What to Read: Simi Shah is telling the stories of trailblazers
This week, we interviewed Simi Shah, who writes Trailblazers, a publication sharing stories of pioneering South Asians and their journeys into leadership roles.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What’s your Substack about in one sentence?
In each edition of my newsletter, I dive deep into the journey of a South Asian trailblazer, sharing snippets of my conversations with them.
You feature a rich cross section of leaders from different industries and backgrounds. What are you looking for in interviewees?
I try to think of it in these terms: When a reader or listener engages with this person’s story, will they feel proud? Will they learn something? Could they see themselves in that person? The definition of success is dynamic, and part of our mission is to underscore that fact, so the only requisite I have is that each trailblazer has a compelling story.
This approach is why we’ve achieved so much depth and breadth in our slate of guests: from individuals like Reshma Saujani—a corporate lawyer turned founder of Girls Who Code, who also happened to be the first Indian American woman to run for Congress—and also Payal Kadakia, a “unicorn” founder who transformed the startup landscape.
What inspired you to amplify South Asian voices?
Representation matters, because people need to see themselves in the realm of possibilities. This is our way of doing that. You deserve to see leaders who look like you—because “you can’t be what you can’t see.”
Today our community is having a moment and gaining momentum, so building a platform like this seems obvious. I love that. I’m not sure that was the case when I started building in 2020; I saw a whitespace. So I’m proud to be taking on this niche: covering and convening leaders in our community. We’re just beginning to scratch the surface.
It also came down to the fact that I’d been immersed in communities rooted in South Asian culture since I was a kid. After graduating from college, I didn’t have those communities available to me in the same way—I didn’t have the campus South Asian Association or my dance team, for example. So this became a way for me to find and forge that community in this new chapter of my life.
You deserve to see leaders who look like you—because you can’t be what you can’t see.
What have been some of your more memorable interviews so far?
That’s like asking a parent to pick a kid! We recently hosted our first live podcast at the World Trade Center in New York with Aparna Shewakramani, the breakout star of Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking. That was special. Our community, our readers, and listeners came to life.
But the truth is, even on the days I’m not as excited to record or write, I walk out of every conversation with a new lease on life. These people are trailblazers for a reason.
I’ve had Saeed Ahmed dive into his experience of being a Muslim reporter working out of the Atlanta airport just a few hours after 9/11. I’ve had Sushma Dwivedi, Head of Communications at Daily Harvest, talk about the time she officiated a wedding while in labor. Ann Mukherjee explained to me why she chose to become the chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, despite the troublesome role alcohol has played in her life. The list goes on.
Being able to connect with people in this way, to share their stories—all through the shared experience of our heritage—is so, so special. There’s a story for everyone.
Who’s another Substack writer you’d recommend?
I love Accelerated. Justine and Olivia pair key summaries of current happenings in the tech/startup world with critical, relatable analysis. I honestly look forward to reading it every week!
Subscribe to Simi’s newsletter, Trailblazers, and find her on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can keep up with the trailblazers on their website.
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