South Asian Trailblazers

There aren’t enough words to describe the energy and resonance that reverberated through the room on Thursday night. We are very lucky that our purpose at South Asian Trailblazers is to shine a light on the stories of the very best in our community. But trailblazers like #JaySean make it easy. Jay Sean is the OG in every kind of way. He is a trailblazer among trailblazers. The first to cross over. An inter-generational icon who’s so beautifully rooted in his own art that he takes the time to uplift others. While he continues to cut his own path (as he has for TWO decades), he stops to clear the brush from ours. Thank you for the most intentional, inspiring, nostalgic, hilarious, and intimate edition of our podcast. Jay and Thara — your gifts remind the rest of us the joys of practicing ours. To our co-hosts at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the 14 amazing South Asian businesses who partnered with us, our team, and growing community, thanks for reminding us what magic feels like. We CANNOT WAIT for y’all to watch this one.?Season 8. December 3. Jay Sean. Follow us here, on any major podcast platform, or at southasiantrailblazers.com!

Reshma Saujani is a relentless champion of women and girls – empowering them to create their futures on their own terms. In our episode with?Reshma, we reflect on her career as an international bestselling author, attorney, activist, the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress, and founder of?Girls Who Code. Today, she’s the Founder of?Moms First, advocating for policies that value women’s labor in and out of the home. A very happy birthday to this trailblazer who never fails to inspire us! Listen to our conversation with?Reshma Saujani: https://lnkd.in/g7i4vXQ2 A few highlights from Reshma’s journey: -Reshma celebrates 10 years of?Girls Who Code. -Reshma hosts the inaugural?Moms First?Summit. -Reshma advocates for change at The White House. -Reshma launches a new podcast! -Reshma celebrates her book launch with Hillary Clinton. -Reshma speaks at the World Economic Forum. #SouthAsianTrailblazers?#WomensEmpowerment

This #VeteransDay, we honor and express our deepest gratitude to those who have served and sacrificed for our country, including two remarkable trailblazers in our community: Medha Gargeya and Nishant Roy. Listen to their inspiring stories: https://lnkd.in/eSrrWn2y Their sacrifices and dedication to something greater than themselves inspire us to strive for a more just, inclusive, and united future. Thank you, Medha and Nishant, and all veterans, for your service. #SouthAsianTrailblazers

Honoring the South Asian Trailblazers who’ve served our country.

Our trailblazer: Co-founder, CEO, media mogul, award-winning violinist – Nora Ali is all that and more. After beginning her career on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs, Nora helped scale Jet.com, stayed on through its $3.3 billion acquisition by Walmart, hosted Morning Brew’s Business Casual Podcast, and joined Cheddar as an anchor where she covered tech, business, and entertainment news. Listen to our episode with Nora – her pivots, passions, and the lessons learned every step of the way: https://lnkd.in/eKrx-XEF Now, she’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Mason Media, elevating underrepresented voices and pushing boundaries in storytelling alongside partners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. A few highlights from Nora’s career: -Nora hosts a fireside chat with Marc Lore at SXSW. -Nora interviews celebs like Shaquille O'Neal and Elizabeth Olsen during her time as an anchor at Cheddar. -Nora speaks at numerous panels, summits, and conferences about AAPI entrepreneurship, women empowerment, the latest industry trends, and more. -Nora performs at Carnegie Hall! Full episodes are available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! #SouthAsianTrailblazers #Entrepreneurship #CheddarNews #MorningBrew #AAPI #WomenInMedia #WomenInBusiness

It was an honor to attend President Biden’s Diwali ?? at the White House! To hear our story rendered by the President of the United States on our holiest day. To watch my grandfather’s wildest dreams become an ultimate reality. To see the identity I love so dearly venerated in the People’s House. To meld my two cultures so profoundly, vibrantly. To do so when the nation is running the first Black & South Asian woman for its highest office. To trust that what I’m creating South Asian Trailblazers has reason to resonate. To find a hundred friendly faces in rooms where our antecedents had none. To know that in one generation, this is how far we’ve come. It was President Biden’s rendering of our story that sent chills. Because I’ve certainly heard it a million times before, but never from the President of the United States. That he was at once speaking uniquely to each of us but also collectively to all of us: “They scraped together their life savings for their first flight ever to come to America. Far from family, far from home, with just a single suitcase and a few dollars in their pocket…the South Asian American community enriched every part of American life, and that’s the truth…Generations ago, they lit Diyas in the dark quietly under the shadow of suspicion, now in a time, where Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly at the White House.”

Arianna Afsar is more than just a performer – she’s a changemaker. Whether she’s captivating audiences in Hamilton, composing original #Music, starring in top Netflix films, or encouraging #SouthAsian voters to advocate for a more equitable future,?Arianna's career is a testament to how #Art can be a powerful tool for change. A few highlights from her journey: -Arianna stars as Eliza in the iconic?#HamiltonMusical?in Chicago. -Arianna makes her?Joes Pub?DEBUT on November 7th! She’ll be performing music across her discography for the very first time in New York City. Be sure to get your tickets! -Arianna stars in the popular Netflix film Wedding Season. -Arianna co-creates?#JeanetteMusical, an original musical that honors Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress in 1916. -Arianna takes the stage in?Bhangin' It: A Bangin’ New Musical at?La Jolla Playhouse. -Arianna pushes for progress and performs an original song at?Indian American Impact. Her advocacy work includes co-chairing the Indian American Impact Artist Ambassador Program and?New York Civil Liberties Union?Artist Ambassador Program. Listen to Arianna’s journey: https://lnkd.in/dCn3nd5n #SouthAsianTrailblazers

Gurbir Grewal, former Director of the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is making his next career move! After stepping down from his role at the SEC, Gurbir is joining Milbank LLP as a partner in New York. During his time at the SEC, Gurbir oversaw critical progress in enforcement actions. After the announcement of Gurbir’s departure, SEC Chair Gary Gensler praised him for his unwavering commitment to #Investor protection and strict adherence to securities laws. Prior to the SEC, Gurbir made history as the first Sikh #AttorneyGeneral for the State of New Jersey. His extensive #LegalCareer also includes roles as Bergen County #Prosecutor and Assistant United States #Attorney for the District of New Jersey, where he was Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit. Check out this snippet from our live conversation with Gurbir, and hear insights from his trailblazing career in the full podcast episode: https://lnkd.in/e5AmZvd3 #SouthAsianTrailblazers

One of the best parts of our work at South Asian Trailblazers is having the opportunity to bring our community together, in-person to share in the story of culture creators. Jay Sean is a special kind of trailblazer, an OG some might say. He pioneered South Asian representation in mainstream music at a time when it was unheard of, so much so that he paved a road for an entire generation of global artists. “Down” and “Do You Remember” will be on repeat in my head rent free the next few weeks, and I’m sure yours too. ?? NYC! — Join us on Nov 14 to meet the man behind these iconic throwbacks, hosted in special partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG): REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/gfZnj6j6

Client Spotlight: Anjula Acharia, Founder & CEO of A-Series Management & Investments Anjula Acharia recently spoke at United Talent Agency’s New York office. Hosted in conversation with comedian and MediaLink leader, Rhea Harsoor, Anjula shared insights from her legendary career as an #entrepreneur, #investor, and #manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas. From helping launch Priyanka’s Hollywood career to investing in unicorn startups like Bumble Inc. and ClassPass, Anjula has consistently championed diverse voices and innovative ideas. At the Trailblazers Agency, we connect expert leaders like Anjula to companies sourcing talent for speaking engagements, brand campaigns, and more. Learn more about working with the agency: https://lnkd.in/eR8ierkZ & Watch our LIVE episode with Anjula on the South Asian Trailblazers podcast: https://lnkd.in/gyWzuMWY #SouthAsianTrailblazers