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Nikhil Nadkarni

@nikhilarity

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Seeker of wonder & whimsy ✨ 🤩
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist 🧠
Chief Medical Officer🩺
Aspiring Author 📚
Astrophotographer ✨🌌

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I just completed one year as the Chief Medical Officer of Brightline, a pediatric mental health company with service offerings in California and NY. Since I first joined, this has been my dream job: getting to lead the care delivery teams across the country in coaching, therapy, psychological testing, and psychiatry for one of the most innovative mental health startups in the country.

We have registered nearly half a million children to our state-funded BrightLife Kids program, which provides mental health support via coaching to any child in California age 12 and under, completely free of charge to the family. In the past year, Brightline has scaled from one brick-and-mortar clinic in Brooklyn to four throughout NYC and six by the end of this year.

In this first year, I battled through my own imposter syndrome, broad changes in executive leadership and I needed to learn a whole new set of strategic business skills. In the last few months, I have finally arrived at a point where I feel true confidence in myself in this role. I am so incredibly proud of the work that our team is doing to improve the broken pediatric mental health care system.

I can't wait to see what's ahead for us! by @nikhilarity

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3 months ago

In the last few years, I've developed an interest in astrophotography and one of the easiest things to shoot is the moon.

I started off by just taking some decently detailed photos with my Samsung phones with the maximum zoom but my pictures really started to shine when my incredibly thoughtful and generous sister, @nishanadkarni , bought me a Dwarf 3 telescope camera.

That device allowed me to capture magnificent detail for both the moon and the sun. These are some of my favorite shots that I've taken of the moon in different stages during my travels over the past two years.

The brilliant moonrise in Sedona felt bright like dawn and the crimson Moonset in the Sahara with a starry background at 4am had magnificence unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Do you have a favorite shot? by @nikhilarity

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3 months ago

Back in May I attended a live recording of the Wrong Turns Podcast @wrongturnspod , hosted by the wonderful Jameela Jamil @jameelajamil . In this podcast Jameela interviews comedians Lamorne Morris @lamorne , Chris Fleming @chrisflemingfleming , and Liz Trager @glittercheese and asks them about their most embarrassing stories.

After talking through the stories of the comedians she then asked the audience to provide a story and I raised my hand. In front of a couple hundred people, I stood up for five minutes and told my most embarrassing story from medical school. These types of stories call out the awkwardness of being constantly evaluated while providing healthcare for patients and how those conflicts can go terribly wrong.

Having the opportunity to share this vulnerable and embarrassing anecdote was an unusually exhilarating experience that makes me wonder if I should seek more opportunities to share my stories in one way or another.

I hope you enjoy it. taken in Avalon Hollywood by @nikhilarity

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3 months ago

Inspired by my favorite Bad Bunny song, I purchased a small retro-looking digital camera a couple of months ago in advance of my friends wedding in Brazil. The intention behind it was simple. I don't like being on my phone but I do like to take photos to capture unique moments.

This camera has almost no bells and whistles, produces low quality photos, and is a bit difficult to use but it has allowed me to connect with people in a way that feels really special.

I'm sharing here some of my favorite photos that I've taken with this camera. There are no filters, no editing, I'm not a skilled photographer and the quality isn't great but I love how using this device has given me an avenue to be present in the moment and connect with others.

These images include:
- The famous Beco Do Batman murals in São Paulo
- A professional photographer and I photographing each other at the wedding
- A low-angle shot of a glass of wine that happened to catch a genuinely joyful hearty chuckle
- A curious look hidden behind a teacup
- A grandmother raising her cane to the roof to dance
- A professor smiling in his office
- My time bonding with horses at an equine therapy leadership retreat in Wisconsin
- The splash of a dolphin's fin while boating off the coast of São Paulo
- Some natural views of the wedding and the tropical paradise we visited
- A shot of Madison Square Garden at the watch party of game one of the NBA Finals
- An inverted image of my dog nephew Kumo taken in Century City, Los Angeles by @nikhilarity

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3 months ago

36 was the best year of my life! Unintentionally, I found my way to all 7 continents and said yes to every opportunity that came my way. I had a year jam packed with adventures, spending almost 180 days outside LA. Here's highlights of all 7 continents:

1) Antarctica (Nov '25): Starting with a chance conversation with @made_of_star_stuff_ at @momsbarla, I joined the Wonder Summit as a speaker on Mental Health, Leprosy, and AI. Whales, penguins, seals. Kayaking. Polar Plunging. Pristine untouched landscapes. Panda jacket. Batman & bat signal. Sound baths. Yoga. Surviving the Drake Passage. Dancing through endless sunset. Blizzard party all night. Aggressive face painting. Making so many wonderful new friends.

2) Argentina, Peru, Chile (Nov '25): Peru and Chile were quick layovers with just a passport stamp, delicious meal and art gallery experience. Patagonia. Tierra Del Fuego. Ushuaia at the end of the world. A moment of zen with a babbling brook. Foraging for Fungi with @paulstamets.

3) Spain (Sept '25): Visited the wonderful host @de_quijada with my friend of 2 decades @vshebbal and spent two weekends in BCN with Morocco sandwiched in between. On the first weekend we went to a party and met a tattoo artist, @maxpronio, who later gave us all tattoos at a new party next weekend. Michelin star meal. Sagrada Familia!

