The Tamil Creator
Ara Ehamparam
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"The Tamil Creator" is a podcast started by me (Ara Ehamparam) to celebrate, spotlight and learn about the brilliance among creators in the global Tamil community, with the end product being a conversation that is equal parts educational, inspirational and entertaining.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
May 21, 2023
EP #104: Sindu Sivapalan - Real Estate Investor Who Relocated From The GTA To The East Coast To Pursue Financial Freedom
Sindu Sivapalan (@sindusiva) is a real estate investor who made the bold move from the GTA to the East Coast (Moncton) with her husband while she was 8 months pregnant to pursue financial freedom.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss having a ‘go with the flow’ mindset, what she learned from analyzing portfolios as a financial advisor, the benefits of East Coast living, having a passion for real estate from a young age, the importance of using your equity to work for you while making calculating decisions, and so much more.
*Follow Sindu:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sindusiva/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sindu Sivapalan
02:46 - Relocating to the East Coast of Canada with her husband
06:45 - The impact of her childhood; listing her parents home at 15 years old
11:05 - How quitting her accounting job led to her obsession with real estate
13:15 - Why real estate is a simple math equation
14:52 - Her learnings from analyzing portfolios as a financial advisor
17:58 - Building a multi-family investment portfolio with her husband
21:35 - The Fire Movement; wanting to ‘retire’ early
22:47 - What she plans to do with her time upon retiring
24:00 - Has Sindu’s success convinced her family/friends to follow her blueprint?
26:38 - The benefits of moving from the GTA to the East Coast
31:02 - Does she miss Toronto and will she ever come back?
32:06 - Her plan for the next five years
33:45 - Her biggest learning lesson
36:24 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
36:46 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
37:09 - Creator Confessions
39:47 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Apr 30, 2023
EP #103: Mano Kulasingam - Tech Entrepreneur Supporting Immigrant Founders As Managing Partner Of Flair Ventures
Mano Kulasingam (@manok4) is currently the Founder & Managing Partner for Flair Ventures, a VC firm focused on investing in early-stage startups with at least 1 immigrant founder. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Digiflare which was acquired 10 years into the business by Accedo.tv.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of family (father/brother) in his life, the benefit of being a late entrant into a market, studying in Ottawa (a city that was once considered "Silicon Valley North"), succeeding with Digiflare through failure & eventually exiting, starting Flair Ventures to support immigrant founders, having a long-term mindset as an investor, and so much more.
*Follow Mano:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/manok/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Mano Kulasingam
00:59 - How he got into entrepreneurship and tech; his father and brother
03:23 - Pop culture’s impact on entrepreneurship, creating Digiflare in 2008
08:29 - Finding the right co-founder; why it’s like a marriage
10:59 - What Digiflare was and why Mano created it
12:48 - How much luck is involved in a company’s success?
14:04 - Apple Benefiting from Blackberry’s work; Mano benefiting from Netflix
15:04 - Why he and his co-founder chose to sell Digiflare
17:20 - The M&A process
18:04 - Why trying to sell a business is like managing two companies at once
20:14 - Minimizing the number of people who knew a deal was being worked on
21:39 - Transitioning from employer to employee upon selling Digiflare
24:23 - The feeling Mano had when he sold his company
26:33 - Launching Flair Ventures; investing in immigrant founders
29:21 - Ventures are relationships and networking; investing in 7 of 400 companies
32:35 - How Mano allocates his time; fundraising, content marketing, and more
34:25 - His 10-15 year plan for Flair Ventures; aiming for 23 companies
37:37 - Being tempted to create again; keeping an open mind for the right opportunity
38:57 - His biggest failure/learning lesson; the Tamil mentality of showing no emotions
42:43 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
43:24 - The personal legacy he wants to leave behind
44:07 - Creator Confessions
52:50 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Apr 2, 2023
EP #102: Fiona Kingsley Boyer - Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer) Survivor & "Love Scarborough" Campaign Ambassador
Fiona Kingsley Boyer (@fi_kingsley) is a Development Officer for the Scarborough Health Network Foundation (SHN, @shnfoundation) and cancer survivor.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss surviving Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer, the survivor spirit of Scarborough and trying to improve its misunderstood reputation, her experience finding out she had cancer while pregnant & going through chemotherapy, being part of a team that's raised more than half of the $100 million dollar goal for the "Love Scarborough" campaign, having a greater appreciation for the value of time, and SO much more.
*Follow Fiona:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fi_kingsley/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Fiona
01:04 - Fiona speaks on her early upbringing and being diagnosed with cancer
03:27 - Her role as Development Officer for SHN foundation
05:39 - SHN’s campaign: "Love Scarborough"
08:03 - The impact of "Love Scarborough" so far
10:38 - Being featured on billboards and television
14:18 - How she found out she had cancer
20:01 - Managing her emotions when she was diagnosed
22:20 - Her chemotherapy treatment process; 16 4-hour sessions
27:01 - The biggest difference between Fiona pre- and post-cancer
28:25 - "My Dharma" by Ahash; how the short documentary came to be
30:44 - Explaining her cancer to her daughter
32:39 - Fiona’s plans moving forward
35:00 - Feeling super connected to the Tamil community; support she receives
37:31 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
38:04 - How she wants to be remembered by friends and family
39:34 - Creator Confessions
47:47 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Feb 19, 2023
EP #101: Jay Vasantharajah - Buying Multi-Million Dollar Tech Companies As Founder & Managing Partner At Atlasview Equity
Jay Vasantharajah (@jayvasdigital) is the Founder & Managing Partner at Atlasview Equity, which buys multi-million tech-enabled businesses.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the importance of saving up your first $100K, waiting on the "fat pitch" opportunities as described by Warren Buffet, transitioning from a job at Deloitte to starting his agency where he saw one client IPO for $450 million dollars and another get acquired for $2 billion dollars, Atlasview's playbook after acquiring a company to fuel growth, the importance of “escape velocity” in investing and building trust in business, being inspired by Mark Leonard who founded Constellation Software and much more.
*Follow Jay:*
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayvas)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jay Vasantharajah
01:29 - How seeing his father build small businesses inspired Jay
05:15 - From commerce to accounting/side hustles and his own business
11:54 - How he secured customers as a consultant
12:47 - The importance of getting to your first $100,000
17:46 - Starting small and being consistent versus diving into the deep-end
19:37 - Atlastview Equity; what it is, what companies they purchase, etc.
23:59 - How many deals Jay had to look at before closing two acquisitions
27:36 - Why Jay and his company are lucky buyers
34:54 - The time Jay spends on building his business; newsletter & networking
39:11 - How Jay sources funds to purchase companies
45:27 - Attracting the energy that you want around you & mitigating risk
49:32 - Atlasview’s playbook after acquiring a company; growth plans
57:57 - Being inspired by Mark Leonard/Constellation Software & others
01:09:25 - Where Jay sees himself in the next 3 years
01:12:09 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
01:14:08 - Personal legacy; how Jay wants to be remembered by friends/family
01:16:36 - Creator Confessions & Advice for owners who want to sell their business
01:28:08 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Feb 12, 2023
EP #100: Ara Ehamparam - Podcast Host, Entrepreneur & FIRE Believer
Ara Ehamparam (@araehamparam) is the podcast host of "The Tamil Creator". He's an entrepreneur, FIRE believer and admirer of creators.
On this momentous 100th episode of #TheTamilCreator, Ara's wife, Claudia (@claudiangele), turns the tables on our usual host to find out more about him. They explore why he started "The Tamil Creator" podcast, special messages from his best friend & guest on EP 44 of the podcast @vas_saranga [founder of @theonlineactor] as well as his favourite (& only sister) Shagana, how he got the nickname "Tamil Nelly", his various entrepreneurial ventures, his unparalleled passion for Google calendar, the value of giving more than you take, his innate desire to embody the message of Nike, and much more - you don't wanna miss this episode!
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Claudia Ehamparam
00:39 - Claudia introduces this week’s guest, Ara Ehamparam
02:17 - Ara talks about how his early childhood led him to become an entrepreneur
04:45 - Being born in Sri Lanka and moving to Canada (Montreal/Scarborough)
06:30 - A special message from Ara’s favourite (and only) sister, Shagana
07:28 - Why Ara wants to be a guest on "My First Million"
08:01 - Why Ara pursued entrepreneurship after obtaining an engineering degree
09:51 - Why Ara prioritizes ownership or time; Alfred, Mr. Money Mustache, FIRE, etc.
11:47 - Ara breaks down the FIRE movement
14:58 - The difficulty of convincing Claudia to jump onboard with FIRE
15:43 - Why “Tamil” is in so many of Ara’s ventures; his connection to the community
16:53 - The origin of Ara’s ventures; TamilCulture.com, MyTamilDate.com, "The Tamil Creator" podcast, etc.
20:21 - Meeting Kevin O’Leary along his Continyou Care journey
21:11 - How Ara balances his time between work, passion projects, and personal life
22:43 - Being unafraid of failure and sticking with his commitments; how he does it
24:15 - Valuing execution more than ideas
24:34 - Is “dad guilt” a thing and does Ara experience it?
25:58 - Ara’s greatest learning lessons in the past 3-5 years
27:01 - How Ara goes about “relationship-building” aka networking; give more, take less
28:21 - How Ara earned the nickname “Tamil Nelly”
31:28 - Advice he would give to his 16-year-old self; Tamil Nelly
32:40 - How Ara wants to be remembered by friends and family
33:32 - Why he is dedicated to showcasing Tamil talent in society
34:33 - Creator Confessions
42:57 - Ara’s vision for the future of The Tamil Creator podcast
43:40 - Guest of EP44 (aka Ara’s BFFL) calls in one last time
45:46 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Feb 5, 2023
EP #99: Shaminy Waran - Entrepreneur Who Created A Luxury Hair Collection While Managing The Demands Of Motherhood & A Full-Time Job
Shaminy Waran (@sham.waran) is the entrepreneur behind the Sham Waran Luxury Hair Collection.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of growing up as an introverted middle child, how she deals with "mom guilt", helping customers who have severe health conditions like alopecia, not wanting to jeopardize friendship for the sake of business, not being a big risk taker but risking $30,000 to give her business a chance to grow, being a people pleaser when she was young, and much more.
*Follow Shaminy:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sham.waran/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shaminy Waran
01:45 - Did Shaminy’s childhood spark her entrepreneurial fire?
04:10 - Being introverted as a child
05:32 - Listening versus being loud; its impact on securing sales?
07:53 - How Shaminy entered the world of makeup and hair
10:30 - Doing makeup and hair less after launching her luxury brand
11:51 - What led her to launch Sham Waran Luxury Hair Collection
15:55 - What her business model looks like
17:23 - Find a vendor to source grade 10A hair (the highest quality)
19:34 - The growing demand for her rental program
20:49 - The connection between hair and confidence
24:32 - Does she have any business partners?
26:19 - Dealing with ‘mom-guilt’ and how she copes; slowing down
30:48 - Maintaining friendships with her busy schedule
32:30 - Starting her business during COVID-19; having a physical studio
34:39 - How Shaminy went about building her team
37:39 - What success looks like to her three years from now
38:34 - Plans to expand her rental program to all ethnicities/hair textures
39:31 - Doing custom and pre-orders
41:53 - One of her biggest learning lessons in the past few years
44:07 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self; follow your gut
46:04 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
47:06 - Creator Confessions
51:42 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
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Jan 29, 2023
EP #98: Ahilan Arulanantham - Lawyer, Professor & Immigrants' Right Advocate
Ahilan Arulanantham is a Lawyer, Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law (@uclalawschool). He has successfully litigated a number of cases involving immigrants’ rights, particularly the rights of people facing deportation from the US. He has been Senior Counsel and Director of Advocacy/Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, @aclu_nationwide) of Southern California and was the recipient of a 2016 MacArthur Fellow (a "Genius Grant").
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss winning a MacArthur Fellow Grant (@macfound) for $625,000 for a five-year period, the importance of immigrants in Canada and the US, working on the FBI vs. Fazaga case at the Supreme Court, defending the rights of immigrants including unrepresented children, dealing with Tamil food cravings while growing up in California, and much more.
*Follow Ahilan:*
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/ahilan_toolong)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ahilan Arulanantham
01:34 - His upbringing; what spared his passion for law and human rights
03:57 - Dealing with Tamil food cravings while growing up in USA; Hopper Hut
07:50 - Winning and donating 25-30% of his $625,00 MacArthur Fellow Grant
13:59 - What is Temporary Protected Status and why Trump tried to end it
20:19 - Ahilan explains and why Obama introduced it during his administration
24:02 - What ICE is, why it was created, and how it affects immigrant rights
28:30 - The importance of immigrants in Canada and the US
30:18 - Dysfunctional prison systems; Ahilan’s secondary inspection story
35:49 - Arguing at the Supreme Court for the FBI vs. Fazaga case
40:00 - Working in the field and as a professor; being recruited by UCLA
41:58 - Mentorship and how Ahilan built his network
45:16 - A learning lesson he’s experienced; defending unrepresented children
49:12 - Where he sees himself in the next 3-5 years
49:19 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
50:38 - The personal legacy he wants to leave behind
51:37 - Creator Confessions
54:32 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
playlist_add
Jan 22, 2023
EP #97: Shanghavy Karunakaran - Growing Up In A Women's Shelter To Becoming A Successful Tech Professional & Career Consultant
Shanghavy Karunakaran (@saangavii) is a Senior Consultant at IBM and Career Coach.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss living in a women’s shelter and visiting food banks, growing up introverted and learning to be extroverted, the value of networking in landing her current job today, reviewing resumes as a side hustle to help others grow in their careers, and SO much more.
