Shows
The Tamil CreatorEP #133: Siv Sivasamy - UK-Based Co-Founder Of The Mayfair CollectiveSivathasan “Siv” Sivasamy ( @siv.sivasamy ) is the New Business Director at Charles Square as well as the UK-Based Co-Founder Of The Mayfair Collective, a trusted circle of family office advisors that builds business relationships with purpose.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to drop countless gems while discussing arranged marriages, why the Mayfair Collective was created, why modern day relationships are like microwave meals, how boredom can actually be a gift, the “let them” theory, having always been able to connect with people/how it naturally led him his career path, and so much more...
2025-06-071h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #126: Sujani Siva - Founder of PH SPOT, Online Public Health Community For Career GrowthSujani Siva ( @sujanisiva ) has worked for 12+ years in public health across various sectors (not-for-profit, academia and government) & founder of PH SPOT ( @phspot ). About 7.5 years ago, while concurrently working full-time for the government of Canada, she decided to build and launch PH SPOT to support the workforce in public health. To help them build their dream public health careers, where they get to not only make an impact but also find fulfillment in their careers.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss rediscovering LinkedIn, being raised by a single mother, putting in processes to...
2024-10-1357 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #123: Peter Duraisami - CEO at Toronto-Based Non-Profit, The Scott MissionPeter Duraisami ( @peter.duraisami ) is the CEO at The Scott Mission ( @thescottmission ).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his journey from working in a kitchen to becoming CEO, an innate desire to bring justice to the poor and finding his faith in 1997, not wanting to leave India but feeling compelled by God, seeing unseen levels of poverty during COVID, making the transition from the business world to a life of Ministry, and so much more!Follow Peter:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-duraisami-785b4b3...
2024-07-2939 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #122: Suba Umathevan - CEO of Swiss-Based Non-Profit DROSOS FOUNDATIONSuba Umathevan ( @suba.umathevan ) is the CEO of DROSOS FOUNDATION, a Switzerland-based non-profit committed to unlocking the potential of young people.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the work she's done in the non-profit work for the last 10+ years including at the DROSOS FOUNDATION and Plan International Switzerland, being raised in Switzerland and having Tamil values instilled in her from a young age, how she got her TEDx talk opportunity, wanting to become a Swiss diplomat due to discussions about politics with her dad, personal and professional growth she’s experienced alon...
2024-06-3047 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #121: Alex Emmanuel - Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer Of 1v1me (VC-Backed, Mobile Gaming Platform)Alex Emmanuel is a UK-born, Canadian Expat living in New York City who went to work his way up at several start-ups (Skillshare, Grailed, etc.) before going all in with some friends to co-found a gaming app called 1v1me (@1v1meapp) that successfully raised a Series A while also being profitable.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss wanting to have gone to culinary school, how engineering was a tool that allowed him to pursue his passion of creating technology, prioritizing education over compensation early on in his career, growing his bu...
2024-06-0253 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #120: Cheyanne Ratnam - Social Equity Champion, Entrepreneur & Sexual Abuse And Homelessness SurvivorCheyanne Ratnam (@rising.phoenix7) is the Co-founder & CEO of the Ontario Children's Advancement Coalition. She is passionate about equity, developing inclusive and accessible anti-racist spaces and processes, and social innovation. As a social entrepreneur she has dedicated much of her life/expertise in child welfare, homelessness, and equity issues. She is passionate about youth homelessness, child welfare, SDoH, childhood sexual abuse, GBV/IPV, youth development, mobilization and ethical engagement, equity, anti-racism, & human rights issues. Her life experiences spanning various identities and histories sparked much of her life's work and recognition for her work.She joins Ara on...
2024-05-051h 27The Tamil CreatorEP #119: Nitesh Pillai - Australian-Based Model Discovered On TikTokNitesh Pillai (@nitesh.pillai) is professional model that was discovered on TikTok (where he has 100K+ followers & over 5 million likes).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss immigrating from Malaysia to Australia, going from being a victim of bullying to being discovered by IMG Models (an international leader in talent discovery), juggling school and his modelling career, questioning the purpose of education due to his current career path, participating in Paris fashion week, and so much more.Follow Nitesh:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nitesh.pillai/)
2024-04-2142 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #118: Angela Asiana - Swiss-Based Musician, Model & Social Media StarAngela Asiana (@angelaasiana) is a Swiss-based musician, model & social media star. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her unique way of networking through Instagram, navigating the negative side of social media, gradually winning her parents’ approval, who her dream collaborations would be with including The Weeknd (@theweeknd) & A.R. Rahman (@arrahman), the importance of maintaining mental and physical health as an artist, quitting her job last year to pursue music full-time, the importance of gratitude, and so much more.Follow Angela:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/a...
2024-03-2446 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #117: Sujan Selven - Australian-Based Serial Entrepreneur Creating Opportunities For Villages In Northeast Sri Lanka With His Social EnterpriseSujan Selven (@sujanselven) is a serial entrepreneur with his latest venture, Space Group, focused on the telecommunications industry. He is also a founder of social enterprise Upcycled Tech (@upcycled_tech), which provides upcycled tech devices to improve the lives and well-being of those in need, starting with remote villages in Sri Lanka.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how Jack Ma influenced him to think about positively about problems, how COVID led him to create Upcycled Tech/giving back to the Tamil community in Sri Lanka through this social enterprise, future gr...
2024-03-1036 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #116: Aurthi Muthukumaran - Physician Assistant & High Level Tennis PlayerAurthi Muthukumaran (@aurthi.pa) is an emergency medicine and orthopaedic surgery physician assistant and high-level tennis player.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss why she is a big advocate of the physician assistant role as something that young people with an interest in medicine should pursue, how a shoulder injury playing tennis when she was 13 years old had increased her academic focus, having an innate desire to give back to the Tamil community through her work at SHN (@shnfoundation), how physician assistants positively impact the patient experience while helping to remove ba...
2024-02-1850 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #115: Karthy Subramaniam - Founder of Multiple Food Brands, LITS (Hot Sauces) & BUNGKUS (Malaysian Street Food)Karthy Subramaniam (@karthy.subra) is the Founder of LITS Hot Sauce (@litssauce) & Co-Founder of Malaysian street food company BUNGKUS (@bungkus.to) with his mom Siva.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss advice he wish he got when he first started his business, growing up with entrepreneurs around him, how he came up with the name BUNGKUS, scaling LITS to 36 retailers in just over five years of operations, quitting his full time job to start BUNGKUS with his mom and growing this business a faster rate than LITS because of past learnings, an...
2024-01-2850 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #114: Sumu Sathi - Award-Winning Social Advocate, Plus Size Model & ActorSumu Sathi (@sumusathi) is an award winning social advocate, plus size model & actor. She is a Labour Relations Specialist in the Labour Movement and was previously the Chair at CUPE905, representing almost 4,000 public servants. She’s been in the media & community leadership space for almost 20 years. Her community work has been featured in places like Toronto.com, NOW Toronto & the Toronto Star. In 2017, she was chosen to be part of post-war socioeconomic development work in Sri Lanka as a Leadership facilitator. She is the 2023 recipient of the Inclusion Excellence Award from University of Toronto (@uoft). Sumu has acted in tw...
2024-01-0757 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #113: Aravinth Panch - From Stateless Forced Child Soldier To Serial Tech Entrepreneur Driving Social Change in Sri Lanka As Co-Founder of DreamSpace AcademyAravinth Panch (@aravinthpanch) is a social & tech entrepreneur empowering underserved communities in the Global South to tackle local socio-economic and environmental challenges while helping companies to realise their ideas from mind to market. He is currently the co-founder of DreamSpace Academy (@dreamspace.academy).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he went from stateless and suicidal to super successful, having a pet crocodile, founding several businesses and investing in various others, being forced to become a child soldier at the age of 14, trying to deport himself from India 6 times before successfully be...
