Podcast appearances and mentions of nikhil arora

In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks welcomes Nikhil Arora, CEO of Epignosis, the parent company of TalentLMS. They explore various facets of learning and development, focusing on mindsets, supporting employee growth, and the impact of AI. Nikhil shares insights from TalentLMS's data, revealing that over 50% of employees prioritize growth opportunities and discusses the importance of transitioning from fixed to growth mindsets. Additionally, they discuss strategies for incorporating soft skills training, leveraging AI ethically, and maintaining employee mental wellness in a hybrid work environment. The episode offers practical advice for leaders aiming to enhance their organization's learning culture and technological adaptation.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:34 Nikhil's Background and Mission01:45 Challenges in Learning and Growth Mindset05:10 Strategies for Transitioning to a Growth Mindset10:31 The Role of AI in Learning and Development16:15 Soft Skills and the Future of Work20:03 Mental Wellness and Learning22:12 Conclusion and Contact InformationLearn more about TalentLMSSee the show archives and sign up for episode updates

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, host Daniel Scharff engages with Nikhil Arora, co-founder of Back to the Roots, an innovative organic gardening company now selling $100M at retail. Nikhil shares the inspiring journey of how he and his co-founder, Alejandro Velez, transformed their initial idea of growing mushrooms from coffee grounds into a successful urban farming business.Nikhil opens up about the various kinds of advice he has received along his startup journey - the good, the bad, and with an overall focus on the perspective founders should have when hearing or giving advice, acknowledging that companies have very different paths, and what works for one person may not work for another. They delve into the essential qualities of resilience, focus, and adaptability in entrepreneurship, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to building a brand.Nikhil and Daniel explore the complexities of decision-making in the startup world, referencing Jeff Bezos' "one-way" and "two-way" doors framework and contrasting it with Steve Jobs' focus on product innovation. Nikhil opens up about the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, including the pressures of comparison and the importance of a strong co-founder relationship in sharing the burdens of startup life.Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion filled with valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike.Listen in as they share about:Background and Origin of Back to the RootsKey Growth StagesChallengesNetworking and SerendipityThe Nature of AdviceFinding Value in ExperiencesThe Role of Trust and CollaborationSusceptibility to Bad AdviceThe Importance of Having a Co-FounderOrganizational Structure and Financial InsightsEpisode Links:Website: https://backtotheroots.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aroranikhil/ Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode, Julian Hayes II sits down with Nikhil Arora, CEO of Epignosis, the parent company of TalentLMS, to discuss leadership in the modern era and the evolution of today's business climate. Nikhil shares his insights on balancing purpose-driven leadership with results, the impact of endurance sports like marathons and triathlons on his leadership philosophy, and the keys to building a thriving company culture in the digital age. Nikhil's unique experiences—spanning 20 cities, companies like GoDaddy and WeWork, and his journey in fitness—shape his approach to modern leadership. He dives into the art of leading with vision, empowering employees, navigating the hybrid work model, and much more. In this conversation, you'll learn actionable leadership strategies, personal growth tips, and insights into the future of learning and development. What You'll Learn: Finding Balance in Leadership: Nikhil discusses the importance of balancing purpose-driven goals with strategic success, ensuring employees feel connected to the company's mission. The Role of Endurance Sports: Hear how Nikhil's experience in marathons and triathlons strengthens his mental toughness and resilience, qualities he brings to his role as a CEO. Navigating Hybrid Work: Nikhil shares his perspective on the hybrid work model as the future of business, especially for maintaining relationships and mentoring employees. Empowering SMBs through Learning: Epignosis's mission is to transform global potential by making learning accessible for small and medium-sized businesses worldwide. Self-Improvement and Reflection: Nikhil emphasizes the need for leaders to continuously self-reflect and evolve, sharing personal practices for managing “inner battles.” — Episode Chapter Big Ideas (timing may not be exact) 0:00 | Introduction to Nikhil Arora and the Journey of Growth 1:03 | Why London Is the Perfect Place for a Runner's Routine 2:35 | Personal and Leadership Insights: Navigating Today's World Dynamics 4:30 | The Blending of Work and Personal Life: A Leadership Challenge 5:21 | The Power of Continuous Learning: Leadership Lessons from Nikhil's Father 9:56 | Leading as a “Global Nomad” and Learning from Cross-Cultural Experiences 12:51 | Nikhil's Top Three Countries for Leadership Inspiration 16:51 | Vision for Epignosis: Empowering SMBs and Unlocking Global Potential 22:10 | Culture Eats Strategy: Building Purpose-Driven Work Environments 24:43 | Hybrid, Remote, or In-Person? Nikhil's Take on Modern Work Models 28:49 | How Fitness Fuels Leadership: Endurance and Mental Strength 33:11 | Marathons as Metaphors for Leadership: A Lesson in Team Building 37:37 | Building Company Culture: Vision, Process, and the Value of a Strong Mission 40:54 | Caregiver Share: Nikhil's Philanthropic Work Inspired by Personal Experiences 43:26 | Conquering Inner Battles: Lessons from Cricket and Self-Reflection 46:56 | Top Three Leadership Tips: Inspiring Employees, Solving Problems, and Removing Barriers — Connect with Nikhil Arora — Epignosis Website: https://www.epignosishq.com/ TalentLMS Website: https://www.talentlms.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-arora17 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilarora.official/ — Connect with Julian and Executive Health — Start thriving in business, community, and family life. Sign up for a complimentary Executive Health Meeting — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.executivehealth.io/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianhayesii/

In this episode, we sit down with Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro, India's largest cashback website with over 20+ million downloads and EarnKaro, India's no. 1 deal distribution platform.  Swati walks us through the innovative business models and strategies that have positioned these platforms at the forefront of India's cashback and affiliate marketing ecosystem: Personal Journey: Origin story starting from her childhood in Ambala, higher education in Singapore and London, followed by her stint as an investment banker to creating a cashback business in the UK and then building India's first VC funded cashback website raising over $30m from reputable names such as Affle, Korea Investment Partners, Kalaari etc. Model Unpacked: Swati provides an in-depth look at how CashKaro and EarnKaro operate, detailing their unique approaches to cashback and affiliate marketing by onboarding lucrative categories and e-commerce platforms/brands to empower Indian internet users save more money while shopping online Hustle of Category Creation: Hacks to approach category creation, role of customer education, and the importance of recognizing and engaging with champion users Changing Dynamic of Internet Shopping: Perspectives on the broader e-commerce and cashback ecosystem in India, discussing demographic trends, shift of wallet shares from Tier 1 to Tier 2/3/4 cities, role of social media in shopping choices, and opportunities for growth Future Aspirations: What's next for CashKaro and EarnKaro as Swati outlines her vision for scaling these platforms while maintaining customer engagement Join us for an enlightening conversation that not only highlights Swati's entrepreneurial journey but also offers valuable insights into the future of online shopping in India! Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