*Follow Shanghavy:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/saangavii/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shanghavy Karunakaran
01:44 - Shanghavy speaks on the impact of her early upbringing
05:28 - Being grateful for the trials she endured during her childhood
06:54 - Changing environments helped her adapt quickly but made her timid
09:00 - What she’s learned from her experience at IBM thus far
11:32 - What consulting is, what it has taught her, and navigating judgement
15:29 - Her life-changing experience at Ryerson; a slow progression
18:04 - Viewing life as a “science experiment” and the company she keeps
22:08 - Her side hustle; helping job seekers take the next step in their career
26:18 - Would she turn her side hustle into a full-time gig?
27:56 - How people have found out about Shanghavy’s side hustle
28:36 - How Shanghavy builds her network/relationships
32:08 - How to find a mentor
35:51 - Her biggest learning lesson in the last few years
37:36 - Feeling connected to and proud to her Tamil identity; how she defines it
39:18 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self; journaling
41:54 - The personal legacy she wants to leave behind and be remembered for
42:31 - Creator Confessions
47:16 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
playlist_add
Jan 15, 2023
EP #96: Shiyam Thavandiran - Data Scientist Who Took 1-Year Sabbatical To Pursue Chess Grandmaster Title
Shiyam Thavandiran (@shiyamalen) is a data scientist & International Chess Master, who took a 1-yaer sabbatical from work to pursue the Chess Grandmaster title.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss taking a year off work to pursue his chess ambitions, hanging out with one of the greatest chess players of all time in Magnus Carlsen, the importance of reflecting and being open to other perspectives, travelling to different parts of the world to participate in chess tournaments, the level of preparation required for chess tournaments, and so much more.
*Follow Shiyam:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shiyamalen/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shiyam Thavandiran
01:21 - Shiyam speaks on his formative years and how he got into chess
03:33 - Why he built a stable career before branching out to pursue chess
05:56 - Difference between an International Master and a Grand Master; FIDE
07:18 - Will he pursue becoming a Grand Master?
08:44 - Going on sabbatical to pursue a career in chess
10:35 - How he financially planned for his sabbatical
11:12 - Some of his most notable moments along this chess journey
13:33 - Beating a Grand Master
15:18 - Being in the top 0.1% of all chess players in the world
16:03 - How his family reacted to his decision to pause work and pursue chess
17:16 - Returning back to the workforce; the importance of reflecting
19:36 - How Shiyam prepares for chess tournaments
23:12 - How, and how much, professional chess players get paid
24:53 - Having mentors, and mentoring other players
26:12 - The Queen’s Gambit and other factors that have revived chess
27:16 - Cheating scandals in chess
30:36 - Shiyam’s chess handle ‘Houdinovic’
32:19 - A learning lesson from his chess journey; not being open to other perspectives
33:54 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
35:04 - How he wants to be remembered by friends and family
36:01 - Creator Confessions
43:33 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2023
EP #95: Thinesa Sri - Professional Beach Volleyball Player & Fashion Model
Thinesa Sri (@tininthehouse) is a professional volleyball player and fashion model who currently lives in LA, but is originally from Toronto.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss inheriting her parents’ athletic genes, volleyball being the only sport in the world with equal pay for both genders, being labelled as culturally ambiguous and how it benefits her modelling career, chasing a spot in the 2024 Olympics, and so much more.
*Follow Thinesa:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tininthehouse/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Thinesa Sri
01:07 - Growing up in Scarborough
02:10 - How she got into volleyball; lying to her parents
05:58 - Thinesa’s height and its impact on her playing volleyball
07:39 - Transitioning from basketball to volleyball
08:55 - Representing Canada along with her brother
09:48 - Thinesa’s friendship with Ara’s siblings
10:27 - Her path to playing pro volleyball
13:18 - Picking her partners for pro beach volleyball
14:47 - The only sport in the world where male/female pay is equal
16:30 - Her most memorable sports moments thus far
17:12 - Other ways of accruing income as a pro volleyball player
18:50 - What her training and nutrition regimens looks like
21:18 - How she cultivates a winning mindset; mental health
22:53 - How she became a model; moving to LA
25:31 - Will she move back to Toronto?
26:23 - Aiming to represent Canada in the 2024 Olympics
26:59 - Her ideal mix between volleyball and modelling
28:16 - How she diversifies her income; millions
29:36 - Did she doubt herself upon leaving Toronto to go play pro volleyball?
32:07 - What success looks like to Thinesa in the next three years
33:02 - Her biggest learning lesson;
35:14 - Being the number one recruit out of Canada when she was graduating
36:27 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
38:48 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
40:01 - Creator Confessions
42:34 - The Wrap Up
*Intro Music*
Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan
Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan
playlist_add
Jan 1, 2023
EP #94: Gandeephan Ganeshalingam - VP (Tech Ops) At WestJet And Former CIO At GE Canada
Gandeephan Ganeshalingam is the VP of Technical Operations at WestJet and former CIO of GE Canada.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how leaving Toronto catalyzed his career trajectory, the importance of not delegating parenting responsibilities to others, “growing up” in the University of Lagos and Waterloo University, the changing landscape of education and work, what traits he looks for in new employees, and so much more.
*Follow Gandeephan:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gandeephan-ganeshalingam-986496197/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Gandeephan Ganeshalingam
00:54 - His parents raised three 'successful' kids; what’s the secret?
02:57 - Were Gandeephan or his brothers ever annoyed at their parents?
04:52 - How his dad balanced teaching and things outside of learning
05:49 - Why he felt engineering wasn’t enough; entering business
08:58 - Has the value of an MBA diminished, and why?
10:45 - Being i…
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Dec 18, 2022
EP #93: Geetha Moorthy - Founder & Executive Director Of The SAAAC Autism Centre
Geetha Moorthy (@geethamoorthysaaac) is the Founder & Executive Director of SAAAC Autism Centre (@thesaaac) in Toronto, which she has been working on for 14+ years with the help of many enthusiastic and loyal volunteers.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her passion for dance and choreography, winning the Gerry Bloomfield Award, coming to Canada and wanting to give back to the community, going from humble beginnings in her living room to running multiple centre locations, raising over $25,000 at SAAAC’s first gala in 2010, serving 350+ families in 2020, and so much more.
*Follow Geetha:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetha-moorthy/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Geetha Moorthy
00:47 - Geetha speaks on how her upbringing
02:07 - Having to flee Sri Lanka within a few days of getting married
04:17 - What led her to create SAAAC; 1985 to now
08:02 - Not knowing what Autism was; giving back to the community
11:5…
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Dec 11, 2022
EP #92: Charles Bosco - Award-Winning Producer & British Serial Entrepreneur (Launched NFT Collection "Millionaire Monkey Club")
Charles Bosco (@charlesbosco) is an award-winning music producer & serial entrepreneur with a passion for Web3.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he manages his schedule given his many projects, the why behind one of his latest initiatives the "Millionaire Monkey Club" NFT collection (@millionairemonkeyclub), buying real estate because of his Ethereum investments, how young people should prepare for future success, why communities are difficult to build and so much more!
*Follow Charles:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/charlesbosco/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Charles Bosco
01:10 - How his upbringing led to an entrepreneurial career
07:25 - Charles’ connection to Nelson and his role in creating Singify
12:17 - Selling Singify and what the platform has become today
13:06 - Transitioning from Music to Gogodoc; the impact of COVID amidst this
14:17 - The business model of Gogodoc; the market gap that was fi…
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Dec 4, 2022
EP #91: Hamsha Pathmanathan - Wildlife Biologist's Journey Working In Places Like Nigeria & The Northwest Territories
Hamsha Pathmanathan (@hamsha.p) is currently a Habitat Biologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada while previously working as a Wildlife Biologist in the Northwest Territories.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her natural inclination towards animals (vs people), an interesting story involving her saving mongoose babies in Nigeria, why and how she ended up in the Northwest Territories, being the only Tamil in her city and living amongst a population of just 1,200 people, why she would never explore the Amazon by herself and so much more.
*Follow Hamsha:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamshapathmanathan/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Hamsha Pathmanathan
01:54 - Hamsha speaks on her upbringing and always knowing her calling
06:55 - Wild adventures in Nigeria; saving mongooses, collecting snakes, and more
18:27 - How she transitioned from Nigeria to the Northwest Territories in 2019
24:08 - Having only…
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Nov 27, 2022
EP #90: Sai Tirulokan - Top Producing Real Estate Agent Shares His Path To Success & Why He Bought 6ixBuzz TV's First Ever NFT
Sai Tirulokan (@saitiru) is a very successful real estate agent & broker at RE/MAX Metropolis Realty, who's been in the real estate game for almost a decade starting at a very young age.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how his dad pointed at a sign to kickstart his real estate career, YouTube helping him break through the industry, how selling necklaces and credit cards helped improve his sales skills, buying @6ixbuzztv's first ever NFT, and so much more.
*Follow Sai:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/saitiru/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sai Tirulokan
01:46 - Sai sheds a little light on his upbringing
03:04 - How he got into the real estate game; his dad pointing at a sign
05:15 - Securing his first real estate deals; a $7 million dollar transaction
06:38 - Staying incentivized to finish school
08:37 - How Sai learned sales; selling necklaces and credit cards
12:05 - His strategy for selling credit cards; gett…
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Nov 20, 2022
EP #89: Anoshinie Muhundarajah - Professional Dancer & Choreographer Who Has Shared The Stage With Lilly Singh (World Tour) And Simu Liu (2022 Junos)
Anoshinie Muhundarajah (@anoshinie) is a professional Choreographer & Dancer who's shared with the stage with Lilly Singh (lilly, World Tour) and Simu Liu (@simuliu, 2022 Junos).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her experience with Canada’s Got Talent, getting her parents to buy in on her dream, going on a world tour as a feature dancer with Lily Singh, being a dancer on Disney’s Sneakerella, sharing the stage with Simu Liu at the 2022 Junos, her passion for giving back and being able to combine this with her love for dance, and so much more.
*Follow Anoshinie:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/anoshinie/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Anoshinie Muhundarajah speaks on how she became a dance teacher
00:38 - Will Ara struggle to pronounce the name of this week’s guest?
02:33 - How Anoshinie developed a passion for this medium of storytelling
05:08 - Taboo subjects in the Tamil community that she talks about through her art; suicide
06:53 - How…
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Nov 13, 2022
EP #88: Shyam Srinivasan - Canadian Professional Poker Player Who's Won Millions
Shyam Srinivasan (@shyam990) is a professional poker player who's won millions of dollars playing both online and in tournaments all over the world.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss foregoing a career in criminal law to play poker professionally and how his parents reacted to this decision, the different countries he’s gotten to play in, running into celebrity poker players throughout the years, why cash games involve more skill than tournaments, misconceptions about poker and much more.
*Follow Shyam:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shyam990/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shyam
00:52 - His life before poker; studying to be a criminal lawyer
01:19 - How his parents reacted to him pursuing a poker career
01:53 - The moment Shyam knew a poker career “was in the cards”
02:19 - The benefit of online poker versus traditional poker
03:01 - His day-to-day schedule as a professional poker player
03:31 - Growing u…
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Nov 6, 2022
EP #87: Abarna Raj - CEO of Australian-Based Social Startup Palmera (Changing The Way The World Tackles Poverty)
Abarna Raj is the Co-Founder & CEO of Australian-based Palmera (@palmeraprojects). The organization is named after a tree which grows in Sri Lanka and is fundamental to the existence of the communities it's located in because every part of it is used from the bark, the timber, the leaves and the fruit. Palmera is a social startup looking to help change the way that the world tackles poverty by ensuring that the poor having a living income (with a focus on Sri Lanka).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami, why she left being a full-time lawyer to found a non-profit and how her ideology of work subsequently changed, the impact & thinking behind Palmera’s HANDMADE cookbook, how to address the resource challenge for non-profits and much more.
*Follow Abarna:*
- Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abarna-raj-34976761/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Abarna Raj
01:48 - How her childh…
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Oct 30, 2022
EP #86: Ganesh Thava - Overcoming Childhood Adversities To Find Success As An Actor & Director
Ganesh Thava (@ganesh.thava) is a Tamil-Canadian Director, Writer & Actor. He's had roles in movies "Spin" and "Cyber Underground" while writing & directing his own short film "The Orchard & The Tree" (premiered at @reelasian).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being pro-therapy, having rejection rituals, his movie screened at international film festivals, dealing with pushback when he told his parents he wanted to apply for theatre school, how having a business background has helped with his creative career, and so much more.
*Follow Ganesh:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ganesh.thava/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ganesh Thava
02:37 - Ganesh speaks on his upbringing; growing up in an environment of love and comfort
04:36 - Being a shy kid/rule-follower; feeling like he was living for other people
08:17 - His recollection of Sri Lanka; feeling more free there than in Canada (mental health)
10:44 - How Ara hear…
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Oct 23, 2022
EP #85: Keerthana Rang - A Career In Communications Spanning From Politics To Tech (Uber, Sidewalk Labs)
Keerthana Rang (@keerthanarang) is the Corporate Communications Lead at @Uber in Canada.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss transitioning from politics to tech, growing up in the Tamil co-op in Parkdale, how governments & private companies interact to drive innovation forward, her involvement in developing the new @tamilcommunitycentre in Scarborough, if school actually matters in the grand scheme of things, and much more.