2023-12-101h 09The Tamil CreatorEP #112: Janani Shanmuganathan - Criminal Defense Lawyer On Following Her Calling & Being A Role Model To Future LawyersJanani Shanmuganathan (@janani_shanmuganathan) is a criminal defense lawyer who has appeared frequently at the Ontario Court of Appeal and has argued at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. She is a Partner at Goddard & Shanmuganathan LLP.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss participating as co-counsel for a landmark Supreme Court Case (R.v. Nur.), how the cool moments of law that are seen on TV are only 10% of what being a lawyer entails, starting a business with her husband and navigating a work-life balance with it...
2023-11-1941 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #111: Kavishan Pathmanathan - From Flemingdon Park To Fort Erie, Helping To Create Influential Canadian Prep Basketball ProgramKavishan Pathmanathan (@__kavishan) is the Co-founder and Director of Basketball Operations at Fort Erie International Academy (@feiambb).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss hating basketball while growing up because of his brother Deluxshan (@deluxshanp), how he helped start Fort Erie International Academy's basketball program, his relationship with Leonard Miller (@leonard.m11), signing a three year deal with New Balance (@newbalance), the impact of Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) and the Raptors (@raptors) winning a championship on the Canadian basketball scene, quitting his full-time insurance job in March, the importance of working for free to...
2023-10-2952 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #110: Jamie Gnanapragasam - 15+ Years In The Oil & Gas Industry Culminating In Being Named A "2023 Star Women in Convenience Award" RecipientJamie Gnanapragasam is Manager of Merchandising Systems at Parkland Corporation, a veteran of the oil & gas industry for 15+ years and a recipient of the 2023 Star Women in Convenience award.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss spending the past 15 years in the Oil & Gas industry, being a receipient of the "2023 Star Women In Convenience" award, if oil will become obsolete in a more sustainable future, being the only person in her friends circle who stayed in one company for an extended period of time, her passion for giving back, and so much mo...
2023-10-0841 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #109: Nimal Navarathinam - Scarborough-Raised Space Engineer Working On International MissionsNimal Navarathinam (@nimalnavarathinam) did his Masters of Space & Systems Engineering at York University, but has predominantly worked in Europe or for European-based companies including his most recent role as a Principal Space Systems Engineer at In-Space Missions.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his fascination with science from an young age, how networking gave him international exposure to what was happening in the space industry globally, breaking into the space industry during the 2008 financial crisis, focusing his Masters on CubeStats & how they helped him in his career now, the importance of re...
2023-09-1758 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #108: Abirami Shanmugaratnam - Elite Athlete, Coach, Chiropractor & EntrepreneurAbirami Shanmugaratnam (@abiskyhigh) is an elite athlete, personal trainer and entrepreneur (@skyhighperformance_), and a recent Chiropractic grad.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss having teachers in the family, the myth of work-life balance, being enrolled in tons of extracurricular activities from a young age, how she named her company, creating an opportunity for herself to work with MLSE, meeting Muggsy Bogues (@therealmuggsy) and Gradey Dick (@gradey), gaining respect in her profession, and so much more.Follow Abi:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/abiskyhigh/) ...
2023-08-2736 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #107: Dhaksayan Shanmuganayagam - Chief Information Officer (CIO) At The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)Dhaksayan Shanmuganayagam (@dhaksayan.s) is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Toronto Transit Commission (@takethettc).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss watching "Law & Order" with his family nurtured his love for the legal industry, using the approach of thinking of yourself as a product to progress in his career, teaching himself how to program and code (developing computer games as a hobby and selling it to his friends), the importance of delivering on time and maintaining a good reputation, being raised in a risk-averse family, the power of continually investing in...
2023-07-3034 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #106: Mohana Rajakumar - American Creative Living In Qatar Sharing Her Storytelling Journey As An Author, Filmmaker & Standup ComicMohana Rajakumar (@moha_doha) is an American-Tamil (currently residing in Qatar) novelist, comic, scholar and screenwriter with a PhD in English.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss moving to Qatar in her 20s, the importance of letting your children try everything (nurturing the generalist in them), how she manages her finances as a creative, leveraging Kickstarter to launch her films, writing nine books in nine years, being a meticulous planner, and so much more.Follow Mohana:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/moha_doha/) ...
2023-07-0955 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #105: Jano Jayapalan - Co-Founder Of Family-Run Food Business, Reggie's RollsJano Jayapalan (@janojjanj) is the co-founder of Reggie’s Rolls (@reggiesrolls), a family-owned caterer that makes deep fried rolls inspired by Sri Lankan & Fusion cuisine, with the goal of making rolls mainstream!He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss starting his company to escape the rat race, providing the perfect mutton to potato ratio, delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic, why bakeries shouldn’t devalue their food, mixing family and business, why being an entrepreneur isn’t as glamorous as it sounds, and so much more.Follow Jano:- Instag...
2023-06-1839 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #104: Sindu Sivapalan - Real Estate Investor Who Relocated From The GTA To The East Coast To Pursue Financial FreedomSindu Sivapalan (@sindusiva) is a real estate investor who made the bold move from the GTA to the East Coast (Moncton) with her husband while she was 8 months pregnant to pursue financial freedom.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss having a ‘go with the flow’ mindset, what she learned from analyzing portfolios as a financial advisor, the benefits of East Coast living, having a passion for real estate from a young age, the importance of using your equity to work for you while making calculating decisions, and so much more.
2023-05-2140 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #103: Mano Kulasingam - Tech Entrepreneur Supporting Immigrant Founders As Managing Partner Of Flair VenturesMano Kulasingam (@manok4) is currently the Founder & Managing Partner for Flair Ventures, a VC firm focused on investing in early-stage startups with at least 1 immigrant founder. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Digiflare which was acquired 10 years into the business by Accedo.tv.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of family (father/brother) in his life, the benefit of being a late entrant into a market, studying in Ottawa (a city that was once considered "Silicon Valley North"), succeeding with Digiflare through failure & eventually exiting, starting Flair Ve...
2023-04-3055 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #102: Fiona Kingsley Boyer - Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer) Survivor & "Love Scarborough" Campaign AmbassadorFiona Kingsley Boyer (@fi_kingsley) is a Development Officer for the Scarborough Health Network Foundation (SHN, @shnfoundation) and cancer survivor.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss surviving Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer, the survivor spirit of Scarborough and trying to improve its misunderstood reputation, her experience finding out she had cancer while pregnant & going through chemotherapy, being part of a team that's raised more than half of the $100 million dollar goal for the "Love Scarborough" campaign, having a greater appreciation for the value of time, and SO much more.Fo...
2023-04-0249 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #101: Jay Vasantharajah - Buying Multi-Million Dollar Tech Companies As Founder & Managing Partner At Atlasview EquityJay Vasantharajah (@jayvasdigital) is the Founder & Managing Partner at Atlasview Equity, which buys multi-million tech-enabled businesses.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the importance of saving up your first $100K, waiting on the "fat pitch" opportunities as described by Warren Buffet, transitioning from a job at Deloitte to starting his agency where he saw one client IPO for $450 million dollars and another get acquired for $2 billion dollars, Atlasview's playbook after acquiring a company to fuel growth, the importance of “escape velocity” in investing and building trust in business, being inspired by Mark L...
