The Warrior Queen Podcast: Recent Episodes
Swati Bhise
The Warrior Queen Project serves to provide a platform for AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) women to share their stories and experiences in order to help motivate and inspire our listeners. The podcast was born as result of its founder Swati Bhise, who recently created "The Warrior Queen Project," an organization dedicated to the empowerment of AAPI women worldwide. We hope that your enjoy these stories and we are very excited for what is to come!
Robin Greenspun is a media personality with over 40 years of experience in television, film, and advertising. She was a partner in Stone Village Pictures and was an Executive Producer on the films Love in the Time of Cholera and Penelope. Through her company, Culture Dog Films, Greenspun has been producing and directing documentary films including Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl, Love in the Time of Cholera, Are You Really My Friend?, Penelope and The Zen Speaker: Breaking the Silence. Her latest film is For Vegas featuring a narrative written by exiled Egyptian writer, Ahmed Naji, a City of Asylum Fellow at UNLV. Greenspun is also a founder of the Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas and served on the Kennedy Center President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. She has served in leadership positions on numerous community and state boards, serving as a member and Chair of the Nevada Arts Council for 8 years and as a member of the Las Vegas/Clark County Library District Board of Trustees. She received the Governor’s Arts Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in 1999. Greenspun attended San Diego State University and has a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received the 2016 Nevada Woman Filmmaker of the Year award from the Nevada Women’s Film Festival.
Tami Bhaumik is the Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox where she spearheads the platform's digital civility initiative and works to foster a global community of internet safety leaders to ensure good digital citizenship on Roblox. To establish a healthy and safe community, Tami is focused on providing kids, teens, parents, and caregivers with the skills needed to create positive online experiences, in partnership with the world’s leading safety and industry organizations. At Roblox, she empowers platform users to self-govern and create a confident, resilient online community with the knowledge and tools to create positive experiences for themselves and others in the metaverse.
With over 25 years of consumer and tech experience, Tami has successfully fostered supportive communities in a multitude of industries by leading the growth of multiple Silicon Valley startups. Additionally, Tami is an acting Board Member for the Digital Wellness Lab affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Board Chair for the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI). She is committed to online safety solutions and supports work promoting a culture of responsibility online and encouraging a sense of digital citizenship for all. Tami graduated with a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
Tami Bhaumik is the Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox where she spearheads the platform's digital civility initiative and works to foster a global community of internet safety leaders to ensure good digital citizenship on Roblox. To establish a healthy and safe community, Tami is focused on providing kids, teens, parents, and caregivers with the skills needed to create positive online experiences, in partnership with the world’s leading safety and industry organizations. At Roblox, she empowers platform users to self-govern and create a confident, resilient online community with the knowledge and tools to create positive experiences for themselves and others in the metaverse.
With over 25 years of consumer and tech experience, Tami has successfully fostered supportive communities in a multitude of industries by leading the growth of multiple Silicon Valley startups. Additionally, Tami is an acting Board Member for the Digital Wellness Lab affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Board Chair for the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI). She is committed to online safety solutions and supports work promoting a culture of responsibility online and encouraging a sense of digital citizenship for all. Tami graduated with a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Warrior Queen Project is proud to showcase the journey of Meera Gandhi speaking candidly with Swati Bhise on her journey. We showcase the lives of Asian American women and their sometimes-unusual journeys and hope you enjoy it.
We speak with her about her newly released book “3 Tips by Meera Gandhi” series “The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success” by philanthropist and the Founder of The GivingBack Foundation covers several topics related to mental health and wellness. Info including episodes, book links and app links for 3 Tips are available at www.3tips.org
Tips with a deeper insight reveals the thought process, experiences, successes, and mistakes that led to gaining the wisdom behind the insight of each Tip. The book has been lauded by Cherie Blaire (London), Kerry Kennedy (NY) and Sadhguru amongst others.
Meera Teresa Gandhi is the daughter of an Irish mother and an Indian father. She has lived many roles in her life a philanthropist, a mother, a businesswoman, a television show host, an author and spiritual yogi.
Meera is also a sponsor of the Woodstock Film Festival where she presents the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award to a director, producer, or actor, who delivers a message of philanthropy.
Also, a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2015), Marc Anthony Maestro Cares Humanitarian Award (2016). Children’s Hope Humanitarian Award (2013) and many more.
Find out more about Meera at www.meeragandhi.com on her Instagram page @MeeraGandhiGBF
The Warrior Queen Project is proud to showcase the stories of this dynamic duo – Maggie Nimkin and Erica Rocha who are sharing their work, lives and so much more with Founder Swati Bhise.
Maggie Nimkin studied Latin and Greek in college and was lucky enough to learn photography on the job at Sotheby's. Her knowledge of the ancient world had her photographing antiquities from all over the world.
