Main Street Minds: Success Beyond Limits with Amish Munshi

In this insightful episode, host Amish Munshi sits down with Dr. Rajesh Krishnan—a visionary in the intersection of technology, insurance, and finance. From his beginnings as an engineer in India to becoming a thought leader in U.S. financial services, Rajesh shares his unique journey of blending data, empathy, and innovation to make insurance and financial tools more accessible to everyone.
They explore how AI, data intelligence, and technology can be used not just to predict risk, but to reduce poverty, improve access, and design better products for underserved communities. Rajesh also gives practical advice on choosing a career track in tech, management, or functional roles—and how understanding your “why” can shape your future.
Whether you're interested in insurance innovation, career development, or the real impact of AI in legacy industries—this episode has something for you.
Guest Bio: Dr. Rajesh Krishnan is a tech-savvy thought leader with decades of experience in financial services. His mission: make insurance accessible, fair, and personal. He is active on LinkedIn, where you can connect with him or book a time to chat directly. He has a forthcoming book on organizational change and is passionate about helping the next generation of changemakers.
 
 
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In this insightful episode of The Mainstreet Minds Podcast, Amish Munshi sits down with Viswanath Vankadaru, a seasoned data engineering leader at Uber, to explore the transformative role of data in today’s tech-driven world.
Viswanath brings over 20 years of experience in the data space, having worked with major companies like Visa, eBay, and now Uber. He shares his journey from early data engineering days to leading high-impact finance data teams that influence major business decisions.
You’ll learn about the evolution of data, the real value behind machine learning and AI, and why governance is key as companies scale. He also shares advice for aspiring data professionals, including the importance of breadth over depth and why a growth mindset is critical in tech.
Plus, you’ll hear personal insights—from maintaining work-life balance in a global career to his love for travel and how he finds time to keep learning and evolving in a fast-changing industry.
Key Takeaways:
How data has evolved from niche to necessity in every industry
Why AI is a productivity enhancer, not a threat
Key skills and tools to thrive in data engineering today
The importance of governance in large tech systems
Advice for career growth, lifelong learning, and staying adaptable in tech
Thoughts on the future of autonomous driving and AI adoption
Balancing family, travel, and a global tech role
About the Guest:Viswanath Vankadaru is a data engineering leader at Uber, where he heads critical finance data teams. With two decades of experience, he’s held roles at Visa and eBay and continues to influence how data drives decision-making in high-growth companies. He also teaches at Interview Kickstart, helping others break into the tech industry.
 
 
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In this fascinating conversation, Surya Satyavolu—engineer, innovator, and investor—joins Amish Munshi to share his entrepreneurial journey, from embedded systems and avionics to the cutting edge of automated electric vehicle infrastructure. A graduate of IIT Madras and Clemson University, Surya opens up about the vision behind his startup, his experience with global innovation ecosystems, and the deeper purpose driving his work.
They dive into why solving transportation inefficiencies goes far beyond self-driving cars, and how reimagining road infrastructure could dramatically improve safety, efficiency, and urban mobility. Surya also shares career advice for aspiring engineers and founders, and emphasizes the importance of purpose, resilience, and a balance between innovation and family life.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast, entrepreneur, or just curious about the future of smart mobility, this episode is packed with inspiration and insights.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
Why Surya believes lane privatization is key to safer, high-speed automated travel
The lessons from global transportation systems that shaped his thinking
How he transitioned from engineering roles to founding a startup
The mindset needed to pursue deep tech innovation and navigate failure
What aspiring engineers need to know about embedded systems, signal processing, and entrepreneurship
 
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Jim McMaster brings a rare, long-view perspective on software development. From graduating MIT and writing assembler code in the early days, to helping shape one of the most-used cloud storage systems in the world—Google Drive—Jim shares stories that are both nostalgic and practical.
We talk about his time at Google, what it was like to advocate for folders over tags, and how he navigated the shift from system programming to Java backend development. Jim opens up about workplace dynamics, career decisions, and why doing what you love matters more than chasing trends.
This episode is packed with career wisdom—especially for anyone starting in tech or navigating a mid-career transition.
Key Topics:
Jim’s early days at MIT, the Army, and mainframe programming
The inside story behind Google Drive’s file system
Transitioning to Java—and staying there for 25+ years
The evolution of backend languages at Google
How to find your niche and avoid burnout in tech
The importance of mentorship, learning, and doing what you love
Thoughts on Java trends, IDEs, and the future of development
About Jim McMaster:Jim is a seasoned backend software engineer with 44 years of experience in the tech industry. He spent 12 years at Google, played a key role in launching Google Drive, and currently works at Geico. He’s passionate about clean code, backend development, and mentoring younger engineers.
 
