The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is a curated safe space to have uncomfortable conversations about the pervasive inequalities in society and our workplaces.
The idea of the podcast was born from my sense of conflict about identity, self and the concept of privilege and fuelled by my own need to understand how my overlapping identities and experiences had impacted and would continue to impact my life chances.
Two years ago I decided to ‘opt out’ to find my own purpose and focus on passion projects including learning about the systemic biases that are endemic in business and society. The Podcast is my very own listening project, a step towards being more intentional in my learning.
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is for people who want to be a part of the change, for those who want to step up & speak out, for those who want to learn more about biases, barriers and best practice, for business leaders and for individuals, anyone who is interested in a fairer, more inclusive and compassionate society and workplace.
Each week I will interview inspiring speakers from across the world on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream including(but not limited to) systemic and institutionalised racism, discrimination based on further eight protected characteristics, poverty, mental health, climate change. The podcast will also talk about cognitive inclusion, culture, purpose, ethics and the importance of empathy, cultural intelligence and how conversations on identity and disadvantage would be incomplete without considering intersectionality.
With the podcast I hope to share stories of people with lived experiences, stories that may have never been told, stories that galvanise us to take action for change and keep the conversations alive by raising the decibel on issues of inequity, inequality in our search for a fairer and more inclusive world.
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 31 minutes
- Episodes
- 137
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
136: What business Purpose, inclusive culture and ESG reporting mean in global citizen services businesses: A conversation with Shikhar Aggarwal, JMD, BLS International
Shownotes:
5 years post COVID I continue to ask the question – Do organisations need to have a business purpose? And what does having a business purpose mean in practice?
For the 136th episode of The 🐘…
135: Transforming and building trust in Carbon Markets : Insights from Shreya Garg
There is research to show that climate washing is on the uptick along with a growing trend by companies worldwide to utilise carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions. The trend (carbon offse…
134: A conversation with Akashdeep Bansal CEO SaralX on redefining accessibility in society
Show notes:
Are there people who inspire you, make you want to be better and do better?
I have been fortunate to meet with amazing and inspirational people from all walks of life through my podcast The…
133: The Role of Companies and Investors in addressing the Nutrition crisis: Insights from Vivek Arora, Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI)
Show notes:
Did you know that ultra processed foods (UPFs) make 57% of the average British diet and up to 80% when it comes to children and people with lower incomes. And that the major food and drink…
132: The Taylor Bennett Foundation's Vision for Diversity in PR: In conversation with Koray Camgöz CEO Taylor Bennett Foundation
Show Notes:
The current negative sentiment and noise around equity and inclusion can feel overwhelming. At such times it makes sense to step back and celebrate the work of organisations steadfast in …
131: The Rise of Foodhak. Empowering wellness through intelligent nutrition with Sakshi Mittal
Shownotes:
The businesses most likely to succeed are those that are born to solve real life problems. Would you agree?
For Sakshi Mittal, a Wharton educated, investor at Softbank, a health crisis durin…
130: The Power of Collaboration: Sudhir Sahani on Lessons from the Development Sector
Shownotes:
2018, was a defining year for me career wise, it was also the year when I was able to live up to my aspiration to contribute a percentage of my time pro-bono to the third sector. I had the …
129: The Role of Organizational Culture in Women's Advancement: Lessons from Ashima Tyagi
Shownotes:
As a podcast host one of my biggest joys is celebrating incredible people making a difference. People who I know through my work or because of my podcast or from my networks who have raise…
128: Building a better world: Gagandeep Bhullar on measuring good with Superhuman Race
Show notes
Throughout history, there have been genuine supporters and sceptics of equity and inclusion. We can all see how the current political climate in the US has deepened the divide fuelling anti…
127: Creating an impact unicorn with assistive tech: Prateek Madhav, Co-Founder, CEO AssiTech Foundation
What role can technology play in breaking down barriers and building inclusion? Can AI be a force for good? There is sufficient research to show that assistive technology can be a game cha…
126: A conversation with Christina Brooks, Founder, CEO Ruebik. inclusion first talent attraction agency
Show Notes:
There are some brilliant leaders doing amazing work to promote equity & inclusion in the UK. Would you agree? There are not enough superlatives to describe the hard work and commitment of …
125: How social entrepreneur Anusha Bharadwaj (Voice4Girls)is empowering adolescent girls in India to unlock their potential
Shownotes:
Reams have been written recently about SDGs, climate change, just transition…… what does it mean in practice? India's National Action Plan on Climate Change emphasises the need for inclus…
124: : ESG/EHG: The future of sustainable investing and ESG in India: Arvind Chari and Chirag Mehta, Quantum Advisors
Show notes:
The ESG backlash is real, and it is polarising. The rhetoric around it exacerbated because of roll backs by corporates and governments on climate/energy commitments. According to a leading…
123: Are stigma and social ostricization the biggest barriers to eradicating Hansen's disease: In conversation with Daisy Mansfield, Leprosy Mission
Not many people in the western world have heard of Hansen’s disease or Leprosy – for most who are familiar with it arouses fear and aversion. It is a tropical disease that occurs in more th…
122: Spotlighting the 'S' in ESG: A conversation with Sakshi Bansal, Unesco Kindness Leader, Diana Award Recipient
Shownotes:
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the podcast are Sakshi Bansal’s personal views and do not represent or reflect the views of Arup Ltd.
Excited to share the latest episode of The Elephant i…
121: Why the social model of disability is key to equitable and inclusive change: Caroline Collier, CEO Inclusion Barnet
Shownotes:
Being an advocate for equity and inclusion requires a certain level of self-awareness, humility and an appetite to be a lifelong learner. Especially considering that the vocabulary around D…
120: In conversation with Sabiana Anandaraj: Lessons for a successful second innings
Show notes:
We all need our cheerleaders, the people, who stand by us through thick and thin, who inspire and bring us joy. The friends who are like family or better. I am lucky to have a few friend…
119: Misinformation, Disposable Diversity, Ethics in PR with Prof. Lee Edwards, Department of Media and Communications London School of Economics and Political Science
Shownotes:
In the past couple of years, there have been a lot of discussions, debates, articles around how PR practitioners can combat misinformation. It is often cited as one of the bigger challenge…
118: SDG 2 and the role of the private sector in sustainable development: Chris Argent, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, AMEA, Syngenta
Shownotes:
Most people would agree that sustainability is a much-abused word. It has become a catch call phrase for individuals and businesses keen on asserting their ‘good for society/good for planet…
117: Harnessing the power of GEDI(Gender, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) to build a more inclusive organisation: Kavneet Sahni, Dasra
Kavneet Dasra Shownotes:
In my second innings I have been intentional about working with the third sector. Through The Elephant in the Room, I am able to engage vicariously with the sector without bei…