Baskets Of Knowledge Tane Whitehead & Prajesh Chhanabhai

Following the "normal" life trajectory is the way our guest this week was living her life as she looked to go to university to get a "normal" career. However, having
picked up the sport of rowing late in her teenage years our guest received an offer out of the blue that presented her the opportunity to study in the United States on a rowing scholarship.



This week Grace Lewis talks to us about how this moment was the start of her many pivots that have seen her saying yes to opportunities that have presented
themselves to her. BUT the key ingredient with each of these opportunities has been Grace's ability to pivot. From realising she might not be the physically strongest person on the rowing team to choosing to stay on in the United States to complete a Masters. Grace takes us through a pretty epic story so far.



We also talk about her fantastic podcast "Tall Poppy Talk". We delve into the Tall Poppy phenomena that many people from New Zealand seem to face. We explore that this is not a good thing or a bad thing but something to be aware of. 



It is a fantastic chat, with lots of laughs, mind blowing learnings and two really fabulous lessons.



Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

Growing up in Dunedin, New Zealand our guest this week speaks about the importance that his whanau/family has had in his life. This became more evident as Nick Parata started to explore, learn and embrace his Māori identity.



We speak about how this was and has not always been an easy exploration especially as humans use outward appearances to make judgement calls
about a person. A trait that we can all be guilty off. The early challenges Nick faced only further strengthen his resolve to not just embrace his heritage but to be proud of it. We talk about how this as influenced his study and research passions while having a laugh over a few stories.



We also talk about how Nick's involvement in hockey essentially started by just going along to weekend games to now being a representative player for a number of teams. The interesting thread through these endeavours is once again tied to his Māori identity.



This is a fun conversation with lots for us all to ponder about as we think about the world today.



Enjoy!

Prajesh and Tane

Growing up in india our guest this week would never in a million years think that he would be sitting in an office in New Zealand talking about the journey that has taken him halfway across the world.



This week Rakesh Banerjee talks to us about how growing up in india he had never thought that he would
end up in New Zealand. His life story has many ups and downs has Rakesh relates the story about living, working and growing up in India. The opportunities that he took during that time opened up pathways and doors that he had not expected. With each one of those opportunities he learnt not only about himself but also more about the things that truly mattered to him both as a person and the area that he was passionate about.



We delve into his PhD research, where he echos the wise words that his supervisor gave him which allowed Rakesh to view his PhD with a different light. We
also talk about the amazingly welcoming demeanour that Rakesh always seems to have. 



This is a great conversation about reflection and remembering that it is all about the journey.



Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

The universe works in crazy ways! This week's guest happened to come on at the same time that the skies were being lit up around the world with the Aurora's and
at the same time power companies around the world were warning customers about possible network outages. You might think what has this got to do
with our guest? Well the inspirational Aleida Powell is someone who works in the power and energy sector! Coincidence or more...



We delve back to where this all started for Aleida, as a young woman that enjoyed the sciences there was an obvious (and often incorrect) thought that she should be an engineer. Aleida was not a fan of that idea but
went to university with an open mind about sciences. it is here that she discovered the world of energy science and the rest as they say is history.



In this conversation Aleida gives us a really great perspective about EV's by explaining the science to debunk any myths. But more importantly we talk about Aleida being a young woman in a field that is predominantly male. Aleida speaks with passion about her work in encouraging young women to think about STEM as a viable option and pathway. 



There is so much brilliance in this episode, you will not want to miss out!



Enjoy

Prajesh and Tane

As we think about our lives, we all go through certain stages where things happen. These are a mixture of the "good" the "bad" and sometimes the "ugly". Our guest this week summarises this really well as she speaks to us about how different phases of her life led to growth at different parts of her life.

Manpreet Dhanjal talks to us this week about how from being someone that was a super homebody not wanting to leave home to become a person who helped set up a company that allows her to be a digital nomad. The amazing thing about this is that Manpreet was doing this well before it became mainstream. We speak
about the motivation behind this way of working. We also talk about how she was always passionate about all things computing but so very nearly followed a different path. Manpreet talks to us about the importance of failing but also how we all need to exercise our resilience muscles to ensure growth.

This conversation is filled with beautiful analogies, learnings and wisdom.

Enjoy
Prajesh and Tane

This week our guest grew up in a small rural community in the South Island of New Zealand. It was in this community that our guest embraced the beauty and the fragility of nature. Being an island nation, New Zealand native flora and fauna is, like other island nations,
always under threat from invasive species. This is where our conversation with Anna Clark starts.



However, as the title says, Anna's story takes on the twists and turns of a rollercoaster. We talk to Anna about how an accident literally threw her off course through the impact of a concussion. We also navigate how Anna has been around people that have presented her with opportunities from the most unlikely of conversation. We have a fantastic chat about being a Fulbright Scholar and giving a TedEx talk. 



This episode is full of laughs, exploration of adventures with the passion that Anna has for so many things coming through so clearly.



Enjoy



Prajesh and Tane