Modern Minorities

“Minority voices for all our majority ears...”

As another eventful year comes to a close, we recap some favorite voices shared by our many FrieMMds of the Pod in 2025 — so grab a tasty beverage, share with a friend, and enjoy!

Featuring the voices of Zohran Mamdani, Vidyut Latay, Varuna Srinivasan, Michael Wong, David Yin, Susie Quesada, Vaibhav, Lisa Angulo Reid, Nicole Ponseca, Suresh Raj, Keith Pedro, Jonathan Hill, Ainsley Walle...

“We need some sort of framework to say what is okay and what is not okay — and we need to revisit this when the technology changes..”

The more we read, the clearer it gets — it’s just another AI-pocalypse in the making. First its replacing the means of production, then its hallucinations no one can explain. People keep saying we’ll get it under control… but we all know how that story ends. Inevitably the giant machines show up, huma...

" Whatever bad situation you're in, it is really your will to want to change. Your predicament, your situation and life will try to break you — it was really just that determination that I didn't want to have myself or my family ever in a bad situation like that ever again.”

Everette Taylor is the CEO of Kickstarter, a leader whose journey from adversity to influence is all about creativity, resilience, purpose, and impact. Since K...

“Translation — it's listening and understanding. It's trying to understand each other, trying to find some common ground, but understanding that there is a gap and that's okay, because we're all different.” 

There’s this really good book about a kid in England who gets into an elite school to learn the magic that can literally change the world. There’s friendship, betrayal, enchanted objects, and the fate of the world hanging in th...

“The Philippines isn't the president, it isn't the government. The Philippines is the people. Our role as Filipino Americans living in the diaspora is to stand with them. Tama na. Enough.”

Politics is divided, institutions are fragile, and truth feels up for sale. Sounds familiar? Here’s the twist — we’re not talking about America, we’re talking about the Philippines. With over 110 million people, it’s one of the largest democracie...

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, we started a podcast...

300 episodes later, instead of a self-congratulatory retrospective, we asked our MANY longtime FrieMMds of the Pod to “ask us anything” — from how ideas of being a minority have changed, surprises and lessons hidden from 300 conversations, fond unexpected memories, what our kids continue to teach us, and all the conversations we somehow still haven’t had. Big thanks ...

“ Build your own identity and understand what drives you — I just wanna be as authentically me as possible and let others know that this world is better when you can embrace what is unique to you, and not try to dim it.”

Priti Ohri is an award-winning adtech executive and entrepreneur. She’s Co-founder & CEO of Advertible, and one of the founders of DesiUs - a group for South Asians in adtech. Priti’s been recognized as one of ...

“ None of us know how to be bored anymore. Some of the best things in my life have come from those moments where I'm not connected” — “...can you poop without your phone?

We're going to solve our social media's problem — but first, you have to accept we ALL have a problem. Nearly every challenge we face as a society becomes infinitely harder if we stay on our current path. Division, misinformation, a slow erosion of critical think...

 ​“What's funny is, people are talking about these movies being woke, but it's literally just what superheroes are supposed to be about — kindness, empathy, and protecting people that can't be protected. ”

“These are times where we are told that you can't afford to look out for more than yourself — And to stand amidst that — to care about somebody even if it doesn't have some immediate benefit to me? Yeah, that's punk rock.”

In a w...

 ​“A lot of creativity stems from lack of access — born outta having less. You have less, so you have to think about how to do more — that's what's Black design is about.”

Maurice Cherry is a designer, strategist, and an important voice in the history of Black design — best known as the creator and host of Revision Path, an award-winning podcast that’s spotlighted over 550 Black designers, developers, artists, and digital thinkers ...

“Chai is amazing — it should be right alongside a good cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino. This business helped me reconcile my American upbringing and my Indian heritage — that push and pull, that beautiful combination of everything.”

Ayan Sanyal is Co-founder of Kolkata Chai Company, which if you’re in NY, you should stop by sometime soon (or order some online) — it’s something special. I’ve been going for a couple of years, ...

“It was not nostalgia — I kept waiting for that to hit. I was worried about — what if New York doesn't live up to it? Because then where do I go from here?

Kay Sohini is an Indian comics-maker living in New York City. She’s the author of the graphic novel THIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS CITY . But Kay’s a lot more than a comics creator - she’s a writer, researcher, and artist. Kay grew up in Kolkata, where she fell in love with American...

“ We might need only 10% of the population to have a tipping point into a brighter future — to change lives for the better at scale by recognizing your potential to calm others. We're in this thing together.” 

Life right now seems chaotic, but there's a method to the madness — welcome to the challenge of our generations. It sucks, it’s not fair, it’s been going on too long, and it feels like we’re sacrificing our children to some g...

“ It was always in me — my grandparents were almost like these mystical figures, and they did really great things. So I was always like, ‘Why can't I discover more of that side of me?’ ”

Brian Velasquez Reid is co-founder + CFO of Dear Flor, the first Filipina-owned cannabis brand — bringing Filipino culture to the world, one flavor at a time. And he happens to be co-founder with recent FrieMMd of the pod Lisa Angulo Reid. Basica...

“ It's a message of resilience in the face of adversity — a sandbox, where every person has a story, an important point of view — folks doing something different who can be interesting, wonderful, and celebrated.”

 A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, we saw Star Wars for the first time — and everything changed, for so many of us. Let’s be honest, it has been a long and winding relationship with all the space wizards and lase...

“Even though this is a book about snake girls and lizard boys — it's about universal experiences: we can't change what's happening, but you never know when being kind will change somebody else. ,”

Jonathan Hill’s an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and educator in Portland, Oregon — and a returning guest - to celebrate the launch of his latest graphic novel: “Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever.” While the sci-fi title ...

“They want your immigrant voice — they don't want to hear about me just growing up, even though that's the truth, right? And then I realized I could clearly make a living just performing for my people.”

Keith Pedro is a renowned Canadian comedian who has garnered worldwide acclaim through his captivating live performances. In 2022, he was honored with a Juno Award nomination for his Comedy Album, "TRILLIPINO," in the category of Com...

“When everything changed recently, we promised ourselves we would not get wrapped into the daily news. Yes, we're paying attention, but  it's going to happen - and the coping mechanisms have never changed.”

Suresh is a Malaysian-born, London-raised, gay media exec in NY, who over the years, has become an important voice about authenticity, discipline, and hard work. Suresh is direct, honest and reflective — in an industry full of a ...