South Asian Trailblazers – Details, episodes & analysis

AAVRANI has been acquired — and founder Rooshy Roy shares the full story for the first time on South Asian Trailblazers.

Six years ago, in Season 1 (2020), Rooshy first sat down with Simi as a freshly-funded, newly-married Forbes 30 Under 30 founder building one of the first beauty brands rooted in Indian heritage. Today, she becomes the first trailblazer to ever return to the podcast — here to share the end of her nine-year journey bringing Indian Ayurveda-inspired beauty to the world.

In this raw, deeply personal conversation, Rooshy walks through the complete arc of building in beauty — from meeting her co-founder on the second day of Wharton, to raising $10M+ in venture funding, to pivoting from skincare to hair care with Sephora, to partnering with Lilly Singh, to the moment she realized she was playing a game she no longer wanted to win. She reveals why she decided to let go of the brand she spent nine years building and her process in finding the ultimate acquirer.

This episode is essential listening for ambitious women, founders building in consumer brand, and anyone wrestling with when to hold on and when to let go.

KEY TOPICS:

• AAVRANI's acquisition announcement and what's next
• The truth about launching in Sephora in 2024
• How celebrity partnerships work (Lilly Singh)
• Fellow South Asian beauty founders in Sephora: competitive or collaborative?
• 3 things Rooshy would do differently
• Choosing family, chasing dreams, and knowing when to let go

About Rooshy:

Rooshy Roy is the founder and former CEO of AAVRANI, a premium beauty brand inspired by ancient Indian beauty traditions rituals. She co-founded at Wharton in 2017. A first-generation Indian American, Rooshy previously worked at Goldman Sachs and Warburg Pincus before launching AAVRANI to bring Ayurvedic beauty rooted in Indian traditions to the global stage. She was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2020 in Retail & E-Commerce. AAVRANI expanded from skincare into hair care at Sephora in partnership with Lilly Singh, and was acquired at the end of 2025. 

PREVIOUS EPISODE:
Rooshy Roy, Season 1 (2020)

Follow Rooshy & AAVRANI:

• Rooshy on Instagram
• Rooshy on Substack
• AAVRANI Website
• AAVRANI on

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Representative Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) join South Asian Trailblazers Host Simi Shah for a timely and wide-ranging conversation live from the Impact Summit 2025 in Washington, D.C. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE.

On this special panel concluding Season 8, we dive into:

💬 How increased political violence is shaping their leadership
💬 The urgent need for immigration reform and protections for our community
💬 Combating disinformation, hate, and cuts to healthcare
💬 U.S.–India relations, tariffs, and the $130B in trade at stake for small businesses
💬 The path ahead for South Asian representation in Congress — and beyond

About the U.S. Congressmen:

Raja Krishnamoorthi, who previously joined us on South Asian Trailblazers, is in his fifth term representing Illinois’ 8th District. He is the first South Asian American to lead a Congressional committee, serving as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party.

Shri Thanedar, representing Michigan’s 13th District since 2022, is a former chemist, entrepreneur, and immigrant from southern India who rose from poverty to public service. He is the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Suhas Subramanyam, elected in 2024 to represent Virginia’s 10th District, is the first Indian American elected to Congress from Virginia. A former Obama White House technology advisor and Virginia state legislator, he now serves on the Oversight and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.

🎧 This is South Asian leadership in action — inside the nation’s halls of power.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

In this special, LIVE-recorded edition of South Asian Trailblazers, Host Simi Shah kicks off Season 8 with Jay Sean — multi-platinum artist, entrepreneur, and record label executive. WATCH this and EVERY FUTURE episode on YouTube.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com.

This special live episode was proudly hosted in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). A special thanks to Karma Wellness Kitchen, Kulture Khazana, Stitched Sweets, Aayka Fashion, Bollygood, Rupee Beer, Woops!, Malai, DesiGalli, Tinto Amorio, Banyan & Birch, Pics by Dhaval, MishMedia+, Ravi Ray Audio.

