The Collaborative Canvas Podcast

Data can tell us what happened. But a story can make people understand why it matters. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, Ankesh Saxena speaks with filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Ramira Taneja about storytelling beyond cinema and its growing relevance to business, leadership, consumer understanding and decision-making. The conversation also examines whether storytelling shou...

What happens to market research when AI can analyse conversations, generate synthetic respondents and help us reach insights in minutes? For decades, the research industry has been built around a fairly familiar process, ask people questions, collect data, analyse it and try to understand what it means. AI is beginning to change almost every part of that process. In this episode of The Collaborati...

We work longer. Sleep less. Depend on coffee. Push through fatigue. And somewhere along the way, feeling tired all the time has started to feel normal. But what is this lifestyle actually doing to our body? In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, Ankesh Saxena speaks with Suvidhi Pandey, Founder & CEO of InnoHealth and Clinical Nutritionist, about the connection between sleep, nut...

What makes a founder shut down a revenue-generating business and start all over again? For Kamya Mehra, it started with listening. After noticing that customers from her first fashion venture weren't returning, she personally spoke with nearly 900 women. What she discovered wasn't simply a problem with designs or fabrics. It was about comfort, confidence and what women actually experienced after b...

For years, professionals were taught that a successful career should follow a straight path: choose a field, build expertise, remain consistent and keep moving upwards. But careers no longer work that way. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, host Ankesh Saxena speaks with Shawn Roy—Consumer Business Insights and Analytics leader at Haleon and author of Corporate Drifters. Together...

Lloyd Mathias has spent over three decades watching businesses evolve from multiple vantage points: corporate leadership, marketing, strategy, investing and the boardroom. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, we go beyond the usual conversations around funding, valuation and growth to ask a more fundamental question: what does it take to build a company that actually lasts? We disc...

In today's fast-moving world, we're constantly chasing deadlines, success, and the next milestone. Yet despite being more connected than ever, many of us feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, and disconnected from ourselves. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, I sit down with Nattasha Kapoor—Mindfulness Coach, Art Therapist, Tarot Practitioner, and Corporate Wellness Coach—to e...

What if the market research industry doesn't need another conference? What if what we've been missing isn't more presentations, but better conversations? In this episode of  @Thecollaborativecanvas-podcast  , Ankesh Saxena sits down with the Hemant Arora, Founder of The HELM to explore why they chose to challenge the conventional conference format and build something centred around community, auth...

Most organizations believe they're transforming customer experience. In reality, they're often just measuring it. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, I sit down with Raja Bunet, former COO at Ipsos and a customer experience & operational excellence consultant, to explore one of the most misunderstood topics in business today—the difference between CX measurement and CX transfo...

AI is transforming every industry. But when it comes to understanding consumers, making business decisions, and predicting behavior, can artificial intelligence truly replace human intelligence? In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, Ankesh Saxena sits down with Chandan Mukherjee, former Global Head of Insights at Nestlé and former leader at Unilever, to explore the future of consume...

Every company talks about workplace safety. Very few truly understand what it takes to create it. In this powerful episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, we sit down with Leeza Dutta to discuss one of the most important workplace conversations in modern organizations — the POSH Act (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act). This conversation goes far beyond legal compliance. We expl...

Gen Z is changing the way brands are built. Luxury alone doesn’t impress them anymore. Big names don’t guarantee loyalty. And “premium” without relatability gets ignored in one scroll. In this episode of Collaborative Canvas, we sit down with Gaurav Birmani, founder of GoWhipped & Grass Skincare, to decode how Gen Z consumers actually think, buy, and connect with brands in India today. From sk...

What happens when a new generation enters the workforce with completely different rules? In this episode, we explore how Gen Z is redefining work, ownership, product thinking, and professional identity in the age of AI, data, and rapid change. From moonlighting and multi-career ambitions to building credibility without titles, this conversation goes beyond stereotypes and dives into how young prof...

We’ve become faster. More efficient. More data-driven. But here’s the real question— are we still truly understanding people? This episode explores the evolution of qualitative research— from instinct, patience, and deep listening to speed, validation, and AI-driven insights. What has changed? And more importantly… what hasn’t? Because while tools evolve, the core of understanding human behavior r...

AI is everywhere — but are we really understanding how it works? In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas, we go beyond the hype and explore the real mechanics behind AI systems. From hallucinations and cultural bias to synthetic data and machine personality, this conversation breaks down what’s actually happening behind the scenes of modern AI. If you rely on tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Cop...

What does it take to build a brand that goes beyond products and creates real impact? In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, we sit down with Priya Tyagi, Founder of Tied Ribbons — a globally recognized home décor brand that believes relationships are priceless. From starting her entrepreneurial journey at a young age to scaling an international brand, Priya shares how she turned ide...

What does it really take to build a personal brand from scratch — especially when you come from a Tier-3 city with limited exposure and strong societal expectations? In this episode, we sit down with two inspiring women who are redefining what success looks like. From dealing with self-doubt and traditional mindsets to building confidence, skills, and income online — this conversation is about rea...

AI is everywhere — from data analysis to research automation. But the real question is no longer “Should we use AI?” The real question is: If everyone has access to the same AI tools, why do only a few researchers actually stand out? In this conversation, we explore how AI is transforming qualitative research — not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a multiplier of judgment, culture, and...

Everyone is panicking about AI. But here’s the truth: The same headlines were written in the 1860s about the telegraph. The same fear happened in the 1990s about the internet. AI isn’t new. It’s just more accessible. In this episode of Collaborative Canvas, Dave — with 40+ years in advertising, marketing, and research — breaks down: • Why most market research is unnecessary • Why “Generation X, Y,...

Thinking of studying or expanding your business abroad? Before choosing a new country or course, questions naturally arise—about recognition, visas, affordability, cultural fit, and future opportunities. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, host Ankesh Saxena sits down with Diana Moraru, Founder & CEO of IndoMold Connect, to explore Moldova as an emerging destination for Indian...

What happens when a personal health struggle turns into a purpose-driven startup? In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, I sit down with Sara Sharma — #founder of Ease, a menstrual health platform built from her own journey with PCOS. Sara opens up about living with irregular cycles, frustration with one-size-fits-all solutions, and the moment she decided to turn her lived experience...

Leadership isn’t built in big moments. It’s built in the small, invisible choices we repeat every day. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, host Ankesh Saxena sits down with Ashutosh Sharma (EO at SYWIL | Advisory Specialist) to explore the Marginal Gains Theory — a powerful framework that transformed elite sports and is now reshaping how leaders, executives, and organizations grow...

We have spoken about the Silver Generation. We have decoded Gen Z. In this episode of The Collaborative Canvas Podcast, we turn our lens to the most influential and misunderstood consumer group in India - THE INDIAN MIDDLE CLASS I am joined by Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director and Chief Client Officer at Kantar, to unpack insights from Kantar's latest whitepaper "Marketing to the Middle Class" . W...

In this powerful episode of  The Collaborative Canvas Podcast , we sit down with  Anika Gandhi , a 22-year-old communication design graduate and author of  “Between the Lines”  — a book that gives voice to the silent struggles of Gen Z kids navigating anxiety in a world that often misunderstands them. ✨  Why is it so hard to talk to parents about anxiety? ✨  What does a modern emotional persona...

In this episode of the Collaborative Canvas Podcast, we sit down with Sanskriti, the visionary founder of STAAD — India’s first equestrian-inspired luxury brand created by a woman entrepreneur. This conversation goes far beyond fashion. It is about heritage, culture, horses, storytelling, craftsmanship, colour psychology, sensory design, and identity. From growing up around classical music and Kat...