Welcome to Linchpin Magazine

In ancient times, the word "trailblazer" meant something literal — the person who walked ahead with a flame, clearing a path for those who came after.

It felt right for this edition.

Thing is, trailblazers aren't always the loudest or the most visible.

Often, they're the ones who stayed with the problem long after others moved on. Who pushed past barriers that felled lesser mortals.

Took harder roads.

Kept building even when there was no map to follow.

They can be really, really hard to find.

As a result, this edition took a good three months to come together, mainly because we were determined to feature bona fide trailblazers.

Each of our featured Linchpins has ventured into the unknown, held their ground, and lit a way forward for others. They've shown that progress doesn't always come from the centre of power; often, it begins quietly, at the edges, where belief meets action.

Like Aasif Ahsan Khan, who built, from a chance opportunity, an ecosystem to power the global biopharma industry.

Like Reza "Baba" Massah, who brought capoeira to India and gave generations of children a new way to move, listen, and belong.

And like Sandeep Mehto, who is reshaping what access and aspiration mean for India's rural learners.

Each of them has chosen the harder way forward. Each has made their own light and carried it far enough for others to follow. Each has had a profound, material impact on thousands of lives.

We hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as we did.

– Team Linchpin