The Human(e) Story

What makes an IIT/IIM grad to quit his high-paying job at IBM to foray into setting up an unconventional school? Clearly not logic. But neurologists have found that we don't make our decisions by logic. We make decisions in the emotional epicenter of the brain called amygdala! That explains why Sridhar Rajagopalan, Co-founder of Educational Initiatives, not only undertook the serendipitous experiment three decades ago but has been focused since then on helping children everywhere learn with understanding! Listen to Sridhar's Humane Story and let me know if you also feel that his life/work is like concentric circles:)

Here's yet another story that proves that we humans are creatures of emotion over logic. Why else would a young engineer working at an MNC leave her lucrative job and rough it out in the social-impact sector to seek joy that money can't buy. Our changemaker in this episode not only found her joy on the service path, she was instrumental in developing the happiness curriculum for millions of children in five states of India. Suchetha Bhat, CEO of Dream a Dream, shares about the need for instilling life-skills in youngsters from vulnerable communities in order for them to thrive tomorrow, a failure story from yesterday that defines the approach in her work today and more...

This dialogue recorded at World Economic Forum 2022 in Davos which focused on climate change as one of the key themes, makes the connection between climate change and poverty. Sheela Patel of SPARC candidly shares about: 1. The effect of climate change on migration to urban areas  2. Letting a movement brew vs interfering for instant outcomes in order for the impact to be sustainable 3. Being a long distance runner as opposed to a sprinter Plus more...

This conversation recorded on the sidelines of World Economic Forum 2022 in Davos, could not have more in common with the theme of the conference: sustainability. One of my revelations from this chat is that one may be engaged in any mainstream work using one's hands and head, but add the community service to the mix: that's when the heart comes in!

In the fifth episode of The Human(e) Story podcast, Anant Arora --Chief Sustainability and Communication Officer at Akshaya Patra-- shares his life story, the ear-marked pages in that book as well as the underlines and between the lines. In one of the previous episodes of this podcast, we met Anshu Gupta of Goonj whose story in the social-impact space started with kapda. In this episode, Anant strives towards the goal of Zero Hunger by ensuring food security for 18 lakh children everyday. The basic need for roti is the motivator and enabler for millions of students of our country to come to their public school and pursue their education. Who knew that food is the way to children's futures! Listen to the episode for some soulful food for thought...

If there's one word that encapsulates Mahesh's story, it's 'energy'! Energy is very palpable when one is around Mahesh and coincidentally that's the space in the corporate world where he started his social intrapreneurship. Mahesh is now powering journeys of many social entrepreneurs as country director at Acumen. Let's hear from him about the sugary story from the field that's etched deeply in his heart, about how one can make a difference to communities-in-need while being on the job, and about his privilege of indirectly serving the under-privileged.

"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." This proverb guides the mission of our guest today: Meera Shenoy!  Meera is the founder of Youth4Jobs that skills rural and tribal youth with disability. When you meet the dainty and soft-spoken Meera, one can barely make out that she is the same powerhouse who has influenced the lives of millions of Indians by channelizing their ability into market-linked livelihoods. Pioneer of India's largest organization in the space that works both at policy and implementation levels; at the core, Meera is truly a human with a humane story! During weekends, Meera dons her chef hat and tries her hand at recreating healthy and seasonal Konkani recipes passed down to her by her mother and grandmother:) Shall we meet Meera Shenoy?

While the first guest on this podcast --Venkat Krishnan-- was a giving champion, our guest today is all about ensuring the receiver's dignity. Anshu Gupta, recipient of Magsaysay award (which is considered Asia's Nobel Prize), founded Goonj 23 years ago which works superbly in the areas of disaster relief and community development pan-India. Anshu may seem like he's solving the WANT for kapda in the roti-kapda-makaan trio (and after hearing the podcast episode, you'll know why I stress on the word "want" here and don't substitute it with "need"). Actually, he's an economist by practice who's trying to balance the inequality between the haves and the have-nots by channelizing the excess resources from the former to the latter. It all started when his eyes saw some things and his heart was deeply troubled by them. And the rest is his-story! Tune in to the episode to hear it straight from the horse's mouth...

Listen to the thought process of a man who has given it all for humanity and encourages everyone to experience the same. Hear what a single story can do to shift something within a person so deeply that it influences decisions for rest of the life. Meet Venkat Krishnan because otherwise you're missing out on what being human truly is! In this very first episode of The Human(e) Story, host Smita asks Venkat Krishnan of GiveIndia fame some ordinary questions only to get some extraordinary answers...

Dear listeners, I'm so glad you're here:)  In the trailer to The Human(e) Story, hear about the intent behind the podcast and the six pillar questions that shape each conversation. Also, get a preview on the guests who are featured in this series and a little about me. Looking forward to your thoughts! Love, Smita