British-born international superstar and cultural icon Jay Sean took the US pop culture market by storm in the mid-2000s, launching a career that has spanned nearly 20 years. In addition to being the first Indian artist and the first South Asian artist in history to achieve a No. 1 on Billboard’s charts. In 2024, he founded 3AM Entertainment, a record label under Virgin Music Group, alongside Range Media Partners, to support artists from the Sout

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

Happy AAPI Heritage Month from South Asian Trailblazers! 👋🏼 In this short soundbite, I’m sharing exciting updates about events we’re hosting around the world(!), Season 8, and our Agency. The highlights:

1. Season 8 goes live this Fall! But we couldn’t wait to share a sneak peek with you…which is why you can enjoy our latest LIVE recording with the esteemed Gurbir S. Grewal, the Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement and former Attorney General of New Jersey. WATCH this episode on YouTube.
2. We launched the Trailblazers Agency and Speaker’s Bureau to propel South Asian leaders in our network onto mainstages around the world. Over the last few months, we’ve brought their stories and expertise to tech companies like Flatiron Health and institutions like Harvard Business School. If you want to source and host expert, diverse South Asian talent for your conference, retreat, AAPI Employee Resource Group (ERG), brand campaign, or more, email us!
3. Upcoming Events: This Summer, we’re going global. RSVP for your city below! 

• Washington D.C. | May 15, 2024 | Register for the Summit  or RSVP Here for JUST the Happy Hour
• London | June 2024 | RSVP
• San Francisco | July 2024 | RSVP
• New York | July 2024 | RSVP below
  • For all event announcements, follow us on Instagram & LinkedIn while the pod is on hiatus. We'll also announce in our newsletter.
  • RSVP for South Asian professionals in media
  • RSVP for South Asian professionals in family businesses/ family offices

Until the Fall!

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

For our Season 7 Finale, we catch up with Amol Shah from OpenAI, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies and the creator of ChatGPT. 

Amol's career spans roles at tech giants like Facebook and TikTok, and more recently, he served as the Chief Revenue Officer for blockchain startup QuickNode. Before his foray into the tech c-suite, Amol served as the Head of the US Disruptor team and Founding Sales Leader at TikTok. Between 2015 and 2019, he led platform sales at Facebook. 

Amol began his career in the investment banking and principal investment divisions at Goldman Sachs and got his start in tech in 2013 at RocketFuel, an ad tech company. He entered the sector after graduating with his MBA from Harvard Business School. He holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. In October of 2023, preceding a period of immense controversy at the company, Amol joined OpenAI's Go-to-Market team -- driving partnerships with the company's largest customers to advance OpenAI's mission of bringing the benefits of artificial intelligence to all of humanity. Join us for a conversation about Amol's role sitting at the controversial yet cutting edge of AI, his pivot from finance to tech sales, and the impacts of his identity as a queer South Asian man in industry and beyond. 

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

In this episode, we meet Nishant Roy, Chief Communications and Impact Officer at Chobani.

Chobani is one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world and has been a pioneer in the natural food movement for the last decade. Nishant has an incredibly variegated career to date. He began his career with distinguished service in the United States Air Force as an airman where he served with the Security Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon his honorable discharge, he channeled his commitment to service into a role as a Domestic Policy Assistant at the Clinton Foundation, during which time he also completed his B.A. in Economics from St. John's University. Upon his graduation, he spent time at Goldman Sachs in their Asset Management Division.

After two years at the financial institution, he was recruited back into public service in 2009. He joined the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) where he served as a special adviser during President Obama's administration. He contributed significantly to President Obama's "Feed the Future" and "Power Africa" initiatives. Today, Nishant serves in the c-suite of Chobani, a company he joined almost seven years ago (2017). He initially joined as Chief of Staff to illustrious CEO and Founder Hamdi Ulukaya. He later took on the role of Chief of Strategic Operations, before ascending to his current role spearheading communications and impact work. Nishant is an alumnus of NYU Executive MBA Program, as well as a team member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also sits on the Board of La Colombe, the famed coffee company recently acquired by Chobani. 

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

In this episode, Simi welcomes our first-ever sibling founder duo: Akash and Nikita Mehta, Co-Founders of Fable & Mane. Fable & Mane is an Ayurveda-inspired hair wellness brand.

