The Tamil Creator

Hosted by Ara Ehamparam

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Episodes

141

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

"The Tamil Creator" is a podcast started by me (Ara Ehamparam) to celebrate, spotlight and learn about the brilliance among creators in the global Tamil community, with the end product being a conversation that is equal parts educational, inspirational and entertaining.

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October 17, 2026Episode 14234 min

EP #142: Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam - CAMH Chief Medical Officer on Mental Health, Physician Leadership & Healthcare Reform

Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam ( @sanjeev.sockalingam ) is the Senior Vice President of Education and Chief Medical Officer at CAMH ( @camhnews ), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital. He is also Vice-Chair of Education and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto ( @uoft ), Scientific Director at Obesity Canada ( @obesitycanada ) and the author of more than 160 peer-reviewed publications. Throughout his career, Dr. Sockalingam has worked as a psychiatrist, researcher, educator and healthcare executive. At the heart of that work has been a commitment to improving how healthcare is delivered, how mental health is understood and how future generations of physicians are trained. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how his childhood curiosity led him toward medicine, why interacting with Tamil immigrants drew him to the psychological side of care, remaining a humble clinician while leading at the highest levels of Canadian healthcare, the stigma surrounding mental health within the Tamil community, three ways AI could advance mental health research and why greater integration across Canada’s health services could improve the overall system. He also shares the heartbreak of realizing that an NBA career was probably not in the cards. If you are interested in mental health, medicine, leadership, innovation or how Canada’s healthcare system could improve, this episode is for you. Follow Sanjeev: - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/sockalingams/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sanjeev Sockalingam 01:31 — Sanjeev’s mother stimulated his curiosity in human biology 04:12 — Having parents who encouraged his exploration of different things 06:20 — What drew him to psychiatry/mental health over another specialty? 09:27 — The appeal of research, teaching, and leadership 13:09 — Working to remain an expert clinician and humble to be a better leader 14:48 — What still needs to change with mental health; Tamil stigmas and more 16:58 — Will AI help mental health research? 20:20 — What would Sanjeev change about Canada’s healthcare system? 23:19 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self 24:50 — The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by friends/family 26:55 — Creator Confessions 34:03 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

September 30, 2026Episode 14145 min

EP #141: Senthu Velnayagam - From Entrepreneur to Investor: Bootstrapping Kimp, Building Scale Shift Ventures & Rethinking Formal Education

Senthu Velnayagam ( @senthuvelnayagam ) is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor and growth strategist who has built his career around scaling companies through execution, operational excellence and sustainable growth. Senthu is the co-founder and CEO of Kimp, one of the pioneers in the subscription-based creative services space. He is also the Managing Partner of Scale Shift Ventures, a venture studio focused on acquiring, building and scaling companies across proptech, AI, SaaS and automation. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss leaving York University to pursue entrepreneurship, why he favours bootstrapping over outside funding, building Kimp’s subscription-based business model, investing in founders through Scale Shift Ventures, deciding when to hold or exit a company, evolving from an operator to an architect and why he believes formal education may become less valuable in the future. If you have ever wondered what it takes to build profitable, durable businesses without following the traditional startup playbook, this episode is for you. Follow Senthu: - Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/senthuvelnayagam/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Senthu Velnayagam 01:40 — Senthu speaks on his early years; born in Jaffna and moved to Canada at 16 03:15 — His first few years of entrepreneurship; dropping out of York and building at 18 07:20 — Why does Senthu favour bootstrapping? 10:44 — From graphic designing and marketing (2003-2017/2018) to co-founding Kimp 12:00 — Starting Buy.ca in 2024 with a cashback model 13:35 — How does the model work? 16:10 — Kimp; the pros and cons of the subscription-based creative service 19:10 — Navigating resistance with customers 20:50 — Scale Shift Ventures; why he started it, how it operates, and what’s worked best 25:20 — Writing cheques for founders despite not knowing what they were building 25:54 — How Senthu determines when to hold companies versus exit 27:36 — From operator to architect; how he stays in touch while thinking high-level 31:26 — How he sources business deals 31:58 — Going against the grain of the traditional Tamil mindset 33:29 — What Senthu would do in the first 90 days if he had to start over from scratch 34:39 — Building, investing in, and acquiring; what creates the most wealth? 35:29 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self 35:56 — How Senthu wants to be remembered by friends and family 36:27 — Thoughts around AI; how he uses it and how it jobs/industries 40:34 — Creator Confessions 44:19 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

August 26, 2026Episode 14037 min

EP #140: Hapbishan “Happi” Vijayakumar - Dropping Out, Chasing Passion & Becoming the Tamil Storytelling Barber

