Chai Break

Welcome to Season 4 of the Chai Break Podcast.In this episode of the Chai Break Podcast, we dive into the world of climate-conscious gifting with Prateeksha Chandraghatgi, founder of Greenr Gifts. With a tech background at industry giants like Yahoo and Microsoft, Prateeksha shifted her path to build a business rooted in sustainability and meaningful impact. Greenr Gifts enables climate-positive gifting by partnering with reforestation organizations worldwide, allowing individuals and businesses to plant trees in their loved ones' names.Introduction to the episode/seasonPrateeksha's Background – From Yahoo and Microsoft to eco-friendly entrepreneurship.Roots in Sustainability – Growing up in a culture of mindful living and its influence on Greenr Gifts.Diary of a Founder – Prateeksha's reflections on purpose and pace, and what inspired her shift from tech to entrepreneurship.Launching Greenr Gifts – How Greenr Gifts started and what it offers as a climate-positive gifting service.Customer Journey & Emotional Impact – Exploring the meaningful experiences Greenr Gifts creates for its users.Corporate Gifting for Impact – The response to Greenr Gifts' new corporate offerings and its potential for broader climate action.Insights for Women Entrepreneurs – Challenges of funding, building a small but powerful team, and advice for other female founders.Community Support and Future Goals – How listeners can support Greenr Gifts and what's next for the company.Rapid Fire Round – Fun insights about Prateeksha's chai preferences, favorite book, and how she spends her downtime.Join us for an inspiring chaiversation on innovation, purpose, and building a business that nurtures the planet. For more on Greenr Gifts, visit greenr.gifts.Here's the link to the Climate Solutions Prateesksha mentions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnpej4pQF7UPnt0nkZEa8sxR9TmWR1B&si=6LKPqc9jNqFk5jguchaiversations.org

We're in #chaiversation with Ektha Aggarwal, a licensed clinical health worker, Ektha is a distinguished mental health leader, pioneering holistic therapies at Shakti Therapy and Healing Services, and addressing the unique needs of the South Asian community as the Founder of Jiva Mental Health. She combines ancient Eastern practices with modern science to deeply heal and transform lives, focusing on sustainable mental wellness rather than temporary solutions.We talk to her about her "holistic mental health" approach and what it constitutes"Love" as an emotionMisconceptions about "holistic mental health" A fun rapid fire round you don't want to miss! To discover more about Ektha's transformative approach or to schedule a consultation, visit www.shaktitherapyhealing.com or email info@shaktitherapyhealing.com. Join a community where healing is integrated, respected, and celebrated.chaiversations.org

4 women, 4 unique experiences - this episode is unlike anything we've done in the past.To begin, Shwetha hadn't even heard of peri-menopause until Rema, who's actively in the throws of it, mentioned it to her. It was then that it occurred to us that this is yet another swept-under-the-rug, rarely talked-about phenomenon and that we need to hear from more women.In this episode, we feature:The lovely founders of the very popular NRI Woman Podcast, Bettina Tauro & Ninorah Fernandes Brookshire, volunteered to join our #chaiversation and share their raw, real experiences.Arti Dussane Rao, a finance professional who's on a much-needed career breakThey, each share their unique journeys with peri-menopause and its effects on their mental health.Our hope with this episode is for you to experience the warmth of sisterhood, unwavering support, and a space where judgment is left at the door. You can join the #chaiversation on Instagram or email us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com

We're in #chaiversation with Seema of the Mindful Parent and Child Journals. Seema shares with us why she started this venture, her self-publishing journey, and how the journal can benefit you, your child, and the overall harmony of your home and family dynamics.You can find The Mindful Parent and ChildOn InstagramOn EtsyChaiversations.org

Meet, Mrinal Gokhale, an Indian-American writer who began her career as a freelance journalist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the most segregated city in the United States. She reported on Mental Health Awareness Month events for Hispanic and African-American publications as part of her work. She realized that these conversations were lacking in Asian and South Asian representation. To increase education and acceptance of mental health among South Asian generations, while also showing non-South Asians how intersectionality looks in the diaspora, she went on to author 2 books, both anthologies, the first one in 2021, called “Saaya Unveiled” and “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories” published in 2023.Chaiversations.orgYou can purchase her books on Amazon

So far in this season, we have been talking about normalizing conversations around mental health and we've also talked about the fact that seeking professional help isn't always tied to big life events.In this episode, we talk to Shruthi Bharath about one of the biggest life-changing times in a woman's life - motherhood. We delve into those vulnerable, often loney moments of early motherhood and the challenges it presents.Here are some of the topics we discussEarly motherhood challenges and how it impacts mental health and well-beingWe're 3 women on this episode, all of us mothers, each of whom have had their unique, yet common struggles being new mothers - we discuss identity crisis, feeling lonely in those early months of motherhood and so much moreAs a platform, what are the various elements of early motherhood that you envision on the platform, and where does maternal mental health fit in?Chaiversations.org

Dr. Monica Shah is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist based inManhattan. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy(DBT), and rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT).

