Shows
Reset the AlgorithmResetting Faith and Failure: Kate Bowler on Love, Survival, and Belonging in Uncertain TimesHungry for More? In this episode, Moj sits down with writer, historian, and thought leader Kate Bowler to explore what it means to live through crisis and still choose joy, ambition, and connection. From a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and unexpected survivorship to diasporic loneliness and cultural upheaval, Kate brings radical honesty to a conversation about faith, resilience, and rebuilding.This isn’t just another episode. It’s an invitation to question the stories we’ve been told about faith, failure, and what it means to keep going when the world—...2025-07-2247 min
Reset the AlgorithmPinky Cole on Failure, Legacy & Leading Through FirePinky Cole doesn’t do play-it-safe. And in this episode of Reset the Algorithm, she sits down with Moj Mahdara to break down the truth behind her empire - from her car!From restaurant fires and personal collapse to raising five kids and managing a media empire, Pinky opens up about the reality behind the headlines—and how she’s learning to lead without burning out.This episode is about failure, softness, and redefining what winning looks like when you’ve spent your whole life grinding.2025-07-1551 min
Reset the AlgorithmBeyond the Binary: ALOK on Power, Compassion, and Cultural DisobedienceWe’re back! Season 2 of Reset the Algorithm opens with a bold and unflinching conversation between host Moj Mahdara and ALOK Vaid-Menon—a globally recognized writer, performer, and cultural theorist pushing the edges of identity, grief, and liberation. This isn’t just an episode. It’s a call to disrupt the algorithm inside all of us.Together, Moj and ALOK challenge binaries—gender, power, politics—and offer a new way of seeing the world. They talk about the emotional toll of performance, the myth of neutrality, and why compassion might be the most s...2025-07-0850 min
Meditative StoryStanding in my own truth, by Moj MahdaraNo boys. No dresses. As a teen, Moj Mahdara, founder of the fashion media company Beautycon, knows she’s different. And growing up in a traditional Iranian household, she struggles to reveal her own true identity. When two long-term houseguests descend — her grandmothers — Moj is shocked to learn that each woman has a surprising story of identity of her own. She learns secrets. She also learns that generations before her, family members had fought to define themselves. And it’s through these old souls that Moj finds the strength to stand in her own truth. Listen here.Each epi...2025-06-1026 min
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: b. Robert MooreIn the season finale episode of Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors sits down with the outspoken and artistically grounded b. Robert Moore, to discuss his upcoming debut museum exhibition, “In Loving Memory” at the Des Moines Art Center. This achievement is one that Moore, an autodidact visual artist, is humbled to have reached years ahead of what he projected for himself. When so often he hears people question the presence of the black community in Iowa, Moore embraces the challenge of “both memorializing and immortalizing my people”, he says in conversation with Patrisse. Moore opened his studio and exhibition to our prod...2024-06-2540 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA/A2A: Reflections on Season 1 w/ our hosts - Moj Mahdara & Patrisse CullorsAs our first season winds down, we are reflecting on what brought us together and led us to the creation of the shows you’ve seen on our platform. Reset the Algorithm and Artist 2 Artist are both unique shows with specific visions but one consistent through line can be seen in all that we produce; our dedication to social justice and equity. As queer creators of color, we see the need for change within our communities. Our goal as we built out each episode of season 1 was to see how social justice is being fought for in all different av...2024-06-041h 10
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: Shahla Dorriz & alexandre ali reza dorrizThis week on Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors joins a discussion of heritage, art and the resistance of reimagination with artists and mother-son duo, Shahla Dorriz and alexandre ali reza dorriz.
"You're the only person in the world who could get my mom and I in a room together to do a podcast of all things”, ali reza says to Patrisse… and while that may be true, we are so grateful they came to chat. This episode is an authentic reminder of the importance of personal expression in conjunction with legacy, and how the representation of heritage can tran...2024-05-2840 min
Reset the AlgorithmAnonymous: Part 2Our Anon episodes are a direct result of the number of DMs our podcast channel and Moj’s personal channel receive about our content. Hearing your thoughts is vital to us and we read everything you submit via the Anon form as well as in our DMs.
