I caught up with Mallika Ramchandani, founder of YaarE, experience curator, and podcast host building spaces for founders and creators to learn, connect, and grow. We spoke about community, meaningful experiences, and what actually drives growth.

📍 Q: You’ve built YaarE to create meaningful experiences for founders and creators. What made you realise that people don’t just need content, they need community?

Mallika: “I started my podcast to capture meaningful conversations and share them online. It actually began with my aunt. At some point, I realised it was becoming more about personal branding for guests rather than creating real impact. That made me pause. While working a full time job, I started feeling a bit out of place. I thought if I feel this way, there must be others in the same stage of life feeling it too.

I began co working with friends and casually put up a story on Instagram. Someone replied with the name ‘YaarE’ and it just stuck. That moment made me realise there are more people looking for connection. I opened it up, and now it’s growing into a South Asian founder community in Melbourne.”

📍 Q: You’ve organised everything from co-working sessions to live podcast recordings. What’s the difference between an event people attend and one they remember?

Mallika: “I recently attended an event called ‘Fuckup Nights’ where founders openly shared their failures. It wasn’t just about learning, it was about accountability and accepting that we’re all human.

That’s what makes something memorable. The value comes from shared engagement. One way communication doesn’t work. Everyone in the room has something valuable to contribute.”

📍 Q: Through your podcast and community, you’ve had conversations with founders and creators. What’s one pattern you’ve noticed about people who actually grow and succeed?