Something for the Soul

Sanju thinks about racism and what we can do as individuals to combat discrimination of black and brown people, inspired by the guest episode with Jacob Adams, Founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab. Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, Sanju talks of the ways she has embraced community and co-founded The Bangali Story in the spirit of the theme 'Roots to Routes'. This episode speaks to the notion of breaking convention, and empowers anyone listening to do exactly this, with Sanju highlighting her work to change the law for women with endometriosis.The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month. They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! This episode was released a little later than usual and recorded on 24th July 2025.If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityJacob Adams @elsnakeobInner Spark Learning Lab @innersparklab@sathnamsangera@kiran.landa@anoushkad6@jasminesamra99@1928institute@shalinapatel@sushmajansari@anishaparmarstudio@rheatulipartridge@runnymedetrust@shabnabegum25@crowdjustice_@neelamheerashergill@cystersgroup@reachacademyfeltham@awaawardsuk@loveliff@caryrajinder@rimadas13 @southasianheritagemonth_uk@smokeandlime@playsamosa@aiyyoshraddha@mohua_chinappa@thebangalistory@damsel.collective @tulipsiddiq@pointsoflight@indogenius @housegospelchoir@neerscreenprints@westlondonsinf@vegetarianbrowngirls@aakashodedracompany@ranikhanum.kathak@rushilmusic

It's wonderful to be able to bring you this 2nd episode recorded during the Teach for All Social Entrepreneurs gathering in South Africa, on my Birthday no less!Jacob shares his experience on the Teach for America programme in a black majority school in Brooklyn, here high poverty levels meant over 95% were on free or reduced cost lunches. He witnessed how rigid discipline policies and top-down control stripped black students of their autonomy. Resolute in his ambition to bring his students an education where they could harness their potential rather than be hindered, Jacob was a disruptor. He challenged the norm by breaking convention and implementing his own methods and ideas for education, despite them not being aligned with the school's rules. Jacob leans into vulnerability to unpack how the strong identity he built as a bi-racial person, gave him the strength of courage to stand by his values and beliefs to be an exemplary teacher, centred in positive disruption.As a positive disruptor, Jacob has founded Inner Spark Learning Lab where black and brown students have the opportunity to be involved in hands-on, community-driven learning projects designed to foster critical thinking, self-awareness, and social impact. Utilising an holistic approach that integrates STEAM `Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, Inner Spark Learning Lab has grown to annually serve over 1,500 youth through their direct service programs. They have over 30,000 beneficiaries through their curriculum and professional development programs, igniting a ripple effect that extends to schools, families and communities across California. Jacob is recognised as an inspirational leader, having been honoured with multiple fellowships including from 4.0 Schools, Black Equity Collective and Science Sandbox. In this episode, Jacob's humility shines through and makes his words even more empowering - you're going to love listening to him!Guest speaker: Jacob Adams, Founder and Executive Director of Inner Spark Learning Lab.If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityJacob Adams @elsnakeobInner Spark Learning Lab @innersparklabTeach for America @teachforamericaTeach for All @teachforall

Sanju thinks about what it means to commit to your 'life's work', the importance of family support and how identity and feeling beautiful is rooted in the sense of possibility to take action, inspired by the guest episode with Quim Sabrià, Co-founder and CEO of EdPuzzle. This is a chunky episode highlighting the connections made that have inspired me to take action recently - take a look at all the social media links below to connect with the amazing people I talk about!The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month. They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first!If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityQuim Sabrià @quimsabria EdPuzzle @edpuzzleEmpieza por Educar @empiezaporeducarTeach for All @teachforallR Labs South Africa @rlabszaWendy Kopp @wendykoppNatasha Porter @natasha_unlockedRuth Penfold @ruthpenfoldJhumur Ganguly @jhumur.gangulyMohua Chinappa @mohua_chinappaJames Biggin-Lamming South Asian Sisters Speak @weare_sassSohini Banerjee @smokeandlimeAnita Bhagwandas @itsmeanitabMegha Joshi @meghamillionsGiulia Reichmann @djuleeah