We thought now would be a good time to do another one of these episodes since we are seeing the discomfort of our audience in real-time to the types of content we are putting out. What you can always depend on with us, the purpose of this show - is to...2024-05-2141 min
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: Shahrzad ChangalvaeeIn this episode of Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors sits down with Iranian artist Shahrzad Changalvaee, to explore the role of art in the act of resistance under oppressive powers. Shahrzad shares her background and the experience of realizing one is an artist under the limiting and oppressive demands of the Iranian government during her childhood. In her early years as an artist, she was taught that "limitations beget creativity", and while there is value in those words for many of us who forsake our everyday freedom of expression, Patrisse and Shahrzad discuss the fortitude one must cultivate in order...2024-05-1448 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Omar BarghoutiThis week on Reset the Algorithm, we talk with Omar Barghouti, the Co-founder of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. The clarity and focus with which Omar expresses the goals of Palestinian Liberation is incredibly admirable. With this organization, they aim to utilize peaceful tactics to place pressure on repressive institutions in an effort to end complacency and free the Palestinian people from occupation. From his time at Columbia University in 1985, where he participated in anti-Apartheid protests and encampments to his thoughts on the encampments of college campuses today, Omar and Moj discuss...2024-05-071h 12
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: "Songs From The Hole"This week on Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors sits down with the team behind the SXSW film, “Songs From The Hole”. JJ'88, richie reseda, and Contessa Gayles offer us a poignant reminder that a commitment to our artistic expression, is a commitment to heal, transform and inform our communities. A documentary visual album, "Songs from the Hole" made its premiere at SXSW last month. Directed and co-written by Contessa Gayles, the film follows JJ'88 and his innermost experience as he serves a double-life sentence in prison. Introducing the public to the life and music of JJ'88, the film uses imaginative crea...2024-04-3054 min
Reset the AlgorithmThe Economy of EmpathyIn this bonus episode of Reset the Algorithm, curated in partnership with Mother Tongue Magazine, Moj Mahdara sits down for an emotional and heart-felt conversation with Rabbi Sharon Brous and Patrisse Cullors.
As we see our world more and more divided everyday, the economy of empathy feels in recession. Creating coalition and holding space for one another’s pain feels like the only way forward. In this exchange Rabbi Brous shares how she is choosing to direct the conversation in her community, while Moj shares their homes and dreams for the people of the Middle East, and Pat...2024-04-251h 22
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Sara WahediThis week Moj sits down with Sara Wahedi, Tech-founder and CEO of Afghanistan’s first civic-tech start-up; Ehtesab. In her goal to democratize access to life saving information across the globe regardless of where they live or what they do. Her incredible work with Ehtesab has lent Sara platforms to speak on the injustices faced by Women in Afghanistan and across the Middle East at the hands of extremist governments. Her work on the mission to ‘End Gender Apartheid’ is what brought her and Moj together initially.
From working as a full-time CEO and student to speaking on gend...2024-04-231h 23
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: EMELEMEL’s new album, available April 19, 2024, is titled MRA, which translates to “woman” from Arabic, and is a physical manifestation of an important aspect of her music and art. This week on Artist 2 Artist, Patrisse Cullors gets to know the narrative behind this international musician, her deeply rooted ethos of feminine power in music, and how she embraced the power of her voice to speak for those that were silenced in the oppressive climate that shaped her early life. Three years ago, Emel Mathlouthi, the New York City-based art-rock musician who simply goes by EMEL, began writing her fourth studio...2024-04-1647 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Alex EdelmanIn this conversation with the very funny Alex Edelman, we talked about how comedy can be healing and a way for us to see through our differences. In his latest show, now available on HBO, Alex describes his experience attending a white nationalist meeting in NYC…as a Orthodox Jewish man. The stories that follows shows the brilliance of Alex’s humor. Aside from being hilarious, he is excellent at building bridges and showing us all how much more similar we are than different.
In a moment of immense divide, conversations like this one with Alex are a rem...2024-04-0954 min
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: JOJO ABOTIt is hard to find an artist more dynamic and embodied than JOJO ABOT. With her interdisciplinary work, she bridges gaps in the art world to bring viewers into immersive experiences that evoke emotion and shift paradigms.
In this conversation, JOJO ABOT and Patrisse connect on the importance of one’s message over medium and the challenges and rewards of being an interdisciplinary arts in a world that persuades artists to “stick to their lane”. We also learn of JOJO ABOT’s process, what inspires their work and how they create balance and harmony to stay inspired. 2024-04-0238 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Sophia AmorusoThis week we visited the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital with my friend Sophia Amoruso. Sophia has always done things her way and her curiosity and desire to learn are the keys to her success. This makes her latest transition into venture capital an easy one. Supporting founders with advice acquired through lived experiences is priceless.
In this conversation we touch on how success and failure shape us and the importance of having freedom to explore and change as you grow and learn. We also talk about poker, taking prozac on social media, and the importance o...2024-03-261h 04
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: Tricia Elam WalkerThe Artist we are in conversation with this week is the fabulous Tricia Elam Walker. Speaking to her about her craft, we are reminded again that the journey of an artist is never linear and looks different for everyone. Growing up in the Roxbury area of Boston, Tricia went on to practice law for 16 years before she became a Novelist and Children's book author, penning Breathing Room Nana Akua Goes to School and Dream Street.