Her list of clients include former president of Sotheby's - Carlton Rochell, the Frick Museum, and countless other collectors and dealers.
Twenty years ago she had hired Erica Rocha. She is an integral part of their work and business. Maggie has gone through a botched knee surgery which required many subsequent surgeries to save her leg and her life and Erica had undergone a kidney transplant from her husband after years of polycystic kidney disease. They continue to support each other while making beautiful images, which can viewed on their website.
The Warrior Queen Podcast kicks off its second season with an interview between founder Swati Bhise and Dr. Gwen Lopez-Cohen, a Warrior Queen dedicated to her community, medical career, and family. Dr. Lopez-Cohen has extensive experience in her field: she trained at the NYU School of Medicine with honors in physiology and neuroscience, completed an advanced residency in community psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and opened a private practice in Westport, CT in 2012.
Self-assured, hardworking, and dedicated to making the world a better place, Dr. Lopez-Cohen credits much of her success to the support she has received from other empowered women: her advisor at Barnard who advocated for her teaching job at the Brearley School, positive influences from her peers in pursuing the medical profession, and other career-oriented mothers who have given her invaluable guidance in juggling family responsibilities and professional ambitions.
Dr. Lopez-Cohen discusses her sister’s passing as a catalyst for her pivot to the medical field. She then continues with a conversation with Swati about the nuances of distributing child rearing responsibilities in a nuclear family. Dr. Gwen Lopez Cohen and Swati finish by discussing how to pay it forward to the next generation through mentorship and insight into addressing the mental health challenges of our time.
This second episode featuring Claudia Chan focuses on the importance of whole life planning. Starting with the pillars of health, family, career and community, Claudia frames generations of women’s empowerment through education. With the family being the original leadership development arena, Claudia and guest host Rinarisa DeFronze share stories of chasing the things that light them up, opposed to chasing the ghosts society places upon us. Through demolishing what we’re given to build what our futures can be, Claudia shares her thoughts on how women can become the highest versions of themselves.
On this episode of the Warrior Queen Podcast, guest Claudia Chan, women’s empowerment and leadership expert, and social entrepreneur, is interviewed by Rinarisa DeFronze, who sits in for host Swati Bhise. The author of How We Rise and founder of the SHE Summit, Claudia shares her story from growing up the child of Chinese immigrants in New York, and chasing external achievements to find worthiness to how her expectations of herself have transformed as she’s grown. Claudia shares how transforming people leads to transforming culture for systemic change and advancing gender equity. In this first part of a two-part conversation, Claudia talks about the importance of defining who do you want to become to create a new generation of leaders in the humanity movement era.
Welcome back to The Warrior Queen Podcast for Part 2 of the conversation between Swati Bhise and Sivagami “Shiva” Subbaraman. The episode begins with Swati Bhise expressing that it is okay to have a chosen family that is different than your blood relatives. The pair speak about South Asian Society and the struggle that comes with “breaking the silence” in many of those communities. Swati and Shiva call for the acceptance of beauty in every color; whether you are black, brown, white, or gold. Shiva states that she is working for the next generation of South Asian youth and through artistic expression, she wishes to broaden their acceptance and understanding of others. Swati & Shiva share the joint message to eliminate prejudice and furthermore, to demystify the judgments that we make on others. Shiva hopes to lead by example and sites the importance of documentary theatre, where students can walk in the shoes of their predecessors and hopefully by doing so, learn the ability to take that empathy back into their own world.
This week on the Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise speaks with Sivagami “shiva” Subbaraman. Shiva was the Founding Director of the LGBTQ Center and Executive Director of the Women’s Center from 2008 to 2021 and is now an Adjunct Faculty member and Lead Advisor in Performing Arts at Georgetown University. As a long-time LGBTQ activist, Shiva shares with Swati the many personal events that shaped her life and career. After immigrating from India, Shiva eventually found herself in the midwest of the United States, where she was met with the unexpected conflict of white academic politics. Faced with another hurdle of racial & social prejudice, Shiva lost her beloved teaching position because she was an Asian woman teaching African American Literature. Years later, in an unexpected turn of events Shiva applied, and was chosen to be the Founder of the first LGBTQ Center in a Catholic Institution. Swati and Shiva discuss the continuing struggle for LGBTQ acceptance in India and the at times, necessity to find “home” and safety outside of your given family. To be continued in Part 2!
In this, the 17th episode of The Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise interviews Michelle C. Wang. As First Vice Chair of Georgetown's Main Campus Executive Faculty, Michelle is a leading expert in Chinese, Buddhist, and Silk Road art. The interview begins with Professor Wang describing her family’s history and cultural journey, both which laid the foundation for her accolade filled career. After hearing that both of Professor Wang’s parents are of Roman Catholic Faith, Swati inquires as to how Michelle’s fascination with Buddhist Art & Mandalas developed. Michelle responds with in-depth insight into her academic history at University of Chicago, University of California, and Harvard. She continues to describe her research into Buddhist Steles, Donors, and how she best teaches these topics in an academic setting. Finally, Professor Wang describes the significance of the findings of Aurel Stein, desert excavations, and how the history of these oasis societies can provide insight into the study of climate change.
