The Root & Seed Podcast

In our season finale, we sit with Dr. Louisa May Khoo, an urban planner, storyteller, and compassionate observer of humanity, to explore what truly shapes how we live, age, remember, and belong. Through deeply thoughtful reflections on Singapore’s evolution, the transformation of iconic Chinatown spaces, and the unseen emotional costs of progress, she helps us consider how memory, place, and identity are forever intertwined. We discuss loneliness, loss, resilience, and the quiet ache that accompanies aging, alongside the extraordinary power of community and connection in restoring meaning. Dr. Khoo introduces her powerful lens of “hardware, software, and heartware,” reminding us that compassionate systems require both thoughtful infrastructure and everyday human care.Together, we reflect on grief, migration, generational inheritance, and the stories we carry forward, sometimes unknowingly. We explore the kinds of conversations families avoid, the truths buried beneath politeness, and the necessity of courage in speaking honestly with one another. And we end with a reflection on what it means to be an audience - the idea that listening, witnessing, and receiving a story completes it.This episode is tender, intellectual, grounding, and deeply human. It invites us not only to think differently about aging and community, but to hold our elders, our neighborhoods, our histories, and one another with renewed reverence.About our guest:Dr. Louisa-May Khoo investigates the intersections of urban change and social wellbeing with a focus on racial justice and planning for longevity. A veteran of public governance and housing policy, her international career trajectory spans academic research, planning practice and community advocacy. She brings an attentiveness to the humanistic register through her work, what she calls the other A.I., an 'anthropological intelligence' grounded in memory, relationships, lived experiences and the rhythms of everyday life. It is a belief that such a humanistic perspective gives voice to the coalescence of grievances and hope, providing openings for reconciliation, forgiveness and possibility to foster thriving societies. Dr. Khoo holds a PhD in Planning from the University of British Columbia and is currently a Senior Planner with the City of Maple Ridge in British Columbia, Canada.

"Once Mini Me, Now Mini You" traces the evolution of a mother–daughter relationship as it shifts from teaching to learning, guiding to witnessing. In this episode of Root & Seed, host Anika Chabra sits down with Kiran Mann, CEO of Brar’s, one of Canada’s leading South Asian food brands, and founder of M2M Business Solutions, and her daughter, Simran Mann, who works in digital marketing and is a content creator and freelance strategist. What begins as a conversation about upbringing and culture becomes a shared exploration of becoming, at any age. Kiran reflects on reclaiming parts of herself later in life, while Simran speaks candidly about watching her mother transform in real time. Together, they explore how ambition, food, memory, and presence shape identity across generations. This episode challenges the idea that wisdom moves in only one direction. As roles soften and expectations fall away, learning begins to flow both ways. Listening in, we become the audience to a relationship no longer defined by labels. And in that space, something new takes root.Kiran Mann is a Canadian business strategist and global leader in organizational transformation with a 30-year career spanning fashion design, automotive manufacturing, and food production. She is CEO of Brar’s, one of Canada’s leading South Asian food brands, and Founder of M2M Business Solutions, where she is known for driving performance through clarity, culture, and compassion. Kiran is the creator of The Harmonic System, a leadership philosophy grounded in Knowingness, Presence, and Love, which she has applied to large-scale transformations and operational growth, including guiding Brar’s to 22% organic growth in two years. A sought-after speaker and advisor, she holds an Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration focused on ethical human–AI collaboration.Simran Mann is a digital marketing professional and content creator specializing in lifestyle, mindset, and positive storytelling. With experience working both as a content creator and within brand marketing teams, she brings a unique ability to bridge strategy and storytelling. Known for her authenticity and vulnerability, Simran uses her platform to inspire women to build aligned careers and fulfilling lives. She is actively involved in community work focused on women’s empowerment, education, and mental health advocacy, and regularly speaks on panels and podcasts about creator–brand partnerships and building purpose-driven personal brands.