Join us for an insightful conversation with Anish Srikrishna, CEO of TimesPro, an education initiative by The Times Group which aims to revolutionize professional education in India. TimesPro serves as a Higher Education Technology (H.EdTech) platform, offering a wide range of courses and training programs across various sectors, including Post Graduate Programs (PGPs), Master's degrees, and specialized training in finance, banking, e-commerce, technology, and more. TimesPro has a tech enabled educational offering encompassing both classroom and online/live interactive learning, including collaborations with prestigious institutions such as IIMs, IITs, XLRI, and Ivy League universities, as well as building customized learning solutions for businesses to empower talent and drive business transformation. Over the past three years, the company has achieved an impressive 75% CAGR in net revenues, surpassing ₹850 crore in revenue for FY24. TimesPro anticipates a 5X growth in the next three years, highlighting its robust business model and commitment to democratizing access to quality education and skills through technology. Whether you're an educator, a student, or simply curious about the EdTech industry, this conversation promises to be both enlightening and inspiring. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Winny Patro, CEO & Co-founder of Recordent, a pioneering SaaS-based platform aiming to tackle the significant issue of unpaid dues that MSMEs encounter, which is estimated to be around INR5L cr across the sector. Recordent provides a technology platform designed to help SMEs manage their credit and collections more effectively. The company offers a suite of services that includes: Payment Reminder Automation: Automating reminders for payments to ensure timely collections. Invoice Management: Streamlining the invoicing process to reduce delays in payments. Credit Registry Reporting: Similar to a CIBIL report, it allows businesses to report defaults and track credit history. Collections Analytics: Providing insights to make informed decisions regarding collections and credit risk management. Recordent has made significant strides in helping SMEs improve their cash flow and reduce collection cycles. For instance, manufacturers using the platform have reportedly reduced their collection cycles by 40 days and converted a substantial portion of previously non-paying customers into paying ones. The company has effectively facilitated the resolution of outstanding dues for SME/MSME entities, enabling the clearance of INR4699 cr out of a total of INR5657 cr. With over 8.75L+ customer dues submitted on the platform, Recordent caters to the likes of Furlenco, Guarented, Bigsams, Udaan, RateGain and many others.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Manikanth Challa, Founder & CEO of Workruit, an AI/ML assisted career and recruitment platform catering to the B2B, B2C and B2G segments. Offering a suite of solutions like an i) AI-assisted Resume, CV, and Cover Letter Builder with a ii) Job Search and Matching Play, Workruit has built an interactive dating app-like interface where employers/recruiters and job seekers can match with each other. Manikanth speaks about his personal journey from the US to India, throwing light on how he struggled to find developers and engineers in 2016 via traditional solutions out there. This pushed him to combine his prior product learnings from online dating and fintech industries to create an end-to-end career development platform like Workruit. Workruit has generated more than 2M+ resumes and has 25M+ industry specific templates. They have raised over $500,000 in pre-Series A round led by the family office of Kantamaneni from the US and is now aiming to raise more in 2024 to expand their business in the Middle East. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Balaji Subramaniam, Head of Global Sales and Strategy at Sattrix Group, a pioneer in cyber security solutions offering AI-driven managed security services to small, mid, and large scale enterprises.  Founded in 2013, Sattrix's core focus is to protect critical assets and sensitive information from cyber threats. Sattrix stays ahead of the curve by leveraging emerging trends like AI and machine learning, Zero Trust Architecture, and cloud security to address the evolving threat landscape...further aiming to deliver top-notch cybersecurity managed and professional services to businesses globally.  We explore the cyber security market dynamic in India and abroad, how customers view their potential impact, consolidation trends, role of multiple technologies, client staging, use cases, and competitive differentiation.  In an environment where cyber security is a "board room decision" - an assessment of such a business is very timely.  Sattrix Information Security, has recently filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the BSE SME for an IPO. The issue involves a completely fresh equity sale of 18 lakh shares, with the company aiming to raise around Rs 20 crore. With the IPO, it seeks to further enhance its capabilities and expand its reach.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We chat with RV Ramanathan ("Ram"), co-founder of Hyperface - a cutting-edge Bengaluru based company pioneering contextual banking solutions.  With a particular focus on streamlining the credit card experience, Hyperface's "Credit-Cards-as-a-Service" platform simplifies end-to-end program management for credit cards, pay-later, and prepaid cards. Hyperface  offers a comprehensive suite of products designed to launch impeccable Credit Card programs within a matter of weeks. With a focus on simplifying complex technology, Hyperface has developed robust APIs, PWA, and SDKs, empowering businesses to effortlessly integrate instant card issuance, real-time rewards, and other innovative financial features. We speak extensively on the sectoral forces shaping credit cards and the payments industry at large, notably emergence of creative and innovative technology enabled use cases thanks to lack of traditional revenue pools due to stringent regulations and price caps. Hyperface has secured a substantial seed funding of  $10.9 million, led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from existing investors like Global Founders Capital, Better Capital, and new investors including Flipkart Ventures, Groww, and Rebalance Angel Community. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We spoke with Sandesh Chitnis, CEO of Core Integra, a regulatory technology company offering labour law compliance, payroll processing, permanent hiring, staffing, and employee benefit solutions to its clients. Ctrl F is Core Integra's flagship ERP-based software tool whose core features include automated statutory compliance management, risk management, regulatory compliance, and audit software to optimize business performance. Additionally, the platform has a comprehensive library of Indian laws and acts, facilitating easy search and indexing. Sandesh shares his take on how technology can play role in digitizing and cracking labour law compliances in a complex country such as India with multiple jurisdictions and vernacular elements, taking into account the rising role of AI driven automation.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We spoke with Shiv Parekh - Founder of hBits - a fractional ownership platform focused on democratizing Commercial Real Estate. Grade A Commercial properties, typically leased to multinational corporations and institutions, can potentially offer stable, secure, and relatively high yielding rental incomes to investors.  hBits grants retail investors access to such high-value assets by aggregating demand on its platform, and on the way reduces average ticket size needed to participate. With rising investor appetite for Real Estate linked financial instruments in general, and SEBI's recent interventions to regulate the fractional ownership industry in particular, hBits' product offering and Shiv's insights are very timely.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

In this episode, Chuck Templeton is joined by Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, co-founders of Back to the Roots, a company that's redefining what it means to be a home gardener. Starting from an unconventional college experiment using coffee grounds to grow mushrooms, their venture has grown into the only end-to-end organic gardening brand, helping to ignite a new generation of sustainability-minded gardeners who are looking for a more rooted relationship with their food.  The duo discusses the significance of deep customer understanding, the art of pivoting in response to challenges, and the non-negotiable commitment to sustainability and transparency that has defined their brand. This discussion offers a realistic look at building a mission-driven business, the challenges encountered, and the perseverance required to stay true to one's values in the competitive retail landscape.Key Topics:Sustainable Innovation as a Market Differentiator: Back to the Roots exemplifies how sustainability can be a viable market strategy that resonates deeply with consumers. Their commitment to peat-free soil and packaging from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic not only sets new industry standards but also appeals to a new generation of gardeners, showcasing the potential for similar innovation-driven growth across various sectors.Compounding Relationships Fuel Growth: The episode highlights how the strategic nurturing of relationships—with suppliers, retailers, and team members—can serve as a catalyst for rapid growth and market penetration.The Power of Simplified Consumer Offerings: By focusing on simplicity in their product line, Back to the Roots has successfully created an end-to-end gardening solution that removes barriers to entry for new gardeners. This lesson in product development stresses the value of consumer-centric design and simplification in fostering user engagement and loyalty.Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges with a Strong Foundational Partnership: The enduring co-founder relationship at the heart of Back to the Roots provides a blueprint for entrepreneurial resilience. A shared vision and complementary skill sets are critical when facing challenges, making strategic pivots, and achieving sustained profitability.Aligning Business Goals with Broader Missions: Staying true to their North Star has enabled Back to the Roots to weather challenges and continuously adapt to get to where they are today. A clear and compelling mission can guide decision-making, inspire innovation, and attract like-minded customers and partners.Resources:Where to find Back to the Roots products and seed packetsBack to the Roots on How I Built This with Guy RozThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein. For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Dr Arora’s aim has been to uncover the intricate dynamics and evolutionary pathways of galaxies within our Universe. Through his research, he offers a distinct perspective on these cosmic entities, equipped with the expertise to navigate both theoretical frameworks and observational data. The careful comparison of telescopic observations with theoretical models is pivotal, forming the […]

Old canned salmon provides a record of parasite infectionTo study marine ecosystems from the past, scientists picked through canned salmon dating back more than four decades to measure levels of parasites in the fish. Natalie Mastick, a postdoctoral researcher in marine ecology at Yale University, said she found the parasite load in two species of salmon increased in their samples between 1979 - 2021. She says this suggests their ecosystems provided more of the hosts the parasites needed, including marine mammals, which could reflect an increasingly healthy ecosystem. Their study is in the journal Ecology and Evolution. Mars has more influence on Earth than non-astrologers might have thoughtMars is, on average, about 225 million km from Earth, which would suggest that it has little impact on our planet. Which is true, but as they say a little goes a long way. In a recent study in Nature Communications, researchers studying the history of deep ocean currents found a surprising 2.4-million-year cycle where giant whirlpools form on the ocean floor, linked to cycles in the interactions of Mars and Earth orbiting the Sun. The team, including geophysicist Dietmar Müller from the University of Sydney, say this may act as a backup system to mix the oceans as the Earth warms.Medieval English silver pennies travelled a long wayStarting in the middle of the 7th century, economic development in medieval England was spurred by the increasing use of handy silver coins that greased the wheels of trade. To date, 7000 of these silver coins have been found that date to the period between the years 660 and 750 AD, but the source of the silver has been mysterious. Using modern technology, researchers from the University of Cambridge, including historian Rory Naismith,  have traced the silver right across the continent to its Byzantine source. In their study in the journal Antiquity, the researchers suggest the silver was brought to Europe a hundred years earlier in the form of silver objects, which were melted down and struck as coins in order to put more money into circulation.Bonobos are not as nice as their reputation suggestsBonobos are the lesser-known cousin of chimpanzees, and have a reputation for being the more peaceful ape. But a new study published in Current Biology reveals a dark side of bonobos. Anthropologist Maud Mouginot observed the behaviour of bonobos and chimpanzees in their dense tropical forest habitats in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. She was shocked to find out that male bonobos were twice as likely to be aggressive toward other males than chimpanzees. She said this suggests that we need to have a more nuanced view of aggression within and across primate species, including humans. COVID infections are causing brain inflammation, drops in IQ, and years of brain agingFor many people COVID was more than a respiratory disease. We're learning now just what kind of impact an infection can have on the brain. It can affect cognition – leading to the famous brain fog – and even shrink and prematurely age the brain. One of the researchers studying these effects is Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, he has found COVID patients suffering from brain fog, confusion, tingling, mini strokes, and even seizure disorders.Listener Question – The eclipse and the moon's temperature.A listener posting as Jeff on X writes: “How hot did the side of the moon that faced the sun get during the eclipse?”  We get the answer from Nikhil Arora, an astrophysicist from Queen's University in Kingston.

