HPC - Young Professionals — New

“How Our Parents Used to Take Pictures” - Vinita Khilnani Reflects on Her Professional Journey in Comedy and Storytelling

“At the end of the day, seeing people shed whatever troubles they are going through thanks to laughter is what drives me daily.” Today’s woman dreamer, Vinita Khalnani is an an actor, comedian, and improviser based in Los Angeles, California. She is known for her viral video titled, "How Our Parents Used To Take Pictures", has been featured in commercials such for platforms such as ESPN, Volkswagen, Opendoor, and Yahoo Mail, and in 2023 she co-created and sold a comedy sketch show to the 'Always Funny' channel on PLUTO TV called "Mother's Day Mom-A-Thon. This past spring, she also emceed the Akshaya Patra USA Boston Gala. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win, Vinita reflects on how she pivoted from her STEM background to pursue the creative fields, the inspirational role of her family in her career, the importance of giving back, and her lifelong passion for telling stories and making people laugh. Enjoy!

Women Who Win News DeskJune 16, 2024THIS WEEK, this week, HPC - Young Professionals

Crafting Change: Marvi Ali's Journey from Student to Social Entrepreneur

“ I strongly believe in the importance and power of education. This is a core value of the work I do with both ZuMantra and TheSmartGirls. This is a core belief that is shared by Akshaya Patra. As a small business owner, I find Akshaya Patra’s scale and reach across India to be deeply impressive.” Today’s woman dreamer, Marvi Ali, is a student at Vanderbilt University and has been a social entrepreneur since the age of 11. Her venture, ZuMantra, helps women artisans from rural parts of India and Pakistan become empowered through financial independence. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win for our “Women in Philanthropy” series with Akshaya Patra USA, Marvi reflects on her journey as a young founder and the power of education is propelling rural communities forward.

Women in Tech: Vaneela Khatri Reflects on Making History as the Youngest Member of BNY Mellon's Tech Team

“I decided to learn about the C coding language from YouTube. I fell in love with it and decided to be a software developer one day. Today’s woman dreamer, Vaneeli Khatri is a passionate technologist with a mission to mentor and empower other women in technology. She shares her journey from first learning how to code to becoming the youngest member of BNY’s technology team. She also reflects on her role as a mentor for Anita B, and the importance of being confident in yourself and your abilities as you navigate gender biases and inequity. Enjoy her story!

The Value of Hard-Earned Money: Jessica Shah Shares Journey in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Akshaya Patra

“Always talk to the people in your life, especially your elders. Listen to their stories, and learn from their experiences.” Today’s woman dreamer, Jessica Shah is an NYC based finance professional and entrepreneur, with a passion for philanthropy and giving back. In her inspiring Women Who Win interview, she shares the key lessons she learned from her parents journey, and how she applies them in her finance career, her venture Komenci, and in her philanthropic work with Akshaya Patra’s Young Professionals. Check out her story!

Nareen Sidhu Reflects on her Inspiring Journey: Entrepreneurship, Harvard Business School, and Advice to Young Women Professionals

“The most important business and life lesson that I have learnt is courage – courage to test an idea instead of perfecting it.” Today’s woman dreamer Nareen Sidhu is an entrepreneur with a mission to empower female founders. Originally from Malaysia, Nareen graduated from Harvard Business School this year. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win, Nareen shares her vision to for her new venture, Inspirele, her top advice for MBA applicants, and the life lessons she has learned along the way. Enjoy!

Is it Harder to Negotiate as a Desi Woman? Zafreen Farishta Shares Key Negotiation Tips

“Negotiating as a woman is tough. Negotiating as a desi woman – even tougher? Maybe not tougher, but definitely with its unique challenges.” Today’s woman dreamer, Zafreen Farishta, a startup professional and salary negotiation strategist. She is the creator of The Pay We Deserve and a tireless advocate for gender pay equity. In this thought-provoking article, Zafreen explores the question “Is it harder to negotiate as a desi woman?”

The Nomadic Road: Tanya Saigal Shares Her Latest Expedition to Madagascar

“I embarked on my very first expedition to a place which can be as remote as it is tropical; Madagascar. I got onto my flight for Madagascar with little to no expectation of what I was heading into.” Today’s woman dreamer, Tanya Saigal, is a Brand Developer at Nomadic Road. With degrees in Astrophysics and Archaeology, she is passionate and curious about the world around her. In this interview with our global contributor, Khushee Nanavati, Tanya shares details her latest expedition to Madagascar, and where she dreams of travelling next. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel to Madagascar? A must read for all travelers, check out Tanya’s story [and some exciting pictures from her trip!]

Arianna Perry Shares How She Balances Her Passion for Dance with her Career in Technology Consulting

“Dance is a medium in which women can unlock their greatest power. “ Today’s woman dreamer, Ariana Perry, is a Boston-based Technology Consultant with a passion for dance. In her Women Who Win interview, she shares her journey, her favorite female dancers, and how she balances her technology career with her artistic passions. She writes, “Listen to your body. My advice is to have patience; it can be challenging to switch from a dancer to a technology consultant lifestyle. Being a dancer is a mindset.” Enjoy!

