The Journey

Growing up in rural Michigan, near a cornfield where my family didn't even lock the doors, my world was small but safe. Everything changed at 13 when I traveled to Peru with The Children's Environment Trust. For the first time, I witnessed artisan work and poverty. My sense of possibilities expanded exponentially. "That was where it all began," I often say. "I didn't want to return to the life I had before."

My father was an entrepreneur who, alongside my mother, built a tool and die manufacturing company from the ground up to nearly 120 employees—all while working full-time jobs. Watching their hustle planted seeds I wouldn't fully understand until decades later. I became the first person in my family to attend college, earning my degree from the University of Michigan in Anthropology and International Studies, with deep dives into economics, gender studies, and Asian studies.

At 21, I received a research grant to study how economic empowerment transforms women's lives in India. I interned with Dastkar, visited tailoring centers across the country, and fell in love—with the textile process and with the women I met. I heard stories that changed me forever: widows cast out by their in-laws, survivors of domestic violence ostracized by their communities, women divorced for having daughters instead of sons. I returned to India a second time, interning at Amnesty International, deepening my understanding of the intersection between human rights and economic empowerment.

Before WORK+SHELTER, I built a career at companies like Google, Mojiva, and Publicis/VivaKi, where I served as Associate Director of Offshore Operations Strategy based in India. This corporate experience gave me the operational expertise and strategic thinking I now apply to scaling social impact. In 2008, I founded The Lotus Odyssey, a fair-trade retail brand—and the entrepreneurial proving ground for what came next.

Over a simple cup of chai, I met Kavita Sabharwal—a widow and single mother who knew firsthand the hardships facing women in Indian society. Together, we envisioned a space where women in dire circumstances could gain meaningful employment, learn new skills, and become financially independent. In October 2011, following a successful Kickstarter campaign, I founded WORK+SHELTER in north Delhi. 14+ years later, we've trained over 200 women, currently employ 45, and have built what I call "The Impact Factory"—where social good meets world-class manufacturing.

Today, I split my time between Chicago and Delhi, traveling nearly 50% of the year. I'm currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management (Class 146) while developing new ventures and a new calling: helping fellow high-achieving entrepreneurs find stillness amidst the storm. Through meditation workshops, I share the practices that have sustained me across two continents, 14+ years of building, and the inevitable valleys of entrepreneurship.