On Episode 30 of #LearningStories we chat with Nikhil Kurhe. He is a computer engineer and entrepreneur based out of Pune, India. Since 2019 though, Nikhil has been building an Open Data company called Finarkein and they've been instrumental in building, scaling and driving adoption for the next wave of India's Public Digital Infrastructure around Open Finance, Health & Identity. As the co-founder and CEO of Finarkein, Nikhil now wears multiple hats and each new day brings a new learning experience. Nikhil is also a proud cat dad, plays hours of badminton weekly, a voracious reader and extremely curious around all things human behavior, decision making, game theory and generally around what makes us and the world tick. You can find him online at https://twitter.com/formatterr.

On Episode 29 of #LearningStories we chat with Manish Khushalani. Manish is a Cinematographer, Film Director and Musician. He completed his Bachelor of Mass Media from Kishanchand Chellaram College at Mumbai University. He then completed a Conservatory in Cinematography at New York Film Academy. He was recognised as the Best Indie Film Maker for ETUDE - Los Angeles Film Festival 2020. As a cinematographer, his debut feature, ‘Middle Class Love’, directed by Ratna Sinha and produced by Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Media Works and Zee Studios released on 16th September 2022. You can find him online at his website at https://www.manishkhushalani.com/.

On Episode 28 of #LearningStories we chat with Shagufi Habib. She is a Year 2 B.Ed. Teacher Candidate at Western University in London, ON. She graduated from York University (Toronto, ON) with an Honors B.A. in English Literature. Her interests include reading, cooking, watching films, and spending time with her family. As an aspiring educator, Shagufi aims to empower students to find their strengths and create positive change within themselves and subsequently, the world around them. She considers herself a lifelong learner and looks forward to what the future holds. You can find her online on Twitter at @MsHabib_S.

On Episode 27 of #LearningStories we chat with Priscilla Matthews. She is a third year medical student at McMaster University. Before medical school, she completed her Bachelor of Medical Sciences and Master of Management of Applied Sciences at Western University. In her spare time, Priscilla enjoys running her own small art business, CillaCreates, spending time with her dog, and exploring new places. You can find her creative work online at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/CillaCreates.

On Episode 26 of #LearningStories we chat with Surel Ingale. He is a musician and music producer based out of Mumbai. Taking forward the music legacy of his family into the 6th generation, Surel is a versatile musician who has especially shown his expertise in the field of film scoring and background music composition. Having completed his formal education in music from the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Los Angeles, he has worked on a variety of projects originating from both India and United States. Surel is a classically trained Piano player who has been very active as a music educator for a long time. Surel’s music leans a lot towards orchestral arrangements and composers like John Williams, Alexander Desplat and Hans Zimmer have been a major influence on his musical style. Surel loves spending time nerding out on the latest music production softwares and instruments and is always up for a chat with anything related to music or food! You can find his work at https://www.surelingale.com.

On Episode 25 of #LearningStories we chat with Divieta Sahajwala. She is a dancer currently living in New York City. She graduated from the Certificate Program at Peridance Center in the Ballet/Contemporary track, in June 2021. With a background in Odissi (Indian classical dance form), Jazz, Contemporary movement and street/commercial forms, she has now started to venture out into Ballroom dancing as well. A performer and an instructor, she hopes to take on various venues of dancing in one of the capitals of dance in the world! You can follow her journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/divieta207/.

On Episode 24 of #LearningStories we chat with Karishma Galani. She has spent the last decade in the educational technology space. With a Master’s in Education from Harvard University, research at MIT’s Media Lab, and time spent teaching coding and entrepreneurship at an international school, her passion for education grows each day. Having founded two startups using artificial intelligence to enhance a child’s learning, Karishma has travelled the world for her work: from Boston, San Francisco, Singapore and Bombay. As of June 2022, she lives and works in London, UK, as COO of an edtech startup called Educai.io. Here she works to leverage AI to personalise the maths tutoring experience for children. You can follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karishmagalani/.

On Episode 23 of #LearningStories we chat with Grachel Monis. She is a teacher, mother, wife, voracious reader, avid anime watcher, closet writer/ amateur poet, artist (exclusively for loved ones) and ‘enthusiastic eater' code: for PCOS struggler. She is a full time wife & boy mum and is currently an IB Business Management and IGCSE Global Perspectives teacher by day. She has corporate experience in department coordination, Business Development, Marketing, Copywriting, PR, social media account management. She completed a Bachelors in Commerce (major accounting and management) at university. Having studied in 3 curriculums - IGCSE, Maharashtra state, CBSE across 3 countries over 2+ decades - it's safe to say that w/ and w/o volition it's been a fun ride wherein she was 100% Grachel across all trades and walks of life thus far.