All Things Art, Culture & Women
Travel, Photography, Social Media, Dating, Relationships, Spirituality, Astrology & More
“True self-esteem comes from competence, not the other way around.” We are excited to kick-off a new series on Women Who Win, called “Women in Literature - Mother-Daughter Book Reviews.” In this series, Gayatri Aryan and her daughter Aneesha bring insightful and candid reviews on books relating to women (strong female protagonists, female authors etc). Gayatri starts us off with a review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”, a New York Times Best check out Gayatri’s review (either in article OR audio format if you are on the go) ! Let us know what book is on your summer reading list in the comments!
From Malta to Machu Pichu, today’s woman dreamer Bejal Gosai is a traveler at heart, having visited over 60 countries. Bejal is the creator of sustainable blog series, #be-lavie green, where she brings her passions for sustainability and travel together. As we plan our vacations for Summer 2022, Bejal reflects on her adventurous travels. She also shares her top 5 tips on travelling in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. A must read for every woman with wanderlust, enjoy Bejal’s story!
As we reach the end of Asian-American Pacific Islander month, it’s also important to support Asians in more unconventional fields, such as comedy. With comedy being a traditionally male dominated industry, it's extremely refreshing to find a female Asian comedian in the midst. The next time you’re scrolling through Netflix, try checking out one of these five AAPI Female comedians. While some are more mainstream celebrities and others are more niche stand-up comedians, the one thing all these women have in common is that they’re absolutely hilarious.
Jaishri is an active supporter at leading art institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, Newport Jazz Festival, and she is currently the Vice Chair of the Board at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. In this inspiring interview, Jaishri shares her journey with supporting emerging artists, how her cultural roots inspire her artistic vision, and her next big dream. Enjoy her story!
Celebrate Women’s History Month with us - today’s woman dreamer, Manisha Sinha is a renowned historian, currently serving as the Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut. A talented award-winning author, her recent book, The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition was featured as the editor’s choice in The New York Times Book Review, and was one of three great History books in Bloomberg News. In honor of Women’s History Month, she shares a day in her life as a historian, why history excites her and three women in history she admires!
“The key advantage of self-publishing is being able to create the book exactly as you want it. You have the final say on the book cover, the message that you want to convey and how you want to convey it.” Have you ever dreamed of publishing a book? Today’s woman dreamer, Ritu Kapur, shares her exciting journey in getting her first book, Teach Yoga Touch Hearts self-published. A passionate writer and yoga instructor, Ritu was inspired to step out of her comfort zone and put her knowledge to paper. A must read for budding female authors, check out Ritu’s actionable tips to self-publishing!
“The connection I felt to these ladies is just what I needed to stay motivated in these tough times. We formed a sisterhood” Today’s woman dreamer, Manvee Vaid is a dedicated social entrepreneur, empowering women across India’s vast artisan community. Artisans are the backbone of India’s non-farm rural economy, and the workforce is primarily made up of women. These communities faced significant challenges during Covid-19 that many of us aren’t aware from. from lack of raw materials to lockdowns and closures of factories. Manvee’s mission is to bring a voice to these artisans, who carry India’s rich history and tradition through their work. In this inspiring interview, Manvee shares her exciting journey as a social entrepreneur, and her passion for building community.
This year's New York Fashion Week signifies hope to create a better precedent for diversity in the fashion world. It is that time of the year - New York Fashion Week! Our social media intern and today’s woman dreamer, Dia Arora recaps some of this year’s best looks, highlighting some of the key designers that are bringing diversity to the high fashion scene. From Christian Siriano who is embracing body positivity and gender non-binary models to Claudia Li who embraces her Asian American identity through her design, check out some of this year’s iconic looks! Thank you Dia for sharing your perspective!
Happy Valentine’s Day! (and of course, Happy Galentine’s Day too! In case you missed it, check out the recording of our live Love & Relationships event. We brought two leading experts in the field. Panelists include Lana Bastianutti, a certified life coach who is passionate about helping women be their best selves, and Shalini Singh, founder of “andwemet”, an online matchmaking service based in India, and was moderated by the talented Dr. Kinna Patel, our newest Women Who Win host! They bring a thought-provoking and relatable conversation on all things love, including healthy relationships, how to find the right dating app for you, red flags, self love, healthy breakups, marriage, and more! We hope you enjoy our Valentine’s Day special!
“To be candid, becoming a wedding planner after getting married was the furthest thing from what I wanted to be.” Today’s woman dreamer, Tanvi Desai Rana, is a woman to know in the wedding and events industry. As the lead planner of Mint To Be Events, Tanvi has planned weddings all over the world for the past 12 years. Tanvi reflects on her career, including the first wedding she ever planned, and shares her expert tips on hiring a planner versus DIY, Covid-19 Precautions, budgeting, and bringing your dream wedding to light. She shares, “The advice I would give to my younger self and other wedding planners is to embrace wedding planning as an opportunity to touch people’s lives.” Enjoy Tanvi’s story!