Chapter 1: What is Good Girl Syndrome? How the phrase "good girl" is ingrained in the vocabulary of our Indian culture and where it stems from? Shwetha & Rema share anecdotes from their personal experiences.Chapter 2: The personality and mental health implications of "good girl syndrome"Chapter 3: Shwetha & Rema answer a series of questions to find out if they have Good Girl Syndrome and you can play along too.chaiversations.org

Our guest today is Kareena Mehta, a mental health professional with a B.A. in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College and further education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she earned an Ed.M. in Mental Health Counseling and an M.A. in Psychological Counseling. Kareena brings with her a plethora of cross-cultural experiences, both from her own personal life growing up in Belgium, moving to India and then the USA; as well as professionally, wherein her clients are spread throughout the globe from Africa to India, USA, Cannada and beyond. We talk to her about:Her forray into the mental health spaceThe basic differences between a psychologist, psychotherapist and psychiatristThe differences she experiences being a mental health professional in India vs here in the USAThe most common mental health challenges in India and the USAThe gaps in the mental health space5 things everyone can do to work on their mental well-being on a daily basisCheck out the full episode and Subscribe to our monthly Substack newsletter atchaiversations.org

We discuss the barriers we faced whilst trying to access mental health services in the US, and South Asian organizations that are doing the groundwork in creating databases of a network of therapists and services, Plus, Rema shares a few ground-breaking mental health books that were a huge part of her journey.We hope you enjoy this episode! You can check out our website chaiversations.org and Subscribe to our monthly Substack Newsletter chaibreakpodcast.substack.com

We, Shwetha & Rema, address the elephant in the room - mental health and well-being by sharing our own personal journey of how/why/what got us to seek professional help. It's raw, it's real and it's just the beginning of a power-packed season of personal stories, chaiversations with expert guests, and continuing the chaiversation online via Instagram and the launch of our Substack Newsletter.Sign up for our newsletter via our website chaiversations.org or at chaibreakpodcast.substack.com for your monthly fix of exclusive behind-the-scenes of the world of podcasting, exclusive guest interviews, the latest episode drops and so much more.

Jashima Wadehra is the co-founder and CEO of Ode, a brand strategy, talent management and business development firm catering predominantly to children of immigrant brands, businesses and artists.While companies rely on third-party metrics, Jashima specializes in taking a “lived experience meets data” approach to representing talent and brands. Specifically from communities whose consumption patterns and preferences are often not aggregated by general marketing data firms or cultural nuances that talent agencies are not well versed in.Ode's talent roster has worked with Audiomack, Netflix, Tunecore, Amazon, VEVO, Lincoln Center, Meta, Applaus, Kulture Khazana, Brown Girl Mag, 5XFest, DesiFest and many more on both the talent representation and brand strategy side.With a background in music journalism, consumer psychology and events, Jashima is the link between brands and companies to create intentional and impactful campaigns.chaiversations.org

With a background in behavioral psychology, Chandani wears many hats. From co-founding a marketing tech agency to more recently becoming an angel investor and venture capitalist, she is here to talk to us about the world of finance and importance of financial wellness in the South Asian space.In our chaiversation, we talk to her about the journey to entering a largely man's world AKA the world of finance. She gives listeners handy tips on investing, and how to navigate a world that is somewhat overwhelming for newbies.chaiversations.org

Amrita Doshi, is the co-founder and Executive Director of South Asian SOAR, a national organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence in the US, within the South Asian diaspora. She is deeply committed to advancing healing and justice for South Asian survivors and communities. Amrita comes to this work with her own experiences of survivorship as well as several years of work across public health, technology, and art.chaibreakpodcast.com

Today's episode is all about how one woman's mission to share the truth turned into a 40 thousand strong following. From gender inclusivity, fighting the patriarchy, breaking stigma, supporting marginalized voices and curating South Asian content beyond the ordinary, Divya Soneji, Founder of South Asian Nation, has made it her life mantra to use her platform and voice for the greater good. https://chaibreakpodcast.com/

Mental health in the South Asian community has always been taboo. Although we've made great strides, we still have ways to go in normalizing conversations around going to therapy/seeking professional help, not just when you experience a life changing event, but on a regular basis, it's like taking your vitamins!Our chaiversation this week is with Ragini Jha, a trained counselor, based in the UK, she specializes in the area of cultural-relations and cognitive behavioral therapy, focused in the South Asian diaspora space.https://www.cardamomcounselling.com/

