Janani & Mohan Sivaloganathan

Season 8 Episode 1 “In Pursuit of What"

Season Eight opens with a powerful conversation about legacy, leadership, and the stories we inherit. In this special live-recorded episode, Anika welcomes back filmmaker and social impact leader Mohan Sivaloganathan, joined by his sister Janani, to explore the making of Mohan’s documentary In Pursuit Of.

Following the passing of their father, Mohan and his family travelled to Sri Lanka to walk in his footsteps and uncover the roots that shaped his remarkable yet complex life. The siblings reflect on what it means to truly know someone, especially a parent, and how family stories often reveal themselves in nonlinear, unexpected ways. Together, they discuss ambition, cultural identity, the pressures of immigration, and the tension between striving for greatness and allowing oneself to feel ease. The episode highlights how place, memory, and lived experience intersect… and how ancestral travel can open doors to deeper understanding.

Mohan and Janani also explore the idea that “an audience completes a story,” inviting listeners to see themselves in the questions their family asked along the way. Their reflections create space for each of us to consider our own pursuits: where they come from, why they matter, and how we hope to be remembered. It’s a moving start to a season centred on the connection between telling and listening, and the transformation that happens in between.

About our guest:

Mohan is a keynote speaker, coach, and a "recovering CEO.” Above all, he is a proud father, husband, son, brother, friend, and a committed challenger to the status quo. Mohan earned the nickname of the “Batman of Social Impact,” as an executive leader by day and keynote speaker + hip-hop artist by night. Throughout his career, Mohan has supported local and national organizations in orchestrating sustainable transformation and systems change for education, civic engagement, racial equity, and social justice.

Mohan is the founder of Harmonious Leadership, a movement to rewrite the rules for leadership and social change. Harmonious Leadership asks “what if” by breaking down the false choice between wellbeing and performance - an antiquated leadership ideology that inhibits people and organizations from advancing their boldest social impact ideas. Prior to launching Harmonious Leadership, Mohan served as the CEO of Our Turn, a national, youth-led movement working to close the opportunity gaps for young people. Mohan was awarded the “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media and a “Next Generation Leader” by the Human Services Council. Mohan’s keynote talks and thought leadership have been featured by TED, ESPN, Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, New York University, Good is the New Cool, Fordham University, Net Impact, Penn State University, Synergos Institute, the University of San Diego, and more.

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Anika

Welcome back to Root & Seed, a podcast about tradition seekers who are sparked to explore, define, and celebrate their family and cultural identity. I’m your host, Anika Chabra.

Here we are — Season Eight! We can hardly believe it. From stories of reclamation, to identity-shaping, to understanding how our familial backgrounds influence how we show up at work, it feels like we’ve covered so much ground. In some ways, figuring out where to go next presented a real challenge — and, as always, one we were willing to take on.

But one thing remained clear: you asked for more and more stories, no matter what. And we are delivering them in spades during this special season. With that, we felt a sense of permission to explore things more deeply — might I even say more esoterically — with a wonderful list of guests.

One thing that sets Root & Seed apart, among many in the storytelling space, is our focus on connection. For that reason, we’re leaning into the exchange that happens “between.” This season, you’ll hear more intergenerational pairs of guests, more conversations about the connection between lived experience and life’s pursuits, and reflections on how the only constant is change — including the ways roles can reverse at different stages of life.

In all moments, we bring it back to elevating the importance of being a witness, a listener, a family member, a support — to this notion that “an audience completes a story.” More on this esoteric theme will reveal itself as the season unfolds. Trust us, you’ll see the pieces of the puzzle build right in front of your very eyes… or should we say “ears.” :)

In true Root & Seed fashion, we start this season with a bookend — bringing back a beloved guest from the end of Season Seven, Mohan Sivaloganathan. This time, Mohan comes with a gift. Actually two. One: the gift of a documentary he produced following the passing of his father, the subject of this conversation. And two: his sister, Janani, who helps him reflect on the film and its impact.

In Pursuit Of follows filmmaker Mohan — joined by his mother, wife, sister, and young son — on a journey to Sri Lanka to uncover the roots that shaped his late father’s remarkable life. As he walks the roads his father once knew, the film reveals a man admired for his leadership and generosity, yet someone who struggled to find contentment in his own great accomplishments. Through one family’s pursuit of understanding, we’re invited to reflect on leadership, the legacies we inherit, and what it means to lead a purposeful and fulfilled life.