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of Something for the Soul! I’m delighted to bring you this first episode recorded during the Teach for All Social Entrepreneurs gathering in South Africa! My first guest this season is going to blow you away, as he did me during our very first conversation on the first night of the conference in Cape Town. We grabbed some time between sessions to talk about changing your life - by taking action. Quim talks with such heart about how a conversation with his grandma about the challenge he was having with his students provoked him to shake things up in his classroom - he actively listened to his students and their parents to understand barriers to learning. It compelled him to take action and build a solution. This led him to the journey of co-founding the edtech platform EdPuzzle at the age of 23 with his 3 best friends, who he had known since they were toddlers. He took a leap of faith and moved from Spain to the United States in seek of support from Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator and raised $4 million to launch EdPuzzle. Quim made a decision aged 18 that he would commit his life to education and now in his mid-thirties he remains resolute in his ambition to change the world.Quim's journey into educational innovation began as a teacher through the Empieza por Educar program in Barcelona where he sought to use interactive video content in the classroom. Taking action has led Quim to expand EdPuzzle globally and serve millions of teachers and students across more than 150 countries. Quim talks so beautifully about how he was able to make bold decisions because a different 'perception of risk', which he attributes to the unwavering support of his parents. Quim's story is one of relentless pursuit for enabling children to have an excellent education, he says it is the clarity of commitment that keeps him going on the hardest days. This is an episode that will get you moving and shaking and taking action!Guest speaker: Quim Sabrià, Co-founder and CEO of EdPuzzle.If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityQuim Sabrià @quimsabria EdPuzzle @edpuzzleEmpieza por Educar @empiezaporeducarTeach for All @teachforall

Sanju thinks about expectations, inspired by the episode with Blazhka Dimitrova, in particular career expectations and society's expectations that are ever more apparent on social media. She reflects on the feeling of overwhelm, which she has experienced this month, and the tools used to help her, such as meditation (yoga nidra), solitude, disconnecting from communication notifications, poetry, playing the violin, spirituality and her expression of Hinduism including listening to the Gayatri Mantra. Sanju thinks about the serendipity of her conversation with Blazhka and how signs have been pointing towards spending more time in nature.The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month (but this month on the 4th Thursday!). They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! This is a longer episode that is the last one in this season, and expresses gratitude for all the guest speakers thus far: Richard Wilson, Natasha Porter, Neha Sahu, Fahd Jamaleddine, Anca Margineanu and Blazhka Dimitrova. Go back and listen to these insightful episodes if you haven't already.If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityBlazhka Dimitrova @blagadiaryBlagichka Zero Waste @blagichkapastryVillage Farm @farm2ubgTeach for All @teachforallJania Geoghegan @janiageogheganRuth Penfold @ruthpenfoldLaura Hearn @laura_lhearnWebsites:Madrinha TrustErnest Read Symphony OrchestraLina Ramchand Lightwave TherapyTansy in the WildWild Geese by Mary Oliver is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Blazhka shares the challenge she had feeling the weight of other people's expectations, namely her family and friends, when she decided to choose a path that was different to what they expected for her. I think this is something that we can all relate to which is why this is such a powerful episode. Blazhka shares the work she did to identify the values she had and also the values she wanted to have - she realised the former were driven by external expectations and not her own. She highlights the things that have assisted her when she is feeling conflicted on expectations, such as being clear on her motives, taking time for daily reflections and considering what is happening in her body when she is experiencing certain emotions, using learnings from the Huberman Lab podcast. Blazhka talks through the journey she went on to setting expectations that make her happy and have led her to an inspiring new chapter for her restaurant Blagichka, the first zero-waste restaurant in Bulgaria.Get to know Blazhka in the first half of the podcast as talks about where her drive and motivation around a zero waste philosophy began as a student at Sofia Univerisity. She shares how she combined this passion with teaching on the Teach for Bulgaria programme to enable a learning experience for her students that led to starting Blagichka. The restaurant gives disadvantaged young people the opportunity to work in their kitchen and develop key skills. Blazhka beautifully describes how she has gone back to her roots in the village to establish a circular approach to the restaurant's sustainability as she goes through an exciting re-launch on 1 June 2024. It's a simply wonderful story.Guest speaker: Blazhka Dimitrova, Founder and CEO of Blagichka in Bulgaria.If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.--Social media:Sanju Pal @sanjuthinksRISE @risecharityBlazhka Dimitrova @blagadiaryBlagichka Zero Waste @blagichkapastryVillage Farm @farm2ubgTeach for Bulgaria @teachforbulgariaTeach for All @teachforall