In this latest episode she takes us through her journey of self expression from her fashion choices, to the stories she has w...2024-03-1933 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Gissou NiaGissou Nia is a human rights lawyer who has dedicated her life to the protection and justice of civilians affected by war and conflict. In a lot of ways, the work she does is as close to a real-life superhero as we get and her work spans across continents around the globe.
In this conversation, we speak about her work as a lawyer as well as her work as an activist, a distinction that might be hard for us all to make, but for Gissou it is very clear. All people deserve justice and human rights, but t...2024-03-121h 08
Reset the AlgorithmA2A: Lumi TanIn the debut episode of the Artist2Artist and Reset the Algorithm Collaboration, our NEW host Patrisse Cullors sits down with Lumi Tan for a conversation about the importance of art in political and cultural landscape, amidst the backdrop of Lumi’s most recent curatorial project Luna Luna.
With the direction of Lumi Tan, this lost fantasy has been brought back to life. In this interview we learn that Heller’s experiences as a child in Europe after WWII and his desire to imagine an artistic medium that could not only create a childlike sense of joy a...2024-03-0523 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Elica Le BonThis conversation with Elica Le Bon, an Iranian Activist from the UK, was one that was heavily requested by our listeners! As a vocal political commentator on her platforms, Elica has developed a following for her takes on political issues, particularly in the Middle East. In this exchange we speak candidly about traumas as Middle Easterners, what it is like living in the diaspora, what solutions we hope to see, and how the politics of the region has shaped us and our differing perspectives.2024-02-271h 24
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Jessica Malaty RiveraThis conversation with Jessica Malaty Rivera is incredibly expansive. From her immigrant story to her perspectives of the Middle East in this moment, we go on a learning journey together that emphasizes the need to hold space for different opinions and grow our understandings of other perspectives; all in an effort to build bridges. Although this episode is a censored version of what we really wanted to share, as it stands, it is still a conversation that is so desperately needed right now.2024-02-201h 06
Reset the AlgorithmAnonymous: Part 1This first anonymous episode came about because of the immense reaction our audience had to our offer for a digital safe space. Never did we dream of so many form submissions from so many unique backgrounds. This episode is an exact representation of how our audience shapes our work. Reading through your experiences, what has you frustrated, what you are enjoying, what you hated...all of it plays a role in how we produce each episode in real time! Your take is vital; and we are listening.2024-02-1431 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Patrisse CullorsIn this conversation with Patrisse Cullors, an author, an artist, an activist and the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, we explore the role and at times power of trauma in activism and the dire need for courageous conversations. Speaking through the conflicts plaguing our world today, we delve into the importance of sitting with others and making space for shifting collective shapes to create a new way forward. We also open up about our own challenges as we move through this current moment.2024-02-061h 06
Not YetBuild with MomentumThe energy around you can help you build your inspired life, but you have to acknowledge it first. Break down how momentum fuels your creative process in this episode with Paige. You’ll also learn how to join Feedback Loop, Not Yet’s new seasonal well-being incubator.SUPPORT NOT YETJoin the Not Yet Patreon at www.patreon.com/notyetseriesMake a one-time donation to Not Yet at www.givebutter.com/notyetseriesFollow Not Yet on IG at @NotYetSeriesMENTIONS FROM THE SHOW2024-02-0621 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Moj MahdaraIn this debut episode, join Moj Mahdara as they provide context as to why this podcast came to be. From their experiences as a first-generation Iranian American to navigating cultural and societal expectations as a non-binary individual, Moj reflects on being a disrupter by nature. From the challenges of navigating cultural expectations to confronting societal injustices, Moj's story transcends borders and invites listeners into a raw and unfiltered exploration of the human experience.2024-02-0315 min
Reset the AlgorithmRTA: Alon-lee GreenJoin Alon-Lee Green, Co-Director of Standing Together, an organization fighting for Palestinian and Israeli peace, as he delves into the heart of the conflict. From dissecting the challenges of Israeli democracy to confronting discrimination, this episode uncovers the layers of complexity often overlooked. Explore the rise of extremism, the urgent call for peace, and the daunting hurdles Israel faces in the Middle East. Alon-lee's vision inspires hope that we can catalyze political change.2024-02-031h 02
The Business of Fashion PodcastWhy Pamela Anderson Is Taking Control of Her Own Beauty StoryAt The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2023, Pamela Anderson shared her perspectives on how the definition of beauty — and the beauty business — is changing with Moj Mahdara.Background: “We're all trying to make ourselves beautiful so we are respected, admired, loved. So these products have to come from a loving place. That’s the secret ingredient: having heart,” said Pamela Anderson at The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2023 in Napa Valley, California.This week on The BoF Podcast, Anderson and Moj Mahdara, managing partner and co-founder of Kinship Ventures and co-founder o...2023-06-0921 min
Getting Better with Jonathan Van NessHow Are Iranians Making History? (Part Two) with The Iranian Diaspora CollectiveA note from team Getting Curious: This episode contains descriptions of violence that are at times graphic.