2023-02-191h 28The Tamil CreatorEP #100: Ara Ehamparam - Podcast Host, Entrepreneur & FIRE BelieverAra Ehamparam (@araehamparam) is the podcast host of "The Tamil Creator". He's an entrepreneur, FIRE believer and admirer of creators.On this momentous 100th episode of #TheTamilCreator, Ara's wife, Claudia (@claudiangele), turns the tables on our usual host to find out more about him. They explore why he started "The Tamil Creator" podcast, special messages from his best friend & guest on EP 44 of the podcast @vas_saranga [founder of @theonlineactor] as well as his favourite (& only sister) Shagana, how he got the nickname "Tamil Nelly", his various entrepreneurial ventures, his unparalleled passion for Google calendar, the value o...
2023-02-1247 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #99: Shaminy Waran - Entrepreneur Who Created A Luxury Hair Collection While Managing The Demands Of Motherhood & A Full-Time JobShaminy Waran (@sham.waran) is the entrepreneur behind the Sham Waran Luxury Hair Collection.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of growing up as an introverted middle child, how she deals with "mom guilt", helping customers who have severe health conditions like alopecia, not wanting to jeopardize friendship for the sake of business, not being a big risk taker but risking $30,000 to give her business a chance to grow, being a people pleaser when she was young, and much more.Follow Shaminy:- Instagram (ht...
2023-02-0552 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #98: Ahilan Arulanantham - Lawyer, Professor & Immigrants' Right AdvocateAhilan Arulanantham is a Lawyer, Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law (@uclalawschool). He has successfully litigated a number of cases involving immigrants’ rights, particularly the rights of people facing deportation from the US. He has been Senior Counsel and Director of Advocacy/Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, @aclu_nationwide) of Southern California and was the recipient of a 2016 MacArthur Fellow (a "Genius Grant").He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss winning a MacArthur Fellow Grant (@macfound) for $625,000 for a fi...
2023-01-2955 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #97: Shanghavy Karunakaran - Growing Up In A Women's Shelter To Becoming A Successful Tech Professional & Career ConsultantShanghavy Karunakaran (@saangavii) is a Senior Consultant at IBM and Career Coach.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss living in a women’s shelter and visiting food banks, growing up introverted and learning to be extroverted, the value of networking in landing her current job today, reviewing resumes as a side hustle to help others grow in their careers, and SO much more.Follow Shanghavy:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/saangavii/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shangh...
2023-01-2248 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #96: Shiyam Thavandiran - Data Scientist Who Took 1-Year Sabbatical To Pursue Chess Grandmaster TitleShiyam Thavandiran (@shiyamalen) is a data scientist & International Chess Master, who took a 1-yaer sabbatical from work to pursue the Chess Grandmaster title.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss taking a year off work to pursue his chess ambitions, hanging out with one of the greatest chess players of all time in Magnus Carlsen, the importance of reflecting and being open to other perspectives, travelling to different parts of the world to participate in chess tournaments, the level of preparation required for chess tournaments, and so much more.Fo...
2023-01-1544 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #95: Thinesa Sri - Professional Beach Volleyball Player & Fashion ModelThinesa Sri (@tininthehouse) is a professional volleyball player and fashion model who currently lives in LA, but is originally from Toronto.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss inheriting her parents’ athletic genes, volleyball being the only sport in the world with equal pay for both genders, being labelled as culturally ambiguous and how it benefits her modelling career, chasing a spot in the 2024 Olympics, and so much more.Follow Thinesa:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tininthehouse/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara intr...
2023-01-0844 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #94: Gandeephan Ganeshalingam - VP (Tech Ops) At WestJet And Former CIO At GE CanadaGandeephan Ganeshalingam is the VP of Technical Operations at WestJet and former CIO of GE Canada.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how leaving Toronto catalyzed his career trajectory, the importance of not delegating parenting responsibilities to others, “growing up” in the University of Lagos and Waterloo University, the changing landscape of education and work, what traits he looks for in new employees, and so much more.Follow Gandeephan:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gandeephan-ganeshalingam-986496197/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara introd...
2023-01-0151 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #93: Geetha Moorthy - Founder & Executive Director Of The SAAAC Autism CentreGeetha Moorthy (@geethamoorthysaaac) is the Founder & Executive Director of SAAAC Autism Centre (@thesaaac) in Toronto, which she has been working on for 14+ years with the help of many enthusiastic and loyal volunteers.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her passion for dance and choreography, winning the Gerry Bloomfield Award, coming to Canada and wanting to give back to the community, going from humble beginnings in her living room to running multiple centre locations, raising over $25,000 at SAAAC’s first gala in 2010, serving 350+ families in 2020, and so much more.Foll...
2022-12-1840 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #92: Charles Bosco - Award-Winning Producer & British Serial Entrepreneur (Launched NFT Collection "Millionaire Monkey Club")Charles Bosco (@charlesbosco) is an award-winning music producer & serial entrepreneur with a passion for Web3.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he manages his schedule given his many projects, the why behind one of his latest initiatives the "Millionaire Monkey Club" NFT collection (@millionairemonkeyclub), buying real estate because of his Ethereum investments, how young people should prepare for future success, why communities are difficult to build and so much more!Follow Charles:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/charlesbosco/) Timestamps
2022-12-1158 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #91: Hamsha Pathmanathan - Wildlife Biologist's Journey Working In Places Like Nigeria & The Northwest TerritoriesHamsha Pathmanathan (@hamsha.p) is currently a Habitat Biologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada while previously working as a Wildlife Biologist in the Northwest Territories.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her natural inclination towards animals (vs people), an interesting story involving her saving mongoose babies in Nigeria, why and how she ended up in the Northwest Territories, being the only Tamil in her city and living amongst a population of just 1,200 people, why she would never explore the Amazon by herself and so much more.Follow Ha...
2022-12-051h 09The Tamil CreatorEP #90: Sai Tirulokan - Top Producing Real Estate Agent Shares His Path To Success & Why He Bought 6ixBuzz TV's First Ever NFTSai Tirulokan (@saitiru) is a very successful real estate agent & broker at RE/MAX Metropolis Realty, who's been in the real estate game for almost a decade starting at a very young age.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how his dad pointed at a sign to kickstart his real estate career, YouTube helping him break through the industry, how selling necklaces and credit cards helped improve his sales skills, buying @6ixbuzztv's first ever NFT, and so much more.Follow Sai:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.co...
2022-11-2752 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #89: Anoshinie Muhundarajah - Professional Dancer & Choreographer Who Has Shared The Stage With Lilly Singh (World Tour) And Simu Liu (2022 Junos)Anoshinie Muhundarajah (@anoshinie) is a professional Choreographer & Dancer who's shared with the stage with Lilly Singh (lilly, World Tour) and Simu Liu (@simuliu, 2022 Junos).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her experience with Canada’s Got Talent, getting her parents to buy in on her dream, going on a world tour as a feature dancer with Lily Singh, being a dancer on Disney’s Sneakerella, sharing the stage with Simu Liu at the 2022 Junos, her passion for giving back and being able to combine this with her love for dance, and so muc...
2022-11-2044 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #88: Shyam Srinivasan - Canadian Professional Poker Player Who's Won MillionsShyam Srinivasan (@shyam990) is a professional poker player who's won millions of dollars playing both online and in tournaments all over the world.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss foregoing a career in criminal law to play poker professionally and how his parents reacted to this decision, the different countries he’s gotten to play in, running into celebrity poker players throughout the years, why cash games involve more skill than tournaments, misconceptions about poker and much more.Follow Shyam:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shya...