Hapbishan “Happi” Vijayakumar ( @hxppi ) is a Toronto-based storytelling barber known for blending Tamil culture, fashion, travel and modern barbering into a unique digital presence. After nearly pursuing a career as a paramedic, Happi began cutting hair during the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually dropping out of university to pursue barbering. His journey started with cutting people’s hair on a wooden stool and cold-DMing barbers, including Fred VanVleet’s (fredvanvleet) barber, looking for an opportunity to prove himself. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss overcoming naysayers, building his clientele through TikTok, approaching pricing with statistics instead of emotions, how travelling through Asia challenged his limiting beliefs and prejudices, why fear drives so many of our decisions and his belief that “greatness leaves clues.” If you’ve ever questioned whether to follow the traditional path or take a chance on what you genuinely love, this episode is for you. Follow Happi: - Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/hxppi/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Hapbishan (Happi) Vijayakumar 01:17 — Raised by his parents and brothers; switching from a paramedic career to barbering 04:56 — Thinking he wasn’t meant to cut hair after messing up his brother’s haircut 06:29 — Cold DMing Fred Vanvleet’s barber and more to find his first barber shop to work in 08:51 — Going above and beyond to show love and naturally maturing faster 10:03 — The birth of the Tamil storytelling barber; overcoming naysayers in his own circle 12:20 — Being DMed by others with positive messages and his parents’ support paying off 14:13 — His relationship with his parents; then versus now 16:29 — Fear driving so many of our decisions but it not necessarily being logical 18:29 — Barbershop economics; the way Happy started building out his success 19:44 — Building out his client portfolio; leveraging TikTok early on 20:38 — Happi’s mindset on pricing; statistics over emotions 21:06 — Does he want to be a barber for the rest of his life? 23:52 — How going back to Eelam changed his entire perspective on life 25:43 — The interesting conversations he has daily with customers 27:19 — Looking for reliability with those who sit in his chair, and challenging perspectives 28:56 — Who holds Happi accountable? 30:11 — Learning lessons since beginning his journey; don’t wait for someone else 31:51 — Some beliefs he had at 16 that he no longer has 33:05 — How Happy wants to be remembered by friends and family 33:32 — Creator Confessions 36:30 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

August 5, 2026Episode 13959 min

EP #139: Pirasaanth Varatharajan - Foundation Capital Co-Founder, CPA & Real Estate Investor

Pirasaanth Varatharajan (@thepvrajan) is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), real estate investor and co-founder of Foundation Capital. After starting his career at PwC and later becoming a Partner at Galleon CPA, he transitioned into building a real estate private equity firm focused on multifamily investing, asset management and helping investors create long-term wealth beyond traditional investing. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss realizing that "the game" was played a certain way, why delaying gratification and avoiding lifestyle inflation changed his financial trajectory, lessons from investing in crypto before his exchange collapsed, why debt isn't as dangerous as many people believe, building wealth through real estate and the mindset shifts that separate financial freedom from time freedom. If you've ever wondered how financially successful people think differently about wealth, risk, debt and long-term investing, this episode is for you. Follow Pirasaanth: - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/pirasaanth/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Pirasaanth Varatharajan (PV) 01:18 — Growing up in Jane & Finch; building street smarts & hustling Pokemon cards 03:59 — Realizing that trading time for money at PWC wasn’t sustainable 05:38 — Starting his real estate journey; seeing someone do it first 07:20 — Knowing someone who knew someone who had retired at 30 10:44 — From duplexes and triplexes to collecting as many properties as possible 13:51 — The role discipline plays in PV structuring his deals 16:43 — What is the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)? 17:51 — Ensuring business transparency with investors through social stories, live streams, etc. 19:47 — Some investment advice for high income earners 21:41 — Financial learning lessons from early on his career 24:21 — Shifting his mindset from financial freedom to time freedom 26:11 — The need for mental stimulation seemingly never going away 27:40 — Investment options Foundation Capital offers; private REIT and purpose built rentals 30:21 — Fear of risk when expanding Foundation Capital’s offering? 33:40 — Why the market isn’t being corrected despite rentals being more affordable? 36:14 — Does PV feel connected to the Tamil community? 37:09 — Wealth building myths the Tamil community should rethink 39:36 — How he diversifies his wealth 40:29 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self; work on sales 44:18 — Personal legacy, compound interest, and delayed gratification 48:45 — Creator Confessions 58:32 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

July 7, 2026Episode 1381 hr 31 min

EP #138: Anitta Krishan - From Toronto to TikTok, Global Leadership, Building Freedom & The Future Of Work