“I realized if I was going to show up for real, I needed to know who I am - FOR REAL. Today’s woman dreamer, Dion Johnson, is a multi-award-winning Women's champion, with a mission to “re-power women” to drive change and embrace who they are. Born with a facial disfigurement, Dion learned at an early age that we have to unmask and show up FOR REAL. Having worked with hundreds of rising women leaders, Dion emphasizes that this is the time to bring influential women to the forefront. She writes, “Womanity is innately powerful, she is gifted, strong, nurturing, intuitive, caring, compassionate fierce and influential. I believe marketplace leadership needs authentic womanity now, like never before, if we are ever going to win the war against some of our most persistent global marketplace predicaments such as inequality, injustice, all forms of “ISMS”, ill-health and indifference.” An inspiring coach and strategic ally, Dion shares her “5 Step Checklist for Change”. for all women. Enjoy her powerful story!
“To me, preparing and letting women to make vital decisions in their life and in society is women's empowerment . I seek to empower women through my work.” Today’s woman dreamer, Archana Srivastava, is a dynamic, renowned Mumbai-based artist, with a passion for highlighting history and tradition across mediums. Archana shares her view as art as a medium for empowerment, and her dream for her art career (such as her interest in NFTs, digital, and 3D art). A relatable and creative journey, enjoy Archana’s story!
“My first preference is to cover and take care of any positive community stories, which may help and inspire viewers. I believe this medium is very powerful and if we can use it properly, it's a great tool for any society to grow.” An accomplished filmmaker and entrepreneur, Gayatri shares her wonderful career as a leader in South Asian media, from being a TV News Anchor, acting in over two dozen plays, and the exciting “Celebrities in Unison” showcasing celebrity experiences in the pandemic. A woman with a passion for sharing the voice of our communities, we are excited to share her story.
“Only humans possess the ability to live consciously and must strive to do so.” How have you embraced spirituality in your life? Today’s woman dreamer, Sangeeta Bhasin Verma, reflects on her meaningful spiritual journey. She shares how she embraces spiritual principles in the modern world, from listening to gurus lectures' online/in-person to a day in the life from her experience at Sadhguru’s Isha Institute retreat. For those looking to learn more about spirituality in 2022, Sangeeta shares some of her key learnings and how her perspective on life has evolved throughout her journey. Enjoy her story!
“People do things and are creative sometimes, out of necessity. For me, creativity has been a passion of mine.” Today’s woman dreamer, Noureen Sultana is the owner of “Noureen Design”, a family-run mehndi business. A talented artists, she holds 7 Gold Medals from the All India Industrial Exhibition across various mediums including Henna (Mehndi), embroidery, and painting. The creativity runs in the family, as Noureen’s sons, Mahid and Danish are embracing the family business. Noureen states, “I always take my sons to many social events where they would show their work of art and would get appreciation and inspiration from the community. This has been one of the major factors for my sons to contribute equally in this business”. An exciting small business based in our Boston community, enjoy the story behind this mother-son mehndi business!
“We started thinking, Is there a better way to present news?” Meet today’s woman dreamer, Anuradha Kedia is the Co-founder of The Better India, the World’s Largest Positive & Solutions-based Content Driven Impact platform. In this installment of “In Conversation with Women Who Win”, Anuradha shares how the team grew the platform to over a million in following, what inspired The Better India, and how she seeks to use media for social good. Thank you to our lovely host Tamanna Raisinghani for this powerful and thought-provoking interview!
“CAREspaces gave me the opportunity to combine my profession, as an attorney, with my passion, as a Bharatanatyam dancer.” Today’s woman dreamer, Krithika Rajkumar, is quite the multi-faceted woman. A Boston-based lawyer at Global 100 Law Firm Nixon Peabody LLP, Krithika is also a dance prodigy, former Miss Malayalee North America, and the Head of Legal of CARE Spaces, an organization creating safe spaces for the Indian Arts Community. Also a newlywed, we had to ask what her key takeaway was from planning her Indian wedding during Covid. Krithika shares her top learnings from her career, how she combines her passions for arts & law, and how she finds the perfect balance in life.
“The media landscape has changed significantly. Now, there are so many talented Brown creators at all levels of media. I think that has vastly improved the way this community is being seen.” Today’s woman dreamer, Fareeha Molvi, is the founder of Brown in Media. A cultural essayist who has been featured in New York Magazine, Teen Vogue, Glamour, and more, Fareeha built her platform to dig deep into how South Asians are portrayed on screen, covering topics from stereotyping to nuance and characterization. A thought-provoking story, Fareeha shares how she thinks the media landscape has changed for Brown creators, her thoughts on Mindy Kaling’s popular “Never Have I Ever” and the top three t.v. shows out there that she feels represent the Brown community strongly. Enjoy!
