Millennial Musings with Anurag Anurag Ram Chandran

On the latest episode of Millennial Musings, host Anurag welcomes onboard his good friend and DJ, Divyae Sharma, aka sharma, to discuss all things dance music. They discuss sharma's journey into becoming a DJ, his fascination with dance music, its history, and how it continues to be a close-knit and deeply engaged community.

Having grown up in Dubai and lived in the UK and US; sharma intends to jump genres while enticing people into the beautiful community of dance music and explore the culture. During the day, Divyae dons a different hat - working as a design engineer in the medical device sector.

*Explicit language warning*

Follow Divyae on:

Instagram: @divyaesharma

Check out some of his sets here: https://www.mixcloud.com/sharma/

Follow Anurag on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson

As one of the most impactful and influential NGOs in India, Magic Bus has transformed the lives of over one million children and young people living in poverty. This week's guest, Anuj Alphonson, who is the Director of Livelihood programs at Magic Bus, shares with Anurag in great detail, the work that his organization does on empowering and helping young, vulnerable people access sustainable livelihood opportunities. They discuss many of Magic Bus's Livelihoods programs, explore how these interventions create impact, and in closing, look ahead to the goals and objectives that Magic Bus has set for the upcoming years.

Anuj Alphonson is Director-Livelihoods at Magic Bus India Foundation. He is passionate about working with youth from all walks of life, guide them on holistic development, and prepare & connect them with the right livelihood opportunities. He is an avid reader, ardently follows parallel cinema, and actively engages in Outdoor sports including Badminton, Volleyball and Football.

Founded in 1999 by Matthew Spacie, Magic Bus is a non-profit organisation that works with children and young people, living in poverty, in India, taking them from a childhood full of challenges to a life with meaningful livelihoods. They equip children and young people in the age group of 12 to 18 and above with the skills and knowledge they need to grow up and move out of poverty.

Magic Bus's youth-centered Livelihoods Programme connects the aspirations and potential of young people to available livelihood opportunities. Since the Livelihood programme began in 2015, more than 60,000 young men and women have so far been supported with high impact skills training and sustainable livelihood opportunities. The programme has over 50 livelihood skilling centres and 8 entrepreneurship incubation centres in high-need strategic locations in India.

Support Magic Bus by making a donation here. All donations to Magic Bus are eligible for 50% tax exemption under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

If you enjoyed the episode, support us by liking, sharing, and subscribing :)

Follow Magic Bus on:

Website: https://www.magicbus.org/

Facebook: @magicbusindia

Twitter: @MagicBusIndia

LinkedIn: @Magic Bus India Foundation

Instagram: @magic.bus

Follow Anurag on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson

Introducing Millennial Musings Shorts (MMS), my stories, thoughts, and rants - in under 5 minutes!

Today is the fourth of July and while reminiscing all the unforgettable memories I've had on this day while living in the United States, I wanted to share my most epic experience celebrating the American Independence Day - with my favorite rock band, The Foo Fighters at their 20th Anniversary celebration in Washington D.C. in 2015.

What did you think of this new format? I'm experimenting with short form audio and would love to hear from you - what did you like, what did you not, and how can I make it better :)

Follow me on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson

The institution of marriage is often propped up to be this sacred, unbreakable bond between couples (and in some cultures, their families) and places unhealthy and sometimes dangerous expectations on individuals. Due to these inflated expectations, when a relationship begins to fail, the individuals are often left in an incredibly difficult position, especially in countries like India, where taking the step towards divorce is largely frowned upon. On today's episode, Anurag and Shasvathi discuss normalizing and de-stigmatizing divorce in India, and how Shasvathi's personal experience led her to becoming a champion for others through her movement #DivorceIsNormal and the subsequent support group it spawned. Among many other topics, they discuss societal pressure of being in a marriage, dealing with the trauma of divorce, the arduous legal journey of seperation, and how allyship matters in normalizing divorce. 

Shasvathi Siva is a Chennai girl settled in Mumbai. After her divorce in 2018, she started vocalizing her thoughts about it, and is now on a mission to normalize divorce in every household. She also runs a support group for the same. Shasvathi is a TedX speaker, and is publishing her first book titled 'Divorce Is Normal' in 2022.

If you enjoyed the episode, support us by liking, sharing, and subscribing :)

Follow Shasvathi on:

Instagram: Shasvathi | #Divorceisnormal

Follow Anurag on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson

We're departing from our usual approach in this episode. In fact, we are shining our light on yet an another misunderstood generation - Generation Z. Many recall Tik Tok dances and other social media trends when thinking about this generation, but they are a whole lot more than that. In just a few years, they will grow to be one of the most influential generations, if not already. So in today's episode our host Anurag and the show's first Gen-Z guest, Vishal, talk all things about this generation. Additionally, they explore the relationship of this generation with the internet and technology, as well as how marketable they have already become. They close out the conversation with a deep dive into how the future of marketing will change - given Vishal's experience as the founder and Managing Partner of fireflies, a dynamic marketing and advertising agency, focused on Gen-Z.

Vishal has been in the branding, marketing and events space since his freshman year of university. From co-founding the first and only licensed youth social organization in UAE, running concerts and working in the edtech space to conceptualizing and executing campaigns for global brands like American Eagle, Bath and Body Works, Yamaha, Upfield and Logitech through his Gen-Z brand fireflies, he's always been chasing the big goals.

Vishal also does workshops for schools and Universities in the region. He's keen to get into the non-profit space and is exploring opportunities with the UNWFP. Apart from this, he works on his music, enjoys working out, and loves chocolate milk.

If you enjoyed the episode, support us by liking, sharing, and subscribing :)

Follow Vishal on:

LinkedIn: Vishal Raj Menon

Instagram: @VISHALRMM | @FIREFLIESME

Follow Anurag on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson

Following a prolonged hiatus, Millennial Musings is back with a brand new episode. Recorded in mid-2020, host Anurag and guest Rohit Bhatnagar discuss the challenges of growing up as a third culture kid, the difficulties in defining where home is, and navigating the often painful yet frequently encountered question, “Where are you really from?” Additionally, they chat about the benefits of such an upbringing and how it has influenced them in specific ways.

In 2016, Rohit graduated with an economics degree from New York Uuniversity and moved home (?) to India, capping off a colorful 15 years living and studying in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. He’s spent the years since working a management consultant in New Delhi, first with EY and now with Dalberg, putting him face-to-face with his identity crises as a cultural and professional generalist.

If you enjoyed the episode, support us by liking, sharing, and subscribing :)

Follow Rohit on:

LinkedIn: Rohit Bhatnagar

Follow Anurag on:

Instagram: @anuragrc and @millennialmusings_podcast

Twitter: @AnuragRC

LinkedIn: Anurag Ram Chandran

Title music Ikson-Alive is obtained from the artist's website, and used with due credit given. Support Ikson's music on https://soundcloud.com/ikson