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Global IndianstoryLiving the American Dream: Four Indians in Forbes USA’s 2023 richest self-made women list

Living the American Dream: Four Indians in Forbes USA’s 2023 richest self-made women list

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(July 24, 2023) In a remarkable testament to ambition, perseverance, and unwavering determination, four extraordinary Indian-origin women who have shattered glass ceilings and emerged as beacons of success, are on the 2023 Forbes USA’s richest self-made women list with a combined net worth of $4.06 billion. Their remarkable journey not only epitomises the spirit of the American dream but also serves as an inspiration to countless individuals striving to achieve success. With their ground-breaking achievements and indomitable spirit, the four trailblazing women have redefined the notion of what it means to be self-made in the fiercely competitive landscape of the United States.

Global Indian explores the noteworthy accomplishments of these visionary leaders, who have cemented their place among the most accomplished business leaders.

Jayshree Ullal

President and CEO, Arista Networks

Net worth: $2.2 Billion

Ever since assuming the role of CEO and president of Arista Networks in 2008, Jayshree Ullal has diligently cultivated the organisation into a global powerhouse in networking technology. Arista Networks, a nascent American computer networking start up with a modest workforce of merely 50 individuals and modest revenue, underwent a remarkable transformation under Jayshree’s guidance, emerging as a preeminent market leader in open-source cloud software and ethernet switches.

Jayshree Ullal

In 2014, under her visionary leadership, the company successfully went public, launching its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the esteemed New York Stock Exchange. Since then, Arista Networks has witnessed exponential growth, boasting an employee count nearing 3,000 and amassing an impressive revenue of more than $2.95 billion. “If you’re in engineering, you might have to learn some business. If you’re in computer science, you might want to learn something about data science and analytics. If you’re in marketing, you might study how lead generation is done today,” is her advice to people looking to achieve success and expand their horizons. The California-based business leader earned a BS degree from San Francisco State University and MS degree from Santa Clara University in the US.

Neerja Sethi

Co-founder, Syntel Inc.

Net worth: $990 Million

Florida-based entrepreneur Neerja Sethi co-founded IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel Inc. in 1980 which had started operations from her apartment in Michigan in US. Today, Neerja is one of the most successful businesswomen who has built her identity in the American business world with great perseverance. In 2018, Atos SE, a French IT company bought Syntel for $3.4 billion making Neerja richer by an estimated $510 million for her stake in the company.

Neerja Sethi

Neerja did her bachelors in mathematics from Delhi University and earned a master’s degree in computer science from Oakland University. She is married to Indian-origin US billionaire Bharat Desai who is also her business partner. A well-known philanthropist Neerja remarked, “Giving is not only about chequebooks. It’s about giving what you have – time, skill, compassion and experience. Share a part of who you are to make a difference to other people’s lives.”

Neha Narkhede

Co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO), Confluent

Net worth: $520 Million

The technology entrepreneur has left an indelible mark as the co-founder of Confluent, a prominent data streaming platform. While overseeing the remarkable growth of her startup, Neha has also ventured into the realm of investment and advisory roles, lending her expertise to esteemed companies like Gem, Block Party, Material Security, Abacus AI, Cortex Data, Yugabyte, Metaphor Data, Natalist, Common Room, and more, solidifying her reputation as a multi-faceted and astute businesswoman. Two years back, she also co-founded Oscilar, a company to make the internet safer by protecting online transactions.

Neha Narkhede

Headquartered in California, her organisation Confluent has become a global catalyst in helping numerous organizations process vast volumes of data through its innovative software platform, Apache Kafka. In a monumental stride, the company went public in June 2021, securing a valuation of an impressive $9.1 billion. “You should start a company when you feel that launching it is the only vehicle to see the change you want in the world,” she said in an interview. Neha holds a BE degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University and MS in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Indra Nooyi

Former chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo

Net worth: $350 Million

A trailblazing business leader and visionary, Indra Nooyi embarked on a remarkable journey that defied expectations and shattered barriers. Hailing from a modest background in Chennai, she rose to prominence as one of the most influential figures in the global corporate landscape. Her ground-breaking tenure as the CEO of PepsiCo, spanning from 2006 to 2018, revolutionized the company and transformed it into a powerhouse of innovation and sustainability.

Indra Nooyi

Post retirement, Connecticut based Indra assumed a key role as the co-director of the newly established Connecticut Economic Resource Center. This innovative endeavour is a collaborative effort between the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and private entities. Additionally, Indra serves as the co-chair of AdvanceCT, a non-profit organisation, further amplifying her commitment to the state’s economic growth and development. Beyond her local involvement, Indra’s expertise extends internationally as she serves as an esteemed corporate strategist for renowned brands. Indra earned a BS degree from Madras Christian College, MBA degree from IIM Calcutta and a master’s degree in private and public management from Yale School of Management. “Bring together what is good for business and what is good for the world,” Indra advises aspiring business leaders.