At Root & Seed, we’re always one-upping the ways we bring you experiences, knowing that how we share stories is just as important as what we share. So for this episode, we recorded the screening and interview in front of a live virtual group of Root & Seed followers — resulting in a wonderful conversation that invited audience members to complete the story by being inspired to learn more about their own. Super fitting.

Here it is.

Welcome to the Root & Seed Podcast, happening live in front of a wonderful group of Root & Seed followers.

Let’s just start at the beginning. Many people in our community want to put something out into the world — to tell their own story or their family’s story. Can you take us back to the spark? The moment where you thought: I need to make this. This story needs to be shared in the way only I can tell it.

Mohan

Yeah. You know, I think a lot about my dad’s memorial service as one of those sparks. Maybe even before that.

Our dad was unfortunately quite sick during the last few months of his life. He knew for a long time that he was on borrowed time, but it became clear to all of us, too. So I knew: I need to learn everything I can about him. And that I’d have to find ways to bring that story into the world.

His memorial service was this surreal experience — one I don’t wish on anybody. I remember floating around the space, needing to represent both the family and my dad, while also grieving. The stories people shared with me stayed with me. Coworkers talked about this side of him — not a soft side, but a domain of generosity and caring — that we didn’t see in the same way within our family. It was incredible. It made me think: Wow, there’s so much more to him that we need to learn.

For a long time, we’d talked about going back to his homeland and completing this story arc, or at least this chapter. When our mom decided she was going to spend extended time there — she has an older sister who’s an elder in the family — we thought, Alright, this is the time.

Initially, the thought in my head was just: “I don’t want us to be on our phones the whole time recording stuff while we’re walking around. What if someone films us?” But the bigger story had always been in the back of my mind. And from there, the idea just grew. The rest is history.

Anika

With any creative pursuit, there’s a hypothesis. Something you think you’ll discover. Was there something specific you were searching for?

Mohan

Great question. I’d love to hear Janani’s take, too.

Part of it was understanding where my dad’s ambition came from — that unrelenting desire to be great, and for us to be great. What shaped that? What did he experience?

He used to talk about his early days in the U.S. — like how he wouldn’t spend more than five dollars on a belt. So I knew he didn’t have much. But what did it really look like for him growing up?

Another huge element was Sri Lanka as a backdrop. People know it as a beautiful tropical country with great beaches — all true — but it’s also incredibly complex and challenged. I needed to see that.

Janani

Touching on something Mohan said: it's hard to pinpoint where those moments of evolution were for him. We may never know. Even for ourselves, do we have specific chapters where everything shifted? For him, it was probably a combination — growing up with limited resources, being a bit of a troublemaker, seeing how people lived, how they got water, how they slept. At what point did he decide to change things up? I still don’t know.

Anika

Right. There’s the act of doing this after your dad passed — trying to fill in some blanks. When I lost my mom, I had similar questions. And then there’s ancestral travel, which you all experienced in such a unique way…you walked in his footsteps. Did that change your understanding of what a story is and how storytelling happens?

Mohan

Yes. Stories are often told linearly — sequentially. But while visiting Sri Lanka, I was also reading a historical fiction book set during the Civil War. There was so much texture.

It challenged the whole “then this, then this” idea. Life is more like the Marvel multiverse — branch realities everywhere.

My dad was complex. Sri Lanka is complex. His story wasn’t linear: ambition, family complications, health issues, immigration, assimilation. He was a disruptor but wanted stability. He named me “Morgan” because he wanted me to stand out, to be a CEO. So many contradictions — but that’s real life. You only uncover that by asking the next question.

Janani

And being there adds layers. I’m sensitive to noise, smells, lights, crowds — all of that impacts my mood and perspective. Thinking about my dad, who was more introverted, navigating all of that while managing his own inner life… it gave me a new understanding. And the conversations — with neighbours, cab drivers, on trains — all of it added depth. Sri Lanka retains so many cultural aspects. It feels almost like a time capsule.