Arts - EntertainmentWomen Who Win News DeskFebruary 22, 2023this week, THIS WEEK, HPC - Young Professionals

Startup Stories: Founding Engineer at Leda Shweta Shrivastava Shares Mission to Support Sexual Assault Survivors through Digital Technology

“I first joined Leda as an intern to develop one of our digital platforms. My involvement quickly grew to me eventually joining full-time as the first software engineer. I was moved by Leda’s mission to support survivors of sexual assault and increase access to care and autonomy in their healing journey.” Today’s woman dreamer, Shweta Shrivastava is a Founding Engineer at Leda Health, with a passion for empowering women in technology. In her interview with Women Who Win, Shweta shares how she navigated her role at Leda and writing the code in a scalable, secure, and robust way, and advice to young women looking to break into the technology and entrepreneurship space.

Asini Wijewardane Shares Her Journey at Mental Health Startup "Uwill" and Passion for Social Impact Entrepreneurship

CMaker - Women's IssuesWomen Who Win News DeskJanuary 3, 2023this week, THIS WEEK, HPC - Young Professionals

Shake to Win: How Serial Entrepreneur Emily Cheung is Using Technology to Connect Cultures around the World

“I am a vivid traveller, I have travelled to over 52 countries and 220 cities, and I love the cultural diversity globally.” Today’s woman dreamer, Hong Kong based serial entrepreneur Emily Cheung, is on a mission to use technology for good. She is the founder of Shake to Win, a travel technology platform connecting authentic places and cultural experiences around the world. Most recently, she is also the co-founder of Appreciator.io, an experiential platform collaborating with art institutions and brands for heritage preservation, through NFT creation, digital art, immersive experiences and more. A creator at heart, Emily reflects on her journey in starting multiple ventures, balancing it all, and shares her top 10 tips for every female entrepreneur. She writes, “Don't be afraid of failure; failure is where you can rise again with your innovation.” We are excited to share her story on Women Who Win!

Female Founders to Know: CEO of eternalHealth Pooja Ika Shares Mission to Disrupt Health Insurance for the Better

women in healthcareWomen Who Win News DeskApril 19, 2022this week, THIS WEEK, HPC - Young Professionals

Women In Space: Space Pioneer Renee Frohnert Shares The Future of Space Technology and Exploration for Women

“My overarching goal is to inspire young girls and women to pursue STEM and space. There is a saying “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Today’s woman dreamer, Renee Frohnert a female space pioneer with big dreams. With experience at Lockheed Martin Space and L3Harris Space, she developed spacecrafts for the Department of Defense and other commercial space companies. She was featured as an aerospace engineer on Netflix and continues to promote aerospace and STEM to young girls. A true inspiration, Renee reflects on her journey and her mission to advocate for DEI and gender equality in the space technology industry.

From XBox to Rockstar Games: McKenzie Elliott Reflects on Journey as a Woman in Gaming

Tech - CultureWomen Who Win News DeskMarch 31, 2022women in tech, this week, THIS WEEK, Homepage Hero, newsletter subscribe 2, HPC - Young Professionals, HPC - Tech, Tech Page - Product

Not Your Average Kitchen - Winter Edition - Comfort Foods with Food Influencer Renu Bhardwaj

Nothing better than warm and cozy comfort food in the winter! Join us for another installment of Not Your Average Kitchen - The Winter Edition. Today’s woman dreamer, Renu Bhardwaj (@hey_renu) is a popular food blogger based in Glasgow Scotland. With over 22 thousand followers, her platform highlights her delicious vegan/vegetarian recipes and her passion for sustainability in the kitchen. Renu shares two must-try recipes for the cold weather, including a yummy tomato soup and her spicy masala roasties. Enjoy!

How Asian-American Entrepreneur Holly Paul is Disrupting the Booming Spiked Seltzer Industry, Inspired by the "Fruits We Grew Up Eating"

“MIZO Hard Seltzer is all about going against the grain, while staying true to your roots.” Today’s woman dreamer, Holly Paul, a Bay-area based entrepreneur, is the co-founder of Mizo, a start-up disrupting the booming hard seltzer industry, which has become the drink of choice for many of us over the past few years. A first-generation Taiwanese American, Holly launched Mizo with the intention of introducing unique flavors, particularly those popular in the Asian community. From lychee to Asian pear and calamansi, Holly was inspired by her roots. Holly shares key trends in the spiked seltzer industry to watch out for, her exciting journey as a founder, and how she built her brand’s personality. A fun Friday read, enjoy her story!

Brown in Media: Fareeha Molvi Explores How South Asians are Represented on Screen - Stereotypes, Nuance, and Must-Watch Shows

“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!