We speak with Veer Mishra, Founder of Plus, a Bengaluru-based fintech platform aggregating and digitizing "jewellery savings schemes" in India.  Veer gives us a primer on this interesting asset class and describes Plus' offering which includes facilitating discovery of 270+ jewellers nationwide while allowing its customers to plan and save for their next significant jewellery purchase with ease.  Available over Google Playstore, Plus is free-to-use and offers an attractive 10% IRR along with exclusive discounts of up to 15% to its customers. Approximately 25% of total gold and jewellery sales transpire through various jewellery savings schemes in India, yet the market remains predominantly offline and fraught with challenges. Plus addresses critical hurdles such as exorbitant making charges and the lack of discoverability. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.    If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in 

We speak with Alankar Saxena, CTO of Mudrex, a platform which has simplified the journey of crypto investors in India and abroad with innovative retail oriented product offerings like coin sets, vault, and now coins. This conversation is very timely considering the revival of crypto within mainstream narrative thanks to rising regulatory clarity (MiCA, UK Parliament, US SEC etc.) and the approval of Bitcoin ETFs within the US.  Alankar shares his take on how 2024 may pan out for crypto within global markets and whether this may be the inflection point everyone's been looking for when it comes to this exciting and highly volatile asset class.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We speak with Krish Ramineni, Co-founder & CEO of Fireflies.ai – a Canaan and Khosla Ventures backed startup whose flagship AI meeting assistant takes notes, transcribes, and analyses Meetings.  Used across 200,000+ organizations, Fireflies is on a mission to transform work conversations into actions with its voice assistant, transcription tools designed to automate your team's workflow. The idea is to unlock the treasure trove of knowledge buried inside voice conversations by creating a searchable and shareable knowledge base.  Fireflies integrates with all leading video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, GMeet, and Teams along with popular CRMs and ERP applications like Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, and Slack. Aside from covering Krish's journey at Fireflies and how he sees AI power future productivity tools, we try to understand the evolution of generative AI, early customer adoption, ethical and regulatory concerns and how the industry hopes to navigate these complexities. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Peuli Das, Chief Insurance Officer at Future Generali India Life Insurance Company, a leading life insurance company headquartered in Mumbai offering total life insurance solutions across individual and group front. Peuli earlier served as MD, Actuarial, Insurance Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence at Accenture and as the Chief and Appointed Actuary in IndiaFirst. Her prior experiences include working in India and abroad for leading brands such as, Reliance Life, Exide Life, HDFC Life, New York Life, and Deutsche Bank. We gain a basic primer on insurance, what new-to-insurance policyholders should think of when they are buying life insurance, product innovation, mis-selling, inherent risks, role of technology, and regulatory developments which support insurance penetration, policyholder education, and changing customer preferences. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Prashant A. Bhonsle, founder & CEO of Kuhoo, a Mumbai based fintech unlocking finance for Indian students. Kuhoo aims to become the first port of call for all Indian middle class students thinking about higher education, whether in India or abroad, premium college or not.  Kuhoo leverages advanced technologies, data science and analytics to customise lending solutions for students and enable them to get loans without concomitant worries. Their approach involves evaluating loan applications based on a student's potential to secure employment and income, rather than relying solely on traditional factors such as parental income. In addition to conventional educational paths such as Engineering and MBA, Kuhoo offers products for non-traditional certificate courses as well as online education programs. Kuhoo allows students to apply from anywhere, check eligibility, upload documents, and monitor loan status in real-time through its user-friendly mobile application. The platform also provides flexible and customized repayment options, empowering borrowers with the ability to obtain loans without co-borrowers or collateral. Kuhoo is backed by Westbridge Capital, and has established partnerships with ICICI Bank, offering additional products such as Forex and Insurance, and has introduced skill development programs for Engineering and MBA students. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Rajesh Shet, Co-Founder & CEO of SahiBandhu, a trailblazing gold loan aggregation platform leveraging existing infrastructure, reach, and cost competitiveness of scheduled commercial banks to disrupt the traditionally NBFC-led gold loan sector. SahiBandhu aims to offer very convenient assisted customer journeys giving borrowers multiple gold loan products from best-in-class banks in line with their precise requirements and with a focus on underpenetrated semi urban and rural areas.  SahiBandhu has rapidly expanded its presence across Tier-3 cities (600+ locations), taking advantage of low competition outside major metropolitan areas. With offerings such as gold-backed credit cards and gold-backed investments, the company aims to now expand into Tier-1 and Tier-2 markets. Founded in 2019 and backed by The Manipal Group, SahiBandhu was established by industry experts including Mr. Rajesh Shet, Mr. Anuj Arora, Mr. Vijay Malhotra, and Mr. Virendra Yaduvanshi.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Bibhu Prasad Das, CEO & Co-founder of Propelld, a Series B funded Bengaluru based fintech specializing in providing personalised education loans to students and families in Tier 2/3 cities.  Propelld bases their lending decisions on selected course's end-use, deep borrower underwriting, and by taking a partner-led model. Backed by marquee investors such as Westbridge Capital, Stellaris, and India Quotient, the company was founded with the mission to make education financing more accessible and affordable for Indian students.  Propelld leverages technology and ventures deep into its target segment (i.e. supplementary/out of school education and higher education) by collecting alternate data points to determine a student's forward looking capabilities and motivations. Listen in to this fascinating chat where we touch upon inherent underwriting challenges within education lending, how Propelld has tackled them to unlock the potential of this market as a large-TAM-low loss segment, and the perspective needed by institutional investors looking to take exposure in this space. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Sonam Motwani, CEO of Karkhana.io, a custom manufacturing platform helping OEMs source the right MSME manufacturing suppliers and high-quality components for their projects. Karkhana.io has emerged as a new age tech-enabled managed marketplace, providing a wide range of manufacturing services catering to the needs of businesses for small to large volume production, product assembly, product localization, and contract manufacturing.  Their capabilities include CNC Machining, Injection Moulding, Vacuum Casting, Forging, Electronics Integrations, Casting, 3D Printing, and more. Backed by Vertex Ventures and Aureolis Ventures, and with a track record of manufacturing over 2.5 million components for more than 300 customers all through a network of 400+ suppliers, Sonam and Karkhana.io have set ambitious goals for themselves with the company aspiring to achieve a topline of INR1,500cr ($187.5m) by FY2026. Listen in to this fascinating chat where we touch upon the structural challenges around "custom-built highly engineered" manufacturing in India coupled with wider issues around fragmentation, low state of digitization in the ecosystem at large, along with the perspective needed by institutional investors looking to take exposure to this space.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Anuj Rajain CEO of Soteria, India's largest home grown integrated security, facilities management, remote monitoring, and video surveillance company offering its solutions to multiple industries like BFSI, retail, healthcare, construction, logistics, F&B, corporate offices etc. Anuj explains - through examples - how surveillance and remote monitoring are becoming more of a ROI driver than just a cost center. He walks us through the broader tech transformation underway converting surveillance into an automated workflow via sensor alert-based monitoring - thereby allowing Soteria to showcase its solutions as a SaaS based offering to clients. Listen in to this fascinating chat where we touch upon a wide range of topics ranging from the supply chain challenges faced by gold loan companies to why supermarkets in the US are being robbed left, right, and center!   Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Subhrangshu Kumar Neogi Co-founder of Escrowpay, a pioneer in digital escrow solutions enabling smarter, faster and safer transactions for businesses. Escrowpay is a trailblazer in the world of B2B escrow solutions, by digitizing a predominantly non-linear escrow mechanism involving multiple stakeholders including legacy regulated financial institutions, into an integrated single window platform.   Escrowpay's stack includes secure banking infrastructure, trusteeship services, instant identity verification, digital contracts with e-sign capabilities, payment gateway services, integration with various payment methods, digital ledgers, real-time reporting, and seamless transaction processing and management. Their platform caters to a wide range of industries and use cases, making it easy to establish digital escrow accounts in a matter of minutes. Through this chat with Subhrangshu, we discover the typical pain-points faced by MSMEs and how tech-enabled solutions like Escrowpay could go a long way in overcoming transaction inertia and unlocking growth.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Vikrant Singh, Co-Founder of BATX Energies, who recycles used Lithium-ion batteries to extract critical metals chiefly Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, and Manganese.  BATX subsequently supplies these extracted raw materials as inputs to battery cell manufacturers to create a closed-loop Circular Economy for Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing and Electric Vehicles. With a R&D center in Gurgaon and an industrial unit in UP, Vikrant lays the brass tacks behind India's energy storage supply chain and how various extraction processes, ranging from mechanical, metallurgical, and chemical processes can play a crucial role in serving an energy starved and raw material deficient region such as ours.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Sudhir Kunder, Chief Business Officer at DE-CIX India, a leading carrier and data center neutral interconnection platform with organizational roots in Frankfurt.  By offering a reliable and low-latency interconnection platform, DE-CIX India enhances internet performance and optimizes network traffic flow between internet service providers (ISPs), content providers, and network operators. This exchange plays a crucial role in improving the overall internet experience for users and businesses by enabling faster and more efficient data exchange among digital entities in India's rapidly growing online ecosystem. In this podcast we deconstruct some basic concepts: 1. Primer on the internet and role of an Internet Exchange 2. On DE-CIX and its background 3. Business model of an internet exchange 4. Quick explainer on DE-CIX's offerings 5. Navigating data privacy on the internet: impact of AI, newer challenges, consumer recourse? Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Rahul Khetawat, Head of Offline (Sales) at Property Share, India's first and largest tech-enabled investment platform for commercial real estate. Property Share allows users to access investments in pre-leased institutional-grade commercial real estate in India and the UK - allowing them to diversify their portfolios and benefit from rental income and property appreciation. The company also provides property management services and resale support to ensure ongoing liquidity.  Launched in 2016 to democratize real estate investing, Property Share is now a Series B company having raised $52 million to-date and with marquee investors on its cap table, including the likes of WestBridge Capital and BEENEXT. With over $200 million in assets under management, Property Share has attracted 200,000+ registered users and 2500+ investors from over 20 countries. Tune in to an incredibly captivating conversation as you discover how Property Share sits at the confluence of finance and real estate, attempting to establishing a unique ecosystem in the process. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We speak with Saurav Ghosh, Co-Founder of Jiraaf, a digital platform unlocking and democratizing high yield fixed income investment opportunities for retail investors. Jiraaf offers individual investors access to a wide array of alternate investment products beyond the usual suspects like listed stocks, mutual funds, real estate or gold, all via an easy-to-use convenient digital platform. The investment opportunities are spread across a great mix of asset classes, risk profiles, yields, and tenors, including the likes of corporate debt, venture debt, invoice discounting, and asset backed leasing, which are traditionally often accessible only to institutional players. Tune in to an incredibly captivating conversation as you discover how Jiraaf skillfully navigated and pioneered an emerging industry, attempting to establishing a unique ecosystem in the process. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Ritesh Srivastava, Founder & CEO of FREED, India's 1st Comprehensive Debt Relief Platform. FREED was founded with the goal to provide an affordable and comprehensive debt relief solution to India's retail borrowers.  Ritesh has been a serial entrepreneur for over 20 years and thanks to his background in Debt Relief in the US, he was naturally attracted to this segment in India. He understood the pain points of debtors in India and set out to solve the big problem. So far under his leadership, FREED has counselled over 45,000+ customers and enrolled over INR300 crores in debt and has constantly strived to make the entire debt relief journey as seamless and painless as possible.  Tune in to an incredibly captivating conversation as you discover how FREED skillfully navigated and pioneered an emerging and fragmented industry, potentially establishing a unique micro-monopoly in the process. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Nishith Gupta, Director Sapana Carpet-Mats - a leading brand with a market share of 50-55% among branded plastic mats in India. Considering the lower propensity to spend on home décor among Indians vs. the west, Sapana decided to explore the world of plastic mats as they were much more affordable than conventional carpets.  The company operates through an omnichannel distribution model with over 30,000 retail stores across India and a robust online presence. The 100% family-owned business recently clocked revenues of INR135cr. Listen in for a super interesting chat to understand how Nishith, a 2nd generation entrepreneur is navigating and scaling a business in a rather traditional industry through rapid technological and distribution disruptions. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We spoke with Sameer Aggarwal, Founder and CEO at Revfin, a specialist lending company focused on underwriting electric vehicle (EV) loans. Last we chatted with Sameer was in December 2019 (link to the episode) when Revfin was taking initial steps in its journey. The world has changed a fair bit since then, with the company having financed over 25,000 vehicles across 19 states, disbursed INR300cr in loans, and raised capital from a bunch of marquee investors including the likes of Green Frontier Capital (GFC), LC Nueva Investment Partners, and debt from the US International Development Finance Corp.  Sameer's view on EV financing has a "ecosystem" flavour. We found his insights that the challenge to underwrite against EVs, a relatively new asset class, can be hedged by piggy backing on manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and charging infra providers extremely insightful. He firmly believes that as this ecosystem evolves - it is only about time when EV financing would become as commoditized an offering as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle loans. Listen in for a super interesting chat to understand how Revfin navigated and broke ground through a rather disjointed and nascent industry to create a micro monopoly of sorts. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

