Igniting Joy

Aarushi Khanna

That one can impact the world at any age is what my next guest exemplifies. Someone barely old enough to buy a drink legally, she has already made a significant difference in people’s lives in her community and around the world. Join me in a conversation with Aarushi Khanna in this episode of Igniting Joy. Aarushi is a menstrual equity activist, creating change in communities worldwide through her global initiatives. She has got the Commonwealth of Virginia to pass an education-based bill that focuses on educating kids about menstrual equity. To get the word out and to push for awareness about menstrual equity, she creates short films addressing a wide range of environmental and justice issues. Her short film “Sincerely, People With Periods | Period Poverty Around the World” has picked up a lot of support and was featured in a global film festival. Aarushi Khanna who is helping make ours a better world, is still simply a college student who is working toward a Nursing degree. Aarushi is also passionate about promoting positive messages on mental health and self-love. Her favorite activities include poetry, dancing, meditation and star-gazing!

Preethi Srinivas

She is a creative thinker, a prolific writer, a passionate activist and simply wants us to get along with all our animal friends, especially cows! Join in me in my conversation with Preethi Srinivas who returns in this episode of Igniting Joy. Preethi Srinivas is a techie and an ardent writer who is raising awareness about the profound connections between humans, animals and nature. She advocates for animal welfare, believing in the power of stories to foster empathy and positive change. She continues to volunteer in-person, and assists remotely in different capacities, at multiple cow shelters and sanctuaries across the globe. In her day job, Preethi is a researcher whose work is focused on understanding and designing products or services that involve social impact, with particular focus on equity and inclusive product design. She holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Indiana University and a Master’s in Computer Science from Miami University.

Basab Pradhan

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances …” My guest in this episode is consumed by his passion for theatre and he is going to tell us how a confirmed technologist became the force behind a vibrant theatre company! Join me in my conversation with Basab Pradhan in this episode of Igniting Joy. Basab Pradhan is a playwright, director, actor & has several full-length plays to his credit. He co-founded the Bay Area Drama Co in 2014 and became the Co-Artistic Director in 2016; he assumed solo responsibility as Artistic Director in 2020. He also serves on the boards of a number of IT companies. Prior to this he had a long and successful career in the technology world with companies such as Infosys. In 2012 Basab Co-Authored the book -“Offshore: India's Services Juggernaut.” A Mechanical Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur, India, he also has an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, India.

Anoop Judge

Recovering litigator? Is that an expression that makes sense? Join in me in my conversation with Anoop Judge on this episode of Igniting Joy as she explains that and tells us how she’s enjoying writing novels that bridge geography and culture! Born and raised in New Delhi, Anoop Judge is the author of four novels – THE RUMMY CLUB (won the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award), THE AWAKENING OF MEENA RAWAT (an excerpt of this was nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize, NO ORDINARY THURSDAY and MERCY and GRACE. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere Review, DoubleBack Review, and the Ornament anthology, among others. She has been a Television Anchor (WomenNow, a San Francisco TV show) and a former practicing litigator.

Anurag Mairal

He is a man on a mission and he’s onto something as he works to bring technology to bear on some of the most vexatious healthcare issues of our times. Join me in a conversation with Anurag Mairal in this episode of Igniting Joy.Dr. Anurag Mairal is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and the Director, Global Outreach Programs at Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, Stanford University. He is also a Faculty Fellow and Lead for Technology Innovation and Impact at Center for Innovation in Global Health. He is a founding co-Director for certain graduate-level courses in Global Health and Global Biodesign offered to engineering, business, and medical students at Stanford University. He serves as the Founding Chair of BME IDEA APAC, a community of medtech innovation programs in Asia Pacific, partnering closely with the industry and academia in the region. He is also an Honorary Professor at University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is a co-founder and Executive Vice President of Orbees Medical, a SF Bay Area-based strategy consulting firm serving the global healthcare industry, with a focus on medtech, pharmaceutical, and digital health. Dr. Mairal has an extensive background in medical technology development and commercialization, collaborating with partners in the U.S., India, China, and other emerging markets to advance product development, manufacturing, and distribution. Previously, he held several positions at Johnson & Johnson and at Membrane Technology and Research (MTR). Dr. Mairal earned a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley.