Season Eight opens with a powerful conversation about legacy, leadership, and the stories we inherit. In this special live-recorded episode, Anika welcomes back filmmaker and social impact leader Mohan Sivaloganathan, joined by his sister Janani, to explore the making of Mohan’s documentary In Pursuit Of. Following the passing of their father, Mohan and his family travelled to Sri Lanka to walk in his footsteps and uncover the roots that shaped his remarkable yet complex life. The siblings reflect on what it means to truly know someone, especially a parent, and how family stories often reveal themselves in nonlinear, unexpected ways. Together, they discuss ambition, cultural identity, the pressures of immigration, and the tension between striving for greatness and allowing oneself to feel ease. The episode highlights how place, memory, and lived experience intersect…and how ancestral travel can open doors to deeper understanding. Mohan and Janani also explore the idea that “an audience completes a story,” inviting listeners to see themselves in the questions their family asked along the way. Their reflections create space for each of us to consider our own pursuits: where they come from, why they matter, and how we hope to be remembered. It’s a moving start to a season centred on the connection between telling and listening, and the transformation that happens in between.
About the guest: Mohan is known as the “Batman of Social Impact,” as an executive leader by day and keynote speaker + hip-hop artist by night. Throughout his career, Mohan has supported local and national organizations in orchestrating sustainable transformation and systems change across corporate social responsibility, education, civic engagement, and philanthropy.
Mohan is the founder of Harmonious Leadership, a movement to address the workforce disengagement crisis through cultural change, leadership development, and sustainable impact. Prior to launching Harmonious Leadership, Mohan served as the CEO of Our Turn, a national, youth-led organization that closed education opportunity gaps.
Mohan was awarded the “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media and a “Next Generation Leader” by the Human Services Council. Mohan’s keynote talks and thought leadership have been featured by TED, ESPN, the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Greenbiz, Synergos Institute, Nationswell, and more. His music has been awarded by the International and USA Songwriting Competitions, and his debut film “In Pursuit Of” received awards from multiple film festivals.