*Follow Keerthana:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/keerthanarang/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Keerthana Rang
00:57 - Keerthana speaks on her upbringing in the GTA
03:42 - How she got involved in politics; the impact of living in a co-op
06:02 - Taking freedom for granted; the boom of Tamil people in politics
06:39 - Wanting to be a teacher with a house in the suburbs; grade 11 changed things
10:23 - Working for the sister company of Google, Sidewalk Labs
14:11 - Moving to Radical Ventures:…
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Oct 16, 2022
EP #84: Piraveen Sivalingam - His Entrepreneurial Journey As A Boston Pizza Franchise Owner
Piraveen Sivalingam (@piraveens) is an entrepreneur who owns & runs a Boston Pizza Franchise with his brother in Markham (Canada).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got into the franchising game, doing business with family, missing out on fun with friends/family when he was younger because of the responsibilities that came with being a business owner, the future of franchise businesses, the challenge of finding good staff post-pandemic, not paying himself for the first couple years of running the business, and so much more.
*Follow Piraveen:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/piraveens/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Franchising and how Ara found this week’s guest
01:22 - Ara introduces Piraveen Sivalingam
01:56 - How Piraveen became a franchisee; his family’s involvement with restaurants
04:39 - The challenges of him and his brother being young entrants into the franchisee world
06:53 - Doing business with family; what Piraveen would do di…
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Oct 9, 2022
EP #83: Vanessa Raquel Raponi - Engineer At Spin Master, Founder of EngiQueers Canada & Abuse Survivor
Vanessa Raquel Raponi (@vanessaraquelraponi) is a Senior Product Development Engineer at Spin Master (@spinmaster) and Founder of EngiQueers Canada (@engiqueerscanada).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being a poor brown kid in a wealthy part of Toronto (Leaside), being queer, surviving childhood abuse, getting the opportunity to be the Willy Wonka of product development, her grandfather’s orphanage in Sri Lanka and the impact he had on her, and so much more.
*Follow Vanessa:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vanessaraquelraponi/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Vanessa Raquel Raponi
01:12 - Being Tamil/Italian, growing up in Leaside, experiencing abuse, and becoming an engineer
04:48 - Being silent about her struggles from the age of 9 until the age of 20
06:08 - Growing up in Toronto, Tamil community not being emphasized much
08:51 - Opening up to her family about what happened to her; how they reacted
11:18 -…
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Oct 2, 2022
EP #82: Sundar Viswanathan - Award-Winning (Including A 2022 Juno) Canadian Jazz Musician
Sundar Viswanathan (@sundarvmusic) is an award-winning (including a 2022 JUNO) Canadian Jazz musician.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how being subjected to racism led him to a career in music, how his dad got him a second opportunity for music education after he failed an audition, going from getting paid in wings to winning a JUNO (@thejunoawards), similarities between being a musician and entrepreneur, the importance of The Canada Council for the Arts (@canada.council) spreading Canadian music around the world, his biggest regret (Creator Confessions), and so much more.
*Follow Sundar:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sundarvmusic/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sundar Viswanathan
01:25 - Convincing his parents that music was a viable career path
05:03 - Growing up in Sudbury with few South Asians; racism, being bullied in high school
08:38 - His popular brother, Sudbury being less racist, and Sundar’s per…
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Sep 18, 2022
EP #81: Anusha Srijeyanathan - From Employee #17 At Eloqua (Acquired By Oracle) To Executive VP of Client Success At Benevity
Anusha Srijeyanathan (@anusha_srij) is the Executive Vice President of Client Success at Benevity (@benevity). She was previously part of Eloqua (which was acquired by Oracle).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss making the most of your circumstances, why she went from finishing her last day at Oracle in Toronto on a Friday and starting hew new job at Benevity on a Monday in Calgary, key differences between start-ups like Eloqua versus larger corporations like Oracle, how a vision board changed her life, how Nike contributed to Benevity’s growth early on, the benefit of exposing children to technology at a young age, and so much more.
*Follow Anusha:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anushasrijeyanathan/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Anusha Srijeyanathan
02:14 - Growing up between Sri Lanka and Nigeria before moving to Canada in the mid-80s
05:32 - How your environment and certain experiences shape you
14:00 - B…
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Sep 11, 2022
EP #80: Gokul Natesan - The Life Of A Professional Basketball Player
Gokul Natesan (@gokuln_) is a professional basketball player who grew up in California.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss getting his basketball chops from his dad who played in India, the process of becoming a professional basketball player (the good and the bad), hooping with NBA star Jordan Poole, the Raptors vs. Warriors championship series, South Asian representation in the NBA, the importance of keeping a long-term view in mind, and so much more.
*Follow Gokul:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gokuln_/)
*Timestamps:*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Gokul Natesan
01:06 - Gokul’s childhood; Starting basketball 5 years old, getting a scholarship, his parents being supportive
06:58 - Growing up as a Golden State Warriors fan, his family being enthusiasts as well, the Raptors parade
08:42 - How Gokul became a professional basketball player; how he found his opportunities
10:11 - Playing in Australia, Ukraine, Finland, and Urug…
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Sep 4, 2022
EP #79: Sarah Sukumaran - Former Nike Product Director Disrupting The Hypermasculine Sneaker Market With Her Female-Centric Brand Lilith
Sarah Sukumaran (@sarahsuku) is a former Nike Product Director who is now the CEO & Founder of Lilith NYC (@lilith.nyc), a female-centric sneaker brand looking to disrupt the hypermasculine multi-billion dollar sneaker market.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss working for Nike before starting her own company, the future of manufacturing (ie. 3-D printing, etc.), seeing a a gap in female footwear and using her house down payment funds to kickstart the business, her first product being inspired by a bird that is almost extinct in the Philippines, missing out on the chance to decode the human genome, and so much more.
*Follow Sarah:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsukumaran/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Sarah’s return from Portugal, recovery from COVID, and New York post-pandemic
02:15 - Being obsessed with books, science, and basketball shoes from a young age
04:32 - Her career path was never linear; MedTech, consulting, marketing, and mor…
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Aug 28, 2022
EP #78: Jey Balachandran - From Employee #7 To CTO At Doximity (800+ Person Publicly Traded Tech Company)
Jey Balachandran (@jeybalachandran) is the Chief Technology Officer at Doximity, after joining 10+ years ago as Employee #7.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss Doximity’s adoption of remote work prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, their hangouts at the U of T library, the value of University degrees in the future, being headhunted and moving to the US as a result, differences between Toronto and San Francisco with everything ranging from technology to food, splurging on a Dyson hair dryer, his go-to food spot in the Bay Area (Mission Burrito), and so much more.
*Follow Jey:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeybalachandran/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jey Balachandran
01:26 - Jey speaks on being born in Sri Lanka, growing up in Canada, and living in America for the last decade plus
03:46 - Being the 7th hire at Doximity and the company now having 800+ employees; Jey compares now versus then
06:10 - What Doximity i…
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Aug 21, 2022
EP #77: Jallaja Pararajasingham - Dancer, Choreographer & Founder Of Let's Jalsa Dance Academy
Jallaja Pararajasingham (@letsjalsa) is a dancer, choreographer & founder of Let's Jalsa Dance Academy. She is also the Manager of Volunteer Resources at the SAAAC Autism Centre (@thesaaac).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her work/passion as a choreographer & dancer, her parents owning the Bread Master Bakery in Malvern Mall (Ara was a frequent visitor when he was younger), combining her love of dancing & giving back through her work at SAAAC, going to Sri Lanka in 2019 to help children with special needs, and so much more.
*Follow Jallaja:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jallaja-pararajasingham-097475162/)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/letsjalsa/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jallaja Pararajasingham
00:56 - Jallaja speaks on her family upbringing and how it sparked her passion for dancing
02:03 - Known as a rebel in a tight-knit family and her parents’ personality when they retired
05:27 - How s…
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Aug 14, 2022
EP #76: Naren Balakrishnan - Helping Canadian Companies Innovate By Navigating The Multi-Billion Dollar SRED Program
Naren Balakrishnan (@naren.bala) is a Partner at Grant Thornton LLP.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his past life being an engineer at IBM, the $3 billion-plus tax credits that are given out in Canada every year, his relationship with money including how he invests, why companies need to consider & take advantage of the SRED program, and more!
*Follow Naren:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/narenbalakrishnan/)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/naren.bala/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Naren Balakrishnan
01:00 - Naren’s upbringing, family life, and path to becoming a software engineer
03:24 - What he liked, and didn’t like, as a software engineer; a passion for problem-solving
05:32 - Making the switch to work in a technology-based role
08:22 - Government Canada’s SRED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) program
10:46 - Naren explains how Grant Thornton adds value to its customers
15:…
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Aug 7, 2022
EP #75: Apinayah Arul - Starting Varman's Smile Foundation After Losing Her Younger Brother To Suicide
Apinayah Arul (@apin.yah.ai) is co-founder of Varman's Smile Foundation (@vsmilefoundation) which was started in her late brother’s memory with a mission of raising awareness around mental health and suicide prevention.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss moving from Toronto to Vancouver for a fresh start which included 5 days of drivng with her family, how Varman’s Smile Foundation was created, common misconceptions about mental health in the Tamil community, how Tamil movies glorify suicide by correlating it with romance, raising $30,000 to fund her organization, how fantasy books help her creative process, and so much more.
*Follow Apinayah:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/apinayah-arul/)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apin.yah.ai/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Apinayah Arul
01:11 - Her family upbringing; frequent moves and supportive parents
03:26 - Api’s father being a welder and the family ta…
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Jul 31, 2022
EP #74: Sibi Selvanathan - Writing & Publishing An Amazon Top 5 Epic Fantasy Book In 18 Months During The Pandemic
Sibi Selvanathan (@superstarsibi) is a Product Manager by profession who was able to knock off a bucket list item for himself by writing & publishing an Amazon Top 5 Epic Fantasy Book in 18 months during the pandemic (@author_skselva).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss why he chose to write a fantasy genre novel, how he leveraged free time to sharpen his writing skills, being inspired by his sister who helped write ‘Amutha Learns’ (@amuthalearns, Episode 1 guest of "The Tamil Creator"), being a morning person and trying to make the most of every minute, investing in Gamestop and Bitcoin, wanting to be a professional hockey or soccer player while growing up, Harry Potter books having a massive influence on him, and so much more.
*Follow Sibi:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/author_skselva/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibiselvanathan/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sibi Selvanathan
01:13 - Sibi spe…
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Jul 24, 2022
EP #73: Tia Bhuva - Founder Of Successful E-Commerce Brand (TiaBhuva.com) & Creator Of The "Saree Silhouette"
Tia Bhuva (@tiabhuva) is the CEO & Founder of successful e-commerce company TiaBhuva.com (@tiabhuvadotcom) and creator of the trademarked "Saree Silhouette" (ie. yoga pants for sarees).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how she came up with the idea for her flagship product the "Saree Silhouette", her data-drive obsession resulting in 800K+ Instagram followers & almost 100 million YouTube views, having a high risk pregnancy, being transparent about her side hustle even while she was working at Walmart, thinking her pursuit of entrepreneurship would fail during COVID-19, employing family members, being specific about who she eventually sells her company to and her plan once she gets to that point, and so much more.
*Follow Tia:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tiabhuva/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tia-bhuva-mba-26323520/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Tia speaks on how her business fared during the pandemic and starting the company to…
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Jul 17, 2022
EP #72: Bhi Bhiman - St. Louis Native & Musician On His Journey Including New Album "I'll Sleep When I'm Famous"
Bhi Bhiman (@bhibhiman) is an American singer-songwriter who grew in St. Louis and now lives in LA. He's been called "One of America's Best Kept Secrets".
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his latest album "I'll Sleep When I'm Famous" as a tribute to his late nephew, the guitar being his first love at age 7, his album being a socio-political response to Donald Trump’s election and the American landscape, doing a parody of Whiplash with Keegan-Michael Key (@Keegan-Michael Key) and struggling to keep up, Twitter being a ‘bad neighbourhood’ that Bhi doesn’t enjoy visiting, getting to go on tour with one of his heroes (lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Cornell [@chriscornellofficial] of Soundgarden), and so much more.
*Follow Bhi:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bhibhiman/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - You interrupt and eavesdrop on a conversation between Ara and this week’s guest, Bhi Bhiman
01:57 - Bhi catches you up to speed on what he an…
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Jul 10, 2022
EP #71: Tanya Selvaratnam - Emmy-Nominated Producer, Writer, Abuse Survivor & Social Justice Champion
Tanya Selvaratnam (@tanyaauthor) is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, abuse survivor and social justice champion.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss reading at the age of 2, her last book Assume Nothing and the impact she hopes it has along with her upcoming book Leaf Me Alone, her first film getting into the Sundance Film Festival and the opportunities that came out of this, having a photographic memory, her creative writing process, being a survivor of abuse, and so much more.
