
Shortcast over Coffee
Conversations with heroes from all walks of life
Latest episodes

Aug 30, 2023 • 47min
Exploring Japan and Meeting Roger Federer ft Lakshmi Sharath (Part 2)
Today my guest is Lakshmi Sharath. Lakshmi is a well-known traveler and writer who has visited 50 countries...and counting!
She is an inspiration for solo women travelers and motivates them to explore the world on their own. She was also the recipient of India's Best Travel Blog award in 2008. She shares tips, itineraries and stories from her trips on her blog @lakshmisharath.com. She is also a brilliant travel writer and was a columnist for The Hindu Metro Plus. This is part 2 of a two part episode with Lakshmi. In this episode, we talk about her travel to Japan, the city of Kyoto in particular, and meeting Roger Federer.
Lakshmi Sharath
https://www.instagram.com/lakshmisharath/
https://lakshmisharath.com/about-lakshmisharath/
Reach out to the host @bala.deva06 on Instagram

Aug 30, 2023 • 53min
A Podcast on Podcasting: The AI Builder Wondercraft.ai ft co-founder Dimitris Nikolaou
My guest today is Dimitris Nikolau. Dimi is the cofounder of Wondercraft.ai which uses speech to text technology to make podcasting easier. With Wondercraft, anyone can easily turn their content (like newsletters, blogs, interviews, and recordings) into professional-quality podcasts in minutes. In this episode, I talk to Dimi about his college, Y Combinator and his startup Wondercraft.ai
About Dimitris and Wondercraft
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitris-...https://www.linkedin.com/company/wond...https://www.ycombinator.com/companies...https://www.wondercraft.ai/
Reach out to the host https://www.instagram.com/bala.deva06/
Time Stamps
(00:00) Intro
(02:07) Entrepreneurial journey
(05:46) Education and Background
(12:37) Experience at Palantir
(16:49) YCombinator times
(28:00) Wondercraft.ai
(36:00) Wondercraft.ai's clientele
(45:00) AI in podcasting
(49:42) Life and Hobbies of Dimitris

Aug 26, 2023 • 37min
Nandita Iyer on her Culinary and Musical Journey (Part 2)
Our guest today is Dr. Nandita Iyer. Nandita is an author and food blogger who truly embodies the Hippocrates philosophy of "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." A qualified doctor and nutritionist, she is also a social media influencer and busts some popular misconceptions about food. Her blog, Saffron Trail at www.saffrontrail.com, is a fantastic repository of healthy vegetarian recipes.
Nandita on Instagram has recently started to post reels under the name "The Agarbathi Series," which I recommend you check out for their sarcasm and sense of humor. She is also a wonderful singer trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani classical music.
This is Part 2 of a two part episode. In this episode, she talks about her culinary and musical journey.
Nandita Iyer
@saffrontrail on Instagram
https://tinyurl.com/nanditabooks
https://www.saffrontrail.com/about/
Reach out to the host @bala.deva06 on Instagram

Aug 26, 2023 • 43min
Tamilian's Mumbai : A Journey Through Nandita Iyer's Food Memories (Part 1)
Our guest today is Dr. Nandita Iyer. Nandita is an author and food blogger who truly embodies the Hippocrates philosophy of "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." A qualified doctor and nutritionist, she is also a social media influencer and busts some popular misconceptions about food. Her blog, Saffron Trail at www.saffrontrail.com, is a fantastic repository of healthy vegetarian recipes.
Nandita on Instagram has recently started to post reels under the name "The Agarbathi Series," which I recommend you check out for their sarcasm and sense of humor. She is also a wonderful singer trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani classical music.
This is Part 1 of a two part episode. In this episode we take a deep dive into Nandita's upbringing in a middle class Tamil household in Mumbai and her nostalgia associated with food.
Nandita Iyer
@saffrontrail on Instagram
https://tinyurl.com/nanditabooks
https://www.saffrontrail.com/about/
Reach out to the host @bala.deva06 on Instagram

Aug 26, 2023 • 36min
Early Travel Days and Life in Indian Media Industry in the 2000s with Lakshmi Sharath (Part 1)
Today my guest is Lakshmi Sharath. Lakshmi is a well-known traveler and writer who has visited 50 countries...and counting!
She is an inspiration for solo women travelers and motivates them to explore the world on their own. She was also the recipient of India's Best Travel Blog award in 2008. She shares tips, itineraries and stories from her trips on her blog @lakshmisharath.com. She is also a brilliant travel writer and was a columnist for The Hindu Metro Plus. This is part 1 of a two part episode with Lakshmi. In this episode we talk about her early career in the media and how her penchant for travel started. Part 2 of this conversation will be on her travel to Japan, the city of Kyoto in particular, and meeting Roger Federer.
Lakshmi Sharath
https://www.instagram.com/lakshmisharath/
https://lakshmisharath.com/about-lakshmisharath/
Reach out to the host @bala.deva06 on Instagram

