The Brand Called You

Mr P. N. Vijay brings over 50 years of work experience in the fields of investment banking, financial lending, politics, asset management and corporate governance. He completed his graduation in Physics from Presidency College Chennai and Post Graduation with a specialization in electronics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. 00:33- About PN Vijay and his journey.  I am an Investment Banker with 50 years of experience in Investment Banking, Lending, Corporate Governance Banking and Public Affairs. During this period, I have worked on countless Fundraising, M&A and Corporate Restructuring transactions both in India and Overseas. I have been active in Public Affairs for the last 30-odd years sharing my views on the Political Economy. During this period, I was actively associated with the Bhartiya Janata Party as Convenor of its National Economic Cell and later as a National Spokesperson. I am also associated with Ramana Kendra Delhi as its Secretary and as Trustee of Puthige Mutt, Udupi.

Leadership is a crucial aspect of any organization, whether it's a small business, a multinational corporation, or a government agency. Effective leadership can mean the difference between success and failure, both in terms of achieving the organization's goals and in terms of maintaining a positive and productive work environment. In this episode, we have Venkat Changavalli. Venkat Changavalli is an advisor, management consultant, and leadership mentor from Hyderabad, India. Tune in to listen to him talk about the importance of leadership. 00:33- About Venkat Changavalli Venkat Changavalli is an advisor, management consultant, and leadership mentor. He is the author of “Manage, Live and Lead”. He has conceptualized, implemented, and operationalized innovative projects for the first time, such as EMRI-108, UP-100, and Elderly Response System-14567. He has been awarded, recognized, and felicitated several times.

Adolescence is a critical phase of life that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. For girls in India, this phase is often fraught with challenges such as limited access to education, poor health outcomes, and a lack of safety. However, empowering adolescent girls through education, health services, and safety measures can have a transformative effect on their lives and the communities in which they live. In this episode, Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Co-founder, and Chief Executive Officer, of Milaan Foundation talks about his personal journey, the mission of Milaan Foundation, and the challenges faced by girls and young women in rural India, particularly in terms of education, health, and safety.  00:33- About Dhirendra Pratap Singh  Dhirendra Pratap Singh is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Milaan Foundation. He is the lead for India Operations for Vidya Grants. He is also the CEO of Azadi Inc, an impact venture that developed a female entrepreneurship network in rural UP. He has been recognized, awarded, and felicitated several times.

With over 35 years in the tea industry, working at origin, importing and within the CPG space (branded & PL), John Snell has the vertical context required to make sense of the industry, whatever your needs including, Production management, Sensory, Procurement, Supply chain management, Product development and Portfolio and channel management.   00:33- About John Snell and his journey.  John Snell is the principal at NM Tea B Consultancy, with expertise in sourcing that spans 35 years of procurement, supply chain management, and importing tea for major brands and private label suppliers.  He also owns Ela’s Tea, a specialty tea supplier and blender. John resides in Toronto, Canada.  John Snell, has been visiting tea farms and plantations in almost every spot where tea is grown for 4 decades.  John has sat on the Board of the Ethical Tea Partnership and has developed sustainable development programming for various entities. He is proud to have assisted various FAO papers on revitalizing the tea sector and on broader sustainability foci. 

Sumana Setty’s corporate experience makes her a leader in measuring ROI, impact, and building systemic programming within the existing landscape to create the economic change that occurs when girls are educated. She has worked at various private equity firms and law firms in Chicago and New York and has a Bachelor's in Political Science and Economics, MBA & JD. 00:37- About Sumana Setty and his journey.  Sumana Setty is a co-founder of Commit-2-Change, a charity dedicated to creating systemic change by educating orphaned girls. Since its inception 2 years ago, C2C has supported over 400 children in their efforts to build a better future for themselves.  Sumana's belief that every woman should be empowered inspired the co-creation of Catrinka, a socially conscious fashion brand that collaborates with women around the world to make fair trade, fair wage handbags.  Before C2C, Sumana's passion for public service led her to become one of the founding members of the leadership council for AIF-Sahaya, which focuses on raising awareness for women's and children's health in India, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDs.  