*Follow Tanya:*
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/tanyaauthor)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tanyaauthor/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Tanya Selvaratnam
00:50 - Growing up in California; her early passion for reading
02:31 - Tanya speaks on being a storyteller and teases her current novel
04:22 - The trajectory that a women’s conference in China in 1995 led Tanya on
06:38 - Deepa Mehta’s Anatomy of Violence
07:56 - Being recruited t…
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Jul 3, 2022
EP #70: Prakash Chandran - Co-Founder & CEO of Xano, Fastest No Code Backend Development Platform
Prakash Chandran (@prakawesome) is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur and currently the co-founder of Xano, the fastest no code backend development platform. If his last name sounds familiar, he is the brother of Sashee Chandran (@sasheechandran), founder of @myteadrop and guest on Episode #9 of the "The Tamil Creator" podcast. Our second brother-sister combo that's appeared on the podcast!
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss helping his mom with her solopreneur business at a young age, going through 6 rounds of interviews to get into Google and working closely with the Sundar Pichai, being treated like a celebrity at airports in the early 2000s because of his Google bag, living with his parents to save money when he started Xano, how the mistakes of Zabinet have led to his current success, being spiritual and purposeful, and so much more.
*Follow Prakash:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/prakawesome/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces th…
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Jun 26, 2022
EP #69: Apiramy Jeyarajah - Creating & Embracing Change As The Head of UK Wholesale At Aviva Investors
Apiramy Jeyarajah is the Head of UK Wholesale at Aviva Investors.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to chat about topics like working hard to get herself into a leadership role in the finance industry where people that look like her are rare, a growing trend towards digital platforms & robo-advisors, to moving from Sri Lanka to London at the age of 2, her dad instilling a belief in her that she was no less than anyone else, the notion that money is no longer the main motivator for employees, wanting to create an environment where everyone feels like they belong, pushing the ladder down to allow the next person to come up, and so much more.
*Follow Apiramy:*
- Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/apiramy-jeyarajah-1218821b/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Apiramy
00:55 - Apiramy speaks on her upbringing and being driven by curiosity
02:09 - What sports did/does she play?
02:44 - What led Apiramy to a career in education and then f…
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Jun 19, 2022
EP #68: Tharshan Rajendiram - Co-Creator Of The "Basement Reels" YouTube Channel (80,000+ Subscribers)
Tharshan Rajendiram (@tharshanr) is writer, director, standup comedian and actor, along with being the co-creator behind the famous "Basement Reels" YouTube channel (@basementreels, 80,000+ subscribers).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he he met his co-creator behind the "Basement Reels" YouTube channel, the desire to belong after immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka, Basement Reels growing to more than 80K subscribers, making a demo tape during the pandemic, how fans inspire him to keep making content, not getting bogged down by failure, and so much more.
*Follow Tharshan:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tharshanr/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Tharshan Raj
01:05 - From Sri Lanka to Canada, studying at Ryerson, going viral on Basement Reels
09:35 - The observational comedy of Basement Reels and its relatability
12:46 - Tharshan’s lifelong passion for acting
13:18 - Working with an agent, securing auditi…
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Jun 12, 2022
EP #67: Rathika Sitsabaiesan - From Politician (Canada's 1st Tamil MP) to Professor
Rathika Sitsabaiesan (@rathikasitsabaiesan) is a former politician (Canada's First Tamil Member of Parliament) and currently a professor at Centennial College (@centennialcollege).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in a single income household, watching her parents help other Tamil immigrants get on their feet in Canada, introducing Tamil Heritage Month with the late Jack Layton’s full support, the impact of a Tamil being elected as an MP, taking 8 months off in 2015 due to extreme burnout, how somebody in the Vietnamese community encouraged her to become a teacher; her ensuing passion for education, working in a hospital for 5 years before realizing she didn’t want to be a doctor and so much more.
*Follow Rathika:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rathikasitsabaiesan/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Rathika Sitsabaiesan
01:27 - Rathika speaks on her family upbringing and how it led her to a career…
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Jun 5, 2022
EP #66: Dunstan Peter - On Launching Trinity Tech, A Multi-Million Dollar Business
Dunstan Peter is a serial entrepreneur who is the founder of several companies including Trinity Tech, Tnext Communication & Trinity Star Development. He was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2019.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the power of education, building up the sales momentum for his multi-million dollar business with no sales reps initially except himself, having a desire to give from a young age, working to change homelessness, killing snakes in his childhood and the PTSD he experiences now because of it, loving himself and having zero regrets or insecurities, and so much more.
*Follow Dunstan:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunstan-peter-besc-emba-3938a732/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Dunstan Peter
01:47 - Dunstan speaks on his childhood, living through the SL war, and using education to escape poverty
04:13 - Looking at everything as a positive and understanding life doesn’t go the w…
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May 29, 2022
EP #65: Rubi Balasingam - Kung Fu Trained Australian Actress & Writer Promoting Tamil Voices In TV & Film
Rubi Balasingam (@rubi_balasingam) is an Australian-based actress and screenwriter, includes roles in TV Series "Jack Irish" and "Improv Sessions".
Rubi joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss starting out her career while doing comedic theatre, the importance of a side hustle as an actor, learning Kung Fu & ballet to improve her odds in acting, discussing being an extrovert vs introvert, if she would ever consider moving to North America for her acting career, the experience with dealing with different agents, Mortal Kombat being filmed in Australia, and much more.
*Follow Rubi:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rubi_balasingam/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Rubi Balasingam
01:03 - Rubi speaks on a ’typical immigrant’ upbringing; unable to watch the Simpsons but violent Tamil movies were okay
03:49 - Her journey to becoming an actress/writer (Ara interrupts to rave about Kim’s Convenience)
06:43 - Not telling her pa…
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May 22, 2022
EP #64: Rajan Bala - Missing Out On A "Big Exit" As The Co-Founder Of Retail Tech Startup Hiku
Rajan Bala (@im.provising) enjoys being a tech builder - he was a co-founder at retail tech startup Hiku.
Rajan joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to how Carleton University (@carleton_u) is underrated when it comes to engineering talent, how the idea for Hiku was formed along with how they got the idea off the ground, missing out a big exit with Walmart, starting a charity to help transfer knowledge from the Tamil diaspora back to Sri Lanka, financial independence and more.
*Follow Rajan:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajanbala/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Rajan Bala
01:25 - Rajan speaks on how he got into building
03:49 - Being 1 of 5 kids and all of them having stereotypical Sri Lankan careers
04:33 - Is Carleton University underrated when it comes to engineering programs?
07:48 - Working for BlackBerry before coming up with Hiku; the idea, the name, using kickstarter
12:17 - What Rajan envisioned for Hiku’s revenue…
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May 15, 2022
EP #63: Milli Thangarajah - International Makeup Artist (Published)
Milli Thangarajah (@thiso_makeup) is a published international makeup artist.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the kindest thing somebody did for her, balancing a full-time finance job with being a makeup artist as a side hustle, wanting to be an actress & what's stopping her today from pursuing it, how COVID taught her to slow down, why she's terrified of snakes, doing your research BEFORE you network, Ara reminding her of Jay Shetty (@jayshetty), and so much more.
*Follow Milli:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thiso_makeup/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Milli Thangarajah
01:00 - Her upbringing; growing up in SL during the war, moving to Canada at 9, and SO MUCH MORE
09:47 - If Milli had a time machine, would she still go back to school? Why she’s terrified of snakes
15:43 - Always wanting to be an actress and what’s stopping her today from pursuing it
17:33 - Balancing her full-time finance job and being…
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May 8, 2022
EP #62: Vinnin (Vinuson Suntharesan) - 17-Year-Old Canadian Hip Hop Artist With A Song On The NBA 2K21 Soundtrack
Vinnin is a 17 year-old Malyali/Tamil-Canadian hip hop artist from Scarborough.
He joins Ara (as the youngest guest to date) on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got booed the first time he got on stage, being influenced by Canadian artists (Drake [@champagnepapi], The Weeknd [@theweeknd] & Nav [@Nav]), being featured on the @NBA 2K21 Next Gen Soundtrack and how he made sure he wasn’t take advantage of (from a financial/legal perspective), using criticism to improve yourself, feeling mentally stronger than anyone else, wanting to motivate people, and much more.
*Follow Vinnin:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vinninwinnin/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Vinnin
01:40 - How his upbringing led him to his music career
04:27 - Being booed the first time he got on stage
06:12 - How he came up with his stage name, Vinnin
08:31 - Playing competitive basketball in high school
09:23 - How he got featured on the NBA 2K21 Next Gen S…
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May 1, 2022
EP #61: Priscilla Sreedharan - Former Associate Producer on CBC's Dragons' Den
Priscilla Sreedharan (@priscillasree) is a content producer and passionate storyteller who was an Associate Producer of Dragon’s Den (@cbcdragon) during its ascent. She later went on to do some interesting roles at both Cineplex (@cineplexmovies) & TD (@td_canada).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her time working with Dragon’s Den, wanting to be Peter Mansbridge when she was growing up, being a ‘serial hobbyist’, food sustainability, her thoughts on the lack of transparency around the topic of money, living frugally and being intentional with her purchases, how she CRUSHED $30K of debt in 6 months with her partner, and much more.
*Follow Priscilla:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-sreedharan-68487412/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Priscilla Sreedharan
01:05 - Priscilla speaks on her upbringing and family background
02:22 - Moving from High Park to Rexdale during COVID
03:50 - Initially meeti…
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Apr 24, 2022
EP #60: Ravi Srinivasan - International Programmer At The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) & Hot Docs
Ravi Srinivasan was raised in a half-Filipino, half-Tamil household in Sarnia before moving to Toronto where is he now the Interntional Programmer (Canada) for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, @tiff_net). He's also the International Programmer for the Hot Docs Caandian International Documentary Festival (@hotdocs_) and the Founder/Executive Director of the South Western International Film Festival (SWIFF, @swiffca).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got his first job in the film industry with cold calling, his lifelong interest in public speaking from a young age, having no idea what TIFF was growing up, meeting M.I.A. (@miamatangi), not paying himself for the first few years of starting his own film festival (SWIFF), wanting to be the GM of the Toronto Raptors (@raptors), and much more.
*Follow Ravi:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravsrinivas/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ravi Srinivasan…
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Apr 17, 2022
EP #59: Genevive Savundranayagam - Serial Entrepreneur & Brand Builder Behind Mahara Mindfulness (Creator Of "The Human Being Journal")
Genevive Savundranayagam (@genevivesav) is a serial entrepreneur, brand builder and the Co-Founder of Mahara Mindfulness (@maharamindfulness) which created the buzzworthy "The Human Being Journal".
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the spark behind "The Human Being Journal", side hustles, a fear of not living up to her full potential, quitting her job right before the pandemic to take the entrepreneurial leap, prioritizing friendship/family over business, the peace she experienced in New Zealand and much more.
*Follow Genevive:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/genevivesav/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevivesav/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Genevive Savundranayagam
01:08 - Genevive speaks on growing up, her professional experience, and more
03:19 - What made her go down an entrepreneurial route?
06:57 - Navigating business partnerships with friends
10:17 - Initially opting not to sign a shareholde…
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Apr 10, 2022
EP #58: Suresh Sriskandarajah - Lawyer, Engineer & MBA Grad Who Overcame Extreme Personal Adversity To Achieve Success
Suresh Sriskandarajah (@suresh.sriskandarajah) is a technology and business lawyer at Suresh Law Professional Corporation (@suresh.law).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss learning a sense of responsibility from a very young age, how being a long distance runner helped develop his strong work ethic, why he has four degrees (BASc, BA, MBA, JD), other full-time roles he has including be the COO at CSI & Executive Director at Mosaic Lab, why education will stay relevant but the process for acquiring degrees will likely change, not having a television, doing public speaking to overcome his insecurities around it, only investing money he can afford to lose, and much more.
*Follow Suresh:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/suresh.sriskandarajah/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/suresh-sriskandarajah/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Suresh Sri
02:06 - Being born in SL during the civil war, moving to CA and working at…
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Apr 3, 2022
EP #57: Amritha Shakti - Chennai-Born, Australian-Raised Musician With An MBA
Amritha Shakti (@amritha.shakti) is a Chennai-born, Australian-raised song writer who describes herself as a hippie with an MBA.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss why she decided to get her MBA even though she is so passionate about music, the notion that money is love, having depression in her late teens, her admiration for Abdul Kalam, her strong sense of purpose which involves working in the development field in India, using flow state and more.
*Follow Amritha Shakti:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amritha.shakti/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Amritha Shakti
01:16 - Born in Chennai, Raised in Australia; feeling like she wasn’t accepted in either world
02:54 - Why she sounds more North American than Australian
03:45 - Is she a musician or a storyteller? Amritha’s creative outlets
05:10 - Why did Amritha pursue an MBA if she was so passionate about music?
06:40 - Balancing her music career and work as a…
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Mar 27, 2022
EP #56: Mayuran Yogarajah - Head of IX Labs & Distinguished Engineer At Index Exchange
Mayuran Yogarajah (@myren.y) is the Head of IX Labs and Distinguished Engineer at Index Exchange (@indexexchange), where he joined almost 20 years ago as Employee #2 (he was 1 hour late to the interview), seeing it grow massively in that time frame.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being 1 hour late for his interview (when Google Maps was not around), transitioning from SVP Engineering to spearheading investments as Head of IX Labs, not finishing his degree at the University of Toronto, working in the same company now for nearly two decades, learning to slow down and be present, trying to be charitable in his day-to-day life, growing up as a fan of Mike Tyson’s boxing career and now his personal life, having bouts of impostor syndrome, and so much more.