Saurabh Tyagi is the Co-Founder and CEO of PropChk, India's fastest growing tech-enabled home inspection company. An Electrical Engineer from IIT Roorkee, Saurabh started PropChk to help homebuyers and homeowners gain visibility around potential construction defects within a home before they purchase/invest in the asset. The company operates on a B2C business model that covers home inspection, dampness detection, area measurement, and multi-stage inspection for ready to move in properties. They also provide B2B solutions, including commercial properties, project audits, RWA project takeover audits, and multi-stage inspections. Once inspections are completed, a comprehensive report enlisting all the defects and supported with photographic evidence is submitted to the client. Listen in for a super interesting chat to understand how PropChk navigated and broke ground through a rather opaque real estate industry to bring transparency to the overall construction process. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

On this episode of Meet the Creators, Jordan interviews Nikhil, a co-founder of Back to the Roots. Nikhil and his partner Alex learned a random fact in one of their college classes about growing mushrooms (the edible, not magic kind) out of coffee grounds. Since then with much grit and determination, Nik and Alex have been able to grow Back to the Roots into a multi-million dollar company and a household name that is synonymous with connecting the future generation back to their food. https://backtotheroots.com/ Follow Flipbird Films: SPOTIFY | https://open.spotify.com/show/5BdhBq4UVeajR1QkpFmePZ?si=7bcda81de35b4cae APPLE PODCASTS | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-the-creators/id1614523538 YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkQ1ts4829F0cT625yK2RoQ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/flipbirdfilms/ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/company/flipbirdfilms/ FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/flipbirdfilms TWITTER | https://twitter.com/flipbirdfilms WEBSITE | https://flipbirdfilms.com/

Abhishek Sharma is the Co-Founder & COO of Fashinza, a tech-enabled platform that solves manufacturing for fashion brands. Started initially to improve experience while dealing with suppliers, Fashinza takes a value chain approach to support brands, acting as a one stop shop for their sourcing requirements, from the placement of orders all the way to fulfilment, including design, pattern making, sales forecasting and even colour on latest trends and styles. Fashinza is able to do this by digitising the entire production flow at the supplier's end. Listen in for a super interesting chat to understand how various cogs work and fit within the global fashion supply chain and how Fashinza is attempting to formalize and optimize this flow. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

Anuj Parekh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Healthysure, an employee benefits insurtech company enabling comprehensive group health coverage for employees of SMEs, startups, and enterprises. Healthysure offers digitized policy and claims experience with curated health and wellness offerings, including an industry-first flexi top-up insurance product which allows employees to personalize & upgrade their corporate health covers and enjoy continuity benefits post-employment. Riding the post pandemic spike in insurance penetration in general, Healthysure helps SMEs build customized benefits suite, receive proposals from 20+ insurers, lock plans, and simplify/automate the entire experience for employees including visibility on claims etc. Albeit insurance has traditionally been a push product, Anuj believes that the cat is out of the bag and these trends are there to stay. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