Gender and human rights issues are prevalent in several parts of the world. Africa, being still coping with a lot of issues owing to its history, has a grave problem of gender issues like inequality, gender-based violence, etc. Several national and international organizations work towards it, but it is still a long way to go. In today’s episode, we discuss the role that the African Union's Federation of International Gender and Human Rights is playing in addressing the issue.  [00:36] - About Chisala C Bwalya Chisala is the mission ambassador to the African Union at the Federation of International Gender and Human Rights (FIGHR). He is an author, researcher, speaker, mentor, impact leader, founder, global change maker, visionary humanitarian and a social entrepreneur. He is also an expert in diversity, equity and inclusion. Chisala has been recognized, felicitated and awarded several times. 

With new startups coming up everyday, what is the recipe of success that only a few of them end up sustaining while others disappear quickly? Market research of an idea, impact on society, team, culture etc are few elements that the founders ought to be cognizant of when building a business. In today’s episode, we share some key challenges and ways to cope up with when starting a startup.  [00:32] - About Sangeeta Mulchandani Sangeeta is the founder of Jumpstart Studio. She is a third generation entrepreneur. After years in the senior corporate role, she left to build her own startups and become a business strategy mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Sangeeta is the co-founder of the Australian Professionals of Color. She is an author of a book titled, “Start Right.”

Resilience is a powerful asset for organizations as it helps them to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges and adversity. When organizations foster resilience, they are better equipped to deal with unexpected events, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals. In this episode, Manish Arneja, Managing Partner of The Resilience Institute talks about the importance of resilience in an organization. 00:33- About Manish Arneja Manish Arneja is the Managing Partner of The Resilience Institute. As an individual, he is passionate about creating a fulfilling work-life experience by developing human capacity and resilience. Recognizing that suffering leaders can make others suffer, he aims to bring evidence-based and practical tools to the workplace to educate managers and leaders on self-care and building thriving teams.

Human-centered automation technology refers to the use of technology that is designed to work in harmony with human capabilities, rather than replacing them. This type of technology can be particularly useful in supply chain and retail operations, where a balance must be struck between efficiency and maintaining a human touch. In today’s episode, Charu Thomas, Founder, and CEO of Ox talks about human-centered automation technology. 00:10- About Charu Thomas Charu Thomas is Founder and CEO at Ox, the world's first Human Centered Automation company.  Human-Centered Automation is wearable technology that directs frontline operators through software intelligence.  Ox currently powers billions of dollars of revenue for Fortune 500 enterprise customers across Supply Chain, 3PL and Retail.  To date, Ox has raised $16M in venture funding from world-class investors such as MaC Venture Capital, BBG Ventures, & Steve Case's Revolution.  They are the youngest team to raise venture capital in Arkansas' history. Over the past 24 months, Ox has grown from 4 to 40 full-time employees.  Ox has been showcased by leading publications like The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Insider, and Forbes.

Sudhanshu Mani, retired but not tired, realized his dream of running a semi-high-speed train without an engine was finally fulfilled with the launch of Vande Bharat Express. Sudhanshu is considered the father of Vande Bharat trains in India and his contribution to the development of India's railways will always be remembered. 00:37- About Sudhanshu Mani and his journey.  Shri Sudhanshu Mani is the former General Manager of South Western Railway. Before taking over charge as General Manager, ICF, he also worked in various capacities in Indian Railway such as Chief Mechanical Engineer, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka - Bengaluru, Advisor (Minister), Berlin, at Embassy of India, Germany, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Bengaluru, Executive Director in RDSO, Lucknow and Chief Workshop Manager, Lallaguda Workshop, etc. He has more than 38 years of experience on Indian Railways in the field of Railway Operations, Project Management, Planning, Workshop Management and R&D. He and his team, made the concept of the Vande Bharat (VB) train a reality.