Women in Iran aren’t allowed to dance, sing, or show their hair in public. But it wasn’t always this way in the country. In part two of our conversation with Moj Mahdara and Nicolette Mason of the Iranian Diaspora Collective, we’re exploring the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran—and considering what a free, secular democracy, a new constitution, and an end to theocracy could look like for Iranians.
If you h...2023-04-0654 minGetting Better with Jonathan Van NessHow Are Iranians Making History? (Part One) with The Iranian Diaspora CollectiveA note from team Getting Curious: This episode contains descriptions of violence that are at times graphic.
If you haven’t heard about the women-led revolution happening in Iran, or you thought things had quieted down, that’s by design. The Islamic Republic of Iran has banned women from dancing, singing, and showing their hair in public. And they’ve restricted Internet access for people across the country. Still, taking these risks—and showing the world—is worth it to Iranians who want a free, secular democracy, a new constitution, and an end to theocracy.2023-04-0538 min
V Interesting with V SpeharWhat Is a Conspiracy? with Dr. Orisanmi Burton, No Nuclear Deal, Bullfrog BreakfastIt’s the six-month mark of the revolution in Iran — what might the future look like? V checks in with Moj Mahdara, co-founder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective, to understand more about what the Iranian people are fighting for. And together, they explain how an Iran Nuclear Deal could actually give more power to the current regime. V also digs into all the hullabaloo that went down after Utah officials encouraged residents to eat invasive frogs. Then, with the help of Dr. Orisanmi Burton, social anthropologist and professor, V explores what it really means to carry out a conspiracy. Dr...2023-03-1057 min
Learn Persian with Chai and ConversationInterview | Growing Up Irooni- Moj Mahdara on the Iranian Diaspora CollectiveThis interview with Moj is the first I've done for the Growing Up Irooni series since the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16th. So much has changed since then for Iran and especially for the Iranian Diaspora. As one of the cofounders of Iranian Diaspora Collective, I couldn't think of a better person to talk through these changes than Moj Mahdara. They are a venture capitalist and very well known in that world, but before the events that took place in September, they admittedly weren't too involved in or interested in the Iranian diaspora community. But the events...2023-01-2554 min
The ConversationViolence Doesn't Stop For the HolidaysJessica Burbank hosts. Moj Mahdara, Founding Member Iranian Diaspora Collective, joins to talk about the escalating violence against Iranian protesters at the hands of the Iranian government. Kids Fight Climate Change President and Founder Ajani Stella joins to share how his organization is working to educate children around the world about the current climate crisis. 221227__TC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2022-12-2728 minThe Business of Fashion PodcastHow the Power of Storytelling Is Igniting the Iranian ProtestsMoj Mahdara and Dina Nasser-Khadivi speak with BoF’s Imran Amed about how creative communities from the Iranian diaspora are participating in the largest civil rights movement in Iran since the revolution in 1979.Background:Protests erupted across Iran in September following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran for “improperly” wearing her hijab and then killed at the hands of the so-called morality police. Those protests have now evolved into the largest civil rights movement in Iran since the revolution in 1979 uniting Iranians at home with those in the...2022-11-2542 min
Touch of Truth with Jackie CooperThe Strength of Going Slow with Moj MahdaraWelcome to Touch of Truth, the podcast that connects you to the unsung heroes and power players of our industry as they share the human truth behind the glossy experience. No schmooze, no rehearsal, just pure unadulterated honesty. Their stories might just make you a little more successful and a lot happier.In episode two, Jackie sits down with founder, investor, and entrepreneur, Moj Mahdara. During the discussion, Moj talks about her career trajectory, leaving home at 16, and the role that music and culture played in providing her the confidence to make that decision. 2022-11-2247 min
Bad Queers[Circle Back] Proud to be Butch (w/Moj Mahdara)Special reminder that Kris is on maternity leave. We will be circling back on previous episodes and feature special new episodes with our guest host, Culture Editor at Autostraddle, Shelli Nicole. We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming mid-November! Welcome to the Bad Queers family, Moj Mahdara! Moj is the CEO of BeautyCon and joined Kris and Shana to discuss all things butch identities, Black Lives Matter, the real gay agenda, how all queers don't know each other and how Moj's wife is a genius. All this and more on this week's episode....2022-10-101h 34
