The Impressive Empress Podcast

Prof. Bindu Menon is the Head of Department Apollo Hospitals Nellore, India. She has a teaching experience of 20 years, 98 publications, editor of two books and has 23 chapters to her credit. She is the Secretary General of the Indian Epilepsy Association. She holds various positions like Research committee member of the World Stroke Organization; Asia Oceanic association of Neurology representative of the European Academy of Neurology Scientific Panel on Epilepsy; Special Group Neuroepidemiology, World Federation of Neurology; Associate Editor, Neurology section, Annals of Medicine, President, Outreach subsection Indian Academy ofNeurology, OneNeurology Ambassador, life time Network member of NCD Alliance. She is a recipient of ILAE Leadership Program Award, World stroke award from the World Stroke Organization, Mridha Spirit of Neurology award, A.B. Baker Teacher award and Palatucci Leadership award from the American Academy of Neurology, National Indian Medical Association Doctors day award 2023 among others. She has 8 fellowships from international and national organisations to her credit. She founded Dr. Bindu Menon Foundation which has been instrumental in starting several novel projects for the first time in the country, “Neurology on wheels”, Tele awareness Programme, “Stroke help” app and Epilepsy help app. Prof. Bindu Menon's contributions extend far beyond the confines of her hospital or academic institution, positively impacting healthcare delivery, research, and advocacy both nationally and internationally. Join me in this conversation with Dr. Bindu Menon where she talks about Innovation, Creativity & Happiness and a lot more. You can read more about Dr. Bindu Menon here https://bhogya.online/dr-bindu-menon/ We love to hear from you:

Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Mohanty is an institution builder, academician, public relations professional, author, and the biographer of 15th President of Bharat, Smt. Draupadi Murmu. Under guidance of her spiritual Master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shanakar and as the first member, she is instrumental in establishment of Sri Sri University, the 1st private University enacted by the Government of Odisha. She was a school topper, university Gold medalist and is currently working as the Director, Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC), Head, Public Relations and Social Outreach at Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Odisha. With 22 years of teaching and administrative experience, she is also the Director of Sri Sri Advanced Global Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies. She has authored 50 research articles, three books, and more than 5000 Press releases. She has been guiding 7 doctoral research scholars. She has convened three Government-sponsored National and International Conferences, and curated and conducted more than 100 Management/ Faculty Development Programmes for various cross-sections of professionals. She has been an Art of Living Life Skills and Meditation trainer since 2005 and completed 1,00,000 hours of training and teaching. She is the recipient of several awards such as Navaratna Samman, Sebashree Samman, Makara Samman, etc.

Today it is my privilege to introduce to you a luminary in the world of melodic craftsmanship, a torchbearer for the Saraswathi Veena, India's National Instrument – Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh. Her musical odyssey, spanning an impressive 38 years, is a testament to unwavering dedication and a profound connection with the rich heritage of classical Indian music. Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, a sixth-generation musician born into the illustrious Lalgudi family, commenced her journey at the tender age of three under the guidance of her mother, Smt. Lalgudi R. Rajalakshmi. However, it was at the age of 13 that Dr. Jayanthi embarked on a transformative pilgrimage, leaving the comforts of home to immerse herself in the rigorous training of the Veena under the mentorship of Vidushi Padmavathy Ananthagopalan. This commitment extended for an astonishing 22 years, during which she not only honed her skills but also deepened her musical expertise, refining her technical prowess under the guidance of Veena Virtuoso Padma Bhushan Dr. S. Balachander. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge led her to receive specialized training from illustrious maestros such as Shri. Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Smt. T. Brinda, Shri. T. R. Subramaniam, and Shri. Thanjavur Shankara Iyer. Recognizing her exceptional talent, All India Radio awarded her the highest A-TOP grading, making her one of the youngest Veena artistes to achieve this distinction. As a torchbearer of a musical legacy spanning six generations, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh has dedicated her life to the Saraswathi Veena, showcasing its divine voice to audiences worldwide for over 38 years. Her collaborations with national and international artists have not only demonstrated the Veena's versatility but also highlighted her technical prowess, solidifying her status as a legendary Veena master. Beyond her role as an artist, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh is a composer, researcher, creator, pioneer, and educator. She holds the distinguished status of being an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and serves on the Academic Council at Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth and Shri Sathyasai University for Human Excellence. Her commitment extends beyond performance and accolades. Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh has revolutionized teaching methods, leveraging technology to propagate the Veena tradition through her online academy and educational video series. She has taken the Veena to audiences across continents, fostering an interest in this traditional instrument, even among those unfamiliar with its divine resonance. In recognition of her contributions, she is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from the Government of Tamil Nadu and has been honored with the prestigious Award for Veena an astounding ten times by The Music Academy, Chennai, between 1990 and 2021. Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh stands as a beacon of excellence, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries to preserve and propagate the voice of the Saraswathi Veena, leaving an indelible mark on the world of classical Indian music.