*Follow Mayuran:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayuran-yogarajah/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Mayuran Yogarajah
01:07 - Mayuran’s upbringing in Mississ…
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Mar 20, 2022
EP #55: Manjula Selvarajah & Kirthana Sasitharan - CBC Journalists Behind The Award-Winning "Boldly Asian" Series
Manjula Selvarajah (@manjaselva) and Kirthana Sasitharan (@kirthanasasitharan) are this week’s guests on #TheTamilCreator. Manjula is a Toronto-based journalist, a guest host on CBC Ontario’s shows, and co-founder of Tamil Women Rising (@tamilwomenrising). Kirthana is a CBC news reporter and associate producer. They are both co-creators of the "Boldly Asian" series on @CBC.
They join Ara to discuss their friendship, receiving feedback as a creator, their award-winning "Boldly Asian" series, Tamil women helping push other Tamil women’s careers forward, learning to embrace rejection, and much more.
*Follow Manjula:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/manjaselva/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/manjaselva)
*Follow Kirthana:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kirthanasasitharan/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/kirthanasasitha)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guests, Manjula and Kirthana
01:50 - Kirthana speaks on her upbringing, family, and path to bec…
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Mar 13, 2022
EP #54: Chief Nishan Duraiappah - North America's First Tamil Chief of Police
Chief Nishan Duraiappah (@chiefnishprp) is Peel Region’s Police Chief and the first police chief of South Asian descent in Ontario’s history (as well as the first police chief of Tamil descent in North America).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss moving from Sri Lanka to Toronto at a young age, how he bamboozled his parents to avoid being a doctor, lawyer or engineer, the value of relationships, the 2009 Tamil protest on the Gardiner Expressway, why young people shouldn’t let youth or failure detract them, and much more.
*Follow Nishan:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chiefnishprp/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Chief Nish
01:31 - A teacher introduced Chief Nish to a placement program at the local police station when he was 15
07:27 - What are the steps to becoming a police officer in today’s day and age?
10:18 - Are more Tamils joining the police work force?
13:20 - Starting his career off as an investiga…
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Mar 6, 2022
EP #53: Chantal Sathi - From Scarborough To Oxford, Culminating In A Faith-Led Journey To Create Tech Company CornerstoreAI
Chantal Sathi (@chantalsathi) is the Founder of CornerstoneAI (@cornerstone.ai) and the youngest female of colour to ever be on Oxford University’s (@oxford_uni) Alumni Board; she is currently pursuing her doctorate in innovation in science and technology at Arizona State.
Chantal joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the importance of self-discovery, being anti-religious but having a strong faith, why she wakes up at 4:45AM every morning, unplugging from technology every Saturday, her love for boxing, the power of being kind, and so much more - this is not an episode to be missed.
*Follow Chantal:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantal-sathi/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Chantal Sathi
02:23 - Being born and raised in Scarborough, her parents fleeing Sri Lanka during the war
04:04 - Studying Theology at UofT; learning to abide in love and walk with peace
06:09 - From Scarborough to Oxford; advice for people leavin…
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Feb 27, 2022
EP #52: Himalesh Kumar - American Tech Entrepreneur Overcomes Dyslexia To Sell His Company To Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway
Himalesh Kumar (@himaleshk) who is a LA-based tech entrepreneur, was the CEO & Founder of Tapdn before he ended up selling his company to Berkshire Hathaway (via CORT).
He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss growing up with a learning disability (dyslexia) and viewing it as a “superpower,” the time he met Warren Buffet, why he started Tapdn and the ten-year journey he took before securing an exit, the importance faith has played in his life, and why you shouldn’t take no for an answer as an entrepreneur!
*Follow Himalesh:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/himalesh-kumar-17bb573/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Himalesh Kumar
01:44 - Growing up in both India and Sri Lanka before immigrating to LA
02:44 - Being dyslexic and finding a way to not it hinder his learning process, teaching himself engineering
10:25 - How to get around the word “no” as an entrepreneur
14:11 - Himalesh started Tapdn as a mobile payment company
17:13 - Tap…
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Feb 20, 2022
EP #51: Samanta Krishnapillai - Sparking Social Change As Founder & Executive Director of "On Canada Project"
Samanta Krishnapillai is helping to drive social change as the Founder, Executive Director and Editor-In-Chief of On Canada Project (@oncanadaproject).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss taking a break to work on her mental health, her goal of driving social change through conversation with On Canada Project, code-switching, ending silos so we can “stop letting sh*t divide us,” being followed by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on Twitter, how silence is violence as it pertains to critical issues, and much more.
*Follow Samanta:*
- Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-krish/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Samanta Krishnapillai
01:39 - Samanta speaks on struggling to understand her culture/heritage growing up
07:28 - The On Canada Project; the name, why is started and what it is
15:07 - Her future plans for the On Canada Project; intentions and purpose
17:27 - On Canada Project team and funding strategy
24:48 -…
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Feb 13, 2022
EP #50: Thad Jayaseelan - Jet-Setter, Budding Entrepreneur & Go-To Barber For Athletes & Celebrities Like Drake And Big Sean
Thad Jayaseelan (@thaddeus.10) has been the go-to barber for the likes of celebrities like Drake (@champagnepapi), Big Sean (@bigsean) & J Balvin (@jbalvin). He's also the "Teacher of Teachers" for L'Oreal (@lorealpro_education_canada) in Canada along with launching his company Gradient (@gradient____), which got sales from Day 1 of launching.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss what it was like living with Drake for 2 weeks while he cut his hair, why he started his company Gradient, the importance of a strong work ethic, why he enjoys travelling alone, how he blocked out the naysayers, and so much more.
*Follow Thad:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thaddeus.10/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Thad Jayaseelan
01:08 - Thad’s upbringing in Montreal and his new business “Gradient”
03:49 - Why he’s stepping out of the spotlight and working more behind-the-scenes
05:41 - Teaching abroad in Europe
08:13 - Securing…
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Feb 6, 2022
EP #49: DJ Kow - Trailblazing & Popular Toronto-Based Female DJ
Kowshika Thanam aka Kow (@dj.kow) is a Toronto-based DJ who represents RLE Sound Crew (@rlesoundcrew).
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact that other Tamil DJs had on her including the late DJ Brown Soul & DJ Divsa (@djdivsa), solely relying on Instagram and word-of-mouth as her marketing tools, being a proud feminist and aspiring to trail-blaze a path for other Tamil women, her firm belief that everything happens for a reason, and much more.
*Follow DJ Kow:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dj.kow/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, DJ Kow
00:44 - Stage name origins, where she spins, her love for music
01:54 - Ara and Kow met through ultimate frisbee, pathway to becoming a DJ
06:12 - Balancing being a full-time DJ and her full-time job at Home Depot
07:48 - How she secures DJ gigs
11:10 - Were friends/family supportive of Kow’s career as a DJ?
16:53 - When will Kow solely focus on her Deejaying career?
19:…
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Jan 30, 2022
EP #48: Gobinthiran Kulendran - 9 Schools And 21 Location Changes During A War Couldn't Stop This Entrepreneur From Finding Success In Sri Lanka
Gobinthiran Kulendran (@gobinthiran) is the Co-Founder & CEO of Huex (@huex.io) based in Sri Lanka. Despite having to change schools 9 times, moving homes 21 times and losing everything except for one bag during the height of the war, found a way to learn about technology through a computer (that was purchased because his mother and aunt pawned their jewelry) left at his aunt's house (hours away), that he was only able to use on weekends because power wasn't available at his home. His went on to do freelance jobs for locals until he got his first international project in Aug 2019 (paid $1500) that he finished in 5 days with almost no sleep. He's gone on to raise money from investors all over the world to grow the business and has 40+ clients across 4 continents.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of Yarl IT Hub (@yarlithub) on his business, his success encouraging his parents to let his sister start her own business, business opportunities…
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Jan 23, 2022
EP #47: Mathusha Senthil - Founder/CEO of Sex Toy Company (Thaen Pot) & Media Platform (Thaen X)
Mathusha Senthil (@thushaa) is the CEO & Founder of sex toy company Thaen Pot (@thaenpot) and media platform Thaen X.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how her goal of removing shame from the topic of sex, positive/negative feedback that Thaen Pot has received, how her day job ties into her business, her poor relationship with money until her mid-20s and much more.
*Follow Mathusha:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathushasenthil/)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thushaa/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Thusha Senthil
00:58 - Thusha speaks on her upbringing
02:25 - Why Thaen Pot was started, picking the name, financing strategy
07:42 - Trying to remove shame from sex and related conversations
10:42 - Thusha is unbothered by competitors, future plans for the company
13:23 - Positive feedback that Thaen Pot has received
15:06 - Negative feedback that Thaen Pot received
16:39 - How have Thusha’s friends an…
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Jan 16, 2022
EP #46: Ruban Kanapathippillai - Serial Tech Entrepreneur With Two Exits Collectively Over $1 Billion
Ruban Kanapathippillai (@rubanmusings) is a entrepreneur, angel investor, charter member at TiE Silicon Valley and author of the "Accidental Entrepreneur" series.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he's seen The Bay Area change in the many years he's lived there, why he decided to become an angel investor, building a company from 5 founders to 200 employees in about 2 years, having his first company acquired by Intel, how a heart attack was a wake up call to prioritize mental health and much more.
*Follow Ruban:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruban-kanapathippillai-064413/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ruban Kanapathippillai
01:23 - Ruban talks about his upbringing in Sri Lanka, how he met his wife
05:22 - The Bay Area; then vs. now (corporations, real estate, etc.)
11:57 - The impact of digitalization and COVID (on Silicon Valley)
16:09 - How prevalent is the Tamil community like in San Francisco?
21:06 -…
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Jan 9, 2022
EP #45: Sharon Bala - Award-winning & Bestselling Author of "The Boat People"
Sharon Bala (@sharon.bala) is is a Canadian writer and the award-winning, bestselling author of "The Boat People". This book is inspired by a real incident and is about a group of Tamil refugees who survive the perilous ocean voyage to reach Canada only to face the threat of deportation and accusations of terrorism in their new land.
Sharon joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss why she almost never pursued writer as a career, how writers make money, the "why" behind writing The Boat People, her experience living in St. John’s (Newfoundland) and much more!
*Follow Sharon:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sharon.bala/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbala/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sharon Bala
01:28 - Not believing she could pursue a writing career, the writing class that rejuvenated her passion
04:31 - Sharon’s experience living in St. John’s, Newfoundland
07:35 - How psychology and PR helped Sha…
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Jan 2, 2022
EP #44: Vas Saranga - Canadian Actor + Founder of TheOnlineActor.com
Vas Saranga (@vas_saranga) is an actor and entrepreneur (founder @theonlineactor) who has made appearances in productions such as The Handmaid's Tale, Orphan Black, Little Italy, The Beaverton, Flashpoint and American Pie (to name a few). He's also Ara’s best friend of over 20 years and one of the best storytellers you'll meet.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss how he stays motivated even when he misses out on potentially life-changing roles, dropping out of university without telling his parents, hustling Ara's younger brother out of a $200 guitar for $10 and how he got Ara suspended once in high school along with a bunch of other incredible and hilarious stories.
*Follow Vas:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vas_saranga/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Vas Saranga
03:19 - Vas speaks on his pursuit of being an actor in a South Asian household
06:29 - Dropping out (and not telling his parents), taking acting classes and creating You…
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Dec 26, 2021
EP #43: Roveena - Multi-Award Winning Canadian Recording Artist, Songwriter & Pianist
Roveena (@roveenamusic) is a multi-award winning Canadian recording artist with over 1 million digital streams and 12+ million views on YouTube collaborations. Her music has received great reviews from media outlets like CBC Radio (@cbcradio) and Glow Magazine. In 2018, she co-wrote the hit song "Fearless" which was featured during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Her musical breakthrough happened after she relucantly posted a video of herself singing "At Last" on YouTube which caught the eyes of CityTV's (@city_tv) producers and landed a guest spot to perform on the show. The planned one minute segment turned into 8 minutes, which helped spark Roveena's career.
She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss losing her father shortly after deciding to pursue music full-time, having her song “Fearless” spotlighted in the Winter Olympics, her admiration for Celine Dion (@celinedion), how music makes a lasting impact even once an artist has passed away, a…
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Dec 19, 2021
EP #42: Kartik Bala - CEO & Co-Founder of SnapSmile, AI-Driven Oral Health Monitoring App
Kartik Bala is the Co-founder and CEO of SnapSmile (@snapsmile), a tech app that utilizes Artificial Intelligence to monitor your oral health from health while acting as your personal AI dental coach. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his early entrepreneurial hustles, receiving CAD $25,000 in funding for his company through Next AI - A NEXT Canada Program (@next_canada), why he tries to take more risks now (spoiler: because we don’t live forever), and much more.
*Follow Kartik:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartikbalasundaram/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/karti_bal)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Kartik Bala
02:59 - Kartik’s first hustles; drop shipping phone cases and clothing customization
05:33 - How did the entrepreneurial bug bite Kartik?
07:24 - How his parents feel about him leaving behind ‘more secure’ opportunities
09:00 - Kartik shows love to Ryerson University and its offerings
11:57 - Sna…
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Dec 12, 2021
EP #41: Dr. Saskia Sivananthan - Chief Research & KTE Officer At The Alzheimer Society of Canada
Dr. Saskia Sivanathan is a neuroscientist turned data scientist and is currently the Chief Research & KTE Officer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada who has also done stints at Alberta Health Services and the World Health Organization. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her upbringing in Saudi Arabia, working at the World Health Organization in Switzerland, how and why she got involved with work revolving around aging and dementia, voluntarily living in a senior home for two weeks (as a resident) and much more.
