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Sponsored by NoMorr - premium plant-based gelato crafted with love. In Episode 26 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh speaks with Kari Harteva , Partner at August Leadership , about what truly drives high performance in organizations. Kari brings a rare mix of perspectives: he has led multiple business transformations as a Managing Director across industries, and now helps clients identify, develop, and place leadership talent through executive search and leadership a

Sponsored by Asia Beverages , creators of healthier, non-alcoholic drinks designed to help people live their best lives — focused on wellness, balance, and mindful living. In Episode 25 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh sits down with Harprem Doowa , Co-Founder and CEO of Eazy Digital , to unpack a journey that spans Thailand’s earliest e-commerce wave, a fast-scaling insurtech exit, and a fresh venture now focused on modernizing how insurance agents and brokers se

Sponsored by Chew Green — Thailand’s healthy and sustainable snack brand founded by Thanyathorn (Pear) Chatlaong . In Episode 24 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh sits down with Tareef Jafferi (Founder & CEO) and Taarif Jafferi (Chief Business Officer) of Happily.ai —a people-tech platform blending behavioral science, AI, and people analytics to help organizations build happier, higher-performing workplace cultures. Before the conversation begins, Mayank gives

In Episode 23 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh speaks with Marty Knox , Founder and CEO of Chardo Animation , about the changing world of animation, the impact of AI on creative work, and why the next era of studios may look more like creator ecosystems than traditional production houses. Marty’s story is part global career journey, part business reinvention, and part creative mission. From learning animation at the most hands-on level to running a 250-person studi

In Episode 22 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh sat down with Patama Tipyavat , affectionately known to her students as Kru Palm, founder of Little Palms Art Studio . The conversation explored early education, creativity, parenting, and entrepreneurship, all through a simple yet powerful lens: for young children, the process matters far more than the product. From Full-Time Parent to Creative Educator Little Palms Art Studio grew out of Kru Palm’s life as a full-tim

For many founders, the most meaningful businesses begin with a deeply personal problem. For Mrinal and Manisha, co-founders of HappyLyfe, that problem started at home with their dog. While trying to improve their pet’s health, they began questioning the products they used every day. It was not just about food, but also cleaning products, detergents, and household items that quietly affect both people and animals. That curiosity turned into research, which quickly revealed a l

In Episode 20 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh sits down with Sirintra Jittrawong , Managing Director at MicroFiber Industries , for a deeply practical conversation on B2B marketing. Drawing from a career that spans global B2C brands and highly technical B2B industries, Sirintra shares lessons that challenge many assumptions about how B2B marketing really works today. From insulation and construction materials to chemicals and industrial solutions, this episode off

What does it really take to build in a mature, highly fragmented industry—while the core product (cars!) is being disrupted for the first time in decades? In this episode, Pradeep Pandey opens up about leaving a 19-year corporate career, why “used” beats “new” in Southeast Asia, and the hard-won mindset that keeps founders in the fight: stay in the game . From Nissan & Kaidee to founder: two paths that crossed Pradeep’s journey is a blend of deep auto experience (RMA Group,

When your work is helping others through their hardest moments, what sustains you ? That question sits at the heart of Jenn Weidman’s journey. A peacebuilder by training (with roots in cultural and applied anthropology), Jenn is the CEO of Space Bangkok , where she and her team design facilitation, leadership, and trauma-informed programs that help people get “unstuck”—as individuals, teams, and entire organizations. From peacebuilding to Space Bangkok Jenn’s pivot wasn’t a

If you’ve split a bill via QR at places like Bartel’s and thought, “Wow, that was painless,” you’ve met Papaya —even if you didn’t know it. In this conversation, Papaya’s co-founder Kush Sodhia unpacks how a “conventional” career turned into founder grit, why aligning incentives beats selling hardware, and what it really takes to raise money and expand across Southeast Asia. From banker/consultant to builder with purpose Kush’s path reads classic on paper—finance in Boston