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Published on 24, Jul 2023

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From Singapore to the world: Carnatic singer Sushma Soma’s ragas ring out loud

(April 26, 2022) One of her earliest memories of music is listening to her now 92-year-old grandmother singing as she was fed. Today, the award-winning 35-year-old Carnatic singer, Sushma Soma, enthuses about how music was always her passion. Kicking off her journey as a singer at just four, the Singapore-based artist has under her belt an impressive repertoire of performances at several prestigious venues – such as the Indian Embassy Brussels, the Bhavan London, and the Madras Music Academy in Chennai. In 2021, Soma collaborated with Bharatanatyam exponent Mythili Prakash at the Reflektor Festival, Hamburg curated by Anoushka Shankar as vocalist and co-composers. “My most precious childhood memories were listening to Tamil songs on my grandfather’s transistor radio, and waking up to the sound of MS Subbulakshmi’s morning prayers. My grandmother would sing, in fact she still sings so sweetly. I started training at a young age, all this shaped my path,” shares Sushma during an interview with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_39147" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Sushma with her gramdmother[/caption] Her recently released second album, Home, incorporates environmental issues and raises awareness about sustainability through her music. Sushma created the album along with Aditya Prakash. “Home combines my Carnatic sensibilities, and my

" /> Sushma with her gramdmother[/caption]

Her recently released second album, Home, incorporates environmental issues and raises awareness about sustainability through her music. Sushma created the album along with Aditya Prakash. “Home combines my Carnatic sensibilities, and my passion for the natural world. The starting point was a series of incidents that left me feeling gutted; from the pregnant elephant in India who tragically died when she fed on a pineapple stuffed with explosives, to the loss of indigenous plants and wildlife in the Amazon forest fires. This album is special as it stems from so many things I care about - forests and wildlife,” shares the Carnatic singer, who has won several awards in her career, including the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council Singapore, 2020.

Her archival work with the National Archives of Singapore was also given a special mention at the Singapore Parliament in March 2019.

The Land of Lion

A Tamilian from Chennai, Sushma was hardly 41 days old, when her parents shifted to Singapore (1980s). Growing up, she felt like a minority in Singapore. “Back in the day, Indian expats were not a common sight in Singapore. I grew up around kids who would talk in Chinese or English. While I knew the language, I was deeply connected to Tamil, which we spoke at home. That’s why I loved visiting my cousins in Chennai on vacation,” shares the Carnatic singer.

At four, Sushma started learning the basics of Carnatic music from a teacher who lived right across the street. Being around her teacher, Sushma shares, made her fall in love with music. “She used to perform at temples and would take me along. So, I have been performing on stage since four. During many events, my parents would come back stage to take me home. But I would stay back, because I just loved being around my teacher,” Sushma reminisces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caa9qcrddXE

A diploma in Carnatic vocals at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFA) in 1993, although she loved to perform, she continued to pursue a traditional career. A mathematics lover, she was obsessed with books growing up. The artiste attained a degree in accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, and a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms. However, it was not long before she realised that her heart was not in her work and she felt a “growing obsession” for music.

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A post shared by Sushma Soma (@sushmasaurus)

When she said as much to her father, a chartered accountant, he was shocked. “He freaked out that his daughter was leaving a set career for music. However, he never stopped supporting me,” says the Carnatic singer.

A musical journey...

Not long after leaving her job Sushma shifted to Chennai in 2009, where she lived with her uncle and grandmother. She started training under well-known artiste Lalita Sivakumar, an experience she defines as “a blessing.” Over the course of the next decade, back in Singapore, Sushma performed solo and in collaborations across the world - London, Luxembourg, Brussels, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore just to name a few.

[caption id="attachment_23468" align="aligncenter" width="5081"] Sushma during 2017 Wandering Artist concert[/caption]

"I constantly find myself seeking that one moment during my performances, where it is just me and my music. These moments are fleeting, and rare, but I keep chasing them. For the past five years, I have been trying to express my emotions through music, and that is very liberating and empowering,” shares Sushma, who is currently student of RK Shriram Kumar, a leading Carnatic musician and musicologist.

Actively engaged in the arts as a researcher, educator and writer, Sushma shares that she always reads up about the theme of her songs. “I think that is something that my husband instilled in me - to research about anything before making a song about it,” she laughs sharing, “My husband, Srinivas, is one of the first I share my songs with, and only when he likes it, I finalise it.” Sushma’s husband is an IT professional, working in Singapore.