2022-11-1323 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #87: Abarna Raj - CEO of Australian-Based Social Startup Palmera (Changing The Way The World Tackles Poverty)Abarna Raj is the Co-Founder & CEO of Australian-based Palmera (@palmeraprojects). The organization is named after a tree which grows in Sri Lanka and is fundamental to the existence of the communities it's located in because every part of it is used from the bark, the timber, the leaves and the fruit. Palmera is a social startup looking to help change the way that the world tackles poverty by ensuring that the poor having a living income (with a focus on Sri Lanka).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being in Sri La...
2022-11-061h 00The Tamil CreatorEP #86: Ganesh Thava - Overcoming Childhood Adversities To Find Success As An Actor & DirectorGanesh Thava (@ganesh.thava) is a Tamil-Canadian Director, Writer & Actor. He's had roles in movies "Spin" and "Cyber Underground" while writing & directing his own short film "The Orchard & The Tree" (premiered at @reelasian).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being pro-therapy, having rejection rituals, his movie screened at international film festivals, dealing with pushback when he told his parents he wanted to apply for theatre school, how having a business background has helped with his creative career, and so much more.Follow Ganesh:- Instagram (https://ww...
2022-10-3059 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #85: Keerthana Rang - A Career In Communications Spanning From Politics To Tech (Uber, Sidewalk Labs)Keerthana Rang (@keerthanarang) is the Corporate Communications Lead at @Uber in Canada.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss transitioning from politics to tech, growing up in the Tamil co-op in Parkdale, how governments & private companies interact to drive innovation forward, her involvement in developing the new @tamilcommunitycentre in Scarborough, if school actually matters in the grand scheme of things, and much more.Follow Keerthana:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/keerthanarang/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Keer...
2022-10-231h 00The Tamil CreatorEP #84: Piraveen Sivalingam - His Entrepreneurial Journey As A Boston Pizza Franchise OwnerPiraveen Sivalingam (@piraveens) is an entrepreneur who owns & runs a Boston Pizza Franchise with his brother in Markham (Canada).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got into the franchising game, doing business with family, missing out on fun with friends/family when he was younger because of the responsibilities that came with being a business owner, the future of franchise businesses, the challenge of finding good staff post-pandemic, not paying himself for the first couple years of running the business, and so much more.Follow Piraveen:...
2022-10-1652 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #83: Vanessa Raquel Raponi - Engineer At Spin Master, Founder of EngiQueers Canada & Abuse SurvivorVanessa Raquel Raponi (@vanessaraquelraponi) is a Senior Product Development Engineer at Spin Master (@spinmaster) and Founder of EngiQueers Canada (@engiqueerscanada).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being a poor brown kid in a wealthy part of Toronto (Leaside), being queer, surviving childhood abuse, getting the opportunity to be the Willy Wonka of product development, her grandfather’s orphanage in Sri Lanka and the impact he had on her, and so much more.Follow Vanessa:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vanessaraquelraponi/) Timestamps...
2022-10-0949 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #82: Sundar Viswanathan - Award-Winning (Including A 2022 Juno) Canadian Jazz MusicianSundar Viswanathan (@sundarvmusic) is an award-winning (including a 2022 JUNO) Canadian Jazz musician.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how being subjected to racism led him to a career in music, how his dad got him a second opportunity for music education after he failed an audition, going from getting paid in wings to winning a JUNO (@thejunoawards), similarities between being a musician and entrepreneur, the importance of The Canada Council for the Arts (@canada.council) spreading Canadian music around the world, his biggest regret (Creator Confessions), and so much more.
2022-10-0259 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #81: Anusha Srijeyanathan - From Employee #17 At Eloqua (Acquired By Oracle) To Executive VP of Client Success At BenevityAnusha Srijeyanathan (@anusha_srij) is the Executive Vice President of Client Success at Benevity (@benevity). She was previously part of Eloqua (which was acquired by Oracle).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss making the most of your circumstances, why she went from finishing her last day at Oracle in Toronto on a Friday and starting hew new job at Benevity on a Monday in Calgary, key differences between start-ups like Eloqua versus larger corporations like Oracle, how a vision board changed her life, how Nike contributed to Benevity’s growth early on...
2022-09-191h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #80: Gokul Natesan - The Life Of A Professional Basketball PlayerGokul Natesan (@gokuln_) is a professional basketball player who grew up in California.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss getting his basketball chops from his dad who played in India, the process of becoming a professional basketball player (the good and the bad), hooping with NBA star Jordan Poole, the Raptors vs. Warriors championship series, South Asian representation in the NBA, the importance of keeping a long-term view in mind, and so much more.Follow Gokul:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gokuln_/)Ti...
2022-09-1142 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #78: Jey Balachandran - From Employee #7 To CTO At Doximity (800+ Person Publicly Traded Tech Company)Jey Balachandran (@jeybalachandran) is the Chief Technology Officer at Doximity, after joining 10+ years ago as Employee #7.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss Doximity’s adoption of remote work prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, their hangouts at the U of T library, the value of University degrees in the future, being headhunted and moving to the US as a result, differences between Toronto and San Francisco with everything ranging from technology to food, splurging on a Dyson hair dryer, his go-to food spot in the Bay Area (Mission Burrito), and so much more...
2022-08-2844 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #77: Jallaja Pararajasingham - Dancer, Choreographer & Founder Of Let's Jalsa Dance AcademyJallaja Pararajasingham (@letsjalsa) is a dancer, choreographer & founder of Let's Jalsa Dance Academy. She is also the Manager of Volunteer Resources at the SAAAC Autism Centre (@thesaaac).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her work/passion as a choreographer & dancer, her parents owning the Bread Master Bakery in Malvern Mall (Ara was a frequent visitor when he was younger), combining her love of dancing & giving back through her work at SAAAC, going to Sri Lanka in 2019 to help children with special needs, and so much more.Follow Jallaja:...
2022-08-2138 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #76: Naren Balakrishnan - Helping Canadian Companies Innovate By Navigating The Multi-Billion Dollar SRED ProgramNaren Balakrishnan (@naren.bala) is a Partner at Grant Thornton LLP.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his past life being an engineer at IBM, the $3 billion-plus tax credits that are given out in Canada every year, his relationship with money including how he invests, why companies need to consider & take advantage of the SRED program, and more!Follow Naren:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/narenbalakrishnan/) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/naren.bala/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara in...
2022-08-1451 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #75: Apinayah Arul - Starting Varman's Smile Foundation After Losing Her Younger Brother To SuicideApinayah Arul (@apin.yah.ai) is co-founder of Varman's Smile Foundation (@vsmilefoundation) which was started in her late brother’s memory with a mission of raising awareness around mental health and suicide prevention.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss moving from Toronto to Vancouver for a fresh start which included 5 days of drivng with her family, how Varman’s Smile Foundation was created, common misconceptions about mental health in the Tamil community, how Tamil movies glorify suicide by correlating it with romance, raising $30,000 to fund her organization, how fantasy books help her cr...
2022-08-0738 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #74: Sibi Selvanathan - Writing & Publishing An Amazon Top 5 Epic Fantasy Book In 18 Months During The PandemicSibi Selvanathan (@superstarsibi) is a Product Manager by profession who was able to knock off a bucket list item for himself by writing & publishing an Amazon Top 5 Epic Fantasy Book in 18 months during the pandemic (@author_skselva).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss why he chose to write a fantasy genre novel, how he leveraged free time to sharpen his writing skills, being inspired by his sister who helped write ‘Amutha Learns’ (@amuthalearns, Episode 1 guest of "The Tamil Creator"), being a morning person and trying to make the most of every minute...
