TDS 1.0 (featuring Annika and Nehal)
*That Desi Spark has been acquired and will be available on YouTube and socials in 2025!* That Desi Spark or TDS, formerly known as The Woke Desi, was a bold podcast created by three founders who recognized a space void of color and conversation around the topics that impact dual-identity, South Asian millennials the most. From education to entertainment and social justice issues to social media trends, TDS approached each episode with compassion, advocacy, and information, bolstered by subject-area experts and unfiltered celebrity moments. Hosted by Annika Sharma and Nehal Tenany, TDS ignited conversation, illuminated learning, and sparked a community to own their stories, rise up with confidence, and blaze a path forward. The podcast was been featured in the Times of India, at BBC’s CDX, and on Forbes. They have also been featured speakers at multiple conferences, ViacomCBS, and universities.
Episodes
After a long 5 month hiatus...we are back with an update!
We've been acquired!
That Desi Spark has been acquired by Prince Bhojwani of Asana Voices (AV), and TDS and AV have entered a strategic partnership. What does that mean? Annika stays on as host, Nita Bhojwani joins as CEO, and this episode covers all of Annika's thoughts on TDS' latest move. As for the rest, listen and find out! We're u...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Raja Kumari is a force - a Grammy-nominated artist who has collaborated with Fall Out Boy, Gwen Stefani, and more, the face of Mac Cosmetics, nominated three times for the MTV European Music Awards for Best India Act, and made her own label album debut with The Bridge. Speaking to TDS about her career, she jumped into her S...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Ramya Chunduri, LMSW, has been a social worker, counselor, advocate, and founder of Saurya Media. Her extensive work in the South Asian community and with women's centers produced a wealth of knowledge about domestic violence and gender-based violence, particularly during the pandemic. Diving into signs most people do...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Divya Robin's mental health advice on Instagram has been a blessing. And her conversation and thoughtful consideration around drawing boundaries with South Asian families was a hit. From baby steps to huge changes, she dove into alllll the considerations around drawing lines in your life for your mental health and mad...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shot to fame as lead Devi Vishwakumar on Netflix' Never Have I Ever. Season 4, the final season of the show, aired in May of 2023. Maitreyi joined TDS for an interview that ran over time (sorry, Netflix!) discussing representation, how she coped with the haters, the love she had for the show, and...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Brown Girl Therapy, created by Sahaj Kohli, has become synonymous with immigrant mental health. Sahaj offers compassion, understanding, and validation for hundreds of thousands of South Asians on Instagram, through her workshops, conversations, events, and with her new book, "But What Will People Say?" which came...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Richa Moorjani has lit up television screens since her attention-grabbing role as Kamala, cousin of Devi, on Netflix' groundbreaking series, Never Have I Ever. Since then, she's gone onto work on Fargo, and is a proud advocate of veganism and humanitarian causes. She remains one of this show's favorite inter...
Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!
Jasvinder Sanghera came home from school at the age of 14 to find out she was promised to be married. Running away at great personal risk, she was supported by her sister, who herself was married young and died by suicide after suffering from abuse. These experiences led to the founding of Karma Nirvana, an organization in...
It's the last episode of That Desi Spark with Nehal as a host - but keep your eyes on TDS as it moves forward with Annika. Big things are coming!
5 years. 8 seasons. 130+ episodes. 140+ guests.
The end of an era. And the beginning of another.
As of January, Nehal will be leaving That Desi Spark to chase her passion of becoming an entertainment-focused content creator, a passion she discovered on TDS.
Kanika Chadda Gupta, host of That's Total Mom Sense (a hit podcast with guests like Chelsea Clinton!), joins TDS to talk through the career balance, deciding how to approach parenthood, and all the inspirational stories of incredible mothers across our diaspora and beyond.
You can hear her podcast here, and follow her on Instagram!
Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores includi...
'Tis the season to give, and American India Foundation's NY-based CEO Nishant Pandey and Chief Development Officer Kalpana Kanthan are with That Desi Spark this week to discuss the outcomes for over 17 million people this non-profit has impacted, the social programs it innovates, women in non-profit leadership, and why we all have a stake in shaping the future of our homelands across South Asia!
The way parents communicate with each other is HUGE in influencing the way we, as immigrants and children of immigrants, engage with our partners. Psychotherapist and founder of Being, Sadaf Siddiqi, joins us for her second episode with TDS to talk about how we can unlearn some of the toxic behaviors and communication techniques we may have grown up with, amplify the healthier ones, and create happier relationships.
Saumya Dave, MD, knows what South Asian women are up against - the psychiatrist and novelist is a staunch advocate for mental health, and explores what self-care really means (spoiler: it's MUCH more than than eating a brownie!) for burnout, anxiety, and societal expectations on this must-listen episode of TDS.
*This episode is sponsored by Therapy in Colour and Hachette Book Group*
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Therapy in Colour is a th...
Masculinity and mental health have come under greater scrutiny by the South Asian community in recent years. Clinical Psychology student Paritosh Joshi, a contributor to Brown Girl Magazine, joins TDS to explore how toxic masculinity impacts relationships, upholds patriarchal values, influences mental health, and creates a less inclusive atmosphere for South Asian men to seek mental health resources.
Connect with Paritosh ...
1 in 5 girls in South Asia will drop out of school after the onset of their period. Period poverty is a global issue with wide-ranging impact. The Desai Foundation's President, Megha Desai, joins TDS to discuss their initiatives to provide access to education, period products, infrastructure, and more - and above all, dignity.
Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and ...
When journalist Ruchira Gupta traveled across India to find out what was happening to young girls across the country, she stepped into the world of prostitution, sex trafficking, bribes, death threats, and more. Her riveting account of sex trafficking, her founding of Apne Aap - an NGO helping women, girls, and their children in the red light districts of Mumbai, her work with the UN and Hillary Clinton, and above all, hope, are th...
Netflix' Never Have I Ever's central characters, the Vishwakumar family, were trailblazing for South Asians on screen. Star of the series Maitreyi Ramakrishnan joins TDS to discuss her journey on the show, representation as a South Asian, her favorite memories with Devi, and so much more on this engaging episode.
This episode is sponsored by Reti Swimwear, Recover Season, and Therapy in Color.
Reti Swimw...
Sameera Qureshi, MS OTR, joins TDS to discuss her career with sexual health and Islam - what to do when values and lifestyles clash, issues around not exploring sexuality, how she's educated people about sex, and finding peace with sexual health.
Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!
Actress from movies like ABCD, bestselling author of "Always Anjali," and "Bravo Anjali," and outspoken activist about all politics but especially those around children, multi-hyphenate Sheetal Sheth joins TDS to discuss anti-AAPI narratives, why book bans are a problem, and how diverse literature changes lives.
Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and ...
Clinical Neuropsychology PHD resident Nawal Mustafa joins TDS to chat through how to recognize emotional triggers and manage emotions to strengthen relationships around you and increase your emotional intelligence.
Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!
Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts,...
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