Anika

Oh, I know exactly what you mean. I was there with my daughter earlier this year and I had the exact same experience. It really does feel it was stuck in time. Just a wonderful experience.

Mohan, I’d love to talk about leadership. Our tools often make their way into workplaces because people understand themselves better, and then share with others. You’ve mentioned that this journey redefined your ideas of ambition, leadership, and hard work. How has your father’s example shaped the way you hope to move through the world as a leader today?

Mohan

I’m in it right now — this inflection point in life and career. I have a six-year-old son. I’m making conscious choices.

And I think a lot about how my dad didn’t put himself in a position to make conscious choices. He kept pushing — always. Boundaries, status, success — he ascended constantly, but he was never satisfied. We saw the toll on his mental and physical health.

Even little things: he never spent more than $5 on a belt. My mom still flies basic economy because of that mindset.

I feel that tension, because I’ve inherited some of it. Our culture reinforces it: more is more. There’s urgency everywhere. You can always do more, reach more, be more.

Reflecting on my dad, I see that he did accomplish so much. I used to tell him: “Your job is done. You can just live now.” But ease was hard for him.

So now, I have to take that advice myself. I can still be ambitious and purpose-driven — especially working in social impact — but also grounded, content, grateful. I’m only now giving myself that space.

With my work in harmonious leadership, I’m exploring what it means to rewire these expectations — to create third-way paths for leadership. I’m not an expert. I’m going through it too. We figure it out together.

Anika

Yes. It’s shedding things that creep up on us, even when we’re trying to tell the world not to do them. And they live in our bones — generational trauma, cultural expectations — it’s hard to break free.

I mentioned this idea that an audience completes a story. I first heard it at the Toronto International Film Festival during a documentary called Walk With Me. After thanking her team, the filmmaker thanked the audience, saying, “An audience completes a story.” It was such a beautiful moment.

When people watch In Pursuit Of, what do you hope they carry with them? What do you hope they add to the story?

Janani

For me, anything that sparks reflection. A desire to ask questions. Maybe: I want to ask my parents about this. Or even something small like Googling more about Sri Lanka’s conflict. I love that Mohan included the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s history — it’s not talked about enough. Just… get curious.

Mohan

I love that theme.

Growing up, we moved around a lot, trying to find ourselves amid stereotypes about South Asian immigrants in the U.S. My constants were arts, culture, and storytelling — music videos, films, characters larger than life helping me imagine who I could be. Now, I get to stand on stages and speak to thousands. That all started with storytelling holding up a mirror.

I hope the film does that for others — not “I can be great,” but "How did I get here? Who inspired me? What challenges am I navigating? What story do I want others to tell about me?" We don’t get space for those reflections often. And when we do, too often someone else tells us the answers — performance reviews, assessments, AI tools. But you know your story.

Janani came up with the title In Pursuit Of, and I love that it’s open-ended. An invitation. In pursuit of what? Hearing reflections from audiences has been incredible. It’s amazing that we can offer this gift — this space — for reflection and storytelling.

Anika

It’s through occasions like this — a special live virtual screening of Mohan’s documentary, and this conversation with Mohan and Janani — that we realize what an honour it is to give space for stories to be told, but also heard. And as Mohan concludes so perfectly, storytelling invites reflection. Reflection that inspires agency and ownership of our story in a world that often tries to shortcut, define, or box us in. We knew this would be the perfect way to launch a season about the connection between telling and listening — and the inspiration it invites on both sides. Just beautiful.

Keeping it in the family, next episode we move to an incredible mother–daughter duo — Jacqueline and her mom Olivia — who give us a glimpse into caregiving and changing familial bonds during cognitive decline. It will leave you understanding a little more about the complexity of this stage, how relationships evolve, and how a dose of reality mixed with appreciation and gratitude can go a long way.

Root & Seed is hosted by me, Anika Chabra, Executive Produced by Jenn Siripong Mandel, and Edited by Emily Groleau. Bye for now.

Episode Credits

Hosted by: Anika Chabra

Brought to you by: Root & Seed

Executive Producer: Jennifer Siripong Mandel

Sound Editing by: Emily Groleau

Music credit: Something 'bout July (Instrumental) by RYYZN https://soundcloud.com/ryyzn

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-_something-bout-july

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/OFga9pkl6RU