“From home offices, gyms to bedroom and bathroom sanctuaries… design has become the new “comfort food”. A top influencer in Interior Design, today’s woman dreamer, Dahlia Mahmood, shares her top 5 tips to home decor. A creative spirit, Dahlia started her design entrepreneur career at the age of 17, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, and has built her brand of simplicity and elegance. Dahlia addresses impacts of the pandemic on the home design industry, how journey as a young Arab-American woman in the creative space, and her top tips on where to start on any home decor/design project. A must read - enjoy Dahlia’s story below!
“Many people have the impression that all artists do is paint. The reality is that artists are like any other entrepreneur. Not only do I create artwork, I have to create opportunities to get exposure for my work.” Today’s woman dreamer, Lisa Teo, is truly living her dream life as a full-time artist based in Kuala Lampur. Ever wonder what a day in the life looks like for an artist? Lisa shares her daily routine (starting with 5 am sun salutations). She provides actionable tips to artists on how to build their brand, how she navigated her career change from law to art, and the key learnings she had from her first solo exhibition at the renowned Gallery 1819 in Singapore. A must read for all creatives, enjoy Lisa’s story!
“The ENDORPHINS tour is coming through 6 cities in the US. First stop is Boston at The Sinclair in Cambridge. My goal is to give my fans a boost of ENDORPHINS during the show, leaving them smiling and sweating by the end.” Today’s woman dreamer, Evan Giia, a rising electronic pop artist , is about to kick-off her exciting headline tour. A Brooklyn based musician and Berklee College of Music alum, Evan is one to watch in the music scene! A classically trained opera singer with a passion for electronic and pop music, Evan’s unique sound has garnered 20 million streams on Spotify, and she has performed at top music including Coachella and Firefly. To our Boston women dreamers - do you have plans this weekend? Check Evan’s concert at The Sinclair in Cambridge. Check out Evan’s story and details on the concert in the article!
“A few years ago, I began a second act when I realized I had so much more to contribute and give to the society and world around me. I decided to leave my career and pursue a new journey with my creative passions.” Today’s woman dreamer, Raksha Soni, is a prolific artist, with a passion for making a difference in her community. She shares how she created a second act to her life, in leaving her technology career, and founding Brush & Paisley. An inspiring story about career change, Raksha lives her life by the 3 Cs - creativity, community, and compassion! Enjoy.
“My goal is to run out of pages in my passport as they say.” Today’s woman dreamer Eshani Shah, an avid traveler, recaps on an exciting trip to Greece and Turkey. As the world begins to open up, many of us have been bit by the travel bug, but are also feeling weary, and have many questions in the air. Eshani shares everything you need to know for planning a vacation during the pandemic, from booking tours, Covid testing, air travel, hotel and dining safety precautions to take, and navigating popular tourist hubs! (and of course, she also shares some of the meaningful moments from her trip). Plan your trip with Desire, Determination, Discipline, and Destination in mind!
“I try and break out of the expected is by looking ’outside’ - signage on the streets, an old family photograph, a scenic moment outdoors, an inspiring museum exhibit” This past spring, today’s woman dreamer, Niloufer Moochhala beautifully brought the thoughts and sentiments of her community (town government, front-line workers, small business owners and more) to life through an installation art piece, displayed at Arlington Center. An inspiring mixed media artist with a dynamic career in the creative world, Nilou recieved her MFA from Yale, has been featured in Boston and New York, and has interned at renowned cultural institutions like the Smithsonian and Sotheby’s. Enjoy Nilou’s artistic journey!
“I spent a lot of time (my father and his brother) watching them design, create, and build puppets and then bring them to life through manipulation and performance. The fact that these inanimate objects were brought to life by puppeteers really fascinated me. It was like a magic power.” Meet today’s woman dreamer, Yamina Peerzada. Inspired by her family to puruse the arts, she first joined professional theatre at the young age of 10; and played the lead charecter at the 2nd International Puppet Festival in Lahore. A lifelong creative soul, Yamina shares her exciting life as a performer and her passion for puppetry. Enjoy her story below!
“My role as the Founder and Director of the academy is a hybrid between a CEO, artistic director, and a school principal.” A big believer in “do it with passion, or not at all”, meet today’s woman dreamer, Devika Dhawan, founder of DFD Academy. A business professional and a passionate dancer, Devika shares how she pursued her MBA and hoe she utilizes her business background and creativity to run her dream dance school, and empower the next generation of dancers to embrace their identities. Enjoy her story, and dance along with her vibrant dance video in the article!