The “Dear Hot Cocoa” podcast, hosted by Siya Hegde, is an attempt to expand our contours of introspection, bringing together voices and perspectives of those who fill her cup–everyday thought partners, trailblazers, and healers. Together, we will invite honest conversation driven by vulnerability, laughter, and maybe some tears, about the bigger picture  of what makes us human – our conceptions of goodness, cultural identity politics, fears of the unknown, reclaiming our superpowers, and our capacities to lead with courage. Let’s dig deep, one cup of coziness at a time.

Siya is a human rights lawyer, writer, and artist in New York City. She is a first-generation South-Asian immigrant, whose forefathers were freedom fighters of the Goa-Portuguese liberation movement. Her quests in the fight for liberation and equality have steeped her in work combatting the violence of evictions, the criminalization of poverty, the disempowerment of vulnerable groups at the hands of the colonial State, and bringing human rights “home”.