Piyush Gupta is the CEO of VOSMOS, connecting brands to customers through immersive, engaging and easily accessible virtual experiences. VOSMOS is helping companies create virtual and hybrid events, immersive DIY virtual stores, and transforming online customer interactions through creation of tailormade and realistic digital environments. Piyush takes a pragmatic take towards the evolution of digital commerce, blending arguments in favour of metaverse/related immersive technologies with on-ground structural realities such as low adoption of hardware beyond mobile (i.e. VR/AR headsets etc.).  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We chat with Narinder Mahajan CEO of ODN Digital Services (short for ‘Open Doors Now'), a market leader in ‘Shop Now' strategies, enabling brands and e-commerce platforms to sell successfully online. Narinder is a consumer-retail and e-commerce specialist, and has over 20 years of industry experience. During his corporate journey, he worked with various game-changing organizations across diverse industries and formats of consumer retail. In 2015, he turned entrepreneur and co-founded ODN. At ODN he assists 200+ consumer brands across 20+ product categories meet their ecommerce and digital conversion goals. In this chat we touch upon: Understanding ODN's business model and monetisation  Differentiation/USP - explain the "Shop Now" strategy Thoughts on evolution of D2C - threat of rising CACs, shift towards offline, risk off perception of investors etc. Trends to watch in ecommerce e.g. the role of AR, metaverse etc. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We chat with Shivam Bajaj CEO of Avener Capital, an investment bank offering bespoke PE Advisory, M&A Advisory, structured finance advisory and debt syndication services. Being on the same side of the fence we reflect upon: State of Venture Capital investments in India View on unsecured credit as a new and emerging source of capital for SMEs  Next in line for REITS and InVITS in light of recent taxation norms Dynamics of deal making in India  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We chat with Shreyans Nahar CEO of Chennai based Finsire who is building infrastructure to aggregate and secure digital assets so that Banks, NBFCs, and Fintechs can lend against them.  Their solution allows creditors and asset-holding brokers to maximise their lending capabilities and create an additional source of revenues by lending against earned income (for salaried employees) or digital assets (such as life insurance). This is done by permitting the lenders to leverage Finsire's infrastructure that connects with employers and asset originators (i,e Life insurance companies, and CAMS) to enable secured credit to individuals. In India, there are 1bn people who own an account at a bank or at other financial institutions, out of which 810m are credit eligible. However, only 50% of the country's working population of 400 million people is credit active, having at least one loan or credit card. Rest end up going through a tedious process of pledging their hard assets. And that's the gap companies like Finsire aim to plug.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We chat with Satyajeet Kunjeer, Founder of Deciml, who is working towards building and automating a micro investing and savings culture in India.  Deciml is a micro-investing and micro-savings app that enables young Indians to auto-invest their spare change (as low as Re 1/-) from online transactions into Mutual Funds or Fixed Return Funds. The company recently raised launched its product and raised capital. Within three months of its introduction on the Android PlayStore, Deciml received 25,000+ downloads with a total of ₹20,00,000+ being invested through round-ups, as well as daily investments. Currently, an average user of Deciml is investing close to ₹1,859 per month through these small round-up amounts. With an ambition to add at least 1% more young investors to India's investment ecosystem, the company has onboarded partners that include Lend Box, Motilal Oswal, as well as Yes Bank.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We chat with Nageen Kommu, Founder and CEO of Digitap.AI, whose work has largely revolved around solving the problem of information asymmetry for lenders.  Majority of BFSI players in the country are dependent on bureau data while c. 400mn Indians have low bureau scores, making formal credit inaccessible to them.  Digitap.AI provides alternative data and scoring models to underwrite such borrowers, thereby reducing the risk of NPAs. An early stage fintech platform, the company offers AI and ML based Credit Underwriting, Digital Customer Onboarding, Automated Risk Management and Big Data enabled solutions, including Risk Analytics and Customized Scorecards. The company is a certified TSP on the Sahamati platform.    Clients comprise 70+ organisations, including new age fintechs like Bharatpe, Navi, Incred, Lendbox, Kreditbee, as well as more traditional players such as Motilal Oswal, Piramal Finance, and Northern Arc, among others. For FY 2022, the company's revenue stood at INR63mn ($0.8mn) and EBITDA stood at INR25mn ($0.3mn). Targeting an ARR of $20-25mn in the next 5 years, alternate use cases such as marketing, fraud detection, and identity management and development of a personal finance management suite along with the existing solutions should act as key growth catalysts for the business.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

In a constantly evolving job market, it's important to stay ahead of the game. In this episode of workwise, Nikhil Arora, MD, and VP, of GoDaddy, offers a unique perspective on navigating potential layoffs, developing new skills, mental fitness, and maintaining a competitive edge in the corporate world.Workwise with Naukri is a podcast from Naukri.com and produced by WYN studio.

We chat with Adarsh Chokhani of Assurekit, a Mumbai-based Insurtech startup aiming to make insurance commerce simple. Adarsh is building a technology enabled interface between manufacturers of insurance products i.e. insurance companies, and distributors who want to sell insurance, either as part of their core business or as a value added service. Think of someone who enables Make My Trip to sell travel insurance directly on its App, or an auto financer sell car insurance through its website, and so on and so forth. And doing this in a country where 99% of policies are still sold face-to-face, right or wrong! Assurekit promises to be a super interesting B2B2C business, pushing us to delve deeper into the very model which makes it worth noticing. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

We kick off our new season with Pankaj Parwanda of goSTOPS, a hospitality startup targeting young people (sub INR1,000 average daily rate beds) via tech-enabled creation and formalization of the youth hostel inventory pan India. Leveraging benefits of sharing economies and community living, goSTOPS is run by Pallavi Agarwal & Pankaj Parwanda, a very strong founder team who operate 30+ properties comprising 2,500+ available dorm beds spread across the country. A super interesting business with great potential - being asset light and possessing strong execution capabilities, we delve deeper into the very model that makes goSTOPS great, and which has resulting in them building a solid brand within their TG in a relatively short period of time. Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

On Episode 5 of This Is Small Business, Andrea sits down with Back To The Roots co-founders Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora to discuss their story of growing from college classmates with a quirky idea to sprout mushrooms out of coffee grounds, into a multi-million dollar garden supply company with a mission to help reconnect a new generation back to food and where it comes from. They produce and distribute easy & fun grow kits to help you get started, or a line of packet seeds if you want to really get your hands dirty. To ground it out, Andrea follows up with Chuck Templeton from S2G Ventures, best known as the founder and former CEO of OpenTable, a long-time entrepreneur who has a deep passion for helping early-stage and emerging entrepreneurs and companies scale their businesses. Chuck is now in league with Back To The Roots as they really start to hit their stride, making the jump from boot-strapping entrepreneurs to a booming medium-sized business. So come listen-in as Andrea gathers some great pointers for her small business playbook on what it takes to grow your creative adventure into a full-on venture!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started Back to the Roots by asking the same question in their business class–how can you grow mushrooms from used coffee grounds? So instead of taking their jobs in investment baking, the 2 friends began their journey of building an organic gardening brand for the next generation.    Back to the Roots is America's #1 organic gardening company and doubled its business 4 years in a row. They offer a wide range of grow kits, seeds, soil, and more to empower people to experience the magic of growing their food from inside their homes.    Listen to Nathan chat with Nikhil and Alejandro about:   Walking into a Whole Foods and pitching their first product  Growing their first mushrooms in a rented office space Hitting their first million in revenue off sources of waste Why going to a farmer's market is the best lesson for business Transitioning from selling products to empowering growers  Navigating the accelerated growth of the industry during COVID-19 Their relationship as cofounders over the past decade  Working with retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Walmart Their “Grow One, Give One” initiative  And much more business scaling advice…     Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

To discuss the role of the right employee value proposition policies in hiring and retention, Nikhil Arora, Vice President and Managing Director of GoDaddy India joined us for an episode of the People Matters Podcast.

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne who passed away yesterday has left the cricketing world in shock. Tommy Sandhu spoke with Bharat Army's founder Rakesh Patel and MD, GoDaddy India, Nikhil Arora to get their reaction to this tragic news.

Remember jumping on your bed and slapping a pillow about at your siblings?  Were you any good at it?   Well now you can do that professionally in the Pillow Fighting Championship! Kendahl Voelker is a professional pillow fighter and I couldn't wait to find out more!

Harpal Singh Sokhi is a celebrity chef with a passion for the food ultimate taste experience.  He also has a breadth of knowledge that will astound you!  I guarantee you will be amazed by this one!

Business partners Aniruddh Bagri and cricket commentator Gautam Bhimani share their entrepreneurial journey with me and Nikhil Arora from Go Daddy. Sport, entertainment and unforgettable experiences is what they're selling, but how easy is it to deliver that promise? This is a really insightful chat with a few laughs along the way!

Nikhil Naz is a sports journalist and broadcaster based in New Delhi, India. He's passionate about sports news and we really wanted him to share his journey into broadcasting with us on the podcast.