[caption id="attachment_23465" align="aligncenter" width="638"] Sushma with her co-creator and best friend, Aditya Prakash[/caption]

Busy with rehearsals and events, Sushma shares that she enjoys long walks which are “like meditation. But, of late I have started listening to podcasts on human behaviour to understand our psychology,” shares the Carnatic singer, who loves to bake.

Follow Sushma Soma on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

Reading Time: 7 mins

Indian-origin Rita Kakati-Shah is empowering people in second innings of their career through Uma

(May 6, 2023) After passing out of King’s College London, when UK-born Rita Kakati-Shah joined investment bank Goldman Sachs’ sales training desk in 2001, she discovered that there were very few women at the training floor of the London headquarter. This perturbed her, and over the next ten years that she worked with the firm, she made some changes while climbing up the hierarchical ladder. "I got involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives along the way. Those were the times when the terms 'diversity, inclusion and equity' were not really used, and I just went ahead with the purpose of building community and bringing people together,” she tells Global Indian. Fifteen years later in 2016, Rita turned an entrepreneur with her business focusing on diversity and inclusion in a powerful way. [caption id="attachment_38175" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Rita Kakati-Shah, founder and CEO, Uma[/caption] Now a resident of New York in the United States, Rita Kakati-Shah is the founder and CEO of Uma that works to empower women and minorities to re-enter the workforce. The name of her business venture resonates with the idea with which she forayed into entrepreneurship. “Uma is the Hindu Goddess who is an epitome of a daughter, a

ian Diaspora | Rita Kakati-Shah | Global Indian " width="599" height="860" /> Rita Kakati-Shah, founder and CEO, Uma[/caption]

Now a resident of New York in the United States, Rita Kakati-Shah is the founder and CEO of Uma that works to empower women and minorities to re-enter the workforce. The name of her business venture resonates with the idea with which she forayed into entrepreneurship. “Uma is the Hindu Goddess who is an epitome of a daughter, a mother, a sibling and a wife, and represents strength, courage and confidence. She is the Goddess of go-getting,” smiles the award-winning gender, diversity, inclusion and career strategist, who is also a speaker, author and advisor to Fortune 500 companies.

Uma is an international platform that partners with organisations across the globe to attract, retain and develop women and minorities in the workforce by boosting their confidence levels, and building leadership and resilience in them to succeed. Headquartered in New York, with presence in London, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto, Rita’s entrepreneurial venture empowers women to: ‘Be Bold. Be You. Be Uma’.

Rita also hosts the popular South Asian television show, The Uma Show, on Mana TV International, and has written a book The Goddess of Go-Getting: Your Guide to Confidence, Leadership, and Workplace Success, that was launched by the Consulate General of India in New York last year. She has co-authored three books on leadership, has written multiple research papers and is actively involved in volunteerism and advocacy.

[caption id="attachment_38177" align="aligncenter" width="691"] Indian Diaspora | Global Indian | Rita Kakati-Shah Rita Kakati-Shah with her book[/caption]

The empowerment journey

After a decade of experience in finance, Rita’s career saw a transition into the pharmaceutical industry, which led her to move to the US. After working for a few years there, she got married and took close to four years of break to raise her two kids. "Out of all the jobs I had done, by far the most challenging and rewarding was the new journey of motherhood and fulltime parenthood. Without getting a day off as parents we make an impact on our future generation,” she remarks.

"During my motherhood journey I became a pro at certain skills like negotiation and communications, and really learning to listen and have empathy with my toddlers, which I realised were completely translatable into the corporate and paid salaried world," she adds.

It was her journey into motherhood that played a catalyst in helping her identify a new direction in life. Like many mothers when Rita took a career break, returning to work - she discovered - required self-motivation and the skill to market one’s capabilities in such a way that they are perceived as indispensable for the workforce as they are for their families.

This idea gave birth to Uma. “Founding Uma has been an empowering journey to address the issues companies were missing,” tells Rita.

[caption id="attachment_38173" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Indian Diaspora | Rita-Kakati Shah | Global Indian Rita Kakati-Shah addressing students at the USC Marshall School of Business[/caption]

“Too many smart, talented women or even men who left the workforce to raise children or for any other reason are unable to find jobs that match their credentials and lifestyle commitments when they try to return,” she says, adding, “Not enough is being done to retain, retrain or re-engage this talent pool. Companies that once hired and trained these incredible people now suffer an intense loss of headcount and huge drain of hiring and training resources, too.” This is the gap that UMA addresses.