Aug 25, 2023 • 23min
Mayan Coffee Farmers in Guatemala with Dr Edward Fischer (Part 2)
If you are a coffee connoisseur, this episode is just for you. Not many people start their day without a cup of coffee, it maybe drip coffee from a nearby convenient store or a fancy white chocolate mocha.
I sit down with Social anthropologist and the author of the book Making Better Coffee Dr. Edward Fischer to discuss the history, evolution and waves of coffee culture. This is part 2 of a two part episode. In this episode we focus on the lives of Mayan coffee farmers in Guatemala and the challenges they face and how Dr. Fischer's initiatives have fought malnutrition in the country. Dr. Fischer is a professor of anthropology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and his research focuses on political economy, wellbeing and social economy. He is a highly cited researcher and expert in his field who also co-founded the social enterprise Mani+ that develops and produces locally sourced complementary foods to fight malnutrition.
Dr Fischer's works:
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520386969/making-better-coffee
https://as.vanderbilt.edu/anthropology/bio/ted-fischer
Third Wave Coffee:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_coffee
Reach out to the host
Instagram: @bala.deva06

Aug 24, 2023 • 44min
Grace Hopper Celebration : Women in Tech with Dr Telle Whitney
Today, we are privileged to have Dr. Telle Whitney joining us, the co-founder of GHC and a longstanding CEO of the Anita Borg Institute. She has wielded significant influence in the industry, reshaping the path for women in technology.
In this interview, Dr Whitney delves deeply into her collegiate journey at the University of Utah and Caltech. She intricately outlines her motivations for relocating to Silicon Valley post-graduation, alongside the captivating genesis of the Grace Hopper Celebration. Throughout the conversation, her fervor for entrepreneurship is evident as she elaborates on strategies for companies to foster diversity and inclusion in recruitment and professional advancement.
On Telle Whitney and Anita Borg Institute
https://www.tellewhitney.com/
https://anitab.org/
https://www.gracehopper.com/
https://anitab.org/our-communities/systers/
Reach out to the host @bala.deva06 on Instagram

Aug 18, 2023 • 36min
80s Gradschool life in Utah, Forensic Fingerprinting and Specialized Masters for Indian Students in the US with Prof Akhlesh Lakhtakia
My next guest, Dr. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, has done pioneering work in the field of 3D fingerprinting. Fingerprint technology has been a widely debated topic over the years. Dr. Lakhtakia, along with his co-researchers, works on a technique for creating 3D holograms of fingerprints. His research has been featured in the 2012 PBS documentary Forensics on Trial and on CNN. He is among the world's foremost experts in the field of electromagnetic fields in complex materials, and has won numerous international awards for his groundbreaking research.
In this episode, we'll be discussing Dr. Lakhtakia's early days as a graduate student at the University of Utah, his breakthroughs in 3D fingerprinting, and his collaboration with the U.S. Department of State to design a new professional master's degree program for Indian students at American universities. Dr. Lakhtakia has had an illustrious career at the forefront of physics and engineering research.
US Master's for Indian Students
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-line-with-nep-us-state-dept-designs-master-s-programme-for-indian-students-101692069597708.html
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/new-national-education-policy-us-builds-masters-courses-for-indians-details-here-4303078
Prof Lakhtakia's works
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/forensics-on-trial/
https://news.engr.psu.edu/2022/lakhtakia-akhlesh-hologram-fingerprint.aspx
https://www.esm.psu.edu/department/directory-detail-g.aspx?q=AXL4

Aug 14, 2023 • 58min
The History of Cricinfo and Modern Day Cricket Writing with Jarrod Kimber
Our guest today is nothing short of a modern day Roebuck when it comes to cricket writing. Jarrod Kimber has probably done everything in the field of cricket journalism. From being a blogger to a documentary filmmaker to now a YouTuber, his channel features some of the best cricket analysis you'll ever find on the internet. His whacky sense of humor and in-depth analysis make him an absolute favorite. In this episode, we talk to him about the interesting history of Cricinfo, challenges he faced during the making of the documentary “Death of a Gentleman,” and more. He is easily one of the most respected names in cricket broadcasting.
Jarrod's content
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80114500
https://www.youtube.com/@JarrodKimberYT
https://www.espncricinfo.com/author/jarrod-kimber-329
@ajarrodkimber on Instagram

Aug 12, 2023 • 1h 31min
Overcoming Asthma to Scale Mt Everest with Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta
"Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I'll beat you the next time because you've grown all you are going to grow...but I'm still growing." said Sir Edmund Hillary.
My guest today did exactly that to Mount Everest. He failed the first time but scaled it the second. He is the living, breathing, and walking example of the Gen Z term YOLO (You Only Live Once).
Ace mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta holds the record of being the youngest in the world to have done the 7 summits and the volcanic 7 summits. The 7 summits, which is climbing the 7 highest mountains on each continent, has only been achieved by 5 Indians and less than 500 people worldwide so far. He has been delivering motivational talks about his life lessons from these summits at several renowned institutions and forums, like the IISc, Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, and TEDx.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyarup_Siddhanta
https://hmidarjeeling.com/