In this unfiltered, soul-resonant episode of Mental Health News Radio, Kristin Sunanta Walker, sits down with her dear friend Chaya Mallavaram—artist, technologist, and founder of <a href="https://www.sparklaunch.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spark Launch</a>, the company behind the neurodivergent-centered platform <a href="https://play.sparkade.app" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sparkade</a>. What begins as a casual reconnection blooms into a radiant, multidimensional conversation about art, grief, ADHD, cultural legacy, and the spiritual technology of the body.<br /><br />Early in the episode, Chaya shares that her late mother’s name was Sunanda—a revelation that strikes Kristin deeply, as her own Thai name is Sunanta. This name resonance becomes a symbolic thread, weaving their shared lineage, creativity, and healing paths together across continents and generations. <br /><br />These are two neurodivergent women who both run their own companies and genuinely dig each other's company.<br /><br />This episode is a reminder of how people like us actually speak—luminous, layered, nonlinear, and fully alive.<br /><br />Chaya Mallavaram is a technologist, professional artist, and advocate who brings her own life experience to the heart of neurodivergent empowerment. For more than two decades, Chaya thrived in the software world — not despite her ADHD, but because of it. Her creative problem-solving, pattern recognition, hyperfocus, and nonlinear thinking weren’t obstacles. They were assets.​Everything shifted in 2020, when her son was diagnosed with ADHD. That moment brought not only clarity, but a calling: to build the kind of support system she wished she and her son had growing up. Today, Chaya leads Spark Launch with a rare blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and deep personal insight. Whether she’s developing tools, leading strategy, or co-hosting the Spark Launch podcast, she’s creating spaces where neurodivergent minds are seen, heard, and celebrated. Her work is rooted in one belief: When we stop trying to fix neurodivergent people — and start designing systems that work for them — everyone benefits.<br /><br />www.sparklaunch.com<br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support</a>.

Mental Health News Radio

Mental Health News Radio

This Is How We Talk: Two Neurodivergent Women, Unfiltered and Free

NOV 4, 202558 MIN
Mental Health News Radio

This Is How We Talk: Two Neurodivergent Women, Unfiltered and Free

NOV 4, 202558 MIN

Description

In this unfiltered, soul-resonant episode of Mental Health News Radio, Kristin Sunanta Walker, sits down with her dear friend Chaya Mallavaram—artist, technologist, and founder of <a href="https://www.sparklaunch.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spark Launch</a>, the company behind the neurodivergent-centered platform <a href="https://play.sparkade.app" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sparkade</a>. What begins as a casual reconnection blooms into a radiant, multidimensional conversation about art, grief, ADHD, cultural legacy, and the spiritual technology of the body.<br /><br />Early in the episode, Chaya shares that her late mother’s name was Sunanda—a revelation that strikes Kristin deeply, as her own Thai name is Sunanta. This name resonance becomes a symbolic thread, weaving their shared lineage, creativity, and healing paths together across continents and generations. <br /><br />These are two neurodivergent women who both run their own companies and genuinely dig each other's company.<br /><br />This episode is a reminder of how people like us actually speak—luminous, layered, nonlinear, and fully alive.<br /><br />Chaya Mallavaram is a technologist, professional artist, and advocate who brings her own life experience to the heart of neurodivergent empowerment. For more than two decades, Chaya thrived in the software world — not despite her ADHD, but because of it. Her creative problem-solving, pattern recognition, hyperfocus, and nonlinear thinking weren’t obstacles. They were assets.​Everything shifted in 2020, when her son was diagnosed with ADHD. That moment brought not only clarity, but a calling: to build the kind of support system she wished she and her son had growing up. Today, Chaya leads Spark Launch with a rare blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and deep personal insight. Whether she’s developing tools, leading strategy, or co-hosting the Spark Launch podcast, she’s creating spaces where neurodivergent minds are seen, heard, and celebrated. Her work is rooted in one belief: When we stop trying to fix neurodivergent people — and start designing systems that work for them — everyone benefits.<br /><br />www.sparklaunch.com<br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support</a>.