Meet Deepa, a trailblazer in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, known for her strategic vision, impactful initiatives, and commitment to fostering inclusive workplaces. With over 13 years of experience, Deepa's journey is not just about climbing the corporate ladder but about dismantling barriers, making real changes and paving pathways for others. Starting off in Marketing & Internal communications, Deepa made a bold move into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Now, she's not just any strategist; she's the one who sits down with top leaders, working to make sure everyone feels valued and included in the workplace. But here's what sets Deepa apart: she's not just focused on big corporate goals. She's out there, pushing for better opportunities for people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. She's launched cool projects like 'Redefine Abilities' and 'Diversity Recruitment' that aim to shake things up in a good way. And she's not stopping there. Speaking at places like TEDx and other international forums, Deepa’s voice echoes as an accessibility evangelist, championing a world where inclusion isn't just a buzzword but a lived reality. Honored with accolades like the 'Karnataka State Award' and the 'Helen Keller National Award,' she's more than a leader; she's an inspiration. So…., let's celebrate Deepa—a visionary, a change-maker, and a living testament to the transformative power of inclusion as we embark on this journey today, where she’ll be talking to me about being Authentic Daring & Vulnerable, amongst many other things.

Meera Nagarajan is the dynamic Managing Director and CEO of Kalyanamalai Private Limited. With an innate creative spirit, a drive for innovation, and an unyielding commitment to excellence, she revolutionized matchmaking services by bringing them to the visual medium of television through the Kalyanamalai program on SUN TV in 2000. Meera's visionary leadership has sustained the program's popularity for over 23 years, featuring insightful discussions, diverse speakers, and marriage seeker introductions. She also extends her expertise to exclusive events and digital content, all while balancing her corporate role with her roles as a homemaker and writer, making her a beacon of success and empowerment.

Dr. Geetha Manjunatha, the founder of Niramai, is a visionary leader combining technical expertise with remarkable soft skills. Her leadership inspires innovation, while her visionary thinking anticipates trends and opportunities. Resilience drives her through challenges, and effective communication fosters strong relationships with stakeholders. Empathy fuels her patient-centric approach, ensuring compassionate healthcare solutions. Collaboration enhances Niramai's teamwork and problem-solving capabilities. Dr. Manjunatha's unique blend of these soft skills has propelled Niramai to the forefront of breast cancer detection innovation, making a profound impact in healthcare.

Our guest for the day is Sahana Singh, an author and commentator based in Ithaca in New York State, USA. She is an environmental engineer by qualification who writes on a variety of issues including Indian history, water management and education. Her first book “The Educational Heritage of Ancient India - How an Ecosystem of Learning was Laid to Waste” has been appreciated for awakening Indians to the role played by India in spreading knowledge around the world. Her second book titled \"Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India” explores in greater depth, the subject of India’s unique ecosystem of learning which created a knowledge-centred society and laid the foundation of the major academic disciplines being pursued today. An alumnus of Delhi Technological University, Sahana made a career shift to writing after moving to Singapore. She worked as Editor of Asian Water Magazine for many years and has won several awards for journalism. Her articles have been published in Reader’s Digest, Washington Post, Discovery Channel Asia, Asian Water Magazine, Swarajya, IndiaFacts and other publications. I am really happy to have Sahana on this show talking to me about Confidence, Self control and spiritual strength.

Shyamala has been teaching Bharatanatyam from 1987 & Mohiniyattam from 1989. She presently lives in Cochin, Kerala where she runs her school, Dharani School of Performing Arts where one can get systematic coaching in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Vocal, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Mridangam & Veena.. She started learning Bharatanatyam from the Age of 34, until which she was a home maker married to a Captain in the Merchant Navy & sailing with him for 12 years. I am really happy to have Shymala on this show talking to me about her passion for Dance and being a maverick who wanted to achieve what's not commonly achieved.