2022-07-3141 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #72: Bhi Bhiman - St. Louis Native & Musician On His Journey Including New Album "I'll Sleep When I'm Famous"Bhi Bhiman (@bhibhiman) is an American singer-songwriter who grew in St. Louis and now lives in LA. He's been called "One of America's Best Kept Secrets".He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his latest album "I'll Sleep When I'm Famous" as a tribute to his late nephew, the guitar being his first love at age 7, his album being a socio-political response to Donald Trump’s election and the American landscape, doing a parody of Whiplash with Keegan-Michael Key (@Keegan-Michael Key) and struggling to keep up, Twitter being a ‘bad neighbourhood’ that Bhi does...
2022-07-1755 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #71: Tanya Selvaratnam - Emmy-Nominated Producer, Writer, Abuse Survivor & Social Justice ChampionTanya Selvaratnam (@tanyaauthor) is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, abuse survivor and social justice champion.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss reading at the age of 2, her last book Assume Nothing and the impact she hopes it has along with her upcoming book Leaf Me Alone, her first film getting into the Sundance Film Festival and the opportunities that came out of this, having a photographic memory, her creative writing process, being a survivor of abuse, and so much more.Follow Tanya:- Twitter (https://twitter.com/ta...
2022-07-1045 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #70: Prakash Chandran - Co-Founder & CEO of Xano, Fastest No Code Backend Development PlatformPrakash Chandran (@prakawesome) is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur and currently the co-founder of Xano, the fastest no code backend development platform. If his last name sounds familiar, he is the brother of Sashee Chandran (@sasheechandran), founder of @myteadrop and guest on Episode #9 of the "The Tamil Creator" podcast. Our second brother-sister combo that's appeared on the podcast!He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss helping his mom with her solopreneur business at a young age, going through 6 rounds of interviews to get into Google and working closely with the Sundar Pichai, be...
2022-07-031h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #69: Apiramy Jeyarajah - Creating & Embracing Change As The Head of UK Wholesale At Aviva InvestorsApiramy Jeyarajah is the Head of UK Wholesale at Aviva Investors.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to chat about topics like working hard to get herself into a leadership role in the finance industry where people that look like her are rare, a growing trend towards digital platforms & robo-advisors, to moving from Sri Lanka to London at the age of 2, her dad instilling a belief in her that she was no less than anyone else, the notion that money is no longer the main motivator for employees, wanting to create an environment wh...
2022-06-2641 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #68: Tharshan Rajendiram - Co-Creator Of The "Basement Reels" YouTube Channel (80,000+ Subscribers)Tharshan Rajendiram (@tharshanr) is writer, director, standup comedian and actor, along with being the co-creator behind the famous "Basement Reels" YouTube channel (@basementreels, 80,000+ subscribers).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he he met his co-creator behind the "Basement Reels" YouTube channel, the desire to belong after immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka, Basement Reels growing to more than 80K subscribers, making a demo tape during the pandemic, how fans inspire him to keep making content, not getting bogged down by failure, and so much more.Follow Tharshan:...
2022-06-1947 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #67: Rathika Sitsabaiesan - From Politician (Canada's 1st Tamil MP) to ProfessorRathika Sitsabaiesan (@rathikasitsabaiesan) is a former politician (Canada's First Tamil Member of Parliament) and currently a professor at Centennial College (@centennialcollege).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in a single income household, watching her parents help other Tamil immigrants get on their feet in Canada, introducing Tamil Heritage Month with the late Jack Layton’s full support, the impact of a Tamil being elected as an MP, taking 8 months off in 2015 due to extreme burnout, how somebody in the Vietnamese community encouraged her to become a teacher; her ensuing pass...
2022-06-121h 13The Tamil CreatorEP #66: Dunstan Peter - On Launching Trinity Tech, A Multi-Million Dollar BusinessDunstan Peter is a serial entrepreneur who is the founder of several companies including Trinity Tech, Tnext Communication & Trinity Star Development. He was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2019.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the power of education, building up the sales momentum for his multi-million dollar business with no sales reps initially except himself, having a desire to give from a young age, working to change homelessness, killing snakes in his childhood and the PTSD he experiences now because of it, loving himself and having zero regrets or...
2022-06-051h 02The Tamil CreatorEP #65: Rubi Balasingam - Kung Fu Trained Australian Actress & Writer Promoting Tamil Voices In TV & FilmRubi Balasingam (@rubi_balasingam) is an Australian-based actress and screenwriter, includes roles in TV Series "Jack Irish" and "Improv Sessions".Rubi joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss starting out her career while doing comedic theatre, the importance of a side hustle as an actor, learning Kung Fu & ballet to improve her odds in acting, discussing being an extrovert vs introvert, if she would ever consider moving to North America for her acting career, the experience with dealing with different agents, Mortal Kombat being filmed in Australia, and much more.Fo...
2022-05-291h 07The Tamil CreatorEP #64: Rajan Bala - Missing Out On A "Big Exit" As The Co-Founder Of Retail Tech Startup HikuRajan Bala (@im.provising) enjoys being a tech builder - he was a co-founder at retail tech startup Hiku.Rajan joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to how Carleton University (@carleton_u) is underrated when it comes to engineering talent, how the idea for Hiku was formed along with how they got the idea off the ground, missing out a big exit with Walmart, starting a charity to help transfer knowledge from the Tamil diaspora back to Sri Lanka, financial independence and more.Follow Rajan:- LinkedIn (https://www.li...
2022-05-221h 12The Tamil CreatorEP #63: Milli Thangarajah - International Makeup Artist (Published)Milli Thangarajah (@thiso_makeup) is a published international makeup artist.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the kindest thing somebody did for her, balancing a full-time finance job with being a makeup artist as a side hustle, wanting to be an actress & what's stopping her today from pursuing it, how COVID taught her to slow down, why she's terrified of snakes, doing your research BEFORE you network, Ara reminding her of Jay Shetty (@jayshetty), and so much more.Follow Milli:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/th...
2022-05-151h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #62: Vinnin (Vinuson Suntharesan) - 17-Year-Old Canadian Hip Hop Artist With A Song On The NBA 2K21 SoundtrackVinnin is a 17 year-old Malyali/Tamil-Canadian hip hop artist from Scarborough.He joins Ara (as the youngest guest to date) on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got booed the first time he got on stage, being influenced by Canadian artists (Drake [@champagnepapi], The Weeknd [@theweeknd] & Nav [@Nav]), being featured on the @NBA 2K21 Next Gen Soundtrack and how he made sure he wasn’t take advantage of (from a financial/legal perspective), using criticism to improve yourself, feeling mentally stronger than anyone else, wanting to motivate people, and much more.Fo...
2022-05-0846 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #61: Priscilla Sreedharan - Former Associate Producer on CBC's Dragons' DenPriscilla Sreedharan (@priscillasree) is a content producer and passionate storyteller who was an Associate Producer of Dragon’s Den (@cbcdragon) during its ascent. She later went on to do some interesting roles at both Cineplex (@cineplexmovies) & TD (@td_canada).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her time working with Dragon’s Den, wanting to be Peter Mansbridge when she was growing up, being a ‘serial hobbyist’, food sustainability, her thoughts on the lack of transparency around the topic of money, living frugally and being intentional with her purchases, how she CRUSHED $30K of debt...