Niha Elety is a sustainable fashion advocate and designer/founder of Tega Collective. She uses fashion, art and heritage to bring awareness about sustainability and its importance.When joining the sustainability space full of advocates and leaders, Niha noticed that there weren't many discussions about culture and ancestral knowledge. Since then her goal has been to bring inclusivity and a variety of perspectives from BIPOC creators (the original sustainability leaders) to the environmental movement.https://chaibreakpodcast.com/

In this episode, we chat with Indian-American actress Anjali Bhimani, so much talent packed in one person, its astounding! Her "why not me" attitude helped her pave a unique path in a world where she did not see representation, so she decided to lead the way and not be bogged down by rejections!From the world of TV, theatre, film, virtual gaming world, voice over — you name and she has delved deep into each of these mediums and excelled in it, no less! And today, she adds yet another feather to her cap, "BESTSELLING AUTHOR", with the release of her very first book, "I'm Fun Size & So Are You" - a raw, real, engaging book, that actually feels like a conversation with your BFF! PS: We have a very special GIVEAWAY with Anjali. Be sure to check out our Instagram page - @chai_break_podcast

As a chalk carver and Arthropod curator, Anjali has spent over a decade carefully weaving her interests around the natural world. Along with practicing ways of permaculture, she intends to inherit her values from the balancing forces of Gaia and other elements.She is on a quest to bridge the loopholes in the community using her interdisciplinary art skills to narrate diverse thought-provoking subjects.Her research on eco-socialism with the tribal communities has helped her understand the importance of indigenous presence in our societies. “I want to trace back the lost wisdom to help individuals connect with earth like our ancestors did, resulting in a harmonious way of life".I deeply resonate with diversified indigenous instruments, and vivid cultures and look forward to reviving them using interdisciplinary arts with time”, says Anjali.She considers herself as someone who can never be put in a box!

Born and raised in Vijayawada, India, Shravya moved to Brooklyn in 2015 and graduated from the School of Visual Arts with an MPS in Photography. Captivated by oral histories and how they can shape a culture, her work is an exploration of home, identity and personal space largely focuses on the intimate and interpersonal stories of people of color and of queer people.In this chai-versation, we talk about her journey to America and how she created a niche for herself and her tales of trials and triumphs along the way.https://www.shravyakag.com/

Shilpa Bhim is the founder of Glowreel, a media startup dedicated to celebrating the achievements and amplifying the stories of BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, and people of color women. Through Glowreel, Shilpa's aim is to ensure current and future generations of BIPOC women feel represented, empowered and inspired to blaze their own trail! We talk to Shilpa about how it was like growing up brown in Kiwi land, her career in Social reform and policy and what led to her eventually starting Glowreel and her thoughts on USA's recent Roe V Wade decision by the Supreme Court, based on what NZ's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently said in the light of the courts ruling.

An Architect/ Airport-Designer by training she turned social entrepreneur when she founded Eight Thousand Miles - a sustainable ethically handmade line of children's & adults lifestyle collection, that places social impact at the core of its business model, in 2014, in Mumbai, India.Convinced that life is led best between both her antipodal homes, Mumbai and New York, she is often found shuttling the very miles that inspired the name of her company. When not in either city, she loves gallivanting the globe connecting people along the way! A part-time Wife/ Mother and a full-time start-up entrepreneur, she lives with her husband & daughter in Manhattan, New York!

The word “perfect” has somehow become the ideal that we're all constantly striving for. The perfect vacation, the perfect dress, the perfectly behaved children and the list goes on. I know we've all been guilty of that at some point! Honestly, the word “perfect” can be quite exhausting. It makes life itself feel like a race to reach an ideal that is almost impossible! In this episode, we discuss both ends of the scale. What is perfectionism? And are we as a generation setting ourselves up for failure by stressing over this perfectionism mindset and are we even equipped to handle failure anymore? And more!

Deepa Pillai is an Actor, Bharatanatyam Dancer, Choreographer and a Hatta Yoga Practitioner, based out of Planet Earth . An Engineer turned Performing Artiste, she holds a degree from New York University' Tisch school of Arts as the most recent one. Her interest in life is to decode the magical bond between storytelling and Life and how the former's modalities become root to the latter's existence. Follow us on Instagram (@chaibreakpodcast), on Facebook (@chaibreak podcast) and on Apple & Spotify.

After her successful stint as a corporate executive for many years, Nameeta felt disconnected from her true purpose in life. In 2020, as the world shut down, she embarked on a journey of looking inward and discovered years of generational trauma that needed healing and darkness that needed to be filled with light. While on that path, she also discovered her true purpose: to boldly tell her story and give others the courage to live a life of authenticity.Today she is a Jay Shetty Certified Coach and serves as a leadership and executive coach at her company, guiding colleagues and peers to discover their unique gifts, reignite their passion and engage with purpose.Nameeta calls New York home, where she lives with her husband DJ Suhel and 3 wonderful children, Shiv, Om & Devi.