In this episode, Joe Kenny speaks with Era Ray, who is currently the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Estée Lauder and the co-founder of SALUTE (South Asian Ladies Unite to Empower). Era begins the conversation by sharing with Joe her history in the consulting sector for consumers and retail, and how that led to the further development of her overall career path. After taking some time to reflect, Era took a courageous step and followed her passion into the Beauty Industry. She describes to Joe how wanting to share all of this experience helped fuel the creation of SALUTE, which is an impactful community of South Asian women focused on innovation, unity, and progress. Era concludes the conversation by describing her connection to being a “Warrior Queen” and shares some networking advice to others who are looking to further their career paths.
Check Out SALUTE: https://salute.community
This Part 2 conversation with Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma focuses on The Children’s Orchestra Society (COS), and the tenacity that it takes to succeed. Dr.Ma, furthers this point as she recounts the struggles that she faced while being a young AAPI woman in the medical field. In describing her connection to the inner Warrior Queen, Dr.Ma shares some personal anecdotes that reflect the spreading of love, and the legacy that she continues to build. The conversation concludes with Dr.Ma updating our listeners on upcoming COS events, and her connection to the Warrior Queen Project’s founder, Swati Bhise.
On Part 1 of this 2 part series, Joe Kenny interviews the multi-talented musician Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma. They begin their conversation discussing Dr. Ma’s childhood in Paris, France where she, and her brother were first taught music by their father. From there, Dr.Ma recounts the events that led to her pursuit of a Doctorate Degree from Harvard Medical School, and the challenges that she faced along the way. Moving through her many successes, Joe then inquires as to what led to Dr. Ma taking the reins as Executive Director of The Children’s Orchestra Society (COS). To be Continued in Part 2!
This episode features stories from Chef and Restaurateur Anita Trehan about travel, food, and reinventing yourself along with your business. Born in New Deli, Anita currently lives in New York where she runs an authentic Indian restaurant called Chaiwali. Before choosing to pursue a career in the culinary arts, Anita first learned to cook in order to create meals for her daughter that were both healthy and delicious. She and Swati Bhise discuss the unique elements of Indian cuisine, cooking as a medium of self-expression, and why women are the center of the family. Finally, Anita shares an in depth description of what being a Warrior Queen means to her.
In this week’s episode, Swati Bhise interviews Jennifer Keene: an author (Death and Dying in America, 2009), professor, and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jennifer discusses her history and research in the field of sociology as well as the impact of caregiving on the labor force. Swati and Jennifer advocate for gender parity and inclusivity, two values that are embedded in UNLV’s mission, given their high rate of first-generation students. Swati also highlights Jennifer’s work in the field of volunteerism and how she imparts its societal pertinence to both her students and the Las Vegas community.
This week, The Warrior Queen Podcast hosts Eric Criollo. A recent graduate of Adelphi University, Erica shares her and her mother’s journey in supporting their family food business in post-pandemic America. Erica shares the struggles that her mother has faced in being an Ecuadorian immigrant and provides insight into the Hispanic business community. Together, Swati and Erica, highlight the many Warrior Queen qualities that it takes for Erica’s mother to continue towards her dream of successfully owning her own food business. Erica concludes the conversation by sharing her dream to empower women who are facing economic inequalities to achieve their goals and live a better life.
On this week’s podcast, Swati Bhise is joined by Joanna Lee: author, lecturer, and an incredible resource on the connection of Asian & Western Culture. The pair discuss personal and professional experiences that highlight the importance of cultural insight when dealing with Asian language translation. Having previously collaborated to bring the Kunqu Opera to India, the pair reflect on the many ways in which art connects people. Joanna recounts being accompanied by Amy Tan on a visit to the Dimen Village in Guizhou, China, and the unique experience to be among a village untouched by modernization. In discussing her work on M. Butterfly, the play by David Henry Hwang, Joanna illustrates how cultural works of art can successfully be “renewed” when new artists are involved. Swati and Joanna conclude their discussion by emphasizing the importance of artists in our society, and how their adaptability and determination indicate that all cultures can continue to thrive.
This week on The Warrior Queen Podcast, Joe Kenny interviews Dr.Tania Ahuja, a member of the Board of Overseers at the NYU Stern School of Business and the founder of the browser extension and web application, Nobias. Doctor Ahuja recounts the events that led up to her being the former Director of Citigroup, and discusses with Joe the marketing intelligence insight that she gained along the way. When asked the question of “What does being a Warrior Queen mean to you?”, Dr.Ahuja stresses the importance in embracing each-others differences and the strength, in having diversity of opinion.