Anitta Krishan (@anittakrishan_) is the Chief Culture & AI Transformation Officer at Hoogly and a globally recognized people and culture leader who has helped companies like TikTok, Trivago and Grab build high-performing teams across North America, Europe and Asia, living and working in Germany, Singapore and now Bali. She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss what it takes to build high-performing teams, why taking calculated risks accelerated her career, how AI is reshaping leadership and the future of work, finding freedom beyond professional success and why leading with authenticity and human connection matters more than ever. If you've ever wondered how great leaders navigate rapid change, embrace uncertainty, and build careers with both impact and purpose, this episode is for you. Follow Anitta: - Instagram ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/anittakrishan/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Anitta Krishan 03:16 — Being independent early; realizing excelling in school equaled freedom 05:59 — What the future of work looks like; work moving to where talent is? 09:37 — How to approach AI as the employer/employee pendulum swings 13:31 — Learning; ditching LinkedIn, being weary of the news, and pursuing coffee chats 16:30 — Anitta’s thoughts on small teams building big companies with AI 21:41 — From the Terminator to vibe coding; is doomsday upon us? 26:58 — If man and machine merge; what remains uniquely human in leadership? 33:07 — TikTok, Trivago; the risks that accelerated her career (and can speed up yours) 49:34 — 2025 revelation; making impact without burning out is possible + freedom 55:30 — Stop caring about other people’s opinions; work, but enjoy life on your own terms 01:04:55 — Creator Confessions 01:28:08 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

June 1, 2026Episode 13742 min

EP #137: Supendra Chandrakumar - Toronto Content Creator, #LoveMyCityProject Founder & Marketing Agency Owner

Supendra Chandrakumar ( @supendra ) is the founder behind the viral #LoveMyCityProject and one of Toronto's most recognizable digital storytellers. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how he spent nearly a decade building content creation from a passion into a career, the mindset shifts required to bet on yourself, collaborating with Google Pixel, navigating AI as a creator, balancing authenticity with growth, representing the Tamil community, and why he has made it his mission to share Toronto's story with the world. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build a personal brand, create content consistently, or turn a side passion into something bigger, this episode is for you. Follow Supendra: - Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/supendra/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Supendra Chandrakumar 01:00 — Supendra speaks on being born in Toronto and his life’s progression to this point 02:37 — An inflexion point; turning content creation from his passion to a career 08:38 — Staying motivated to keep going; internal validation versus external validation 12:05 — How he balances creating content that is authentic but still “algorithm-friendly” 13:28 — Supendra’s view on AI as a content creator; threat or opportunity? 16:01 — Choosing to “throw more eggs” into his entrepreneurial endeavour 17:31 — His most exciting opportunity; partnering with Google Pixel 19:17 — Assumptions people make about his content/life and what his family thinks 23:50 — His wife being a key factor in Supendra’s decision to pursue content creation 26:14 — Toronto’s biggest strength, insecurity, and what it wants the world to know? 29:55 — Where he sees himself personally and professionally over the next few years 31:19 — How connected does Supendra feel to the Tamil diaspora? 33:06 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self 34:18 — The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by friends/family 35:00 — Creator Confessions 41:30 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

April 13, 2026Episode 1361 hr 7 min

EP #136: Michele Peter - Amazing Race Canada Contestant, Public Speaker, Host & Woman Of Faith

Michele Peter ( @missionswithmcmichie ) is a host, public speaker, @amazingracecda contestant & woman of faith. She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how she found her calling as a social worker, the stories behind her appearances on various TV shows (Family Feud Canada, Amazing Race Canada, etc.), meeting Lily Singh ( @lilly ) and being dubbed her doppelgänger, how she finds healing in entertaining others, her unwavering Christian faith, and so much more. Follow Michele: - Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/missionswithmcmichie/ ) Timestamps 00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Michele Peter 01:37 — Formative years; being born in France, facing racism in Canada, etc. 09:28 — Seeking a career where she could help others & leverage her passion for art 14:04 — Being forced to make an audition video that would change her life 18:23 — The most difficult moment she faced on Amazing Race Canada 20:40 — Facing inner thoughts / cultural considerations while being on reality TV 25:03 — Meeting Lily Singh; being called her doppelgänger 28:53 — Her experience with Family Feud Canada 32:25 — Has Michele ever bombed on stage? 36:32 — Embracing her Christian faith; learning to express it via social media 41:23 — Being an outgoing / expressive Tamil woman; the cultural stigmas 44:04 — What success looks like to Michele, even if no one is clapping 47:08 — Advice she would give her 16-year-old self 48:50 — The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends / family 50:29 — Creator Confessions 01:05:15 — The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

August 31, 2025Episode 13549 min

EP #135: Siva Balakrishnan - Indian-Based Entrepreneur (Founder of Vserve Ebusiness Solutions) & Angel Investor