 Akash is a British entrepreneur and influencer. He graduated from Imperial College London with a degree in electrical engineering. His professional journey spans roles at Burberry, Estee Lauder, and Dior, where he notably served as their youngest-ever global digital manager. Currently, Akash serves as the CEO of Fable & Mane. In addition to that, he owns a digital agency- studio, CO-ANU. Akash is also the host of the rising beauty podcast, Founded Beauty, and holds the position of an investor in Patou, making him one of the youngest board members at LVMH. Beyond his professional pursuits, Akash has amassed a significant social media following, acts as a global guardian for UNICEF, and is a co-founder of The Fable Fund, a fund dedicated to wild tiger conservation and protection.

Niki is a visionary and conscious beauty entrepreneur. She holds a degree in computer science and management from the University College of London and spent much of her building French fragrance brands. Currently, Niki serves as the Creative Director and Head of Product Innovation at Fable & Mane.

Niki recently co-executive produced the Netflix documentary film Game Changers. She is also an investor and board member of LVMH's Patou and co-founder of The Fable Fund. She is also a certified mindfulness teacher and, in 2022, completed 200 hours of meditation training.

Niki and Akash started  Fable & Mane in 2020 and have since scaled it globally -- with a debut in Sephora in 2022. Together, we discuss how Akash and Niki have not only shaped Fable & Mane into a distinctive global brand, but have also successfully navigated the challenges of launching an Ayurveda-inspired brand into global markets, all while collaborating as socially-conscious siblings.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

Simi speaks with the revered RAJA KUMARI. Born Svetha Rao, Raja Kumari is a Grammy-nominated, international singer, songwriter, and rapper.

With over 43 million monthly Spotify streams, she has launched multiple hit singles and albums and collaborated with John Legend, AR Rahman, Iggy Azalea, and Fall Out Boy. Drawing from her Indian roots, she is trained in multiple styles of Indian dance and is regarded as one of India's top female rappers. She has been featured in Billboard, Vogue India, Elle India, and Harper’s Bazaar India, was the global face of MAC Cosmetics, and served as a judge on MTV’s "The Hustle." She was the first female rapper signed to artist Nas' record label in 2020. She recently founded Godmother Records, her own label, in order to have the freedom to pave her own way in music. She has toured globally, performed at Coachella, and most recently, released the debut album of her own label, The Bridge. In this episode, Raja Kumari reveals how she first fell in love with music, the obstacles she's faced along the way, and how she endeavors to set the next generation of talent up for success.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

Joining us on South Asian Trailblazers is Actor and Broadway Star, Nikhil Saboo. Most recently, Nikhil played the iconic Connor Murphy in the National Tour of  Dear Evan Hansen, becoming the first South Asian to ever take on the Tony-nominated role. He  also performed in the 1st National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical  and in the original Broadway cast of Mean Girls: The Musical.
 
Nikhil's career in the arts is extensive. In addition to appearing on Broadway, he has been featured on television as a singer for the 72nd Tony Awards and in SNL’s Season 43 Finale. He has also served as a camera operator and cinematographer for Amazon Prime.

Nikhil received his Bachelor’s in Music and the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology from NYU. From there, he immediately jumpstarted his career, doing national tours with A Christmas Story: The Musical and Junie B. Jones. Tune in to hear about how Nikhil's early inclination toward the arts was spurred by a battle with heart disease and how he's stayed resilient in the face of all kinds of adversity.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

For our mid-season finale, Simi is joined by Priya Singh — Chief Strategy Officer,  Senior Associate Dean, & Vice President of Stanford Medicine.

Stanford Medicine encompasses a $13 billion preeminent academic health center comprised of the Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. Priya first began her career at Stanford in 2002, when she joined Stanford’s Graduate School of Business as the Director of Marketing for their Executive Education program. By 2006, she had become an Assistant Dean at the Business School. After a decade, in 2013, she transitioned to Stanford University’s School of Medicine, where she would serve as Senior Associate Dean, before transitioning to the broader Stanford Healthcare enterprise.

Prior to her time at Stanford, Priya led marketing management in senior roles at Oracle, a startup called Respond.com, and iconic apparel company, Levi Strauss & Co. She is a writer who has written extensively about the Great Pretend — the code-switching, concealing, and compromising that women often partake in and are subjected to in the workplace. For her extensive work at Stanford and beyond, Priya was named one of the 100 Outstanding Silicon Valley Professionals in the 2020 Class of Women of Influence. Priya is originally from India and earned her Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees in Business Management at the University of Bombay, India.

South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.