South Asian Trailblazers
On Trailblazers, we dive deep into the journeys of trailblazing South Asians. To date, Simi Shah, our founder and host, has welcomed ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, 49ers President Paraag Marathe, and other world-renowned South Asian trailblazers. Learn more at southasiantrailblazers.com.
Episodes
77 episodes
Sandeep Acharya, Founder and CEO of Octave Health
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Sandeep Acharya — Founder and CEO of Octave, a company that’s quietly but powerfully transforming how we experience mental health care in America. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE
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Season 8
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Episode 5
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42:46
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Dilawar Syed, U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Deputy Administrator
On the nostalgic grounds of their shared alma mater, Wharton, Simi speaks with Dilawar Syed, the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A role he was nominated into by President Biden, Administrator Syed wa...
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Season 8
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Episode 4
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52:00
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South Asian Trailblazers at The Oscars: Mindy Kaling, Charithra Chandran, Manish Dayal, Deli Boys
South Asian Trailblazers at the Oscars 🏆 WATCH this episode HERE.Founder & Host, Simi Shah, takes us inside a celebration of South Asian excellence at the 2025 Academy Awards. She speaks wi...
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Season 8
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Episode 3
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25:22
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SPECIAL LIVE: Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement
In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Simi Shah hosts a LIVE podcast with Gurbir S. Grewal — the Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement and former <...
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Season 8
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Episode 2
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1:21:00
SPECIAL LIVE: Jay Sean, Multi-platinum Artist, Entrepreneur, & Record Label Executive
In this special, LIVE-recorded edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Host Simi Shah kicks off Season 8 with Jay Sean — multi-platinum artist, entrepreneur, and record label exec...
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Season 8
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Episode 1
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1:22:00
Exciting Updates: Upcoming Events, Season 8, and our Agency
Happy AAPI Heritage Month from South Asian Trailblazers! 👋🏼 In this short soundbite, I’m sharing exciting updates about events we’re hosting around the world(!), Season 8, and ...
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Season 8
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Episode 2
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2:55
Amol Shah, Go-To-Market at OpenAI
For our Season 7 Finale, we catch up with Amol Shah from OpenAI, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies and the creator of ChatGPT. Amol's career spans roles at tech giants like Facebook and TikTok, and more r...
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Season 7
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Episode 10
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50:00
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Nishant Roy, Chief Communications & Impact Officer at Chobani
In this episode, we meet Nishant Roy, Chief Communications and Impact Officer at Chobani.
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Season 7
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Episode 9
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1:03:00
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Akash Mehta & Niki Mehta, Founders of Fable & Mane
In this episode, Simi welcomes our first-ever sibling founder duo: Akash and Nikita Mehta, Co-Founders of Fable & Mane. Fable & Mane is an Ayurveda-inspired hair wellness brand.<...
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Season 7
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Episode 8
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52:00
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Raja Kumari, Rapper, Singer, Songwriter
Simi speaks with the revered RAJA KUMARI. Born Svetha Rao, Raja Kumari is a Grammy-nominated, international singer, songwriter, and rapper. With over 43 million monthly Spotify streams, she has launched multiple hit single...
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Season 7
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Episode 7
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47:00
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Nikhil Saboo, Broadway Star and Actor
Joining us on South Asian Trailblazers is Actor and Broadway Star, Nikhil Saboo. Most recently, Nikhil played the iconic Connor Murphy in the National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen, becoming the first South Asian to ever take on the T...
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Season 7
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Episode 6
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47:00
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Priya Singh, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Associate Dean at Stanford Medicine
For our mid-season finale, Simi is joined by Priya Singh — Chief Strategy Officer, Senior Associate Dean, & Vice President of Stanford Medicine. Stanford Medicine encompasses a $13 billion preeminent academic hea...
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Season 7
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Episode 5
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52:00
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Nora Ali, CEO and Co-Founder of Mason Media
Simi is joined by Nora Ali, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mason Media, a full-service production company and brand studio, which she co-founded alongside MLB all-star
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Season 7
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Episode 4
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49:00
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Diipa Büller-Khosla, Global Influencer, Founder of indē wild, Model
In a first for South Asian Trailblazers, we welcome Global Influencer and Entrepreneur Diipa Büller-Khosla. Diipa is not only one of the first Indian influencers...
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Season 7
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Episode 3
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29:00
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Ruchi Bhowmik, Vice President of Public Policy at Netflix
Simi sits down with Ruchi Bhowmik, Vice President of Public Policy at Netflix.In this role, Ruchi strategizes around the streaming giant's relationships with key stakeholders: regulators, non-governmental organizations, and electe...
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Season 7
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Episode 2
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45:00
LIVE: Vas Narasimhan (CEO of Novartis) & Dr. Srishti Gupta Narasimhan (Physician Leader in Health and Education)
To kick off South Asian Trailblazers Season 7, power duo Dr. Vas Narasimhan (CEO of Novartis) and Dr. Srishti Gupta Narasimhan (Physician Leader in Health & E...
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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1:13:00
Shruti Ganguly, Filmmaker, Director, and Producer
For our Season 6 Finale, Simi invites Shruti Rya Ganguly: award-winning Filmmaker, Producer, and Writer to the podcast.In 2017, Shruti started honto88, a production company that works...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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54:00
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Gaurav Shah, CEO of Rocket Pharmaceuticals & Grammy Award Winner
The founding CEO of a breakout biotech company AND a Grammy Award winner? Gaurav Shah is no stranger to dualities. In this episode, Simi speaks with the Co-Founder and CEO of Rocket Pharma...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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52:00
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SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal at Impact Summit 2023
In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Simi hosts a LIVE podcast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Rep...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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40:00
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Zarna Garg, Comedian
You’ve likely seen Zarna Garg — the Indian immigrant mom and comedy sensation cracking mom jokes on Instagram, opening for T...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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57:00
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Pooja Goyal, Chief Investment Officer of Carlyle Global Infrastructure
In this episode, we meet Pooja Goyal: Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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48:00
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Medha Gargeya, Associate Counsel to VP Kamala Harris, U.S. Air Force Reservist, Adjunct Professor
In this episode, Simi speaks with Medha Gargeya: Associate Counsel to Vice President Kamala Harris, reservist with the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, and Adju...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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1:09:00
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SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE: Anjula Acharia, Manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Investor, and Entrepreneur
In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Simi speaks with trailblazer Anjula Acharia in front of a ...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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1:06:00
Pooja Bavishi, Founder & CEO of Malai Icecream
Meet Pooja Bavishi, Founder and CEO of Malai, a trailblazer who is sure to pique your interest and... your sweet tooth. Malai is an artisanal ice cream company, with flavors inspired by the nostalgic,...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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52:00
SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE: Akshay Kumar, Nora Fatehi, Mouni Roy, and The Entertainers
In this special episode, we mark our first-ever foray into Bollywood and the land of Indian cinema. Trailblazers Host, Simi Shah, joins some of Bollywood’s biggest stars on the Red Carpet as they kick off a U.S. show tour entitled,
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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20:00
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