Rita Kakati-Shah and her team try to change the status quo of people for the better, and work with like-minded employers to create opportunities that match the credentials and lifestyle goals of people planning the second inning of their careers.

Giving back and getting recognition

Apart from her business, advocacy and volunteerism is an integral part of Rita’s life. She is actively involved with her alma mater King’s Leadership, Diversity and Entrepreneurial Institute mentoring programs, and is also a member of the New York and Los Angeles Alumni Committees. She coaches and mentors survivors of domestic violence, schoolgirls and students, and serves as an advisor, ambassador, and diversity and inclusion expert to multiple boards and global organizations like the JCC of Manhattan, ACP Women Veterans’ Founding Circle, New York City Bar Association, Democracy Without Borders India, and the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

At Goldman Sachs in London, Rita was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Citizenship and Diversity Award and since then has received several international recognitions for her contributions.

[caption id="attachment_38196" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Indian Diaspora | Rita Kakati-Shah | Global Indian Rita Kakati-Shah with her family at King's Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony[/caption]

Involved in advocacy since the time she was a teenager in London, Rita remarks, “My parents brought up my brother and I to always give to others rather than expect to get, and to always remember our roots,” she says, adding, “But I hadn't realised what giving back actually meant till I was in my late teens during a brief encounter with His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh who congratulated me and other recipients of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme for community work.” He had said that it was wonderful that all winners had shown endurance, leadership and community service, but our duties as award recipients had only just begun. ‘And that duty was to serve’.

More than two decades later, those words still resonate with Rita. This year, she won the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for a lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through voluntary service by the executive office of the president of the United States, and the AmeriCorps. Last year she received the Mahatma Gandhi Samman medal in London for her advocacy and community work.

The entrepreneur is a regularly invited speaker and guest lecturer at various academic institutions, multinational corporations and global policy forums such as UNESCO in Paris, European Parliament in Brussels and many more spanning Assam, Meghalaya, Delhi, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco, Sochi, Toronto and Zambia.

She has been featured as an expert on multiple international television and news shows, interviewed and quoted in various podcasts and publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Dell Technology, CBS News, Fox News, Yahoo Finance and iHeartRadio.

[caption id="attachment_38174" align="aligncenter" width="801"] Indian Diaspora | Rita-Kakati Shah | Global Indian Rita Kakati-Shah receiving Mahatma Gandhi Samman medal at the Palace of Westminster, House of Parliament in London[/caption]

Love for India

Whether it’s being part of the London Bihu Committee or adorning the traditional Assamese mekhela chador woven affectionately on the handloom in her ancestral home in Sualkuchi, Assam, Rita embraces all with elan. “Growing up in the UK, I was brought up to read and write Assamese with other second-generation Assamese kids. Being an Assamese means a lot to me and I want my kids to pick the heritage, the roots, the culture of Assam. I try to cook the food that my mum taught me as best as I can,” she signs off with a smile.

Follow Rita Kakati-Shah on LinkedIn and Instagram
Follow Uma on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and its website

Reading Time: 5 mins

Aditya Mhatre: Transforming the immigration experience in Canada

(June 20, 2024) It is just 9 a.m. in Toronto, but Aditya Mhatre is already settled in at work, attending calls and taking stock of his in-work tray. "I tend to start early," he tells Global Indian, adding, "I have the school drop-off run in the mornings." Affable and armed with a smile, it takes a while to sink in that he is the co-founder of a fintech startup and has had a stellar career across different industries. But then, the 43-year-old wears his success easy, and it is this agility that has enabled a trajectory that started as a student at Panvel in Mumbai and took him across the world. As the co-founder of Beacon, a platform that is transforming the immigration experience in Canada, Aditya is doing what he has done throughout his career: leveraging technology with a human touch to provide out-of-the-box solutions for customers. [caption id="attachment_52485" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Aditya Mhatre[/caption] Driven, passionate, and tenacious, the entrepreneur's biggest strength remains adapting to the environment around him, which has ensured success at every step. Early Learnings Growing up in Panvel, then a small town where everyone knew everyone, Aditya had a childhood typical of 80s and 90s India,

o provide out-of-the-box solutions for customers.

[caption id="attachment_52485" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre[/caption]

Driven, passionate, and tenacious, the entrepreneur's biggest strength remains adapting to the environment around him, which has ensured success at every step.

Early Learnings

Growing up in Panvel, then a small town where everyone knew everyone, Aditya had a childhood typical of 80s and 90s India, where he got around on a cycle, played cricket with friends, and had a leisurely childhood. Things changed when he went to Belgium for a year as a teenager as an exchange student. He recalls, "I had to live with a family that spoke only French, and I remember when I first went to their home, they served me a meal of bacon with lettuce, which I had because I could not refuse their hospitality."