Dear TwentysomethingMoj Mahdara: Co-Founder & Former CEO of BeautyconThis week we chat with Moj Mahdara. You might know her best as the Co-Founder and Former-CEO of Beautycon, the globally-recognized community for content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands. Moj Mahdara’s expertise in the beauty, wellness, and CPG market formed the brains behind the driving brand vision for Beautycon and its growth initiatives, launching the brand globally; where her strategic media partnerships, content development, market intelligence, and e-commerce built the community empire we all know and love over the past 5 years. In this episode, the pair reveal a lot of the “unknown” about Moj; piecing together the mos...2022-04-1237 min
Business of the BeatEntrepreneurism is the most beautiful paint brush one can haveKendra talks to entrepreneur, investor and business partner, Moj Mahdara (@moj) about her COVID pivot, personal value proposition and the future of the industry. Moj is recognized as an expert in beauty, wellness and CPG (specifically consumerism and culture), and she is the Co-Founder of Beautycon--a globally-recognized one-of-a-kind festival for content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands. She drove the brand vision for Beautycon and its growth initiatives, including a global footprint that spanned strategic media partnerships, content development, market intelligence, and e-commerce. Moj is an accomplished speaker, business figure and an active investor with international recognition for her expertise in Ge...2021-11-2152 min
Sleep SongOld melodies, new possibilitiesMusic adapted from Moj Mahdara’s Meditative Story, "Standing in my own truth."As this Sleep Song begins, a simple musical theme evokes lost melodies from another time and place, then slowly expands, adding voices in layers, to create a sense of open space and possibility. Listen for the small musical questions being asked by quiet strings and synths, then explored and answered by harp and piano. It's music that invites you to think deeply on a question of your own as the themes play against one another other, moving in and out of the foreground as qu...2021-05-2559 min
LIVE FROM BED with Jade IovineMoj Mahdara on Coming Out at 30, Shame and Identity, and Healing From Childhood TraumaThis week’s episode is one about growth and giving yourself the grace to evolve. Jade sits down with Moj Mahadra, a founder and investor who is the CEO of Beautycon. Moj talks about the feeling of being told you don't "fit", mistaking ambition for self-abuse, coming out to her parents at 30, and why it took a baby for them to truly reconcile. On top of all of this, she talks about how her life was turned upside-down by COVID-19, which inspired her to start therapy and work through past traumas to achieve self-acceptance. Moj has been named to mult...2021-03-301h 26
I ALSO Want Money#28 - Influence x I Also: Moj MahdaraIn this episode, we chat with Beautycon CEO, entrepreneur, and investor Moj Mahdara about her relationship with money & wealth and her speech that inspired the name of our podcast.Follow us, Instagram: @ialsopodcast, Twitter: @IAlsoPodcastSpeaker Bio: Moj Mahdara is a digital entertainment and branding entrepreneur and a Persian-American LGBT advocate. She's the CEO of Beautycon, a key connector in the makeup world, operating a growing number of namesake beauty-blogger festivals—in L.A., New York, London, Dallas, and Dubai—that attract as m...2021-02-0444 min
The SydcastMoj Mahdara: Beauty, Brands, and BusinessEpisode SummaryGenerational differences may seem to divide us but there is one thing that unites us all, change. Change is the catalyst that propels each new generation to make an impact and leave their mark on civilization and Moj Mahdara has secured her legacy with the launch of Beautycon, a diverse and inclusive beauty brand that aims to change the popular perception of beauty and our access to it. Moj and Syd discuss all things change; how to see it, how to make it happen, and most of all, how to accept it, in...2021-01-2551 minBad QueersProud to be Butch (with Moj Mahdara) I Episode 36Welcome to the Bad Queers family, Moj Mahdara! Moj is the CEO of BeautyCon and joined Kris and Shana to discuss all things butch identities, black lives matter, the real gay agenda, how all queers don't know each other and how Moj's wife is a genius. All this and more on this week's episode. Shoutouts:Shana - Black LGBTQIA+ Groceries (@blackandqueergroceries) Bay Area solutions for Black Queer Food insecurity Kris - Intelexual Media (@intelexualmedia) by Elexus Gionde shares facts and stories about race, history, sexuality, black progression, culture and pride2020-11-231h 34