven of North Texas’ most influential business leaders for a powerful conversation about community, leadership, and legacy. This special compilation episode highlights how the organization’s mission—to improve education, income, and health for all—has transformed lives for an entire century and continu...

Dr. Corinne Low is not your typical Wharton professor. An economist whose research focuses on gender, discrimination, and the hidden costs of modern parenthood, she’s also a mother, wife, and author navigating the very struggles she studies. I sit down with Dr. Low to talk about her new book Having It All (out September 23rd), a data-driven yet deeply personal guide to escaping the false promise o...

With five Michelin stars, a James Beard Award, and two world-class restaurants under his belt, Chef Curtis Duffy's culinary genius is undeniable. I sit down with the acclaimed Chicago chef to talk about the heartbreaking, harrowing, and ultimately healing story behind the food. From surviving the murder-suicide of his parents at age 19 to building his dream restaurant Ever , Chef Duffy opens up ab...

Sonita Alizadeh is an award-winning Afghan rapper, activist, and now published author who’s using her voice—through rap and writing—to fight one of the world’s most overlooked human rights issues: child marriage. In this unforgettable episode, Ami sits down with Sonita to talk about her extraordinary journey from nearly being sold into marriage twice to becoming a globally recognized artist and ad...

William Dalrymple is a bestselling historian, award-winning broadcaster, and one of the world’s most dynamic voices on colonial history. In this episode, Ami chats with the legendary India-based Scottish writer about his latest book, The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World , which argues that India’s intellectual and spiritual contributions have been foundational to the global wor...

Bing Chen is the Executive Chairman, CEO, and Co-founder of Gold House, a leading cultural ecosystem dedicated to empowering Asian Pacific creators and entrepreneurs to drive societal change. A visionary leader in media and diversity, Bing was formerly YouTube’s Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the global creator economy. He has been reco...

Dr. Sunita Sah is a leading expert on decision-making, compliance, and ethical influence. A tenured professor at Cornell University, she has spent decades researching why people struggle to say "no" and how they can reclaim their voice. Her groundbreaking work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The LA Times, shedding light on the hidden costs of compliance and th...

Hugh Forrest is the President and Chief Programming Officer of South by Southwest (SXSW), one of the world’s leading festivals celebrating music, film, technology, and innovation. A native of Austin, Texas, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s creative and entrepreneurial identity. Joining SXSW in its early days, he leveraged his background in publishing and technology to help grow t...

Dr. Andrew Newberg is a neuroscientist and pioneer in neurotheology, exploring the relationship between brain function and spiritual experiences. As Director of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital, he has conducted extensive brain imaging studies on practices like prayer, meditation, and rituals. Board-certified in internal and nu...

Dan Slepian is an Emmy-winning journalist, producer, and storyteller with nearly 30 years at NBC News. Known for his investigative work on Dateline , Dan has exposed injustices, solved cold cases, and helped exonerate the wrongfully convicted. His acclaimed podcast, Letters from Sing Sing , chronicles his 20-year fight to prove the innocence of John Adrian “JJ” Velazquez. A 2024 Pulitzer Prize fin...

Debbie Millman is a writer , designer, educator, artist , brand consultant and host of the podcast Design Matters .Design Matters is one of the world’s very first podcasts. Broadcasting independently for 19 years, the show is about how the world’s most creative people design the arc of their lives. On top of it all, she has authored 6 books, her latest one called Love Letter To a Garden comes out...

Nasreen Shahi is a well-known fashion and lifestyle influencer, celebrated for her vibrant online presence and a community of over half a million followers on social media. Through her platform, Hey Nasreen, she shares style inspiration, wellness tips, and personal insights, offering her audience an authentic look into her life. Beyond her role as an influencer, Nasreen is a resilient advocate for...

Davy Gardner started his career as an audio writer and creator whose work can be found on networks like Radiotopia, Wondery, and Audible, among others. He has won multiple awards and honors valuing his work as a writer in various genres such as comedy and audio drama. He was a playwright and performer for six years at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.  For over two years now,...