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In this episode of The Mainstreet Minds Podcast with Amish Munshi, we sit down with Seena Ganesh, the Head of E-commerce Engineering at Staples. Seena walks us through her incredible journey from programming MRI scanners to building robust retail and e-commerce systems for companies like eBay, PayPal, Visa, and Electronic Arts.
She shares how being open to risk, staying curious, and understanding customer needs helped shape her leadership style and career success. We dive into the role of AI in retail, the future of scalable tech architecture, and her personal insights on how to approach career changes and growth in the tech space.
Whether you're just starting out in your tech career or thinking about taking the leap into leadership, Seena offers practical advice on staying ahead and staying inspired.
Key Topics Covered:
Seena’s early start in embedded systems and transition to e-commerce
Lessons learned from working at eBay, Visa, and more
How curiosity and risk-taking helped her grow
The mindset and tools needed for a successful tech career
E-commerce architecture and the future of AI in logistics
Balancing innovation and execution in large organizations
 
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In this episode, we sit down with eCommerce and brand transformation expert Tim Zawislack, who takes us on a journey from his early days in a family business to helping lead digital transformations at global brands like Ray-Ban, Brooks Brothers, Estee Lauder, and more.
Full Description:Tim Zawislack brings a powerhouse of experience, storytelling, and practical insights on what it takes to evolve legacy brands in the digital age. From launching one of the earliest eCommerce catalogs in the early 2000s to building successful private label collaborations with Amazon, Tim has consistently been at the intersection of innovation and execution.
He shares incredible stories from his career—replatforming Ray-Ban to include custom configurators, building digital-first experiences for Brooks Brothers, and launching Amazon’s “Mae” brand in record time. He also gives us a look inside his time at Jimmy Jazz during the COVID era, how the company maintained community roots, and why digital-meets-retail is the future.
Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or investor, Tim’s perspective on strategic brand growth, private equity, and omnichannel marketing is full of actionable takeaways.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
How to lead digital transformation in legacy companies
The impact of private equity on execution speed and focus
What Nike’s DTC pivot taught the rest of the industry
Why Amazon Prime Video and YouTube are underrated drivers of retail foot traffic
How AI can free up your team for high-value work
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In this episode, Amish chats with embedded systems expert Mark Meyer, whose journey through decades of firmware engineering is packed with valuable insights for anyone in or entering the tech industry. From his early days working with PDP-11 mini computers the size of phone booths, to today’s microcontrollers and System-on-Chips (SoC), Mark reflects on how tools, technology, and even job design have evolved—but also how the fundamentals have remained surprisingly steady.
Mark shares wisdom on:
Why your first job can shape your entire career
How embedded systems haven't really changed at their core
The three layers of embedded software architecture
The future of hardware/software interaction in fields like robotics and quantum computing
How design—not just code—is what really matters in embedded engineering
If you're curious about how hardware and software intertwine, or want a grounded take on career longevity in tech, this is the episode for you.
 
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In this insightful conversation, host Amish Munshi sits down with Nicholas Relation, founder of a Vermont-based managed IT services company that supports businesses across the U.S. Nick walks us through the early days of his tech journey, how a neighborhood computer fix led to a decades-long career, and what it’s like running a scalable, secure, cloud-first IT business today.
Nick shares how his team acts as the outsourced IT department for small businesses, typically in the 10–15 employee range, helping clients simplify, standardize, and secure their operations. From Microsoft 365 and Azure migrations to automations and cybersecurity via Sophos, Nick explains how the right systems—and great documentation—can drive big business impact.
He also dives into career advice for aspiring tech pros, how AI is changing the game, and why location doesn’t matter anymore when it comes to building strong teams or serving customers. If you're a founder, tech leader, or just someone curious about the business of IT, this episode is packed with real-world insights.
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What happens when death care meets digital transformation?
In this eye-opening episode, Amish Munshi sits down with Christine Dziedzic, founder and CTO of MissUMuch.com, to explore how she’s reimagining the future of funeral services, grief support, and memorial experiences.
Christine shares her decades-long journey in the funeral industry, starting in the early 2000s with brick-and-mortar operations, leading up to launching cutting-edge digital offerings like Bereavemently.ai — an AI-powered grief companion available 24/7. She explains how immersive technologies, virtual spaces, and community-centered memorials are revolutionizing the way we say goodbye, and how her work supports families emotionally and financially during one of life’s most difficult moments.
Christine also gets real about navigating outdated industry practices, embracing tech as a tool for empathy, and helping people prepare for one of life’s most certain events: death.
This is not just an interview — it’s a movement. Get inspired by how one woman is making death care more compassionate, accessible, and future-ready.
What You’ll Learn:
Why AI has a heart when used right
How death care is evolving into Death Care 5.0
The emotional and financial cost of outdated funeral practices
How immersive memorials and drive-in funerals work
Christine’s bold vision for global, digital grief support
Enjoyed the episode?Don’t forget to follow, rate, and leave a review!
 
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From engineering in Mumbai to building AI startups in Silicon Valley, Shishir Khedkar's story is a masterclass in innovation, resilience, and purpose. In this episode, Shishir joins Amish Munshi for a deep-dive into his three-decade-long career journey—from pioneering financial trading tech to leading AI innovation at ScoreData. He shares how he navigated pivotal moments at Selectica, his experiences with IPOs, offshore development, and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
Shishir also offers grounded advice for those exploring careers in AI, explaining key trends like prompt engineering, LLM drift detection, and how to break into this fast-growing field. He stresses the importance of continuous learning, developing soft skills, and approaching money with balance and long-term vision.
You’ll hear about:
Shishir’s early innovations in financial tech
Lessons from scaling startups to IPO
How AI is reshaping industries—from venture capital to politics
His take on the future of AI, including red-teaming and ethical testing
Career and mindset advice for new grads and tech professionals
 
 
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