In this special episode of The Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise welcomes family and friends onto the show to speak about a very important part of everyone’s identity: their name. Rinarisa DeFronze, Aditya Bhise, Amie Garrett, and Bharat Bhise all provide personal insight on how to pronounce their unique names and how it informs their social interactions. Swati then speaks upon the cultural significance of names, identity, and why settling for a “nick name” isn’t always worth the cost. No one should ever feel ashamed for wanting the respect of being called by their name.
This episode of the Warrior Queen Podcast features Mallika Dattatrya; a young Asian women who is off to a diverse and successful career. Mallika & Swati discuss various methods to achieve success; including making the most of connections, finding ones' niche, and maintaining motivation. Coming from a deeply connected and high-achieving family, Mallika is always looking for the next “mountain to climb”, both literally and metaphorically. Swati inquires as to how it feels to be seen as a role model to young AAPI women, and encourages Mallika’s continued success.
This week on the Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise interviews the Trash-tivist who is holding every big company accountable, Anna Sacks. A local NYC social media influencer, Anna is an eco warrior that goes by the handle, The Trash Walker. Swati and Anna discuss the topic of excess consumerism and the resulting wastefulness that exists in corporate America. Furthermore, Anna looks to raise awareness to the danger of micro/nano plastics and the health risks they can impose on each and every one of us.
In this, 6th Episode of The Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise interviews a mother, sister, daughter, friend, and a true career woman, Rinarisa Coronel DeFronze. Rina & Swati engage in an intimate conversion that highlights the importance of mothers, grandmothers, and finding the courage to be brave in the hardest of times. Through her personal accounts, Rina advises fellow women on how to be aware of your “EQ,” and how to form alliances while navigating through a largely male dominated environment. As a Filipino-American women, Rina discusses how her heritage has helped to shape her life, and what unique skills and traditions she plans on passing along to her young, third generation Filipino-American daughter.
As mentioned in this week’s episode:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/26/anti-asian-hate-crime-san-francisco-covid/
This week on The Warrior Queen Podcast, Swati Bhise interviews Pema Bhutia on her inspiring refugee story; coming from India to the United States in 2014. Pema speaks about her struggles as a Tibetan woman engaging in protests as she fought tirelessly for acceptance. Now having fully immigrated to the United States, Pema’s success story is a true example of the tenacity of a Warrior Queen!
An interview with Manjeet Kripalani who is Executive Director of Gateway House, a nonpartisan foreign policy think tank in Mumbai.
In this episode, the Warrior Queen Podcast covers the shattering of stereotypes for women in Foreign Policy and what it means to be brave and pave the way for other Warrior Queens. Ms.Kripalani also speaks about the link between living your purpose, empowering AAPI women, and the impact of a massive global trauma like 9/11 or the 2006 attacks in Mumbai on our life's direction.
Learn more about Gateway House and their foreign policy work at www.gatewayhouse.in
The Warrior Queen Podcast welcomes the cinematic embodiment of the Rani of Jhansi, Devika Bhise to the show! Devika provides her perspective on what it means to be a “Warrior Queen,” and how she applies that mentality to her work in the film & television industry. Devika shares with Joe her acting techniques, past acting professors, and the current climate of working on “set.” Devika further recounts personal events where she has stood up for her fellow actors and encouraged that their voices be heard. Devika concludes the episode by sharing some exciting news about her upcoming work, future projects, and the importance of the artist in modern society.
In this episode, Swati Bhise returns to the show to discuss the importance of cultural tradition in modern society. Joe & Mrs.Bhise discuss the frequent misinterpretation of cultural norms in mass media and the unfortunate decline of interpersonal storytelling. The pair reference recent events & films that highlight AAPI representation and consider the risk of sensationalizing the movement by its "trending" popularity. Mrs.Bhise ultimately underlines education as the principal element in preventing AAPI exoticism and encourages all listeners to adopt a global mindset.
In this Holiday Mini Episode, Joe and Swati Bhise discuss the the pitfalls of allowing one partner in a relationship to manage all of the finances. Mrs.Bhise's uses her words to empower women to remain in control of their own lives and Joe mentions how this dynamic can lead to a more fulfilling relationship. A Happy Holidays to all of our Warrior Queen Listeners!
In this inaugural episode of "The Warrior Queen Podcast," Joe discusses with Swati Bhise (Founder of The Warrior Queen Project the question of "What is a warrior Queen?" Mrs.Bhise shares stories compiled from her years of experience as a performer, director, and activist to provide context to her new project's mantra. A rich conversation and a perfect display of what is to come for the new year!