*Follow Saskia:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-saskia-sivananthan-011a492/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/saskiasiva)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Dr. Saskia Sivananthan
00:56 - Dr. Saskia speaks on the impact of growing up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
05:15 - Opting for an academic career path as a result of her love for learning, before changing her mind
08:50 - Being forced into playing the piano and t…
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Dec 5, 2021
EP #40: Roy Ratnavel - From Mail Clerk To Executive Vice-President at CI Financial
After being forced to leave war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrating to Canada, Roy Ratnavel (@roy_ratnavel) started as a mail clerk at CI Global Asset Management and over the span of 30 years, has made the leap to Executive Vice-President at CI Financial as well as the Head of Distribution for CI Global Asset Management. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss his upcoming book, the importance of hard work and (calculated) risk-taking, people’s inability to amicably disagree in today’s social media era, climbing Machu Picchu and much more.
*Follow Roy:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-ratnavel-7a352a174/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Roy Ratnavel
01:44 - Vadamarachchi Operation (Operation Liberation)
06:30 - Losing his father days after landing in Canada, working three jobs at once
10:14 - Traits which are in short supply in this day and age - but are required for success
14:44 - Roy’s career trajectory from mail…
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Nov 28, 2021
EP #39: Luxy Thuraisingam - Storyteller & Leader, Head of Global Partner Marketing At Cisco
Luxy Thuraisingam is the Head of Global Partner Marketing at @Cisco; she is a scientist, storyteller and leader who has worked with the likes of @TELUS, BMO and @Rogers, in addition to previously being a marketing professor at York University in Toronto. Luxy joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss female representation in the corporate world, three tricks Luxy uses to overcome challenges, her newfound appreciation for enjoying the moment - and so much more.
*Follow Luxy:*
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luxy-thuraisingam/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Luxy Thuraisingam
01:20 - Luxy speaks on her upbringing
02:56 - Pursuing a career in dentistry before transitioning to marketing
07:10 - The value of an MBA in today’s job market
09:47 - How Luxy’s experience led to her current role at Cisco
14:09 - The nuisance of working sales roles and the subsequent benefit
14:55 - Intentionally taking a junior role at Telus to learn and exp…
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Nov 21, 2021
EP #38: Sathish Bala - CEO of EdTech Startup Schoolio + Founder of desiFEST (largest South Asian Music Festival in North America)
Sathish Bala (@sats.b) is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in tech; he has sold over 50M+ and had three tech exits to date. He's current the CEO of edtech startup Schoolio (@schooliolearning) & founder of desiFEST (@desifestmusic), the largest South Asian music festival in North America.
Sathish joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss getting beat for getting Cs on his report card at the age of 10, investing in cryptocurrency, parenting in the Tamil community, dealing with the fear of death after getting cancer, and much more.
*Follow Sathish:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sats.b/)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sathishbala/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sathish Bala
01:11 - Born in India and then moving to Singapore and then Scarborough, having no choice but the path of entrepreneurship
04:22 - His father being the only person he has never forgiven in his life
06:49 - Why immigrant men…
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Nov 14, 2021
EP #37: Krish O'Mara Vignarajah - Former Policy Director To Michelle Obama + President/CEO Of LIRS
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is a Marshall Scholar, former policy director to Michelle Obama and an immigration advocate serving as President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (@lirsorg). If her last name sounds familiar, it's because her brother Thiru Vignarajah was interviewed in EP 16! (make sure to check out that episode)
She joins Ara on the latest episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in #Baltimore, the lessons learned in losing an election, working with Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) and the lifelong learning benefit of such an opportunity, having a bout with breast cancer, and much more.
*Follow Krish:*
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/KrishVignarajah)
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/krish-o-mara-vignarajah-34382683/)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah
01:44 - Krish speaks on the impact of her parents’ support
05:09 - What it was like growing up in Baltimore
08:04 - Krish’s decision to pur…
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Nov 7, 2021
EP #36: Stefan Thurairatnam - Luxury Brand Influencer Travelling The World After Quitting 9-5 Corporate Finance Job
Stefan (@stefanthurairatnam) was working for a leading financial institution for 5 years when some life altering events gave him a different perspective on life. It allowed him the chance to re-evaluate and reflect on his life; he was given a second chance. He was given an opportunity to become an ambassador for Luxury World Traveler (@luxuryworldtraveler) and he decided to quit his 9-5 corporate job and book a one-way flight to wherever his finger landed on a spun globe. He turned his passion into his lifestyle. Through his learnings and experiences, he has successfully started his own marketing and social media consulting company, LuxVision Media Group (@luxvisionmediagroup) as well as licensed travel company @Destinationandleisure.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss quitting his job and ‘retiring’ at the age of 28, getting FREE hotel stays at places where people like Britney Spears (@britneyspears) and Michael Jordan have been at, how he built…
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Oct 31, 2021
EP #35: Sumi Shan - Former Politico & Co-Founder of Agritech Startup (Dunya Habitats)
Sumi Shan (@sumishan1) is a connector, former politico and co-founder/Chief Strategy Officer at agritech start-up Dunya Habitats (@dunyahabitats), which was originally started to help minimize food scarcity issues in Indigenous and refugee communities. In her professional career, Sumi has managed award-winning communication and advocacy campaigns across corporate, government, and non-profit sectors over the last 17+ years. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss topics including her experience as a female Tamil in tech, managing egos while operating a business with family, how she went about building her extensive network and talking about the topic of food scarcity & farmers having become an afterthought in the world we live in.
*Follow Sumi:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sumishan1/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/sumishan1)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sumi Shan
03:28 - Running for the Ontario Liberal Candidate R…
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Oct 24, 2021
EP #34: Robert Rajeswaran - Singapore-Based Serial Entrepreneur (Born in Sri Lanka & Raised in London) & Co-Founder of Boxaroo
Robert Rajeswaran (@robertrajeswaran) is a serial entrepreneur who was born in Sri Lanka, raised in London and now based out of Singapore where he co-founded Boxaroo (@boxaroo.co). He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss his intricate journey which included fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka with his pregnant mother to get to the UK, dealing with culture shock & needing to learn English to assimilate into Wembley, moving to Singapore which lead to him co-founding Boxaroo, shedding commonly adopted Sri Lankan norms to improve his life and a lot more before jumping into another round of Creator Confessions.
*Follow Robert:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/robertrajeswaran/)
*Timestamps
*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Robert Rajeswaran
01:40 - Fleeing the civil war with his pregnant mother to get to the UK
09:40 - Dealing with culture shock, developing confidence, and needing to learn English to assimilate into Wembley
13:02 - Baby hust…
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Oct 17, 2021
EP #33: Ashanti Omkar - UK-Based BBC Broadcaster & Music/TV/Film Critic
Ashanti Omkar (@ashantiomkar) is one of the OGs in the media space (based out of the UK), specifically in the South Asian / Tamil domain; her impressive list of accolades includes being a film critic, @BBC broadcaster, film festival creator, voiceover artist, features writer and public speaker. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss minimizing financial overhead to enjoy what you really want in life, interviewing individuals like M.I.A. (@miamatangi) and Idris Elba (@idriselba), connecting with Priya Ragu (@priyaraguofficial & previous podcast guest on TTC) when Myspace was a thing, how Tamils have always naturally had an entrepreneurial drive within them, and much more.
*Follow Ashanti:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashantiomkar/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/AshantiOmkar)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ashanti Omkar
01:35 - Ashanti speaks on her passion for film, immigrating to England, discovering her strengths…
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Oct 10, 2021
EP #32: Amarnath Amarasingam - Hip Hop Aficionado, Assistant Professor, Researcher & Author
Amarnath Amarasingam is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, and an Associate Fellow at the Global Network on Extremism and Technology. His research interests are in radicalization, terrorism, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion. He is the author of "Pain, Pride, and Politics: Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada" (2015), and the co-editor of "Sri Lanka: The Struggle for Peace in the Aftermath of War" (2016). He has also written several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, has presented papers at over 100 national and international conferences, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Politico, The Atlantic, and Foreign Affairs. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss who his top 5 rappers of all time are, receiving death th…
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Oct 3, 2021
EP #31: Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam - Award-Winning Kollywood Singer & Elementary School Teacher
Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam (@luksimimusic) is an award-winning Kollywood singer and elementary school teacher from Toronto. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss how Jayam Ravi (@jayamravi_official) reaching out to her on Instagram helped her music career build traction, being verified on Instagram, why she’s made it a habit to disconnect from technology more frequently, what its like balancing her music career with her teaching profession, and a lot more.
*Follow Luksimi:*
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/luksimimusic/)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/luksimimusic)
*Timestamps*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Luksimi Siva
03:59 - Being invited to Chennai by Jayam Ravi
05:38 - The aftermath of everything; family’s reaction, growing fanbase, getting verified on Instagram
10:54 - Balancing her music career and teaching profession
13:31 - Luksimi’s projects; how she gets them, what she’s working on
15:50 - How she makes a living…
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Sep 26, 2021
EP #30: Suresh Doss - Leaving A Successful IT Career To Becoming A Well-Known Food Writer
Suresh Doss is a household name and an OG in terms of the food scene in Toronto. He's about to launch a food section for a national newspaper, has a segment called “CBC Food Guide” in CBC Radio’s Metro Morning and he has helped pioneer the street food movement in Ontario for close to 20 years. He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss why he left the financial security of his IT job to pursue his passion, how the opportunity for the "CBC Food Guide" came about, how you can develop your voice and why picking a niche is underrated, the best food spots in the city, and many other appetizing (pun intended) topics.
*Follow Suresh:*
- Website (http://www.sureshdoss.com/)
- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/suresh/)
*Timestamps
*
00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Suresh Doss
03:21 - How Suresh’s upbringing lead to his passion for food; experience in Nigeria and Toronto
06:57 - Suresh’s view on food growing up versus now; not wanting to return to Sri Lanka, ente…
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Sep 19, 2021
EP #29: Indira Samarasekera - Former University President & Current Board Member (Of Several Publicly Traded Companies), Co-Authors Book To Help Create More Female Leaders
Indira Samarasekera is the former president of the University of Alberta and a current board member of several large market cap companies in Canada. Indira joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss co-authoring a book called Nerve , growing up in Jaffna, the future of education, what resources she uses to continuously learn, and the benefits she has experienced as a result of rediscovering her Christian faith - in addition to so much more!
*Timestamps*
00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Indira Samarasekera
05:21 - Indira’s experience as a woman in engineering
08:23 - The older Sri Lankan generation’s expertise with staying in touch with old friends
09:49 - If it weren’t for the war, could Sri Lanka have become the Silicon Valley of the East?
13:30 - How Indira secured her role on the Board of Directors for multiple companies
19:26 - How much of a time commitment is involved with such a role, and what responsibilities are involved
22:15 - How Indira determined what…
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Sep 12, 2021
EP #28: Ari Sooriya - Creative Extraordinaire: From TamilCulture.com to Teacher (And Everything In Between)
Ari Sooriya is a man of many talents; he is a technologist at the University of Guelph Humber, and in the Tamil community he’s more famously known for being the host of TamilCulture.com's "TC on the Street" show. He joins Ara on the latest episode of The Tamil Creator podcast to discuss relationships, his views on the 9-5 lifestyle, the question Ara is notorious for asking when he meets someone for the first time, how the book ‘Freakonomics’ shaped the way Ari thinks today, being ashamed of eating Tamil food back in the day, and much more.
*Follow Ari -* https://www.instagram.com/heythereari/
*Timestamps:*
00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Ari - the modern renaissance Tamil man
03:35 - Ara and Ari discuss friendships and what makes a successful relationship
08:15 - Ari opens up about his upbringing, and family life; his mom having Parkinson’s disease, his Dad’s outgoing personality, and more
13:00 - How Ari has navigated the COVID pandemic
14:22 - Ari speaks on h…
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Sep 6, 2021
EP #27: Bindi Bosses (Shyamla Eswaran & Ragavi Ragavan) - Australian-Based Dance Group Creating Social Movement And Discussions Through Performance & Storytelling
Shyamla Eswaran & Ragavi Ragavan from Bindi Bosses joins Ara on the latest episode of the Tamil Creator. Bindi Bosses is a progressive South Asian performing arts company that seamlessly blends Traditional Indian Classical and Folk dances with influences from South Asian Cinema and Street dances from around the world. We discuss a variety of topics including how they answer the question "Where are you from?", their views on social media, using their platform to spark discussions around significant issues, the importance of embracing your heritage, and much more!
*Follow Bindi Bosses - *https://www.instagram.com/bindibosses/
*Timestamps*
00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Bindi Bosses
06:13 - Tamil diaspora communities
09:24 - How Bindi Bosses responds to the age old question, “Where are you from?”
13:44 - Where did the name Bindi Bosses come from?
20:54 - Being frowned upon if you pursue a career in the creative arts
27:13 - Getting the chance to speak at TEDxSydne…
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Aug 29, 2021
EP #26: Rick Selvarajah - UK-Based Professional MMA Fighter Turned Entrepreneur
Rick Selvarajah is a professional UK-based MMA fighter turned entrepreneur. He joins Ara to discuss how he went from wanting to lose weight to falling in love with MMA and now owning an academy (Revival MMA and Fitness). They also discuss the worst injury Rick every sustained, how fatherhood changed him, the most money he’s ever made from a fight, the notion that time is the most important commodity, and much more!