Dr. Srimathy Kesan, Founder & CEO of a leading Science and Technology incubator- “Space Kidz India” (SKI), is helping children reach out to the stars, quite literally. Launched in 2011, Space Kidz India has designed and pioneered multiple programs that are aimed at creating the next generation of scientific thinkers in India. Driven with a mission to disrupt the mundanity of the Indian education system, Dr. Srimathy has broken ground in a hitherto uncharted avenue called “Space Education” through her unique programs, aimed at grooming India’s future scientists. Her ultimate goal is to lay the foundation for a World-renowned Space University with a manufacturing port in India. In this episode, I talk to Srimathy about Space Kidz India but more importantly about Mindset, Mediation & Mental Health.

Our guest for the day is Ms. Prema Mysore - A highly motivated leader, dedicated as an international Ambassador & Advocate for Rishi Tradition based on Vedas & Vedic Literatures. She loves to travel & propagate the Universal, Eternal & All encompassing messages of Rishi Tradition to humankind all over the world. Prema considers herself to be very fortunate to have the opportunity to be an educator & proponent of Rishi’s Teachings for Divine Life (Overall individual health and wellness), Ideal Nation and Universal Peace. She is considered a well-known Rishicare Expert & Rishiyog Master – teaching online, offline and propagating it globally. She is a recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award at the House of Commons, UK in 2019. To preserve, research, document, teach, educate, empower, enrich, and disseminate the wisdom of the Rishi tradition, she has founded several organizations with a vision to re- establish the authentic and rich heritage, wisdom, and knowledge of Sages (Rishis) and Seers through healthcare, research, and publication, in every fabric of society. Prema's life is fully devoted & dedicated to fulfil the Vision & Mission of Rishipath International Foundation (Bengaluru, India), which is committed to perpetually explore, propagate & re-establish the path of life & living as seen, walked & shown by the Rishis globally, which is in accordance with the Vedas in its authentic form and hence everyone can experience the ultimate & everlasting happiness.

Dr. Rashi Gupta is a Woman Entrepreneur who has been fearless & ferocious in creating a brand for herself & her company in these male dominated fields. She is the Founder & Managing Director of Vision Mechatronics Private Ltd, leading it towards a name to reckon for in the field of Robotics, Renewable Energy & Energy Storage. If one takes a closer look at the alchemy of this achiever, two distinct virtues pop up, besides perseverance & hard work. These are: pioneering spirit & willingness. Coupled with an impressive educational background, it was not therefore surprising that she became a prominent name in the Renewable Energy Sector of India which earned her the title “Asia's Most Influential Women in Renewable Energy 2020”. She is a recipient of the Global Women Leadership Award 2021 and Women in STEM 2021 by CII - the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Shraddha Marathe is a dietician by profession, working as a freelancer and also associated with Deendayal Research Institute, Delhi. She is a founder member of Foodrik, a web portal related to Nutrition and Wellness for children and their parents. After having served professionally in hospitals, fitness centers, she is now contributing to the grass root community and generations to come. According to Shraddha, sticking to one’s own roots helps one grow stronger. The emotional bonding with mother nature as well with our own people is very important, this, she asserts, can happen only through cultural and traditional aspects. She is currently working on documenting these aspects through folklore related to Nutrition and Water culture. She considers herself to be a confident, motivational, positive person who takes life as a challenge and lives happily through the ups and downs.

Prof. Dr. Parul Shah is one of the rare combinations of Performing artiste, Cross-cultural Choreographer, Bharatanatyam Guru, Dance Educator, Scholar, Researcher, Arts Administrator and highly motivated human being. Though having a High Educational Quotient, she decided to become a Bharatanatyam dancer. She enjoys being a woman, is passionate about dance and believes that Dance connects people way better than words can. Join me as she talks about her passion, hard work and the support of her family & friends that enabled her reach great heights.