We are excited to kick off Season 2 and bringing to you a roster of incredible, every day South Asian women from across the globe who are making a difference in their communities. Our first guest today is Dancer, Choreographer and Founder of Aalokam Dance Company, Bharathi Penneswaran. We talk to Bharathi about her early days growing up in India, what led her to the world of dance and how she traversed from Delhi to New York City and the challenges she faced along the way. This episode is releasing on the heels of her maiden full-length production AVAL(SHE/HER), that is premiering in New York City at Dixon Place this May 15th . Listen to the episode to learn more about this! To our listeners, you can buy your tickets to the show here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-r-dancing-tickets-313838157377

November is celebrated as the month of thankfulness and gratitude here in the United States. Rema and Shwetha each share what they're grateful for and collectively express how thankful they are for an engaged audience like "YOU" - yes, each and every one of you, without whom this podcast wouldn't be what it is! Here's wishing all of you a very happy and joyous Thanksgiving, surrounded by family, food and lots of fun. Until season 2, bye!

In our concluding conversation on sustainability we talk about the history of thrifting and the concept of conscious thrifting. Then we delve into brands that walk the talk on sustainability. Please note: This episode is NOT sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. Each brand is a small, women of color, South-Asian brand who's vision we @ Chai Break believe in. Do check out our Instagram post for links to all the brands in our latest post.

This episode of Chai Break we talk about Sustainable Fashion something that is very near and dear to our host Shwetha Ravishankar, who after years of working in the retail spaces and becoming a shopaholic as a side effect, started to educate herself about the industry and it's practices. Today, she strives towards sustainable fashion practices and is an Advocate of the NYC Fair Trade Coalition.

Ever before we had even heard of the word "sustainability" we look back at our life growing up in India and reflect on how "sustainable living" was simply a way of living. We were raised in homes where "wastage" of any kind was not encouraged. We up-cycled, re-used, conserved and recycled everything and anything. Lastly we talk about how we're trying to incorporate some of those age old ways into our busy, urban lives today. https://chaibreakpodcast.com/

Desi moms in South Asian culture all have a few famous lines in common, which have been used as a weapon in parenting for eons. Rema and I look back at our own experiences and some of the most frequently used lines. We also reflect on how they do have an impact in shaping us as adults, cue the show "Never Have I Ever" - we talk about Nalini Vishwakumar and Devi's relationship, which is much like our own.https://chaibreakpodcast.com/2021/11/23/are-we-our-moms/

In this episode we talk about body positivity and the impact of body shaming on individuals. We dive deep into our own personal journeys growing up in India and how casual commentary from friends and family can have a lifelong negative impact on your confidence and how you look at yourself. We end the episode with 6 key things you can do to start loving yourself today.Read more on the blog: https://chaibreakpodcast.com/2021/11/18/body-positivity/

Long before turmeric lattes and supplements ever became a thing, our grandmothers and their grandmothers have been using spices to enhance the flavor of food as well their medicinal properties. Head to our blog for the recipes mentioned in the episode and one BONUS TIP! https://chaibreakpodcast.com/2021/09/07/spices-from-our-grandmothers-kitchen/

In this episode of Chai Break we explore "Self Love" in the context of our growing up years in India. Was it even a thing back then? What it means to love yourself and what are some self-love rituals you can include in your daily life. Do you have a ritual you'd like to share with us? Write to us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com Head to our website to read our blog post about Self Love and leave us your thoughts and comments! https://chaibreakpodcast.com/2021/08/23/self-love/

Growing up in India, we experienced colorism on an everyday basis. In this episode we explore the roots of colorism and how it came about to becoming such a deep-rooted issue that has been unfortunately passed down from many generations. We also look to the beauty industry that has played a huge part in further solidifying this love-hate relationship with our skin tone.

The 2020 global pandemic brought everything we knew as a normal life to a screeching halt. Looking back, the biggest positive that came out of it was, time. Time with ourselves, our families and time to just stop and really question if we are living our life with true purpose and meaning. We reflect on what has happened and what practices we're taking forward with us into our post pandemic life. Episode notes: https://chaibreakpodcast.com/2020/09/06/spiritual-personal-growth-during-a-pandemic/

Are you an immigrant? Did you move to a different country later in life? Then give ChaiBreak Podcast a listen!This is the story of Shwetha & Rema, 2 Indian immigrants who moved to USA more than a decade ago and how they navigated everything from culture, career and conversations, to becoming the confident women they are today.For more about us and the podcast, visit our websitehttps://chaibreakpodcast.com/2020/08/29/hello-namaste-welcome-to-chai-break/Rate us, review us , hit that SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW button and don't forget to share it with your family and friends!Follow us on Instagram @chai_break_podcast and you can write to us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com