In this moving episode of the Root & Seed Podcast, host Anika Chabra speaks with Dr. Caron Leid, caregiver, educator, author, and accidental activist whose life was reshaped by two decades of caregiving. Caron shares how her experiences supporting her mother through Alzheimer’s, navigating grief, and rebuilding her life as a single parent shaped her professional path and PhD research on sandwich-generation caregiving. She reflects on her childhood across England, Trinidad, and Canada, where early exposure to intergenerational care and cultural traditions laid the foundation for her deep empathy today. Throughout the conversation, Caron reveals what it truly means to hold space for someone, especially when they can no longer hold their own memories. She describes caregiving as an active, dignifying practice of witnessing a person’s life and becoming the container for both who they were and who they are becoming. With her signature honesty and straight talk, she dismantles the myth of the caregiving martyr and reminds listeners that the emotional load must be shared. Caron offers practical, grounded advice for caregivers: acknowledge hard days, allow all emotions, and release the pressure to find constant joy in a deeply complex role. Her insights highlight the sacred responsibility of “holding” another’s story with compassion, presence, and integrity. This conversation reframes caregiving not only as labour, but as a profoundly human act of memory-keeping and connection. Listeners will come away with renewed appreciation for the moments, big or small, that bind families across generations.About our guest:Dr. Caron Leid is a counsellor, educator and author whose work is rooted in more than twenty years of firsthand caregiving. She often describes herself as a caregiver by chance, an advocate by fire, and a therapist and educator by choice, because her professional path grew directly from supporting her mother through the entire Alzheimer’s trajectory. That lived experience shaped her PhD research on sandwich-generation caregiving, published through Aspen University and archived on ProQuest.Caron’s counselling practice in Ontario focuses on trauma-informed, schema-based work with caregivers, individuals, couples and court-involved families. She brings a long background in education to her clinical work.Her advocacy spans national and academic networks. She serves on  Age-Well's Older Adult and Caregiver committee as the Co -Chair and contributes to McMaster University’s PERC Patient Engagement group, where she ensures caregiver realities and cultural context influence research, innovation and policy. Her work has been featured on CTV National News, and her podcast, Caron Talks, provides caregivers with grounded guidance that blends research, lived experience and emotional clarity.Caron has spoken across Canada, France and the United States, and will be presenting in the Caribbean on dementia, grief, generational caregiving and the emotional patterns families carry. She has written several books, including Alzheimer’s: What They Forget to Tell You, Dementia & The Brain: What They Forget to Tell You, her grief-centred work Grief: What They Forget to Tell You, Self-Love: What They Forget to Tell You, the Sinkhole Survival Guide series for teens and adults, and BS and Other Childhood Tales We Learned. She has also authored several published medical journal articles.  She is currently building a comprehensive caregiver education ecosystem, Her approach remains consistent across all platforms: to give families and caregivers practical tools, honest language and support that honours the weight of what they carry.