Dipna Anand is a TV ‘celebrity' chef, restauranteur, author, entrepreneur, and all-round busy lady! How does she balance her work life and fit it all in? She spoke with me and Nikhil Arora from Go Daddy about what it takes to be a successful British Indian woman in the culinary world. Check it out!

Relive my amazing conversation with Monty Panesar on my channel! Monty is like no other - What a guy! He's been at the peak of his career, made himself a household name, and also got himself together after more challenging times. That deserves a whole load of respect.  I had this chat with him and the Managing Director of Go Daddy who kindly helped power this episode! Nikhil Arora knows all about businesses starting their journey. That's what Go Daddy does... they get companies on their way. Similarly, Monty, as a businessman and product, has diversified his offering from Sports to be a fully qualified Journalist. He's not afraid to try something new - and if you want to give your dreams a go, start with registering a domain at Go Daddy. 

JJ is one of the owners of Island Studios in Mumbai! It's a music production studio that has seen some modern-day legends pass through the doors to record their tracks, lay down vocals, and create their masterpieces!  Aside from brushing shoulders with the likes of Ed Sheeran he also runs the business with his superstar wife!  In this podcast with Nikhil Arora from GoDaddy we explore Island Studios as a business and how having family work with you can be a blessing if managed correctly!  This is a great podcast for anyone running their own venture and wanting to grow their passion into a lucrative business!

India Hockey international Yuvraj Walmiki is a young man who has achieved so much already and is not stopping there. He stands by his advice on self belief and motivation when chasing one's  dreams. He praises the Olympic  bronze medal winning Indian team and hopes it will inspire the future generations.  Listen to this great conversation with Yuvraj and Go Daddy MD, International VP Nikhil Arora on the Tommy Sandhu Podcast.

Divya Kumar is an Indian playback singer who has lent his voice in a number of Hindi, Telugu and other language films.  He was an absolute joy to speak to the podcast along side MD India and VP International at Go Daddy, Nikhil Arora. Divya spoke from the heart. He's genuine and honest about the music industry and  how he approaches each project.  This is a great listen. Enjoy.

Jatin Sapru is a man of many talents and a cricket fan like no other. In this conversation, he talks about his journey, as well as India's campaign in the World Cup and what lies ahead for Team India.  We are also joined by the one and only Nikhil Arora, the MD of GoDaddy India, as we discuss the mentality of an elite sportsperson and how we can learn from it and apply the lessons we learn in both business and life.

In 2009, Berkeley seniors Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started to geek out over something they'd heard in a lecture: you can grow a healthy crop of mushrooms on used coffee grounds. Intrigued by the business potential, the pair set aside jobs in finance and consulting and became urban farmers: salvaging leaky bags of coffee grounds, planting mushroom spawn in an Oakland warehouse, and selling their crop to local grocers. Over time, the partners realized they could help others grow food for themselves, so they stopped farming fungus and took the leap into selling tabletop grow kits, seeds, and potting soil. Since launch, Back to the Roots has become the fastest-growing organic gardening brand in the U.S., with its products sold in 10,000 stores across the country.

Nikhil Arora, MD at Go Daddy India, and Rakesh from the Bharat Army join me to talk about how to deal with failure and losses. Following team India's disappointing results in the T20 World Cup, we take a philosophical look at why failure isn't the end of the world. In sport and in life in general, we are all bound to fall short of our dreams and expectations.  If you're currently feeling like you're hitting one stumbling block after another, then don't worry. I truly believe that there are more lessons to learn from failure and that your winning streak is potentially around the corner! You just gotta stick at it!  Hit play to hear from a couple of natural leaders who have experienced all the highs and lows: Nikhil & Raks!

Monty is like no other - What a guy! He's been at the peak of his career, made himself a household name, and also got himself together after more challenging times. That deserves a whole load of respect. I had this chat with him and the Managing Director of Go Daddy who kindly helped power this episode! Nikhil Arora knows all about businesses starting their journey. That's what Go Daddy does... they get companies on their way. Similarly, Monty, as a businessman and product, has diversified his offering from Sports to be a fully qualified Journalist. He's not afraid to try something new - and if you want to give your dreams a go, start with registering a domain at Go Daddy. 

How much control do we actually have over our food choices? According to Michael Moss, it's not nearly as much as we think. Decades of research and reformulation have given the ultra-processed food industry ("Big Food") the upper hand, but we don't have to be victims of manipulation. We can regain control—and Michael Moss provides the ammunition we need in his detailed food system exposés. In this episode, we explore: How the concept of the "bliss point" has caused sugar to invade nearly every type of product in the grocery store How the processed food industry's formulations and marketing tactics to hijack human biology and create addictive eating patterns Three main qualities that attract consumers to ultra-processed food How the processed food industry insinuated itself into the diet food industry How product reformulations can trick consumers into thinking ultra-processed foods are becoming healthier Using the processed food industry's own tactics to steer consumers toward healthier food choices How it's possible to shift our food preferences simply by building new habits Why changing the food system requires a multifaceted approach The power of changing the way people value food to consider factors beyond instant gratification Hungry for plant-based nerdity and industry insights? Subscribe to The Modern Health Nerd for updates: https://www.modernhealthnerd.com/news/ (I'm not actually sending much out right now, but whatever shows up, you'll get!) About Michael Moss Michael Moss is the author of “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” an expose of processed food and #1 New York Times Bestseller published in 2013 by Random House, and “Hooked: Food, Free Will and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions,” a New York Times Bestseller published in 2021. He is a former investigative reporter with The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2010 for his work on contaminated meat. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their two boys. Connect with Michael & Read His Books https://mossbooks.us For further reading and listening Nikhil Arora, Back to the Roots, episode #25 Hank Adams, Rise Gardens, episode #12 Michael Moss on Chef AJ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfUGhvKsEUk --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-health-nerd/support

While attending UC Berkely, friends Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora began growing organic mushrooms with coffee grounds only. Since then, they have launched America's #1 organic gardening company, Back to the Roots. Listen and enjoy Ryland's conversation with Alejandro Velez!

While attending UC Berkely, friends Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora began growing organic mushrooms with coffee grounds only. Since then, they have launched America's #1 organic gardening company, Back to the Roots. Listen and enjoy Ryland's conversation with Alejandro Velez!

Alexjandro Velez and Nikhil Arora, Co-founders and co-CEO, Back to the Roots join the S2G Ventures podcast to discuss entrepreneurship, starting and growing a business for a new generation of consumers, and how they have used the WHY of their business as the guide for growth. Back to the Roots is on a mission to reconnect every family & kid back to where food comes from by helping them experience the magic of growing it themselves

Can mushroom jerky save the world? Maybe not on its own, but Matt Feldman from Moku Foods believes it's a small step that can have a big impact. In this episode, we get 'shroomy about: Matt's inspiration for Moku, and how he settled on king oyster mushrooms as the perfect foundation for plant-based jerky The setback that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Moku's product development Why Moku focuses on clean-label, allergy-friendly ingredients The positive environmental impact of eating mushrooms instead of beef Weird and wonderful characteristics of mushrooms How factory farming and pesticide use are harming both people and the planet Why we should be teaching kids more about growing food and choosing plant-based options How (and why) Moku is giving back to the community in Matt's home state of Hawaii About Matt and Moku Foods Moku turns king oyster mushrooms and other clean ingredients into delicious, savory alternative "meat" snacks. After failing to find a plant-based jerky that he could enjoy, Moku founder, Matt Feldman decided to make his own and partnered with former Head of Product Development at JUST, Thomas Bowman to turn the mighty mushroom into a jerky that emulated the taste and texture of meat. Moku launched their mushroom based jerky in December, 2020 in three flavors: Hawaiian Teriyaki, Original, and Sweet n Spicy. The jerky is currently available on their website and Amazon. Soon to launch on Thrive Market! Find Moku Online! Website (with online ordering): https://www.mokufoods.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mokufoods Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mokufoods For Further Watching: Fantastic Fungi Island Earth Cowspiracy Also Check Out: Clayton Wood, CEO of Picnic, episode 24 Nikhil Arora, co-founder of Back to the Roots, episode 25 Want more plant-based nerdity and industry insights? Subscribe to The Modern Health Nerd for weekly updates: https://www.modernhealthnerd.com/news/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-health-nerd/support