“So much of what Bash and I do through our work is what we call this Revised Americana…we’ve had such a Euro-Centric what American storytelling is, but how can we change that narrative through the films that we make, through the commercials that we make, through all of the content that we put out there…I think Breakin’ was an opportunity to do that…” Breakdancing?  At the Olympics? Hell. Yes.   To...

Rianjali is an award-winning, NYC-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter/composer.  Previously working as a former domestic violence and teacher, Rianjali found her “pinch me moment” when Oscar award-winning musician A.R. Rahman invited her to work with him And she hasn’t looked back.  From composing music for hit shows on Amazon Prime and Netflix to collaborating legends such as  U2, Bishop Br...

Welcome to the first special episode where I will be interviewing trailblazers from all backgrounds. Because let's face it, being Tuckered Out is universal. Bill Teck is a writer, producer, director, and the founder of the Generation ñ Media brand. His films include One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich & the Lost American Film (2014 ). A Cuban-American who grew up in Miami, Bill has been nam...

Anjali Virmani is the Global Head of Creative Solutions at Time Out Media. Shuttling between 10 global offices with a brief of 333 cities, she crafts and implements the Time Out global brand story, strategy, and identity, building bridges between the Time Out brand and its consumers globally. Anjali’s passion for diversity, uniting, and empowering people of all ages and cultures shines through in...

Utkarsh Ambudkar, aka UTK, is an actor, rapper, and singer and is featured in the CBS hit show Ghosts. He is also known for his roles in Pitch Perfect , The Mindy Project , and Never Have I Ever .  Kaly, aka Kunal Patel, is a highly-respected rapper who has collaborated with artists such as Indian musical composer and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. As a side hustle, he also happens to be an attorney. T...

Maryanne J. George is a Grammy Award-winning artist and a clinical mental health therapist. With five Grammy wins and nine nominations attributed to her collaborations with Maverick City Music, her impact on the music industry is undeniable. Together with Maverick City Music, she has helped redefine the boundaries of contemporary Christian music (CCM) earning critical acclaim, widespread recogniti...

Zarrar Khan is an award-winning Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker. Born in Karachi and currently based out of Toronto, Zahra’s works have been screened and awarded in over 100 festivals, including TIFF, Bocarno, and BFI London.  In Flames, his genre-bending feature directorial debut, premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director's Fortnight.  A story about Pakistani women, about re...

Anu Seghal is a children's author and the founder of The Culture Tree, a cultural literacy and language education company that celebrates South Asian culture. Priya Krishna is a food reporter and video host for the New York Times and the best-selling author of multiple cookbooks, including Indian-Ish and Cooking at Home. Her latest book is Priya's Kitchen Adventures.  The Culture Tree will be host...

Rochelle Pinto is the head of editorial content for Vogue India. She has had quite a career and is exactly how you think a Vogue head would be-poised, intelligent, well-spoken, beautiful, and as a bonus,  she’s totally down to earth. In case you were also wondering if  she does gets to work with and receive advice from Anna Wintour, the answer is yes.  Yes she does. Rochelle shares her insights in...

We're going to Broadway! Today, I am talking with the two South Asian leads in a very beloved Broadway show: Michael Maliakel and Sonya Balsara, who play Aladdin and Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway. Michael made his Broadway debut with Aladdin in September 2021.  He has had theater experience, including being part of the national tour of the Phantom of the Opera. Sonya also made her Broadw...

In honor of SXSW coming up next week, I wanted to share a previous episode with one of the keynote speakers for the conference! Rohit Bhargava is the Founder and Chief Trend Curator of the Non-Obvious Company and is widely considered one of the most entertaining and original speakers on trends and marketing in the world. Rohit believes the world needs more Non-Obvious thinking. He helps leaders an...

 Kavita Mehta is a a non-profit leader with 20 years of service and a deep commitment to fostering cultural change, organizational transformation, and movement building. Kavita is the Executive Director for Sahki for South Asian Women, a survivor-led gender justice organization whose goal is to eradicate gender-based and domestic violence. Sakhi is the second largest organization of its kind in th...