Siva Balakrishnan is the Indian-based Founder Of Vserve Ebusiness Solutions ( @vserveebusiness ) and Angel Investor with the Mumbai Angels Network. He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how observing the scarcity mindset around him while growing up in India taught him to come up with solutions on the fly, why your first customer is always buying you as the founder (not the product/service), the state of AI being more probabilistic that deterministic at the moment, finding value in failing fast, living by the belief that the journey is the reward, and so much more. Follow Siva: - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/siva-balakrishnan-38216b1/ ) Timestamps 00:19: Ara introduces this week’s guest, Siva Balakrishnan 00:49: How growing up in India shaped Siva’s solution-oriented mindset 03:02: Early entrepreneurship; being a mechanical engineer, outsourcing a web developer gig 05:01: Seeing a gap and capitalizing to launch Vserve; hiring a browsing centre 06:37: The evolution of Vserve; from what it was to what it is 08:21: How entrepreneurs can secure a first customer and find their niche 10:59: Balancing offering white glove customer service while being cost competitive 14:10: Maintaining company culture as the CEO of a distributor outsource workforce 17:28: Siva’s view on AI now and looking forward 21:25: What’s the next phase of life after 20 years into his journey? 23:11: How Siva decides what he is willing to put money behind as an angel investor 25:43: Other South Indian Tamil entrepreneurs making waves 26:56: The role Siva’s family plays in the choices he makes 28:48: The importance of failing fast; a past learning lesson from his journey 30:37: Advice he would give his 16-year-old self 31:47: The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for and the value of compounding 36:51: Creator Confessions 49:02: The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

June 22, 2025Episode 13458 min

EP #134: Meena Kothandaraman - Experience Strategist At twig+fish, Graduate Lecturer & Proud Canadian Bostonian

Meena Kothandaraman ( @meena_ko ) is an Experience Strategist at twig+fish, UX Expert, a long-time graduate lecturer at Bentley University ( @bentleyu ) and a proud Canadian Bostonian. She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in Ottawa with Indian-Tamil roots, how she enhances users experiences and the importance of connecting to peoples’ stories, how her & her business partner came up with the twig+fish name, why the education system needs to change, her creative endeavours (a children’s book and cooking show), and so much more. Follow Meena: - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakothandaraman/ ) Timestamps 00:19: Ara introduces this week’s guest, Meena Kothandaraman 00:40: Meena speaks on her early childhood; the impact of her parents 03:29: Indian-Tamils and Sri-Lankan Tamils 05:09: Moving from Canada to the United States for education 06:40: Meena speaks on her siblings 08:02: What her parents did to strengthen Meena’s bond with her siblings 09:22: How she named her company and designation 14:40: Why she chose her career field; the rise of UX 18:22: Should you follow your passion or something you’re good at? 21:54: Balancing her entrepreneurial efforts and lecturing at Bentley University 25:51: Do both roles go hand-in-hand to bolster her credibility? 29:18: Meena explains the ‘NCredible Framework’ 32:07: Writing 10 children’s books and hosting a cooking show 39:29: Innately being an adventurer; wanting to try different things 40:17: Advice she would give her 16-year-old self 41:33: The legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends and family 42:42: Creator Confessions 55:57: Advice for Tamil creators 58:39: The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show

June 7, 2025Episode 1331 hr 1 min

EP #133: Siv Sivasamy - UK-Based Co-Founder Of The Mayfair Collective

Sivathasan “Siv” Sivasamy ( @siv.sivasamy ) is the New Business Director at Charles Square as well as the UK-Based Co-Founder Of The Mayfair Collective, a trusted circle of family office advisors that builds business relationships with purpose. He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to drop countless gems while discussing arranged marriages, why the Mayfair Collective was created, why modern day relationships are like microwave meals, how boredom can actually be a gift, the “let them” theory, having always been able to connect with people/how it naturally led him his career path, and so much more. Follow Siv: - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasamy/ ) Timestamps 00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Siv Sivasamy 01:20 - Siv’s formative childhood years; from Sri Lanka to the UK 05:50 - Do arranged marriages have more longevity? 08:13 - Why he chose an arranged marriage 11:16 - Modern day relationship dynamics 13:49 - How the age of abundance leads to shallow perspectives 15:08 - Is boredom a gift? 16:37 - Men struggling to have deeper conversations/a loneliness epidemic 20:34 - Andrew Tate, Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, etc. 26:44 - Losing the fine art of debate and why you can’t force people to change 30:01 - How he ended up with Charles Square, what he does, and more 40:25 - Mayfair Collective; what it is, how it works, and Ara gets rejected 47:51 - Siv hangs up on Ara and calls back? 51:41 - Creator Confessions 1:00:32 - The Wrap Up Intro Music Produced And Mixed By: - The Tamil Creator - Yanchan Written By: - Aravinthan Ehamparam - Yanchan Rajmohan Support the show