Send me a voice message-https://theinspiringtalk.com/speak  Nikhil is the VP and MD of GoDaddy India. Prior to this he launched and led the Asia operations for WeWork. He was awarded The Economic Times' Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia 2019. He recently published an ebook called The Subtle Shifts Of Radical Change where he talks about how you can Navigate the everyday shifts in business, work and leadership in the post-COVID-19 world. Having known Nikhil Arora for 3 years, the thing that I admire a lot about Nikhil is that he is one of those leaders who is constantly pushing boundaries both in the business as well as in his personal life. Nikhil has completed 4 triathlons including Ironman which is considered as one of the toughest sporting events that test your physical and mental strengths. He has completed 30 full and half marathons in different parts of the world. In this conversation, we will discuss how the work culture is shifting in the post-covid world and how you can adapt to this and succeed, how leaders can stay relevant in the post-covid world, how we can find strength and agility to deal with tough times and a lot more. Send me a voice message- https://theinspiringtalk.com/speak  Follow the Inspiring Talk on Facebook http://theinspiringtalk.com/facebook  Twitter http://theinspiringtalk.com/twitter  Instagram http://theinspiringtalk.com/instagram  Read full show notes and resources:  http://theinspiringtalk.com/111

Could re-igniting the young generation's curiosity about food transform the food and agriculture system as we know it? Nikhil Arora believes it can—and he's working to make it happen. As co-founder of Back to the Roots, Nikhil sees firsthand the problems that face today's food system—particularly the impact on kids' health and well-being. He and his co-founder, Alejandro, are using their brand to make it possible for anyone to grow food at home and learn the real joy of engaging with the true roots of food. In this episode, we explore: The serious gaps in the average consumers' knowledge of where food comes from and how it's grown How connecting kids and families back to the origins of their food can make a positive difference in the food system Why farmers deserve the same level of attention and celebration as today's most advanced foodtech companies The powerful impact of bringing joy, magic and experience together when educating consumers about food Hungry for more plant-based nerdity and industry insights? Subscribe to The Modern Health Nerd for weekly updates: https://www.modernhealthnerd.com/news/ About Back to the Roots & Its Founders Nikhil Arora co-founded Back to the Roots with Alejandro Velez and now serves as co-CEO of the organic gardening company—which (literally) grew out of the discovery that gourmet mushrooms could grow on recycled coffee grounds. Since then, Back to the Roots has evolved from an urban mushroom farm in Oakland, CA to a thriving national brand and the fastest growing gardening company in the country. On a mission to reconnect kids & families back to where food comes from, Nikhil and Alejandro want to make it easy for anyone, anywhere to grow their own food. Back to the Roots has launched over 20 varieties of beginner-friendly grow kits—designed to be grown indoors year ‘round—in over 10,000 retailers nationwide including Walmart, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Whole Foods Market, Target, Costco and Cost Plus World Market, reshaping what the Garden Center looks like for consumers coast to coast. The company also launched the first-ever 100% USA Grown and Organic packet seed program nationwide - helping bring the stories of inspiring American farmers to millions of families. If you purchase a kit, share your pictures using the #GrowOneGiveOne tag—they'll donate a kit and curriculum to a school in need! Find & Connect with Back to the Roots on the Web! Website: https://backtotheroots.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backtotheroots/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/backtotheroots/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/backtotheroots/ Brand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backtotheroots_official/ Nikhil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhil_backtotheroots/ Alex's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_backtotheroots/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-health-nerd/support

In the first segment of The Scoop, we chat with Nikhil Arora, PhD Candidate in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy about the Tuesday November 23rd 2020 launch of the Chang 5 space mission to the moon.  Arora sheds light on the mission’s goals, and what new samples collected from the moon can […]

Have you ever thought about buying a business? If so, today’s episode is for YOU!Walker Deibel -- author of the best-selling “Buy Then Build” -- is here to talk about buying businesses. Not only was Walker’s book recognized as one of the top 7 books all entrepreneurs must read, but it’s currently being used in university MBA programs around the country.In this episode, Walker walks us through why buying a business is better than building one from scratch (did you know that only 4% of companies ever exceed $1M in revenue?), why now is the perfect time to be looking for the right business to purchase and what type of businesses we should be considering buying.We then jump into the process of buying a business, how to ensure that you’re adequately represented on your side of the deal, and what you should be doing TODAY to make progress towards buying your first -- or next -- business.Make sure you listen to the end where Walker tells us the biggest mistake he sees entrepreneurs making, and the most important thing you should be doing the day you close on the purchase of your new business.Check him out, and subscribe to the BiggerPockets Business Podcast so you won’t miss our next show!Links from the ShowBiggerPocketsBiggerPockets Business Podcast 17: Using Fear as Fuel with Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora, Co-Founders of Back to the RootsBack to the RootsCostcoForbes MagazineLinkedInSquareCheck the full show notes here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/bizshow68

And your black hole son Eric Chapman has the details alongside : Nikhil Arora, Ph.D. Candidate (Astrophysics), Queen's Observatory Coordinator, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy at Queen's University.

In this podcast, Nikhil Arora, Vice-President & Managing Director, GoDaddy shares how organizations can create an equitable workplace.

Today’s episode is proof that fear isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it can be a powerful motivator. And more importantly, fear serves as a signal that you’re pushing yourself far beyond your comfort zone and blossoming as an entrepreneur.Overcoming doubt is one of several topics we discuss with Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora, co-founders of a startup that produces a growing line of home gardening and food products.You’ll love the story of how they met and hatched their idea in a college classroom, why they strive to practice “conscious capitalism,” and how they got PAID to collect the raw material they used to grow their first products (mushrooms grown out of used coffee grounds!). Alejandro and Nikhil also share their tips for raising capital and the story of how Back to the Roots struck deals with giant organizations like Whole Foods and the New York City Public School System.This is a motivational show featuring two entrepreneurs who are wise beyond their years, and it’s packed with practical tips for scaling any kind of business. Download this one today, and share it with two people you know would get something out of it! Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to the BiggerPockets Business Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts so you won’t miss a beat.In This Episode We Cover:The concept of back to the rootsHow they started and what is their productThe turning point where they realized the business potentialHow they create and manufacture their productsGetting in front of retailersTheir tips on raising capitalEarning a million dollars in revenueDemoing every weekendsThe next evolution of the businessAdding more and more productsAnd SO much more!Links from the ShowBiggerPocketsBiggerPockets PodcastWhole FoodsIndoor Gardening Kits

"The most important thing I’ve learnt from running in business translation is to break it down in small steps" – Nikhil Arora I met Nikhil Arora- Managing Director and Vice President of GoDaddy at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2018 and was pleasantly surprised at his demeanor when he obliged my request for a conversation for this podcast… this right after he had finished his race as a pacer. Nikhil has completed over 25 Full and Half Marathons and four triathlons including two back-to-back Iron Man 70.3 races. He is actively involved in advising and mentoring startups and small businesses and has been a serial innovator helping launch several new businesses in his tenure at various organizations. Running reflects his personal journey to excellence – a continuous cycle of doing something new, and exceeding his previous performances.   What you'll get on this show: 02:29: Nikhil shares about his two different life cycles with running. 04:00: How running helps him deal with Tinnitus. 05:19: The three S' you deal with as a runner 08:40: One easy trick to get your partner on board with your love for running 10:27: Diet, discipline and the iron man 11:52: Travelling for work? Here's how Nikhil maximizes his time to maintain his fitness training plans 14:08: Nikhil shares his learnings from running that he applies in other areas of life 18:52: Half-marathoner, pacer or both? 21:20: The Sprint round - rapid fire with Nikhil 27:48: One key message If you’re enjoying the show, please click ‘Subscribe’ and leave a rating and review on the podcast. Spread the running inspiration. And if you liked this episode, do share it with your friends!    Follow Nikhil: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-arora-b65528/   Follow Vinee: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram   Listen & Subscribe: iTunes Castbox Google Podcasts Overcast Stitcher TuneIn Radio     Music by: Harsh Davda Music Copyrights owned by: Vinee Ajmera

Did you know that mushrooms can grow in the waste that comes from your morning cup of coffee? When Nikhil Arora and his classmate Alejandro Velez heard about this fact, the two were sparked to create a business around growing food from waste. They both quit their six-figure jobs and instead of following the usual path out of college, started a company that sells food grow kits and biodynamic cereal. Listen to Nikhil's story about he took Back to the Roots from growing oyster mushrooms in the basement of their fraternity house to creating some of the best selling products on Amazon and Whole Foods. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan Lisa Curtis at Kuli Kuli Foods Peet's Coffee -- Follow Back to the Roots on Facebook and learn more about the amazing stuff this company is working on. If you want to reach Nikhil Arora directly, email him here. Check out this cool re-cap of their grow event at Whole Foods Oakland co-hosted by Ayesha Curry. Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and share this podcast with other eco-warriors. We read all of your reviews and your positive ratings help us spread the word and spur more eco-warriors to action. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/trashtalking/support