Our today’s guest Ms. Gayatri Puranik who is an Entrepreneur based out of Germany. She has been running her Ayurveda business for over 20 years now. She thinks a certain kind of leadership comes naturally to everyone, is grateful for being a woman and the period in which we are living in. Listen on as we discuss with Gayatri about her journey with Ayurveda and find what makes her The Impressive Empress. In this conversation, we discuss about

Beena is a seasoned development professional with 24 years of progressively responsible work experience with technical and managerial expertise in the field of Adolescent Development and Participation, Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Child Protection. Possesses a deep understanding of programme development, programme management policy and research. Since 2015, as Chief of Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Beena has been leading the second decade programme in UNICEF Thailand country office. She was instrumental in transitioning HIV programme into a full-fledged adolescent development and participation section - starting from evidence generation to the development of country programme and its implementation. Her key responsibilities included evidence driven programming, research, development of partnerships, influencing and promoting adolescent specific policies, fundraising and setting up of innovative initiatives and demonstration projects and their scale up in the areas of reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, skill development, participation and path to employability of adolescents and young people. Additional responsibilities taken up include Gender Focal Point, Peer Support Volunteer, representing UNICEF in Inter-agency and UN taskforces, Joint AIDS programme, UN Gender task force and various National Committees on HIV and teenage pregnancy prevention. As a child, she was very active and energetic in co-curricular activities during her school and university days - participating in dance, debates, theatre, NCC and actively holding leadership options in those years. Taking life’s ups and downs in her stride, she faces life as it comes . She strongly believes in possibilities and always trusts goodness of people. She is proud to be woman- a daughter, sister, mother and friend to many.

Our guest Ms. Neeraja Ganesh comes with 25 + years of experience in the IT industry. For the last few years, she has been working as freelance consultant, who conducts various training programs and workshops on leadership and behaviours. She decided to switch her career to work in the space of gender diversity, after having mentored women from diverse experiences, age groups, industries and domains, to help them grow in their careers. She believes that much needs to be done to show the path to women in India, who have the innate talent but lack the knowledge of where to find help in terms of mentoring, coaching, networking and, more importantly, understanding that these are important elements in one’s professional growth. In our daily life, we perceive many kinds of fragrances and it is believed that the sense of smell plays a very important role in the physiological effects of mood, stress and working capacity. As humans, we are all gifted with a certain value set. Understanding these and understanding oneself propels a person to leadership and to lead with impact. With a clear idea of the What, How and why, they provide the support, guidance, and direction that many others need to reach their full potential.

We all know that Knowledge is power. In today’s digital world, a lot of information and content are freely available on anything and everything at the touch of a button. The knowledge is obtained by taking in the information, memorising them and making them available in meaningful ways. As we continue to gain knowledge, we are able to make better sense of the information gathered and can connect the dots in hindsight. We then move on to become insightful where we are able to apply our knowledge gained to obtain solutions to deeper problems. But the Actual Power lies in our Wisdom when we start using our insights to facilitate informed decision making that makes this world a better place. And this is the Power of Knowledge. Our guest today, Smt. Vishaka Hari, is a practitioner of the ancient beautiful form of art called Harikatha or Katha keerthan. Herein she weaves beautiful stories of value and wisdom interspersed with mellifluous songs of yesteryears’ great composers. She has recently founded the ‘VIJAYASHRI SCHOOL OF HARIKATHA’ – a patashaala to promote the art of Harikatha and a medium to promote our culture, values and Dharma.

The work of navigating the human mind and finding solutions for individuals battling mental, social, and emotional afflictions is at best, challenging and rewarding and at worst, daunting. Dr. Neeradha Chandramohan, a Clinical Psychologist with more than 30 years of experience chose to deal with the rehabilitation of special needs children with multiple disabilities, so they can have, not only a good life but a self - sustaining life. She’s worked with enormous patience, energy and single mindedness, backed by spiritual strength, which, she believes, helped her cross various barriers and reach higher levels professionally.

Our mind is like a monkey, playing tricks with impulsive, irrational and at times even destructive behavior. Any excellence that we strive to achieve, the monkey mind becomes our biggest hurdle and, once tamed, it becomes our greatest asset. The tamed mind is capable of direct perception- devoid of memories, beliefs and colored filters. Our today’s guest Dr. Mala Kapadia, a Human Resources Professional, who has done pioneering research work on Emotional Intelligence in the ancient and modern Indian context. She founded Tame The Monkey, a Consultancy practice through which she introduces people to Transformational Learning that enable people to change from "the inside out”.

A Social Entrepreneur works for the empowerment of the weaker section of the society by identifying the gaps. While they are visionaries, they are also realistic in their approach, trying to implement innovative solutions to the societal problems. Our today’s guest is one such Social Entrepreneur - Dr. Chidatmika Khatua, Odisha, India.