Break the Barrier
Hailing from traditional South Asian roots, I took on a nontraditional path with my passion project missioned to increase representation in mainstream media. Throughout my modeling journey, I've been blessed to be part of modeling campaigns for brands such as Express Fashion and Maison Margiela to walking the runway for New York Fashion Week and covering it as Press.
As I grew my platform, I realized so many of us are hesitant in taking that leap of faith because we don’t have visibility to the mentors or guides that we can look up to, ask questions to, or be our support system. As a result, many of us default to the traditional careers that our parents consider successful - but we may be left feeling unfulfilled. I want to take this mission to the next level and introduce successful and happy powerhouse voices in our community who are breaking barriers by pursuing full-time careers outside of what’s traditionally considered successful.
For our younger, current, and older generations: it is never too late to start again or dream a new dream. My mission is to show in a fun, lighthearted way that you can absolutely find happiness in a path less taken. This is my baby: Break the Barrier
Episodes
20 episodes
From Chennai to Hollywood with Prarthana Mohan: Award-Winning Film Director
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Prarthana Mohan: an award-winning director and storyteller redefining what it means to see yourself on screen. Originally from Chennai and now making her mark in Hollywood, Prarthana brings bold vision a...
.png)
Breaking Barriers Through Movement with Harini Nilakantan: Headliner for World of Dance and Champion of RedBull Dance Your Style Chicago
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Harini Nilakantan, an extraordinary dancer, movement artist, and choreographer whose journey spans continents and traditions. Originally from Chennai and now based in Chicago, Harini has spent over 20 ye...
Honor Your Roots But Carve Your Own Path with Adharsh Kumar: Creator of Not Your Amma's Kitchen
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Adharsh Kumar, the creative genius behind Not Your Amma’s Kitchen—an Instagram sensation that’s redefining how we see South Indian cuisine. Through his stunning videos and down-to-earth approach...
.jpg)
She's Likeable with Aparna Shewakramani: Reality TV Star, Author, and Speaker
What does breaking the barrier mean for Aparna? Redefining success on your own timeline I’m so excited to be speaking today with Aparna Shewakramani, a South Asian author, speaker, and unapologetic voice for women choosing to live life o...
Embracing Your Voice & Navigating Self-Discovery with Milan Mathew: Beauty Influencer & Vogue Model
What does breaking the barrier mean for Milan? Being loud in a space that didn’t allow that for us I’m so excited to be speaking today with Milan Mathew, a force in the beauty and content world who’s redefining what it means to shin...
Sometimes It's Kismat with Nimesh Patel: Comedian & Emmy-Nominated Writer, ex-SNL
What does it mean to Nimesh to break the barrier? Just start doing I’m so excited to be speaking today with Nimesh Patel, a comedian and Emmy-nominated writer. Nimesh made history in 2017 as the first Indian American writer for Satu...
No Dusty Sons with Payal Desai: Wife, Mother, and Former Teacher Turned Full Time Creator
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Payal Desai: a wife, mother, and a former middle school teacher turned full time content creator on social media. After her hilarious “no dusty sons” videos went viral on Instagram, she amassed a 349K fo...
.jpg)
Beyond Coconut & Spice with Rene Subash: South Indian Malayali Chef & Viral Sensation Food Blogger
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rene Subash, a South Indian Malayali food blogger whose cooking videos have been a viral sensation. She’s on a mission to make authentic traditional recipes less intimidating and more fun. Based in Li...
Let's Talk Songwriting with Rianjali: Singer, Songwriter, and Producer
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rianjali, a South Asian American singer, songwriter, and now producer hailing from Queens, NY. While in school, she was trained in Western vocals during her acceptance to the prestigious LaGuardia High S...
Let's Talk Modeling with Lana Patel: Trans Model, Activist, and Social Media Personality
I’m so excited to be speaking today with our one and only Ms. Lana Patel, an Afro-Indo-Caribbean trans woman who is a model and has been the face of brands like Pantene, Live Tinted, and HoliChic to name a few. She is also an activist in the LG...
Let's Talk Photography with Pooja Shah, Chicago Photographer and Founder of TEMBO TONES
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Pooja Shah, a Kenyan-Indian-American woman who is a full-time photographer, creative director, and founder of TEMBO TONES: a multidisciplinary, creative studio focusing on photo artistry and brand design...
Let's Talk NBA Dancing with Kajal Raju, Professional NBA Dancer for the Charlotte Hornets
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Kajal Raju, the first South Asian woman to dance for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. She just recently completed a year on this dance team, and she balances this career with a full-time role in tech as a Pr...
Let's Talk Brand Partnerships & Growth Strategies with Sweta Sridhar, Digital Lifestyle Content Creator and Career Coach
What does breaking the barrier mean for Sweta? "It's intersecting passion with purpose," she answers. The guest on today’s episode is very special to me, as she’s one of my dear friends. Sweta Sridhar is a woman who wears multiple ...
Let's Talk Broadway and TikTok Stardom with Neha Dharmapuram: Actress, Dancer, and Choreographer
I’m so excited to be speaking with Neha Dharmapuram, an emerging actress and well-established TikTok dancer who used the pandemic to pour into her passion and creative outlet which is dancing. Her passion for Bollywood is impressive and contagi...
Let’s Talk Startups, Esthetics, and Owning a Spa with Nimrita Chavla, Founder and CEO of NC Skin
I’m so excited to be speaking today with Nimrita Chavla who goes by Nim. She is the founder and CEO of a startup skincare spa called NC Skin located in the Chicagoland area, which she self funded after working for 4 years in corporate finance. ...
Let's Talk Launching a Skincare Brand with Moumita Sahoo, Founder and CEO of ZAILA Skin
In this episode, I am thrilled to be speaking with Moumita Sahoo, founder and CEO of Zaila Skin, an ayurvedic skincare brand that fuses the power of ancient Indian botanicals and clinically proven actives to create a fun and effective skincare ...
Let's Talk Journalism with Fenit Nirappil, Journalist at The Washington Post
In this episode, I am thrilled to be speaking with Fenit Nirappil, a journalist with The Washington Post, who has notably published several front-page articles related to Covid-19.As his story unfolds, we will highlight Fenit’s journey o...
Let's Talk Luxury Wedding Planning with Elizabeth Priya Kumar, Founder and CEO of Premini Events
I’m so excited to be speaking with Elizabeth Priya Kumar, founder and CEO of Premini Events. Her company is an award-winning luxury wedding planning and creative services agency that she built from the ground up. Priya has over a decade of expe...
Let's Talk DJing with Sanu John and Shereene Manimala, DJ for Chicago Bulls and Creative Hype Coach
I’m so excited to be speaking with our very own powerhouse couple iLLEST aka Sanu John and Shereene Manimala, artist manager and The Creative Hype Coach. Sanu and Shereene have been married for almost 6 years, and they’ve built their music and ...
Let's Talk News Reporting with Jessica Madhukar, Milwaukee News Reporter at TMJ4 News
Jessica works as a news reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and she's the only South Asian TV news reporter in this market in mainstream media. I know, I couldn't believe it myself! Jessica covers a broad range of topics from basketball to crime. ...