2022-05-011h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #60: Ravi Srinivasan - International Programmer At The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) & Hot DocsRavi Srinivasan was raised in a half-Filipino, half-Tamil household in Sarnia before moving to Toronto where is he now the Interntional Programmer (Canada) for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, @tiff_net). He's also the International Programmer for the Hot Docs Caandian International Documentary Festival (@hotdocs_) and the Founder/Executive Director of the South Western International Film Festival (SWIFF, @swiffca).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he got his first job in the film industry with cold calling, his lifelong interest in public speaking from a young age, having no id...
2022-04-241h 11The Tamil CreatorEP #59: Genevive Savundranayagam - Serial Entrepreneur & Brand Builder Behind Mahara Mindfulness (Creator Of "The Human Being Journal")Genevive Savundranayagam (@genevivesav) is a serial entrepreneur, brand builder and the Co-Founder of Mahara Mindfulness (@maharamindfulness) which created the buzzworthy "The Human Being Journal".She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the spark behind "The Human Being Journal", side hustles, a fear of not living up to her full potential, quitting her job right before the pandemic to take the entrepreneurial leap, prioritizing friendship/family over business, the peace she experienced in New Zealand and much more.Follow Genevive:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/genevivesav/) ...
2022-04-1755 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #58: Suresh Sriskandarajah - Lawyer, Engineer & MBA Grad Who Overcame Extreme Personal Adversity To Achieve SuccessSuresh Sriskandarajah (@suresh.sriskandarajah) is a technology and business lawyer at Suresh Law Professional Corporation (@suresh.law).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss learning a sense of responsibility from a very young age, how being a long distance runner helped develop his strong work ethic, why he has four degrees (BASc, BA, MBA, JD), other full-time roles he has including be the COO at CSI & Executive Director at Mosaic Lab, why education will stay relevant but the process for acquiring degrees will likely change, not having a television, doing public speaking to...
2022-04-1054 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #57: Amritha Shakti - Chennai-Born, Australian-Raised Musician With An MBAAmritha Shakti (@amritha.shakti) is a Chennai-born, Australian-raised song writer who describes herself as a hippie with an MBA.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss why she decided to get her MBA even though she is so passionate about music, the notion that money is love, having depression in her late teens, her admiration for Abdul Kalam, her strong sense of purpose which involves working in the development field in India, using flow state and more.Follow Amritha Shakti:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amritha.sh...
2022-04-0352 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #56: Mayuran Yogarajah - Head of IX Labs & Distinguished Engineer At Index ExchangeMayuran Yogarajah (@myren.y) is the Head of IX Labs and Distinguished Engineer at Index Exchange (@indexexchange), where he joined almost 20 years ago as Employee #2 (he was 1 hour late to the interview), seeing it grow massively in that time frame.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss being 1 hour late for his interview (when Google Maps was not around), transitioning from SVP Engineering to spearheading investments as Head of IX Labs, not finishing his degree at the University of Toronto, working in the same company now for nearly two decades, learning to sl...
2022-03-2759 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #55: Manjula Selvarajah & Kirthana Sasitharan - CBC Journalists Behind The Award-Winning "Boldly Asian" SeriesManjula Selvarajah (@manjaselva) and Kirthana Sasitharan (@kirthanasasitharan) are this week’s guests on #TheTamilCreator. Manjula is a Toronto-based journalist, a guest host on CBC Ontario’s shows, and co-founder of Tamil Women Rising (@tamilwomenrising). Kirthana is a CBC news reporter and associate producer. They are both co-creators of the "Boldly Asian" series on @CBC. They join Ara to discuss their friendship, receiving feedback as a creator, their award-winning "Boldly Asian" series, Tamil women helping push other Tamil women’s careers forward, learning to embrace rejection, and much more.Follow Manjula:- Instagram (https...
2022-03-201h 29The Tamil CreatorEP #54: Chief Nishan Duraiappah - North America's First Tamil Chief of PoliceChief Nishan Duraiappah (@chiefnishprp) is Peel Region’s Police Chief and the first police chief of South Asian descent in Ontario’s history (as well as the first police chief of Tamil descent in North America).He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss moving from Sri Lanka to Toronto at a young age, how he bamboozled his parents to avoid being a doctor, lawyer or engineer, the value of relationships, the 2009 Tamil protest on the Gardiner Expressway, why young people shouldn’t let youth or failure detract them, and much more.F...
2022-03-1347 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #53: Chantal Sathi - From Scarborough To Oxford, Culminating In A Faith-Led Journey To Create Tech Company CornerstoreAIChantal Sathi (@chantalsathi) is the Founder of CornerstoneAI (@cornerstone.ai) and the youngest female of colour to ever be on Oxford University’s (@oxford_uni) Alumni Board; she is currently pursuing her doctorate in innovation in science and technology at Arizona State.Chantal joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the importance of self-discovery, being anti-religious but having a strong faith, why she wakes up at 4:45AM every morning, unplugging from technology every Saturday, her love for boxing, the power of being kind, and so much more - this is not an episode to b...
2022-03-061h 01The Tamil CreatorEP #52: Himalesh Kumar - American Tech Entrepreneur Overcomes Dyslexia To Sell His Company To Warren Buffet's Berkshire HathawayHimalesh Kumar (@himaleshk) who is a LA-based tech entrepreneur, was the CEO & Founder of Tapdn before he ended up selling his company to Berkshire Hathaway (via CORT).He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss growing up with a learning disability (dyslexia) and viewing it as a “superpower,” the time he met Warren Buffet, why he started Tapdn and the ten-year journey he took before securing an exit, the importance faith has played in his life, and why you shouldn’t take no for an answer as an entrepreneur!Follow Himalesh:- Li...
2022-02-271h 02The Tamil CreatorEP #51: Samanta Krishnapillai - Sparking Social Change As Founder & Executive Director of "On Canada Project"Samanta Krishnapillai is helping to drive social change as the Founder, Executive Director and Editor-In-Chief of On Canada Project (@oncanadaproject).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss taking a break to work on her mental health, her goal of driving social change through conversation with On Canada Project, code-switching, ending silos so we can “stop letting sh*t divide us,” being followed by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on Twitter, how silence is violence as it pertains to critical issues, and much more.Follow Samanta:- Instagram (https://www.linked...
2022-02-2056 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #50: Thad Jayaseelan - Jet-Setter, Budding Entrepreneur & Go-To Barber For Athletes & Celebrities Like Drake And Big SeanThad Jayaseelan (@thaddeus.10) has been the go-to barber for the likes of celebrities like Drake (@champagnepapi), Big Sean (@bigsean) & J Balvin (@jbalvin). He's also the "Teacher of Teachers" for L'Oreal (@lorealpro_education_canada) in Canada along with launching his company Gradient (@gradient____), which got sales from Day 1 of launching.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss what it was like living with Drake for 2 weeks while he cut his hair, why he started his company Gradient, the importance of a strong work ethic, why he enjoys travelling alone, how he blocked out th...
2022-02-1351 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #49: DJ Kow - Trailblazing & Popular Toronto-Based Female DJKowshika Thanam aka Kow (@dj.kow) is a Toronto-based DJ who represents RLE Sound Crew (@rlesoundcrew).She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact that other Tamil DJs had on her including the late DJ Brown Soul & DJ Divsa (@djdivsa), solely relying on Instagram and word-of-mouth as her marketing tools, being a proud feminist and aspiring to trail-blaze a path for other Tamil women, her firm belief that everything happens for a reason, and much more.Follow DJ Kow:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dj.ko...
