PETA International President Poorva Joshipura unpacks Survival at Stake, linking animal cruelty to pandemics, antibiotic resistance, climate change, and pollution. Abhay and Poorva chat about her journey—from a "chicken burger" awakening to driving global change—and practical roadmaps for vegan living that protect humanity. They discuss the role of empathy, cultural heritage, and the impact of technology in advancing animal rights. Poorva shares insights on the compassion economy and how businesses can align with ethical practices. The conversation also touches on the challenges and controversies faced by PETA, emphasizing the need for awareness and action in the fight against animal cruelty.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Abhay and Poorva
02:30 Poorva's Journey into Animal Rights
06:54 The Importance of Empathy and Awareness
10:50 Strategies for Animal Advocacy
14:07 Sponsor Break - Travelopod
15:27 Unlearning and Building Compassion
19:46 The Accessibility of Veganism Today
21:33 Channeling Anger into Positive Change
25:13 Cultural Practices and Animal Rights in India
28:48 Sponsor Break - Timberdog
30:03 The Role of the Compassion Economy
32:36 Leveraging Technology for Animal Advocacy
35:41 Understanding PETA's Controversial Tactics
39:53 Euthanized Animals and Ethical Considerations
43:53 Staying Optimistic in Animal Activism
45:58 Conclusion and Shout Outs

Big shout out this week to previous guest, Neal Katyal for always bringing his constitutional A game, to Paul McCartney for being one of my favorite vegans of all time and for starting Meat Free Mondays and to Kashi, the inspiration behind RuffRest by Timber Dog.

TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING is brought to you by TRAVELOPOD, with personalized travel support to help you explore the wonders of the world. Start your next journey at vacation.travelopod.com

This episode is also sponsored by RuffRest® , the only dog bed you'll ever need. Go to www.timberdog.com to learn more

Electric motors without rare earths, a hardware-first climate tech startup, and a mission to replace 1 billion gas engines in a decade. In this SPOTLIGHT episode, Abhay speaks with Ankit Somani, CEO and cofounder of Conifer, about redesigning electric motors and powertrains with simple, widely available materials so electrification can actually scale.

They break down what rare earth materials really are, why they’re so toxic and geopolitically fragile, and how that impacts everything from EVs and data centers to humanoid robots and everyday devices. Ankit explains why Conifer is betting on hardware in a software-obsessed world, what it takes to raise capital for hard tech, and how to tell a big, unconventional story that still feels real to customers and investors.

The conversation also dives into affordability, why consumers choose “cool and fun” products long before they care about emissions, and how things like e‑bikes and cleaner small machines (like leaf blowers) can change daily life and local air quality. Ankit reflects on what he had to unlearn from big companies like Google, why patience and brutal feedback define startup culture, and how his Indian American journey, parenting, and the Bhagavad Gita shape his views on action, success, and legacy.

00:00 – Introduction and why reimagining how we do things matters
01:47 – Conifer’s mission to replace 1 billion gas engines
03:39 – Engines, electric motors, and rare earth materials 101 (toxicity, supply chains, and climate)
12:32 – Building a hardware-first climate tech startup in a software-obsessed world
15:36 – Raising capital for hard tech and telling an unconventional, big vision story
18:13 – Sposor Break: Travelopod
18:48 – Selling electrification: cool, fun, and affordable vs. abstract climate consciousness
25:08 – From big tech to startups: patience, humility, and real-world feedback loops
33:08 – Indian American founder, education, parenting, and the Bhagavad Gita on action and legacy
39:09 – What Ankit wants Conifer to stand for: trust, honesty, and long-term impact

Shout out to ASAN (American South Asian Network) for everything they are doing, to Neesha for turning 30, to Farhan Akhtar for the upcoming sitar lessons, and to Akshay Bhatia for the effort and almost bringing it home at Pebble Beach!

TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING is brought to you by TRAVELOPOD, with personalized travel support to help you explore the wonders of the world. Start your next journey at vacation.travelopod.com

Wisdom historian Deepak Ramola shares a conversation with Abhay how he collects life lessons through lived experiences and art. Deepak reveals why trauma doesn't guarantee wisdom, why procrastination uncovers your deepest values, why deep questions truly matter, and why poetry is peace's love language. He is a Stanford Life Design Fellow, MIT collaborator, TEDx speaker, and founder of Project FUEL. His innovative FUEL methodology—centered on turning personal and social experiences into interactive programs using creative arts—has earned recognition as one of the world's top 100 innovations in education, implemented across five continents. Since age 17, he has shaped this approach through heuristic design, including the Wise Wall Project launched in 2017 to amplify rural and marginalized voices via art and outreach.
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Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:48 Procrastination Reveals Values and as a Science
05:50 Productivity Syndrome Trap
08:14 Good vs Bad Morality Myth
11:44 Sponsor Break - TRAVELOPOD
12:42 We Are Each Other's Alarm Clocks
16:14 Unlearning for Wisdom
20:02 Pain ≠ Automatic Wisdom
23:28 Wisdom in Unexpected Places
26:19 Sponsor Break - Timberdog
27:12 Poetry as Peace Language
33:23 Asking Growth Questions
37:54 Embody Wisdom Daily
38:19 Conclusion

Check out
Ash Gondhalekar's authentic and incredibly tasty pizza wizardry for catering and private events in the Bay Area
Neil Dandekar creating amazing food experiences with Sea and Sky at Hotel La Jolla

TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING is brought to you by TRAVELOPOD, with personalized travel support to help you explore the wonders of the world. Start your next journey at vacation.travelopod.com

This episode is also sponsored by RuffRest® , the only dog bed you'll ever need. Go to www.timberdog.com to learn more