*Follow Rick - *https://www.instagram.com/selvarajahmma/
*Timestamps:
*00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Rick Selvarajah
02:22 - How Rick entered the world of MMA, how someone being a professional fighter
06:36 - Rick’s first professional fight
07:48 - The worst injury he ever sustained
10:00 - How Rick balances training, work (his academy Revival MMA and Fitness), and other obligations (i.e., family)
11:22 - When will Rick retire?
13:42 - Rick talks about his son, why the last time he fought was over 3 years ago
16:44 - How Rick makes money as a professiona…
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Aug 22, 2021
EP #25: Jenushika Jeyakumaran - Legal Innovator & Recent Grad Who Co-Founded Tech Company Aleri To Make Trial Preparation Easier For Lawyers
Jenushika Jeyakumaran is a recent grad and the co-founder of tech start-up Aleri, which makes trial preparation easier for lawyers. They initially bootstrapped the company and then got additional funding with a $30K grant from the Accelerator Centre (part of the Jumpstart program), with having a goal of raising more money to accelerate their traction.
She joins Ara to discuss various topics including how she started her own company without getting experience in a start-up, why she refuses to sacrifice her sleep and well-being, her admiration for Gary Vee, and why you need to learn how to tune other people out if their opinions don’t align with your vision.
*Follow Jenushika -* https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-j/
*Timestamps*
00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jenushika Jeyakumaran
01:36 - Jenushika speaks on her journey in founding Aleri and pursuing it as a full-time endeavour
05:33 - How side hustles and GaryVee opened Jenushika’s eyes
07:27 - Money being a unit of ti…
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Aug 15, 2021
EP #24: Nelson Sivalingam - UK-Based Serial Entrepreneur (Tech & Food), Podcast Host & Award-Winning Filmmaker
Nelson Sivalingam is an award-winning serial entrepreneur who has created successes from high growth technology businesses to Sri Lankan street food restaurant groups. He's currently the CEO & Co-Founder of HowNow, one of the fast-growing technology companies transforming the way organizations approach learning across the world with clients including tech unicorns like GymShark and Checkout.com.
He joins Ara to shed light on how his filmmaking and entrepreneurial careers intertwine with one another, why he doesn’t engage in small talk, how his friends calling him “Born Awkward” led him to actually buying that web domain, why you shouldn’t be afraid to seize the opportunity and so much more.
*Follow Nelson - *https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonsivalingam/
*Timestamps*
00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Nelson Sivalingam
01:47 - Nelson admits to using Ara’s siblings to get to Ara, speaks on his upbringing in Barking
03:58 - Why and How Nelson started One Minute Lond…
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Aug 8, 2021
EP #23: Maya Bastian - Investigative Video Journalist To Award-Winning Film Director (Including 2021 Cannes Festival Entrant)
Maya Bastian is a Tamil-Canadian filmmaker, writer and artist. From 2008, she spent several years travelling the world as an investigative video journalist, documenting areas of conflict and post-conflict, which has culminated in an ongoing exploration of trauma as it relates to community and culture. As a director, she has won awards and exhibited her short films internationally, which run the gamut from narrative to documentary, to experimental animation, including recently having her film "TIGRESS" accepted into the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. She joins Ara to discuss getting shingles from working a job that she hated, dealing with the consistent fear of losing her job and all her money, pursuing her passion for almost 20 years before being able to make a full-time living from it, and much more.
*Follow Maya -* https://twitter.com/mayabasti
*Timestamps:*
00:54 - Introducing Maya Bastian; volunteering in Sri Lanka
02:34 - Starting out as an actor 20 years ago
03:25 - The jud…
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Aug 1, 2021
EP #22: Sathish Muneeswaran - Personal Trainer Changing The Conversation In The Tamil Community Around Strength Training, Fitness & Healthy Eating
Sathish Muneeswaran is a personal trainer at Fit Squad in Toronto. He joins Ara to discuss how hardship breeds success, the importance of sleep, why he prefers J. Cole over Drake (despite being from Canada himself), and they also spend some time reminiscing on their glory days playing in the TTBA (Toronto Tamil Basketball Association).
*Follow Sathish - *https://www.instagram.com/sathish_fitsquad/
*Timestamps:*
00:54 - Introducing Sathish Muneeswaran
04:11 - How Sathish got into the fitness industry
12:20 - The impact of COVID on Sathish personally and professionally
15:32 - Common mistakes people make when beginning to train
20:42 - How Sathish’s parents felt about his career choice
23:05 - Where Sathish sees himself in the next 3-5 years
25:10 - Can a tougher upbringing lead to greater success?
27:45 - Has Sathish experienced lifestyle creep?
29:22 - The Renegades podcast with Barack Obama and Range by Dave Epstein
31:53 - How increased sleep changed Sathish’s life
34:03 - Ho…
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Jul 25, 2021
EP #21: Shayna Mehta – Aspiring Doctor & Award-Winning Div 1 Basketball Player Challenges The Notion That Brown Girls Can't Ball
Shayna Mehta (one half of @brownsplashsisters) is a recent graduate of Brown University (Class of 2019) where she majored in Biology and played four years of NCAA Div 1 Basketball while winning Ivy League Rookie Of the Year. She joins Ara to discuss her decision to choose medical school over a professional basketball career, balancing athletics + academics, using basketball as a vehicle for change in India through @crossoverbasketball, her love for @stephencurry30 / @warriors, and much more!
*Follow Shayna -* https://www.instagram.com/shaynamehta_/
*Timestamps*
00:54 - Introducing Shayna Mehta
02:03 - Shayna’s upbringing; Tamil roots, love for basketball and the Warriors
06:32 - Balancing athletics and academics, winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year
09:58 - Choosing between the WNBA and med school
12:46 - Using basketball as a vehicle of change through “Crossover India”
16:33 - Where Shayna sees herself in the next 3-5 years
17:57 - Shayna’s dream job
19:22 - What motivates…
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Jul 18, 2021
EP #20: Anand Venkateswaran (aka Twobadour) – Crypto Believer/Tinhorn Who Helped Purchase $69M NFT & Co-Manages Metapurse, World's Largest NFT Fund
Anand Venkateswaran, better known as Twobadour, is one half of the duo who purchased the world's most expensive NFT at $69 million - Beeple's "Everydays—The First 5000 Days". He joins Ara on the latest episode to discuss the world of cryptocurrency, teaming up with Nas Daily to create a content fellowship around crypotocurrency, why the Metaverse will become more important in the future (& why people are buying virtual land) and the importance of maintaining an abundant mindset.
*Follow Twobadour -* https://twitter.com/twobadour
*Timestamps*
00:54 - Introducing Twobadour
02:18 - Twobadour’s upbringing, journalism career, cryptocurrency and NFTs
05:52 - Serendipity and success
09:47 - Spending $69,000,000 on an NFT, how Metapurse was born
14:26 - Teaming up with Nas Daily to create a cryptocurrency fellowship
16:40 - Why is Twobadour so bullish on NFTs?
21:19 - What is the Metaverse, why are people buying virtual land
25:23 - The governance of the Metaverse
30:15 - What is a DAO…
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Jul 11, 2021
EP #19: Priya Ragu – Swiss-Tamil Music Artist On A Meteoric Rise To Global Fame
Priya Ragu is a Swiss-Tamil artist making uplifting R&B that explores her independence while remaining true to her Tamil heritage. Her overnight success took years to develop and her career has exploded in the last few years with her being featured in Rolling Stone India, BBC Asian Network and Vogue. Priya is also being named as an artist to keep an eye on in 2021. She joins Ara to discuss being compared to M.I.A & being inspired by her, working alongside her brother, turning 30 & realizing there had to be more to life, quitting her full-time job and telling her parents she was going on a 6-month business trip when she was actually moving to New York to pursue her musical aspirations, and more!
*Follow Priya -* https://www.instagram.com/priyaraguofficial/
*Timestamps*
00:54 - Introducing Priya Ragu
03:13 - Giving herself 6 months to make it in the music industry
05:59 - Why she chose to chase her dream in New York
07:43 - Growing up in a musical family
11:41 - Working alongside her…
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Jul 4, 2021
EP #18: Thusy Suntharam – Montreal Filmmaker Pursuing Big Screen Dreams While Working A 9-to-5
Thusy Suntharam is a Montreal-based filmmaker and the founder of T-Factory Entertainment. He joins Ara to discuss his film “Love at First Swipe” (which has over 150,000+ YouTube views), creating stories for the Tamil Diaspora, balancing a full-time job while working on passion projects, the power of taking small but consistent steps, the impact of Rajinikanth on Tamil cinema, and much more.
*Follow Thusy - *https://www.instagram.com/thusyse/
*Timestamps*
00:54 - Introducing Thusy Suntharam
02:05 - How social media connected Thusy & Ara
04:55 - Music videos launched Thusy's directorial experience
06:56 - The inception of T-Factory Entertainment
08:09 - Balancing a full-time job with his passion of filmmaking
10:34 - The power of consistency and taking small steps
12:49 - Why showing up is the victory
14:24 - The importance of having a team
16:58 - How "Love At First Sight" came to be
19:35 - The Montreal Tamil community’s support for Thusy’s first in-theatre premiere
22:30 -…
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Jun 27, 2021
EP #17: Kumutha Ramanathan – Award-Winning Journalist & Budding Entrepreneur
Kumutha Ramanathan is an award-winning journalist and budding entrepreneur who has called Toronto, New York and London home over the last decade. She joins the podcast to discuss Ara’s Nelly impersonation in high school earning him the "Tamil Nelly" nickname, moving to places like London & New York to advance her journalism career, the disservice that first generation Tamil parents do to their kids by emphasizing shame, men wearing tights, and much more!
*Follow Kumutha -* https://twitter.com/kumutharam
*Timestamps*
01:11 - Introducing Kumutha Ramanathan
04:34 - What sparked Kumutha’s interest in journalism, stories from her career pursuit
20:05 - What is the worst thing that could happen?
24:01 - How Kumutha built her network in London
30:05 - Making an appearance on ‘The Social’
32:35 - Stop caring about what other people think about you
36:03 - Entrepreneurship, Brown Skin Essentials
41:55 - Balancing career and family
50:23 - Kumutha’s sources of knowledge
53:22 - The…
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Jun 20, 2021
EP #16: Thiru Vignarajah – Baltimore Mayoral Candidate, Federal Prosecutor & Harvard Law School Graduate
Thiruvendran “Thiru” Vignarajah is a Candidate For Mayor of Baltimore while being a lawyer who is currently a litigation partner at the law firm DLA Piper in Baltimore, Maryland. Thiru joins Ara on the latest episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss immigrating to the States at the age of three, his passion for Baltimore, how working in politics helped him learn to accept the fact he can’t please everyone, his strategy for staying grounded, and much more.
*Follow Thiru - *https://twitter.com/thiru4baltimore
*Timestamps*
01:11 - Introducing Thiru Vignarajah
02:17 - Having parents who were teachers, wanting to become a law professor
08:43 - Why Thiru chose to attend Yale and Harvard
11:24 - The perception vs. reality of Baltimore
18:35 - How can Baltimore prosper?
26:04 - Why Thiru still drives a Camry
29:26 - Why Thiru doesn’t drink alcohol or eat meat
31:51 - Valuable lessons Thiru has learned along the way
37:10 - What Thiru would tell his 16-year-old self
39:37 - W…
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Jun 13, 2021
EP #15: Thiviyaa Sehasothy – Marketing Professional By Day, Savvy Art Entrepreneur By Night
Thiviyaa Sehasothy, aka Art By Thiviyaa, is a Toronto artist and painter whose specialty is creating magic on canvas with custom & original work for clients. She joins Ara to discuss various topics including her first sale, how exhibitions built her confidence, the simultaneous balance between being an artist and a small business owner, and the personal legacy she wants to leave behind.
*Connect with Thiviyaa -* https://www.instagram.com/artbythiviyaa/
Timestamps:
01:06 - Introducing Thiviyaa Sehasothy aka Art By Thiviyaa
04:05 - Thiviyaa credits her brother for her success
07:41 - Ara’s brother impersonates him in public
09:15 - How Art By Thiviyaa came to be
14:15 - How exhibitions built Thiviyaa’s confidence
19:03 - Thiviyaa’s first sale
23:30 - How Thiviyaa balances being an artist and a small business owner
26:36 - The difference between an original piece and a print
29:59 - Thiviyaa’s most popular art pieces
31:40 - The concept of doing something once and being paid fo…
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Jun 6, 2021
EP #14: Yanchan – Popular Carnatic Hip Hop Producer Talks About His Drake-Inspired Dreams, Love For Scarborough & Financial Freedom
Yanchan is a Scarborough-raised producer who blends hip-hop with Carnatic music. He joins Ara for what could be considered the Scarborough episode, to discuss how he fell in love with music and achieved his childhood dreams of performing on tour, his recently released Scarborough Beat Tape, how to make money off of music, why he doesn’t turn down opportunities anymore, and a lot more!
