What happens when a venture capitalist steps out into the front office of a major sports franchise?

In this episode of TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, I sit down with entrepreneur, VC, and the new co-owner and alternate governor of the Portland Trail Blazers, Sheel Tyle. We break down the massive shifts happening at the intersection of global technology, venture capital, and professional sports.

Sheel pulls back the curtain on why an NBA franchise is less like a legacy asset and more like a fast-scaling tech startup. He opens up about the reality of being a local team owner, the "external rate of return" that matters more than profit maximizing, and how a new generation of tech-forward owners are preparing for an AI revolution in basketball.

We also dive deep into what it means to be a first-generation Indian-American sports owner, challenging the traditional immigrant path toward stable careers to take massive risks that can shape a community.

Sheel shares insights on:

• The Reality of Local Ownership: Navigating the public eye in Portland alongside his wife, Oregon’s Secretary of Health.
• The True ROI of Sports: Why building a civic anchor matters far more than just looking at profit margins.
• The Tech Revolution in the NBA: Lessons learned from fellow owners like Steve Ballmer and Mark Lore on how AI will reshape player analytics and fan experiences.
• Redefining Risk for First-Gen South Asians: Honoring our immigrant parents' hard work by having the courage to make bold, unconventional bets. • The Mindset of a Champion: Why contentment does not mean stasis, and lessons on the grind from Damian Lillard's 6:30 AM gym sessions.

Whether you’re a sports fanatic, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone navigating your own "quantum leaps" in life, Sheel’s framework for mission-driven leadership offers a compelling blueprint. If you enjoyed this deep dive, please hit that subscribe button, leave a comment, and share this video with someone looking to scale their own vision!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
03:28 Local Ownership in the Portland Community
05:22 The True ROI: Purpose Over Profit Maximization
07:41 Is the NBA a Startup? Global Expansion & Asia Markets
12:53 The Tech-Forward Owner
15:09 Solving Massive Challenges: Lessons from CelTel & NALA
20:46 Sponsor Break: Travelopod
22:24 Data vs. Emotion: Navigating the Noise of Fans and DMs
25:19 Embracing Risk as a First-Gen Indian-American Leader
32:54 Leadership, Parenting, and Damian Lillard's Work Ethic
37:09 Why Contentment Does Not Mean Stasis

#SheelTyle #PortlandTrailBlazers #VentureCapital
#SouthAsianExcellence #TrustMeIKnowWhatImDoing #NBA

Shoutouts from this episode:
- to the Spurs, the Knicks, and their fans for holding the space until my Lakers are ready to play June basketball again!
- to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for stepping up in the T20.
- to Nithya Raman for closing the gap as those votes are still being counted.

Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you podcast!

TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING is proudly 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

How do we move the needle from simple charity to true, lasting systems change? Megha Desai, President of the Desai Foundation, joins the podcast to share how they have impacted over 12 million lives by treating dignity as a measurable currency.

If you want to catch more deep dives into the global desi and diaspora experience, hit the Subscribe button to join our community!

In this episode of TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, host Dr. Abhay Dandekar sits down with Megha to explore the powerful intersection of big data and human-centered storytelling. From scaling a modest family ethos of abundance into a globally recognized public non-profit, Megha reveals what it takes to operate an impact organization like an entrepreneurial startup. We also dive deep into the global movement for menstrual equity, shifting the narrative from control to care, and what it truly means to build a sustainable infrastructure of dignity across rural India.

In this episode, we cover:
• Generational Shepherding: Scaling a family ethos of abundance.
• The Startup Mindset: Approaching global philanthropy like a venture pitch
• The Currency of Dignity: Bridging corporate investors and rural villages
• Data vs. Storytelling: Why the story is the arrow tip but data is what pierces through
• Menstrual Equity: Confronting global stigmas to drive health, literacy, and GDP
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Chapters:
00:00 Introductions and Identities
04:00 Generational Shepherding: Scaling a Family Ethos of Abundance
05:55 Moving from a Family Foundation to an Entrepreneurial Startup Model
09:45 The Currency of Dignity: Bridging Corporate Donors and Rural Villages
13:03 Active Listening in Boardrooms and Villages
17:49 Staying Loyal to Beneficiaries
21:26 Sponsor Break: Travelopod
23:55 Collaborative Ecosystems and Sharing Information for Greater Impact
25:58 Menstrual Equity: Confronting Global Stigmas
29:46 Unlearning Assumptions, Cultivating Growth, Sustaining Empowerment
35:08 Creating True Systemic Change and Finding Personal Connection