Back to the Roots, which markets indoor gardening kits and organic breakfast cereal, has come a long way. Having started out making mushrooms out of coffee waste, the company has evolved into an ambitious sustainable food brand that envisions a future when it’s recognized as “The Pixar of Food.” In this week’s episode of Taste Radio, co-founder Nikhil Arora discussed how Back to the Roots is positioning itself to achieve that lofty goal through a consumer-centric approach to innovation and working hand-in-hand with key retailers. “People ask, ‘how’d you go from mushrooms to aquaponics to cereal?’ he said. “It was talking to our consumers and being able to have that opportunity. Whole Foods was a huge part of that.” Ahora noted that strategic planning always starts with “what problem are you solving for consumers,” and pointed to the company’s indoor gardening kits as a way for urban dwellers with limited yard space to grow their own food. In CPG, Back to the Roots cereals, formulated with four ingredients or less, are designed to be healthy alternatives to sugar-laden legacy brands, while “connecting kids back to real food.” Also included in this episode: an interview with Mark Young, who is the founder and CEO of BeerBoard, a beer management platform that enables breweries, restaurants and bars to make real-time marketing decisions about their beer selection. And this week’s Elevator Talk features Kareem Elhamasy, the co-founder of Nitro Beverage Co., a upstart maker of nitro coffee and kombucha. Show notes: 1:00: Prepping Your Protein -- Protein is one of the hottest ingredients in food and beverage and is being marketed in a dizzying array of forms and formats. Milk-based drinks, pea-based protein powders, meat jerky, whey-infused waters, nut-based bars, whole bean snacks. We see this stuff come into the office every day; the hosts discuss how they wade through the ever-increasing options for protein consumption. 9:20: Interview: Nikhil Arora, Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Back to the Roots -- Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg met with Arora at the Produce Marketing Association’s 2017 Fresh Summit in New Orleans for a wide-ranging conversation that includes discussion about the origins of Back to the Roots, how close relationships with Whole Foods and Amazon accelerated its development and how the company has navigated the foodservice business in NYC schools. 36:02: Interview: Mark Young, Founder/CEO, BeerBoard -- Young explained how BeerBoard improves inventory control by reducing overpours, underpours and “unauthorized comps.” He noted that the company’s emergence comes as the beer industry is “getting more educated about technology in ways that they can benefit from it.” 1:01:56: Elevator Talk: Kareem Elhamasy, Co-Founder, Nitro Beverage Co. -- Elhamasy recently visited BevNET HQ and introduced us to Nitro Beverage Co., which he co-founded with three friends in Asbury Park, NJ. Brands in this episode: Nothing But The Fruit, OWYN, Back to The Roots, Love Beets, BeerBoard, Nitro Beverage Co. For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact ask@tasteradio.com.

This duo is on a mission to reconnect people to the food they eat through ready to grow and ready to eat kits and products The post On a Mission to Undo Food: In Convo with Nikhil Arora of Back to the Roots appeared first on SEE Change Magazine.

Nikhil and Alejandro were buddies in college when they heard from a professor that you can actually grow mushrooms from coffee grounds. In a college class, co-founders Nikhil and Alejandro learned mushrooms could grow entirely on spent coffee grounds. After watching hours of how-to videos and turning their fraternity kitchen into a big science experiment, they eventually decided to give up their corporate job offers to instead become full-time mushroom farmers. What started as curiosity about urban farming has turned into a passion to Undo Food™ and reconnect families back to where it comes from through fun and delicious ready to grow and ready to eat products. They believe the underlying trust, transparency, and consciousness shouldn't change from the produce aisle to the grocery aisle, or from ready to grow to ready to eat. We believe in a future where all food comes from the kitchen, not a lab; and where R&D teams aren't biochemists, but our grandparents.

Many of us go to great lengths and great expense to obtain organic and locally-grown foods, but the leftovers including stems, rinds, peels, and grounds are usually throw in the garbage. What a waste! On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll meet, Nikhil Arora, the co-founder of Back to the Roots, an innovative company that uses up-cycled coffee grounds to grow mushrooms - and you can too using their at-home kits. Mushrooms are one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can grow in just about any home or apartment, and they surely play a role in the future of food. --------------------------------------------------------------- What You'll Learn: Why it makes no sense to throw away high quality food scraps and cuttings How coffee grounds can be used to grow superfoods in just about any home Why the future of food needs to offer more people better quality food for less money Nutritional Tip of the Week: Why you should eat mushrooms?! Links & References from the Show: Back to the Roots Got Questions? Write to us podcast@yogabody.com Thanks to our sponsor: Yoga Teachers College The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously The YOGABODY Teachers College combines new technology and age-old apprenticeship to deliver a level of education previously unavailable anywhere. We train students not just teach, but to become local business leaders in the mind-body wellness industry Join the Early Notification List for First Application Preference:www.YogaTeachersCollege.com

Back to the Roots was founded in 2009 by then college seniors Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora after discovering how to grow gourmet mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. Since then, Back to the Roots has evolved from urban mushroom farming to a thriving business on a mission to undo food and reconnect families to it through fun, innovative, and delicious Ready to Grow and Ready to Eat products (Organic Mushroom Farm, Water Garden, Garden-in-a-Can, Organic Stoneground Flakes, Organic Breakfast Toppers, and Organic Stoneground Crisps). Back to the Roots currently sells its products in over 14,000 stores worldwide, including Whole Foods Market, Target, Costco, The Home Depot, Nordstrom, Petco, Cost Plus World Market, Loblaw, Giant Eagle, Wegmans, The Fresh Market, Crate & Barrel, Urban Outfitters, Safeway, and Kroger. Nikhil and Alejandro have been honored with several awards recognizing their efforts in sustainability and entrepreneurship including BusinessWeek’s “Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25,” Inc.’s “30 Under 30,” Inc. 500, Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” and CNN’s “10 Next Entrepreneurs to Watch.” In addition, Back to the Roots was named a 2013 Martha Stewart Top Ten American Made honoree and recognized by President Obama as Champions of Change.

Back to the Roots was founded in 2009 by college seniors Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora after discovering how to grow gourmet mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. Since then, Back to the Roots has evolved from urban mushroom farming to a thriving business on a mission to undo food and reconnect families to it through fun, innovative, and delicious Ready to Grow and Ready to Eat products (Organic Mushroom Farm, Water Garden, Garden-in-a-Can, Organic Stoneground Flakes, Organic Breakfast Toppers, and Organic Stoneground Crisps). Back to the Roots currently sells its products in over 14,000 stores worldwide, including Whole Foods Market, Target, Costco, The Home Depot, Nordstrom, Petco, Cost Plus World Market, Loblaw, Giant Eagle, Wegmans, The Fresh Market, Crate & Barrel, Urban Outfitters, Safeway, and Kroger.

Back to the Roots was founded in 2009 by college seniors Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora after discovering how to grow gourmet mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. Since then, Back to the Roots has evolved from urban mushroom farming to a thriving business on a mission to undo food and reconnect families to it through fun, innovative, and delicious Ready to Grow and Ready to Eat products (Organic Mushroom Farm, Water Garden, Garden-in-a-Can, Organic Stoneground Flakes, Organic Breakfast Toppers, and Organic Stoneground Crisps). Back to the Roots currently sells its products in over 14,000 stores worldwide, including Whole Foods Market, Target, Costco, The Home Depot, Nordstrom, Petco, Cost Plus World Market, Loblaw, Giant Eagle, Wegmans, The Fresh Market, Crate & Barrel, Urban Outfitters, Safeway, and Kroger.

Back to the Roots was founded by Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora.  They came across the idea during a class lecture of being able to potentially grow gourmet mushrooms entirely on recycled coffee grounds. Inspired by the idea of turning waste into wages and fresh, local food, they became full-time urban mushroom farmers and back to the roots was born.

Back to the Roots sells kits for growing edible plants. Their business involves physical products and isn’t one that obviously lends itself to intense experimentation. And yet, as we learned in a popular talk from Nikhil and Alex last year, they test everything. This year, they’re back to talk about a Kickstarter campaign they used as an MVP for a new product–during which they learned a lot more than they expected.

Meet Nikhil, Co-Founder of Back To The Roots, a company which creates and sells grow-at-home Mushroom Gardens, as well as as a self-cleaning AquaFarm. Nikhil and his business partner, Alex, met their senior year at UC Berkley and went from being future investment bankers, to urban farmers and entrepreneurs. Find out how Back To The Roots is becoming a Big Time Small Business!

33voices interviews Nikhil Arora, co-founder of Back To The Roots.

Back to the Roots was founded by Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora.  They came across the idea during a class lecture of being able to potentially grow gourmet mushrooms entirely on recycled coffee grounds. Inspired by the idea of turning waste into wages & fresh, local food, they became full-time urban mushroom farmers and Back to the Roots was born!