2022-02-0644 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #48: Gobinthiran Kulendran - 9 Schools And 21 Location Changes During A War Couldn't Stop This Entrepreneur From Finding Success In Sri LankaGobinthiran Kulendran (@gobinthiran) is the Co-Founder & CEO of Huex (@huex.io) based in Sri Lanka. Despite having to change schools 9 times, moving homes 21 times and losing everything except for one bag during the height of the war, found a way to learn about technology through a computer (that was purchased because his mother and aunt pawned their jewelry) left at his aunt's house (hours away), that he was only able to use on weekends because power wasn't available at his home. His went on to do freelance jobs for locals until he got his first international project in Aug 2019...
2022-01-3040 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #47: Mathusha Senthil - Founder/CEO of Sex Toy Company (Thaen Pot) & Media Platform (Thaen X)Mathusha Senthil (@thushaa) is the CEO & Founder of sex toy company Thaen Pot (@thaenpot) and media platform Thaen X. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how her goal of removing shame from the topic of sex, positive/negative feedback that Thaen Pot has received, how her day job ties into her business, her poor relationship with money until her mid-20s and much more.Follow Mathusha:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathushasenthil/) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thushaa/)Tim...
2022-01-2343 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #46: Ruban Kanapathippillai - Serial Tech Entrepreneur With Two Exits Collectively Over $1 BillionRuban Kanapathippillai (@rubanmusings) is a entrepreneur, angel investor, charter member at TiE Silicon Valley and author of the "Accidental Entrepreneur" series.He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he's seen The Bay Area change in the many years he's lived there, why he decided to become an angel investor, building a company from 5 founders to 200 employees in about 2 years, having his first company acquired by Intel, how a heart attack was a wake up call to prioritize mental health and much more.Follow Ruban:- LinkedIn (ht...
2022-01-161h 18The Tamil CreatorEP #45: Sharon Bala - Award-winning & Bestselling Author of "The Boat People"Sharon Bala (@sharon.bala) is is a Canadian writer and the award-winning, bestselling author of "The Boat People". This book is inspired by a real incident and is about a group of Tamil refugees who survive the perilous ocean voyage to reach Canada only to face the threat of deportation and accusations of terrorism in their new land.Sharon joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss why she almost never pursued writer as a career, how writers make money, the "why" behind writing The Boat People, her experience living in St. Jo...
2022-01-0959 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #44: Vas Saranga - Canadian Actor + Founder of TheOnlineActor.comVas Saranga (@vas_saranga) is an actor and entrepreneur (founder @theonlineactor) who has made appearances in productions such as The Handmaid's Tale, Orphan Black, Little Italy, The Beaverton, Flashpoint and American Pie (to name a few). He's also Ara’s best friend of over 20 years and one of the best storytellers you'll meet.He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss how he stays motivated even when he misses out on potentially life-changing roles, dropping out of university without telling his parents, hustling Ara's younger brother out of a $200 guitar for $10 and how he got Ara...
2022-01-021h 16The Tamil CreatorEP #43: Roveena - Multi-Award Winning Canadian Recording Artist, Songwriter & PianistRoveena (@roveenamusic) is a multi-award winning Canadian recording artist with over 1 million digital streams and 12+ million views on YouTube collaborations. Her music has received great reviews from media outlets like CBC Radio (@cbcradio) and Glow Magazine. In 2018, she co-wrote the hit song "Fearless" which was featured during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Her musical breakthrough happened after she relucantly posted a video of herself singing "At Last" on YouTube which caught the eyes of CityTV's (@city_tv) producers and landed a guest spot to perform on the show. The planned one minute segment turned into 8 minutes, which helped spark Roveena's...
2021-12-261h 16The Tamil CreatorEP #42: Kartik Bala - CEO & Co-Founder of SnapSmile, AI-Driven Oral Health Monitoring AppKartik Bala is the Co-founder and CEO of SnapSmile (@snapsmile), a tech app that utilizes Artificial Intelligence to monitor your oral health from health while acting as your personal AI dental coach. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss his early entrepreneurial hustles, receiving CAD $25,000 in funding for his company through Next AI - A NEXT Canada Program (@next_canada), why he tries to take more risks now (spoiler: because we don’t live forever), and much more.Follow Kartik:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartikbalasundaram/) - Tw...
2021-12-1954 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #41: Dr. Saskia Sivananthan - Chief Research & KTE Officer At The Alzheimer Society of CanadaDr. Saskia Sivanathan is a neuroscientist turned data scientist and is currently the Chief Research & KTE Officer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada who has also done stints at Alberta Health Services and the World Health Organization. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her upbringing in Saudi Arabia, working at the World Health Organization in Switzerland, how and why she got involved with work revolving around aging and dementia, voluntarily living in a senior home for two weeks (as a resident) and much more.Follow Saskia:- LinkedIn (ht...
2021-12-121h 00The Tamil CreatorEP #40: Roy Ratnavel - From Mail Clerk To Executive Vice-President at CI FinancialAfter being forced to leave war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrating to Canada, Roy Ratnavel (@roy_ratnavel) started as a mail clerk at CI Global Asset Management and over the span of 30 years, has made the leap to Executive Vice-President at CI Financial as well as the Head of Distribution for CI Global Asset Management. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss his upcoming book, the importance of hard work and (calculated) risk-taking, people’s inability to amicably disagree in today’s social media era, climbing Machu Picchu and much more.Foll...
2021-12-051h 04The Tamil CreatorEP #39: Luxy Thuraisingam - Storyteller & Leader, Head of Global Partner Marketing At CiscoLuxy Thuraisingam is the Head of Global Partner Marketing at @Cisco; she is a scientist, storyteller and leader who has worked with the likes of @TELUS, BMO and @Rogers, in addition to previously being a marketing professor at York University in Toronto. Luxy joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss female representation in the corporate world, three tricks Luxy uses to overcome challenges, her newfound appreciation for enjoying the moment - and so much more. Follow Luxy:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luxy-thuraisingam/) Timestamps
2021-11-2843 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #38: Sathish Bala - CEO of EdTech Startup Schoolio + Founder of desiFEST (largest South Asian Music Festival in North America)Sathish Bala (@sats.b) is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in tech; he has sold over 50M+ and had three tech exits to date. He's current the CEO of edtech startup Schoolio (@schooliolearning) & founder of desiFEST (@desifestmusic), the largest South Asian music festival in North America.Sathish joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss getting beat for getting Cs on his report card at the age of 10, investing in cryptocurrency, parenting in the Tamil community, dealing with the fear of death after getting cancer, and much more.
2021-11-211h 11The Tamil CreatorEP #37: Krish O'Mara Vignarajah - Former Policy Director To Michelle Obama + President/CEO Of LIRSKrish O’Mara Vignarajah is a Marshall Scholar, former policy director to Michelle Obama and an immigration advocate serving as President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (@lirsorg). If her last name sounds familiar, it's because her brother Thiru Vignarajah was interviewed in EP 16! (make sure to check out that episode)She joins Ara on the latest episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in #Baltimore, the lessons learned in losing an election, working with Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) and the lifelong learning benefit of such an opportunity, having a bout with breast cancer, and much mo...
2021-11-1450 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #36: Stefan Thurairatnam - Luxury Brand Influencer Travelling The World After Quitting 9-5 Corporate Finance JobStefan (@stefanthurairatnam) was working for a leading financial institution for 5 years when some life altering events gave him a different perspective on life. It allowed him the chance to re-evaluate and reflect on his life; he was given a second chance. He was given an opportunity to become an ambassador for Luxury World Traveler (@luxuryworldtraveler) and he decided to quit his 9-5 corporate job and book a one-way flight to wherever his finger landed on a spun globe. He turned his passion into his lifestyle. Through his learnings and experiences, he has successfully started his own marketing and social...