*Connect with Yanchan -* https://www.instagram.com/yanchanproduced/
Timestamps:
01:06 - Introducing Yanchan
03:37 - Studying economics at Laurier, family’s view on his career ambitions
07:08 - The Scarborough Beat Tape, nostalgia for the city
14:13 - Achieving his childhood dream of performing on tour
18:22 - Shan Vincent de Paul and the track “best friend”
20:39 - The Tamil music scene, artists who Yanchan wants to collaborate with
21:56 - Being inspired by another music producers, and wanting to give back in a similar way
23:14 - How does Yanchan make money (Spotify, selling beats, artist dev…
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May 30, 2021
EP #13: Tanya Yoganathan – Momtrepreneur Created An E-Commerce Business That Netflix Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Is A Fan Of
Tanya Yoganathan is a mother of two, and the creator of Her Sun & Stars Co. She joins Ara to discuss how she started a business during the start of the pandemic and was able to quit her full-time job because of it. They also discuss Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shouting out Tanya’s company, impostor syndrome, and the importance of financial literacy before jumping into the new segment Creator Confessions.
*Connect with Tanya -* https://www.instagram.com/tanya.yoganathan/
*Visit Her Sun And Stars Co. -* https://www.instagram.com/hersunandstars.co/
*Timestamps:*
01:06 - Tanya starts the podcast
01:53 - Ara starts the podcast
03:17 - How Tanya and Ara met, and can Ara speak Tamil?
06:17 - Introducing Tanya Yoganathan, being Instagram famous, how Her Sun & Stars came to be
20:05 - Starting and successfully growing her business (during the pandemic) while working a full-time job
28:13 - Previously work as an advisor in analytics, struggling to celebrate milestones
32:47 - Getting her fi…
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May 23, 2021
EP #12: Dayalan Mahesan – How A UK-Based DJ & Car Enthusiast Became A Full-Time Property Investor By Age 40
Dayalan Mahesan is the owner of Joseph Property Group, which specializes in property development, management and sales in the UK. He joins Ara to discuss growing up in an entrepreneurial environment, how he raised money with his wife for the Sri Lanka Easter bombing victims, having Burrito Boyz delivered by plane, why ketchup was created, being of a big fan of the Liverpool Football Club, and much more.
*Connecting with Dayalan - **https://www.instagram.com/lifeofdayalan/**
Timestamps:
*00:15 - Introducing Dayalan Mahesan
02:26 - How Ara and Dayalan were both influenced by entrepreneurial fathers
05:22 - Connecting with the Tamil community in London before Facebook
07:27 - Who is DJ Biznus?
08:56 - COVID’s impact on Dayalan’s life and London
10:48 - Fusing Sri Lankan / Caribbean food to raise money for Easter bombing victims
12:31 - Supporting his wife’s entrepreneurial efforts
14:07 - Passion for property, working with the South Asian forum
16:13 - Wanting to mentor people an…
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May 16, 2021
EP #11: JYXDI (Jyothee Murali) - Amassing Over 150K Followers And Collecting $10,000 For A Single Piece of Art
Jyothee Murali, better known as *JYXDI*, is a 25 year old Tamil self-taught artist from Toronto who has found massive success on Instagram over the last half-decade. She joins Ara to discuss what it was like dropping out of university to chase her childhood passion for art, being handpicked by Michael B. Jordan to collaborate with Coach, creating art for Noah “OVO40” Shebib, and how her work has turned family skepticism to family support.
****To support the work we do to tell creator stories around the world, become a VIP fan** - CLICK HERE**!****
*Connecting with JYXDI - **https://www.instagram.com/jyxdi/*
*Timestamps:
*
00:15 - Introducing Jyothee Murali* *aka JYXDI
01:06 - How death note sparked her interest in anime
03:17 - Dropping out of school to pursue her passion and dealing with the pressure of south asian parents
04:33 - Being handpicked by Michael B. Jordan to collaborate with Coach
05:50 - Thoughts on NFTs and decision to release two pieces recently
07:18 - How her…
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May 9, 2021
EP #10: Vijay Sappani - Co-Founder Of A Billion-Dollar Cannabis Company, Philanthropist And Rare Disease Hunter
Vijay Sappani is a Tamil cannabis entrepreneur and investor who co-founded a billion-dollar company called TerrAscend. He joins Ara to speak about biryani, biryani, and more biryani. They also cover topics such as why he entered the medical cannabis industry, the process of taking a company public and receiving a billion dollar evaluation, and if money can buy happiness.
****To support the work we do to tell creator stories around the world, become a VIP fan** - CLICK HERE**!****
*Connect with Vijay -* https://www.instagram.com/elacapital/
*Timestamps:*
00:15 - Introducing Vijay Sappani
01:53 - Nuanced opinions in the Tamil community
05:17 - Vijay’s obsession with biryani, and where to find the best kind
08:16 - Why Vijay entered the medical cannabis industry
12:20 - The biggest challenges Vijay faced upon starting his business
14:13 - Skepticism that Vijay faced early on, and important mentors
17:19 - Taking TerrAscend public and receiving a billion dollar evaluation
22:47 - The…
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May 2, 2021
EP #9: Sashee Chandran - Founder of Multi-Million Dollar Company Tea Drops (Started As Passion Project, Sparked Into Something Bigger By A Chrissy Teigen Tweet)
Sashee Chandran is the Founder & CEO of California based company, Tea Drops. After initially starting the brand as a passion project and side gig, she has raised $3.5 million and garnered mainstream attention from the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Tory Burch. She joins Ara to discuss growing up on a tea estate and learning to sell from a young age, how one tweet changed her entire life, and the power of both learning to let go and celery juice.
****To support the work we do to tell creator stories around the world, become a VIP fan** - CLICK HERE**!****
*Connect with Sashee - *https://www.instagram.com/sasheechandran/
*Follow Tea Drops -* https://www.instagram.com/myteadrop/
Timestamps:
00:15 - Introducing Sashee Chandran
01:23 - Growing up on a tea estate with entrepreneurial parents
04:35 - Learning to sell from a young age
05:24 - Starting Tea Drops while working a full-time job at eBay in Silicon Valley
06:46 - How Sashee knew it was time to quit her job and go all-in on Tea Drops…
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Apr 26, 2021
EP #8: Dr. Ranjith Mahen - Being $190K In Debt To Opening Two Multi-Million Chiropractic Clinics With Just $10K
Dr. Ranjith Mahen is a health educator, chiropractor, and weight loss and clinic coach. He joins Ara to discuss being $190,000 in debt, opening his first practice with $10,000, the importance of mastering your energy, and overcoming self-doubt to pursue what you want.
****To support the work we do to tell creator stories around the world, become a VIP fan** - CLICK HERE**!****
*Ep8 Timestamps*
00:15 - Introducing Dr. Ranjith Mahen
01:36 - Ranjith recalls how he met Ara, contemplating dropping out of school after his mother’s sudden passing
04:13 - What does a chiropractor do and why should someone go to a chiropractor
11:39 - Being $190,000 in debt with student loans
13:13 - Ranjith speaks on how Ara’s dad was a mentor to him and how a solid network helped him start his first practice with $10,000
17:48 - Struggling with self-doubt and overcoming it
19:26 - How to find a balance between work and life, and the importance of getting your energy right
21:30 - Ranjith speaks…
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Apr 18, 2021
EP #7: Jananie Baskaran - Raising $60K For Charity Using Photography
Jananie Baskaran is a photographer, artist, and founder of the non-profit organization Palm Roots. She joins Ara to discuss how she raised $60,000 through sponsorships, what it was like being one of the first female photographers in the Tamil community, and how The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari completely shifted her perspective, before Ara runs her through another speed round of Would You Rather.
*Ep7 Timestamps*
00:15 - Introducing Jananie Baskaran
01:47 - How her visit to Jaffna lead to the creation of her non-profit Palm Roots
03:53 - Raising $60,000 and the sponsors that helped make it happen
04:49 - How transparency lead to the evolution of Palm Roots
06:18 - Jananie’s plans for Palm Roots going forward
07:23 - The negative perception of Jaffna (Jananie’s ambition to display the positive), and the entrepreneurial energy of the Tamil community
09:19 - Jananie’s writing work, and speaking on the feeling of being a social outcast
16:34 - Being one of first female photogra…
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Apr 11, 2021
EP #6: Vozhi - How A Seattle-Based Real Estate Entrepreneur Got To Rap In A Kollywood Film
Vozhi is a Tamil-American Seattle-based real estate entrepreneur, rapper, and community activist. He joins Ara to discuss how he got the opportunity to rap in Kollywood film Vellai Pookal, how Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired him to get into real estate, getting the governor of Washington to officially make March 9th Tamil Heritage Day, and why the victim mentality is counterproductive to you achieving your goals.
*Follow Vozhi:*
* Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vozhi/
*Timestamps*
00:15 - Introducing Arivozhi Adiaman aka Vozhi
02:51 - Following the traditional corporate path before having an epiphany
05:10 - Transitioning towards working in real estate, making music, and engaging in community service
08:51 - Why people are fearful of owning real estate, why they shouldn’t be, and how technology is bridging the knowledge gap
14:52 - Where Vozhi’s name came from, and how hip hop has helped him express himself without worrying about insecurities
20:39 - Getting to rap in K…
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Apr 5, 2021
EP #5: Showkace - Podcast/Radio Host Is Normalizing Conversations Around Mental Health
Kausalya Vimal aka Kacy joins Ara to discuss mental health, manifestation, and why Aunty Kamala’s opinion doesn’t matter, before diving into another round of “Would You Choose/Rather.” For the first time ever, this episode of #TheTamilCreator also includes a bit of bonus audio, so make sure you stick around until the end.
*Timestamps*
00:15 - Introducing Kausalya Vimal (aka Kacy)
02:11 - Kacy’s mental health podcast
03:35 - Launching the podcast shortly after her sister’s cancer diagnosis and a work incident
06:38 - The false glamour of social media and how people have received her podcast
08:30 - Why conversations around mental health are only becoming normalized now
11:55 - Hosting a radio show with the aspiration of bridging generations together, how it's different from her podcast
16:07 - Belief in manifestation, and end goal of having a TV show on national television
17:50 - How Kacy’s full-time job as a mental health counsellor and hosting a podcast/radio s…
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Mar 28, 2021
EP #4: Chen Vasanthakumar - Buying A Business For $0 And Selling It For $60K
Micro-business investor Chen Vasanthakumar joins Ara to drop some knowledge on the best places to find and buy a micro-business, and how to assess if it will be profitable. Some of the other topics they discuss include Chen’s passion for travel and learning about other cultures, being in Barcelona at the height of the pandemic, ambitiously working towards the goal of having his family and friends possibly thinking he has a few screws loose, and his newfound love for Teslas.
*EP4 Timestamps*
00:15 - Introducing Chen Vasanthakumar
02:45 - How Chen’s corporate finance background, and a friend from middle school, spurred his interest in buying businesses
09:49 - Buying his first business for $0, running it for less than a year, and profiting $60K
12:47 - Taking some time off to travel, network, and evaluate Southeast Asia
14:09 - Finding a needle in the haystack business on Flippa
17:40 - The impact of COVID and the lesson Chen learned about mitigating risk
19:52 - Chen’s nex…
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Mar 22, 2021
EP #3 : Dilani Rabindran - How To Make Money In The Film Industry
Ara chats with the founder and managing director of Viewfinder Film Consulting, Dilani Rabindran, about her passion for global cinema, starting a short film fund in her late father's name to help independent filmmakers, the South Asian stigma of having a career in the creative arts, who she finds inspiration from in the entertainment space, and much more.
*Timestamps:*
00:15 - Introducing Dilani Rabindran
01:40 - Working for TIFF and the doors it opened
03:16 - Starting Viewfinder Film Consulting to help filmmakers
08:45 - COVID's impact on film festivals and transitioning VFC to a production company
10:30 - What film product entails, production in India vs. Canada
12:12 - Starting a short film fund in her late father’s name
14:08 - Dilani’s writing journey with the likes of Behindwoods, the Juggernaut, & TC
17:53 - The misconceptions of someone living in the West when they perceive Chennai
23:47 - Is the stigma of having a career in the field of creative arts changing? H…
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Mar 14, 2021
EP #2: Mayu Thava - Real Estate Investor Talks About Acquiring 41 Units In A Few Years!
Mayu Thava is a Toronto-Tamil real estate investor who has managed to secure 41 units in a a few years! He joins Ara on episode 2 of The Tamil Creator to discuss his investing journey, using social media to level up, educating others about real estate through his RISE platform, the FIRE movement, the Tamil community, and much more.
*Timestamps
*00:14 - How Ara met Mayu
01:16 - Who Mayu is and how he got into real estate investing
03:53 - What Mayu’s family felt about him entering the real estate investment market
06:26 - Mayu’s wife’s reaction to his real estate investment strategy
09:33 - How mayu uses social media in favour of his investing
11:59 - Craziest ROI off of a social media post
14:07 - Where Mayu sees himself in the next 3-5 years
16:02 - Biggest failure, lessons learned, and advice to someone who wants to get into the real estate game
19:29 - Mayu’s RISE platform
22:28 - The FIRE movement
31:14 - The idea of working a safe corporate job
33:12 - The Tamil communit…
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Feb 16, 2021
EP #1: "Amutha Learns" - Raising $25K Through Kickstarter To Create The Tamil "Dora the Explorer"
Ara chats with the 3 women behind Amutha Learns - Manju, Sharannya & Supanki to learn more about how they smashed their $25K goal (actually raised $40K) on Kickstarter to help launch the Tamil version of “Dora The Explorer”.
****If you're interested in pre-ordering "Amutha Learns" or getting more information, please visit **their website**.****
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