Connect with Megha Desai & The Desai Foundation:
• Website: https://thedesaifoundation.org/
• Personal: https://meghadesai.com/

Shout outs this week:
• Spelling Bee Champ Shrey Parikh
• Air conditioners everywhere
• Primary voters across the US and especially in California

#TheDesaiFoundation #MeghaDesai #MenstrualEquity #SystemicChange #WomenEmpowerment #TrustMeIKnowWhatImDoing #SouthAsianVoices #DiasporaStories #SocialImpact

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Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing | Dr. Abhay Dandekar
A mirror and window for global Indians and South Asians through conversation.
Every week, we share chats with artists, leaders, musicians, chefs, experts, change makers, and innovators from the home and diaspora - sharing their journeys and motivations.

Support our sponsors: Start your journey with personalized travel support at https://vacation.travelopod.com/

For enquiries 📧 Email : info@abhaydandekar.com
About TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING:
My name is Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It’s informal and informative, adding insights and perspective to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say “TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING.” New episodes weekly!

Find us on Instagram/ LinkedIn:
https://www.instagram.com/drabhaydandekar/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhaydandekar/
https://abhaydandekar.transistor.fm/

Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform:
🎙️ Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZReYDw6ta5zGuN4iLZ8Pt
🎙️ Apple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trust-me-i-know-what-im-doing/id1635803563?uo=4
🎙️ Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/acec47fd-da0e-4419-aab9-306503ea49c5

In this episode, Abhay sits down with dance artist Nikita Banawalikar — a Kathak exponent, choreographer, and scholar who seamlessly bridges the gap between ancient tradition and modern storytelling.

Nikita shares why she views Kathak not just as a dance, but as her true "home". She discusses the rigorous journey of becoming a scholar of the arts and offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of choreographing for major films like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. From finding inspiration in the mundance to the challenge of "unlearning" technical precision for the camera, this conversation explores how to maintain artistic purity while embracing evolution.

In this episode, Nikita shares insights on:

• How to find inspiration for art in everyday life, architecture, and nature.
• The reality of film choreography and making actors shine on screen.
• The impact of digitalization on classical arts and the debate between social media reach vs. live experience.
• Why "embracing innocence" is the key to staying authentic as an artist.

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Connect with Nikita :
https://www.instagram.com/nikkitakathak/

#Kathak #NikitaBanawalikar #BollywoodChoreography #IndianClassicalDance #TrustMeIKnowWhatImDoing #DanceEducation #RockyAurRani #ArtisticJourney

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Introduction and Welcome
03:13 – Living the Dream: When a Hobby Becomes a Profession
05:07 – Finding Inspiration in Nature, People, and even Mumbai Traffic
08:17 – The Integrated Life: Does an Artist Ever "Shut Off"?
10:08 – The Process of Falling in Love with Kathak
13:16 – Building Confidence
16:11 – Learning and Growth with Kathak
19:21 – Sponsor Break: Travelopod
20:26 – Digitalization: Teaching and Performing Post-COVID
22:57 – Live Performance vs. Social Media: The Purist Debate
26:46 – Film Choreography: Working on Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
29:53 – Unlearning for the Commercial Screen
34:26 – The Future of Kathak: Evolution, Purity, and New Narratives
40:09 – Discipline and Observation: How Dance Shapes the Person
43:27 – Embracing Innocence and Sensitivity

Shout out to my cousins Vaishali Potdar from Nupur Kathak Academy and Vedashri Mahajan in Australia and anyone else out there who is learning, teaching, and promoting this dance art!

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Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing | Dr. Abhay Dandekar
A mirror and window for global Indians and South Asians through conversation.
Every week, we share chats with artists, leaders, musicians, chefs, experts, change makers, and innovators from the home and diaspora - sharing their journeys and motivations.

Support our sponsors: Start your journey with personalized travel support at https://vacation.travelopod.com/

For enquiries 📧 Email : info@abhaydandekar.com
About TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING:
My name is Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It’s informal and informative, adding insights and perspective to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say “TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I’m DOING.” New episodes weekly!

Find us on Instagram/ LinkedIn:
https://www.instagram.com/drabhaydandekar/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhaydandekar/
https://abhaydandekar.transistor.fm/

Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform:
🎙️ Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZReYDw6ta5zGuN4iLZ8Pt
🎙️ Apple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trust-me-i-know-what-im-doing/id1635803563?uo=4
🎙️ Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/acec47fd-da0e-4419-aab9-306503ea49c5