2021-11-071h 07The Tamil CreatorEP #35: Sumi Shan - Former Politico & Co-Founder of Agritech Startup (Dunya Habitats)Sumi Shan (@sumishan1) is a connector, former politico and co-founder/Chief Strategy Officer at agritech start-up Dunya Habitats (@dunyahabitats), which was originally started to help minimize food scarcity issues in Indigenous and refugee communities. In her professional career, Sumi has managed award-winning communication and advocacy campaigns across corporate, government, and non-profit sectors over the last 17+ years. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss topics including her experience as a female Tamil in tech, managing egos while operating a business with family, how she went about building her extensive network and talking about th...
2021-10-3158 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #34: Robert Rajeswaran - Singapore-Based Serial Entrepreneur (Born in Sri Lanka & Raised in London) & Co-Founder of Boxaroo Robert Rajeswaran (@robertrajeswaran) is a serial entrepreneur who was born in Sri Lanka, raised in London and now based out of Singapore where he co-founded Boxaroo (@boxaroo.co). He joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss his intricate journey which included fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka with his pregnant mother to get to the UK, dealing with culture shock & needing to learn English to assimilate into Wembley, moving to Singapore which lead to him co-founding Boxaroo, shedding commonly adopted Sri Lankan norms to improve his life and a lot more before jumpi...
2021-10-241h 04The Tamil CreatorEP #33: Ashanti Omkar - UK-Based BBC Broadcaster & Music/TV/Film Critic Ashanti Omkar (@ashantiomkar) is one of the OGs in the media space (based out of the UK), specifically in the South Asian / Tamil domain; her impressive list of accolades includes being a film critic, @BBC broadcaster, film festival creator, voiceover artist, features writer and public speaker. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss minimizing financial overhead to enjoy what you really want in life, interviewing individuals like M.I.A. (@miamatangi) and Idris Elba (@idriselba), connecting with Priya Ragu (@priyaraguofficial & previous podcast guest on TTC) when Myspace was a thing, how Tamils hav...
2021-10-171h 10The Tamil CreatorEP #32: Amarnath Amarasingam - Hip Hop Aficionado, Assistant Professor, Researcher & AuthorAmarnath Amarasingam is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, and an Associate Fellow at the Global Network on Extremism and Technology. His research interests are in radicalization, terrorism, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion. He is the author of "Pain, Pride, and Politics: Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada" (2015), and the co-editor of "Sri Lanka: The Struggle for Peace in the Aftermath of War" (2016). He has also written several peer-reviewed ar...
2021-10-101h 04The Tamil CreatorEP #31: Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam - Award-Winning Kollywood Singer & Elementary School TeacherLuksimi Sivaneswaralingam (@luksimimusic) is an award-winning Kollywood singer and elementary school teacher from Toronto. She joins Ara on this week’s episode of The Tamil Creator to discuss how Jayam Ravi (@jayamravi_official) reaching out to her on Instagram helped her music career build traction, being verified on Instagram, why she’s made it a habit to disconnect from technology more frequently, what its like balancing her music career with her teaching profession, and a lot more. Follow Luksimi:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/luksimimusic/) - Twitter (https://twitter.com/luksimimusic)
2021-10-0347 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #30: Suresh Doss - Leaving A Successful IT Career To Becoming A Well-Known Food WriterSuresh Doss is a household name and an OG in terms of the food scene in Toronto. He's about to launch a food section for a national newspaper, has a segment called “CBC Food Guide” in CBC Radio’s Metro Morning and he has helped pioneer the street food movement in Ontario for close to 20 years. He joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss why he left the financial security of his IT job to pursue his passion, how the opportunity for the "CBC Food Guide" came about, how you can develop your voice and why picking a niche i...
2021-09-271h 28The Tamil CreatorEP #29: Indira Samarasekera - Former University President & Current Board Member (Of Several Publicly Traded Companies), Co-Authors Book To Help Create More Female LeadersIndira Samarasekera is the former president of the University of Alberta and a current board member of several large market cap companies in Canada. Indira joins Ara on this week’s episode to discuss co-authoring a book called Nerve , growing up in Jaffna, the future of education, what resources she uses to continuously learn, and the benefits she has experienced as a result of rediscovering her Christian faith - in addition to so much more!Timestamps00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Indira Samarasekera05:21 - Indira’s experience as a woman...
2021-09-201h 05The Tamil CreatorEP #28: Ari Sooriya - Creative Extraordinaire: From Content Creator to Teacher (And Everything In Between)Ari Sooriya is a man of many talents; he is a technologist at the University of Guelph Humber, and in the Tamil community he’s more famously known for being the host on a few online shows. He joins Ara on the latest episode of The Tamil Creator podcast to discuss relationships, his views on the 9-5 lifestyle, the question Ara is notorious for asking when he meets someone for the first time, how the book ‘Freakonomics’ shaped the way Ari thinks today, being ashamed of eating Tamil food back in the day, and much more.Follow...
2021-09-1258 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #27: Bindi Bosses (Shyamla Eswaran & Ragavi Ragavan) - Australian-Based Dance Group Creating Social Movement And Discussions Through Performance & Storytelling Shyamla Eswaran & Ragavi Ragavan from Bindi Bosses joins Ara on the latest episode of the Tamil Creator. Bindi Bosses is a progressive South Asian performing arts company that seamlessly blends Traditional Indian Classical and Folk dances with influences from South Asian Cinema and Street dances from around the world. We discuss a variety of topics including how they answer the question "Where are you from?", their views on social media, using their platform to spark discussions around significant issues, the importance of embracing your heritage, and much more! Follow Bindi Bosses - https://www.instagram.com...
2021-09-061h 44The Tamil CreatorEP #26: Rick Selvarajah - UK-Based Professional MMA Fighter Turned EntrepreneurRick Selvarajah is a professional UK-based MMA fighter turned entrepreneur. He joins Ara to discuss how he went from wanting to lose weight to falling in love with MMA and now owning an academy (Revival MMA and Fitness). They also discuss the worst injury Rick every sustained, how fatherhood changed him, the most money he’s ever made from a fight, the notion that time is the most important commodity, and much more!Follow Rick - https://www.instagram.com/selvarajahmma/Timestamps:00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Rick...
2021-08-2955 minThe Tamil CreatorEP #25: Jenushika Jeyakumaran - Legal Innovator & Recent Grad Who Co-Founded Tech Company Aleri To Make Trial Preparation Easier For LawyersJenushika Jeyakumaran is a recent grad and the co-founder of tech start-up Aleri, which makes trial preparation easier for lawyers. They initially bootstrapped the company and then got additional funding with a $30K grant from the Accelerator Centre (part of the Jumpstart program), with having a goal of raising more money to accelerate their traction. She joins Ara to discuss various topics including how she started her own company without getting experience in a start-up, why she refuses to sacrifice her sleep and well-being, her admiration for Gary Vee, and why you need to learn how to tu...
2021-08-231h 08The Tamil CreatorEP #24: Nelson Sivalingam - UK-Based Serial Entrepreneur (Tech & Food), Podcast Host & Award-Winning FilmmakerNelson Sivalingam is an award-winning serial entrepreneur who has created successes from high growth technology businesses to Sri Lankan street food restaurant groups. He's currently the CEO & Co-Founder of HowNow, one of the fast-growing technology companies transforming the way organizations approach learning across the world with clients including tech unicorns like GymShark and Checkout.com.He joins Ara to shed light on how his filmmaking and entrepreneurial careers intertwine with one another, why he doesn’t engage in small talk, how his friends calling him “Born Awkward” led him to actually buying that web domain, why you shouldn...
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