In this episode, we explore the evolving mother–sons dynamic behind Lo & Sons, the family-run travel brand founded when Helen Lo was 65. What began as Helen’s frustration with not being able to find a lightweight, stylish, functional travel bag became the spark that launched the company’s very first product and, ultimately, their entire family business.Helen and her son Jan reflect on how this unexpected, late-in-life leap reshaped both their relationship and their roles as collaborators. They share how Helen’s upbringing, spanning China, Macau, and a Catholic boarding school, instilled the resilience, empathy, and global curiosity that continue to guide their approach today.Now 15 years in, Lo & Sons faces the realities of a shifting economic landscape, prompting yet another evolution in how the family leads, communicates, and adapts together. Through moments of vulnerability, humour, and honesty, Helen and Jan open up about navigating role reversals, supporting each other through uncertainty, and staying rooted in the values and the very first bag that set their journey in motion.It’s a story of reinvention, intergenerational learning, and the courage to build something meaningful, together, at any age.About our guests:Helen Lo, Board Chair and co-founder of Lo & Sons, launched the travel bag company in 2010 at age 65 after years of searching for a lightweight, stylish, and functional carry-on. Born in southern Mainland China and raised in Macau, she later earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a PhD in Social Welfare Administration from Brandeis. Before founding the company, she built a career as a community health administrator and consultant while raising her two sons, Jan and Derek, and relocating frequently for her husband Fred Lo’s astronomy career. Her frustration as an avid traveler inspired her son Jan, a product design researcher, to encourage her to create her own ideal bag. Jan, now Chief Innovation Officer, brought extensive experience in human-centered design, ethnographic research, and business education, having studied at Yale and NYU and worked in Beijing conducting design research. Together, Helen and Jan spent countless hours in airports observing travelers to understand real-world needs, and these insights shaped Lo & Sons’ earliest products. Their research-driven, user-centered approach led to signature features like intuitive pockets, protective tech compartments, and sleeves that securely slide over suitcase handles. Derek later joined to lead marketing, completing the family-run founding team. Under Helen and Jan’s leadership, the company has grown into a widely respected maker of premium travel and lifestyle bags. Today, Lo & Sons continues to prioritize thoughtful design along with environmental and social responsibility. The brand has introduced materials such as organic cotton canvas and recycled polyester made from water bottles. The company has also partnered with a solar-powered Cambodian factory working toward carbon neutrality. Jan spearheaded several circular design initiatives, including the deconstruction and upcycling of damaged or returned bags into new, small-batch products made in the U.S.

Season Eight continues with an intimate conversation about caregiving, identity, and the small “glimmers” that shape family connection. In this heartfelt episode, Anika speaks with mother–daughter duo Jacqueline and Olivia Vong about how memory, resilience, and cultural expectations inform their caregiving journey. Jacqueline reflects on growing up with a strong and stylish mother who balanced independence, career success, and caring for aging relatives. Now navigating the “sandwich generation,” she shares how those early examples prepared her to support Olivia through her recent cognitive changes.Together, they discuss the invisible load of caregiving and the stigma surrounding dementia in many Asian communities, including how language can deepen or challenge that stigma. Olivia offers insights into the routines and passions (especially fashion) that keep her feeling grounded and joyful. Jacqueline recalls stories that capture her mother’s spirit, including her ability to turn any moment, even a business dinner, into a vibrant celebration.Their exchange highlights the importance of boundaries, self-care, and redefining what aging with dignity can look like. This episode invites listeners to celebrate the glimmers, generations, and all the fabulous “Glamma” moments that make caregiving and family unforgettable.Olivia Vong and her daughter, Jacqueline, share a powerful intergenerational story of migration, memory, identity, and love.Born in Hong Kong and later settling in Canada, Olivia is remembered as a true fashion icon, the life of the party, a woman of extraordinary energy, positivity, and style. Her joie de vivre shaped everyone around her, but especially her only daughter, Jacqueline, to whom she passed her strength, resilience, and unshakeable belief in showing up with grace even through life's hardest chapters.Now part of the sandwich generation, Jacqueline is raising two young children while caring for Olivia, who lives with dementia, a condition that spans three generations in their family. Through this experience, Jacqueline has become an advocate for caregivers and Asian communities, openly addressing the cultural stigma surrounding dementia, aging, and mental health. She speaks to the importance of preserving dignity, celebrating identity, and reframing what “aging gracefully” means for Asian families.Together, Olivia and Jacqueline have become emerging voices in the caregiving space. They were featured on the cover of Mind Matters magazine, spotlighting their caregiving journey, and have appeared in panel discussions and editorial features that highlight the power of storytelling to connect families across generations. Jacqueline’s advocacy extends through her work with the Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), where she champions awareness, education, and culturally safe supports for caregivers.On Root & Seed, Olivia and Jacqueline share a story that is personal yet universal, a tribute to heritage, memory, and the enduring spark of a mother who taught her daughter to live boldly, beautifully, and with endless heart.