From librarian to global strategist (and back to stories) Dave McCaughan didn’t plot a career in advertising—he wandered into it. An Aussie from Sydney’s western suburbs, he spent a decade in public libraries, earned degrees in library and political science, backpacked the world, and then—by accident—joined McCann in Sydney. What began as desk research became qualitative/quantitative research, then strategic planning just as the discipline was spreading from the UK. McCaugha

Paul Meyer s’ journey is anything but linear. He trained as a documentary filmmaker in the U.S., but quickly pivoted into corporate films, working with major Bay Area tech companies like Apple and IBM. His assignments brought him to Asia, where he fell in love with the region. Over three decades, Paul started and scaled multiple ventures across Southeast Asia—from building an internet company that grew to 650 people and a NASDAQ listing, to running one of the largest mobile g

Dr. Tobias Endress wears two complementary hats in Thailand’s innovation scene: faculty at the School of Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Chapter Director of Startup Grind Bangkok. In this conversation, he shares how education, community, and global connectivity can work together to level-up Thailand’s startup ecosystem—while reminding aspiring founders that momentum beats mystique. Key takeaways Education should cultivate a startup mindset, not jus

Abhinandan Sekhri has worn many hats across Indian media—reporter, producer, documentary filmmaker, and now co-founder of Newslaundry , an ad-free, subscriber-funded news platform. In this conversation, he unpacks the temperament it takes to build anything in media, why Newslaundry chose subscriptions long before it was fashionable, what AI can (and can’t) do to journalism, and how the news business must reinvent itself to escape today’s stress-fuelled doom-scroll. “Entrepre

Two school friends with a shared dream, Sushant and Soneshwar set out to “build something big” long before they knew what that something would be. In this conversation, they trace the road from tinkering teenagers to co-founders of The Wasserstoff , a tech company that incubates founders by shipping high-quality software at breakneck speed—and only when it solves a real problem. From classmates to co-founders The pair’s entrepreneurial spark lit up in grade nine. A formativ

India’s sports story is often told through stadium lights and superstar highlights. Suhail Narain , co-founder & CEO of Hudle , argues the real revolution starts closer to home: making it simple for a 30–40-year-old in Delhi (or Jaipur, or Mumbai) to find a court, find players, and just play. In our conversation, he walked through Hudle’s origin, what the platform solves for both players and facilities, and why consistent execution—not flashy launches—is the company’s edge. F

If there’s one Indian street snack that unites wildly different palates, it’s pani puri—aka golgappa, puchka, you name it. But for all its love, the category has long wrestled with two stubborn problems: hygiene and consistency. Indore-born brand What The Flavors (WTF) is tackling both head-on with a blend of automation, simple but smart supply design, and social-first storytelling. The core idea: sensor-dispensed pani puri WTF’s flagship innovation looks deceptively simple:

In today’s crowded wellness market, many products make bold claims without offering transparency or tangible impact. Kevin Law-Smith , founder of Asia Beverages and the wellness drink brand Aya , is taking a different path. Drawing on personal experiences, corporate background, and a deep commitment to health and mindfulness, Kevin is building a beverage company that’s as much about integrity and community as it is about taste. From Corporate Innovation to Entrepreneurship K

If you’ve ever wondered why Thailand—with its 40M pre-covid visitors, island chains, and glittering coastlines—doesn’t have a thriving seaplane network, Dennis Keller asked the same question…and then set out to fix it. In Ep. 8 of The Exponential Show , the CEO and co-founder of Seaplane Asia walked us through his founder journey, the promise of amphibious aviation in Southeast Asia, and why a “sensible level of insanity” is a prerequisite for entrepreneurship. From kidpren

What makes someone leave a cushy corporate gig to build a category-defining startup? In Episode 7 of The Exponential Show , host Mayank Singh sat down with Michael Cluzel — former CEO and co-founder of Eatigo — to unpack the insight, team chemistry, and regional savvy that took a simple idea global: treat empty restaurant tables like airline seats— perishable inventory that can be priced and filled dynamically. The spark: frustration → focus Cluzel traces his founder origi