Today's guest Shanti Das is a music industry vet and the founder of the Hip Hop Professional Foundation. The mission there is to empower and enrich the lives of those in underserved communities around mental health, youth empowerment and poverty.
Shanti's big truth was around owning her truth. We talked about:
-Knowing when to walk away and when you don't actually "have to" deal with things.
-Her opinion on the topic of appropriating hip hop culture.
-Her transition from a high powered executive to servant leader.
-The distinction between mental health, and mental wellness and brain health - I loved this!
-Digital social responsibility
-AND she didn't mind me losing my shit over her close relationship with the members of one of my favorite groups of all time - TLC as well as some other hip hop and R&B legends who will always have my heart.
This is both a fun and important episode - enjoy and share!
About Shanti Das:
Shanti Das is an accomplished entertainment executive, consultant, entrepreneur, mentor, author, and Philanthropist.
Shanti is the Founder/CEO of Press Reset Entertainment, an Atlanta-based firm launched in 2009 that serves as an entertainment concierge service providing independent marketing & strategy for music acts, talent booking for private & corporate events, celebrity procurement, brand influencer marketing and special event assistance. This years marks Shanti’s 25-year anniversary in the entertainment business. Her music industry career (intern to Executive Vice President) includes positions at Capitol Records, LaFace Records, Columbia Records, Sony Urban Music and Universal Motown where she worked directly with some of music’s top talent like Outkast, Usher, Prince, TLC, Toni Braxton, Erykah Badu, and more.
An advocate for many social issues, she has started several successful initiatives and events including No Reservations Needed (an annual food drive/dinner for the Atlanta Mission homeless shelter in Atlanta), Samples That Serve (collection of toiletries for homeless mothers and children to benefit the annual United Way Shoebox Party), Backpack Blessings (collection of back to school supplies for local elementary schools with Walmart), Day of Pampering (Hair, Make-up pampering for moms at the Genesis Shelter), Toys of Joy (Holiday Toy drive benefitting local hospital) Turn The Page (book drive and reading program for local elementary and middle schools).
As a result of Shanti’s community work for the past 8 years, she decided to establish her very own nonprofit, The Hip-Hop Professional Foundation. The mission of the foundation is: To empower and enrich the lives of those in underserved communities around youth empowerment, mental health and poverty.
The mental health initiative is called Silence the Shame. Shanti has suffered from depression over the years and has also experienced love ones affected with mental health disorders. With Silence the Shame, she hopes to peel back the layers of shame and stigma as it relates to mental health. There are millions of people suffering and they are afraid to speak on it. It is also a lot that needs to happen in the form of educating people about treatment, support and care.
Shanti hopes to spark a national conversation that will lead to increased awareness and funding to support those living with mental health conditions. She is enlisting the help of some of her celebrity friends and colleagues to jump-start the conversation.