4) Morocco (Sept '25): Between weekends in BCN, @vshebbal & I toured Morocco. Chefchauen, the blue city. Hot air ballooning. Stargazing in the Sahara. Sunset Camel ride.

5) Montreal (June' 25): Road tripped up from Boston with @rubi.doux. Jazz fest, amazing food & street art. NBA finals 💔.

6) New Zealand & Fiji (March '25): Visited the wonderful Niazi family and got to see the Te Papa museum, Weta workshop, Hobbitton, Skywalk the Sky tower, hiking in Auckland, glow worms, fly into Milford Sound. Hot air balloon festival. Had two 10+ hour layovers in Fiji and both times took boats to visit new islands.

7) India (Dec '24): Road tripped through Kerela to the southern tip of India with my Grandfather.

Feeling immense gratitude for the privilege of seeing each corner of the world this year and learning from friends, new & old. Heart feels full. taken in Antarctica by @nikhilarity

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10 months ago

Sharing some of my favorite night shots from my trip with @vshebbal to the Sahara Desert in Morocco. I stayed up all night and slept during the intense 115F heat of the day and had a blast capturing these images in this dark sky area. None of the images have filters and all were shot with my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 phone as long exposures on a tripod with gimbal stabilizer.

1) My personal favorite: Moonset of a Blood Moon over the Desert Horizon. The moon was glowing so red as it sank down around 4am and I was able to capture this unique eerie red glow in the final minutes as it disappeared underneath the sand dunes on the horizon.

2) A simple raw shot of the Sahara night sky taken a few hours before the Moonset. The green glow of the sky was especially beautiful.

3) A shot of our small camp in the desert which accounted for the only notable light pollution in the area. Despite these lights it was still possible to capture the stars above.

4) Experimented with a new astrophotography portrait mode that takes an initial photo with me using a proper flash and then does a long exposure to capture the stars behind and then stitches the photos together. Came out kinda cool but took several tries to get it right. taken in Sahara Desert, Morocco by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

In Aug 2025, I had the immense pleasure of sharing the best meal I've ever had with two dear friends, Valentin and Vaibhav. Valentin generously hosted me and Vaibhav at his gorgeous flat in the city so we took him out to this experience as a thank you for his kindness.

Chef Jordi Cruz's iconic Michelin * restaurant, Angle, was spectacular from the table side special effects to the stunning flavors, unexpected textures and unparalleled service (shout-out to David)!

These were the 14 dishes with some notes:

Margarita cactus’s flower: a crazy cotton candy bite that liquifies in your mouth and is a crispy crunchy margarita cloud!

Foie gras, mole sauce and vanilla in a sweet corn taco

Pumpkin, miso and orange tart

Squid stew panipuri, ponzu, lemon and squid sauce: Pani puri is my favorite food in the world because it is the best combination of all the varied flavors, textures and temperatures in a single bite and Chef Cruz made a squid version that puts a super cool spin on the snack

Tomato mille feuille with mackerel and beluga caviar

Scallop with citrus, vanilla oil and passion fruit

Strawberry gazpacho, Bauma cheese and seasonal vegetables

Scarlet shrimp with squid juice and romesco bread

Thai style Galician hake, razor clams, celery, plankton and caviar: This one was fish steamed at the table with us there and Valentin's open mouthed expression looking at it is exactly how it felt to eat it

Kimchi and smoke aubergine cannelloni, with grilled beef picaña, and sesame: my favorite bite in the meal! A bit of heat from the kimchi and the beef was so tender and soft

Delta de l’Ebre magret of duck, jus, fennel, red currants and black garlic

Lemon, olive oil ice cream and crunchy cava: I love a good liquid nitrogen science experiment at the table just as much as I love a good lemon dessert. So good!!

Aromas of Madagascar: Vanilla, cocoa beans salted caramel and macadamia nuts: I can't choose a favorite dessert here because they were all perfect. This was the best chocolate based dessert ever.

Petit Fours: each of these bright orange little bites would have been the best bite at most other restaurants but here it's the final ending to a perfect meal! taken in Barcelona, Spain by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

taken in Horseshoe Bend by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

My favorite shots from a moonless night at Zion's Canyon Overlook. taken in Canyon Overlook Trail at Zion National Park by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

These shots of a petrified tree in Bryce Canyon National Park are amongst my favorite photos I've ever taken.

1) My personal favorite, the silhouette with a blue saturated background and some faint milky way views at the bottom.

2) The raw unedited photo as taken by my Samsung Galaxy S23U (a 2 year old phone). This camera is part of why I've stubbornly held out as an Android user. The different colors of stars in the raw image is especially notable.

3) A green version I got with a flashlight assisting during the long exposure to emphasize the texture and detail of the tree itself while still capturing the stars.

4) The tree during the day about 6 hours before any of the other photos were taken. taken in Bryce Canyon National Park by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

Solo night hike lit only by the moon taken in Bell Rock Trail Sedona AZ by @nikhilarity

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a year ago

Last week I attended Burning Man for the first time and it was a thoroughly overwhelming experience in the best possible way. Between the brilliant art, the unmatched community and the magic of the playa I rediscovered my sense of child-like wonder over and over again in the 8 days that I was there. There's nothing like the rush of pedaling through the deep playa in the middle of the night in search of a new curiosity flickering in the distance.

I was left speechless at the marvels of human creativity and ingenuity, and I'm certain I'll be back because there's nothing like this in the world. So grateful for this experience and the people I met along the way. by @nikhilarity

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2 years ago