It is also where the innate flair of Aditya to thrive in unexpected circumstances came to the fore. Within three months, he learned French, adapted to the new surroundings, and soaked in all the experiences the international exposure accorded him.

Once back, he pursued his degree in commerce, and one thing led to another before he went to Carnegie Mellon for his master's degree. While a commerce graduate applying for a technology degree was an anomaly, it was a time when the IT companies in India were coming of age and piqued by the phenomenon, Aditya taught himself to code (by learning books; no YouTube tutorials back then!) and soon found himself at one of the best universities in the world.

[caption id="attachment_52486" align="aligncenter" width="774"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre with his team[/caption]

He recalls, "The talent at the university was surreal. As most of the students were from a science or math background, I was among the few who were not and had to work doubly hard to ensure that I made the grade." Grade he did make and life at the university also taught him other pertinent life lessons, such as the importance of networking and building a community.

Exploring and finding himself

In 2005, in an attempt to stay in touch with his roots and happenings in India, Aditya, along with his friend Abhishek, started the podcast Indicast. One of the first Indian podcasts, it still runs strong, touching upon a variety of topics, including current affairs, sports, and Bollywood.

"Podcasts were quite the flavour of the season back then, with Wired magazine putting them on its cover and Apple I-Tunes just getting popular," he notes and adds, "We were one of the early adapters, and it was a time when many engineers from IT started to move abroad in large numbers, so we had a great captive audience."

Aditya then moved to India and worked with Reliance Jio (which was still in its formative stages), where he was employee number 10, and the company basically operated from a conference room. It was there that he worked with Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, who mentioned in a meeting that "What you don't write, you cannot manage!"— an advice Aditya follows till date!

Moving abroad, again

After working in India for a while, Aditya moved to Canada to pursue an MBA from the University of Toronto — something he calls one of the best decisions he made. It was an email to Vijay Shekar Sharma, the founder of Paytm, that changed the trajectory of his career.

"I emailed Vijay, evincing an interest in working with him as Paytm just launched its operations in Canada, and got a reply within 15 minutes. I joined the company the next day," he smiles. His role in the initial days was all encompassing; from ordering toilet paper to drafting the HR policy and conducting an internal audit, he did everything that came his way.

[caption id="attachment_52487" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Aditya Mhatre with co-founder of his startup, Beacon[/caption]

After the Paytm launch in Canada in 2017, when they added over 300,000 users to the system, opportunity came calling to Aditya in the form of a move to Japan to oversee Paytm operations in the country. Never one to say no to a challenge, Aditya moved along with his family to Japan, once again finding himself in a new country and starting all over again.

In Japan, where 78 percent of the payment was still in cash, the entrepreneur had his hands full building the team and encouraging an entire economy to transition to digital payments. Delivering on objectives and launching key products, Aditya managed to build a QR-based mobile payment system that helped a seamless transition to online payment.

Back to (second) home

After a stint in Japan, Aditya felt it was the correct time to return to Canada, as it was the right move for the family. When he moved back to Canada at the tail end of COVID, when immigration had spiked, Aditya noticed the challenges and discrepancies in the system that immigrants had to face. From opening bank accounts or applying for credit cards to getting information from the government, everything was a challenge.

It was to address this challenge that he co-founded Beacon, a start-up aimed at transforming the immigration experience in Canada through a comprehensive platform that simplifies their financial and informational needs. He explains, "We use the power of technology to solve real-world problems. Be it getting a telecom provider or finding accommodation, it is a one-stop shop for those coming to Canada for the first time. The premise of Beacon is simple: how can we make the first 100 days easy in a new country?”

As a true global Indian who has worked in different countries, Aditya says that it is important to understand and adapt to local cultures. “What works in one country will not work in another. The nuances are specific to each country. As more Indians are moving abroad, it is imperative to understand that soft skills matter and the strength of building relationships.

[caption id="attachment_52488" align="aligncenter" width="757"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre with his team[/caption]

When not working, the entrepreneur loves spending time with his wife, Prachiti Mhatre, and 10-year-old son Kaivalya (or Kai as he is lovingly called), celebrating Indian festivals and playing golf with his friends.

While Aditya prepares for his busy day ahead, it is easy to understand his mantra in life: to always be a student and seek knowledge, which helps him succeed. Be it learning Japanese to assimilate into a new culture, upskilling himself with coding or ensuring that he does not lose touch with his roots, he is the perfect example of a new-age Indian, one who is comfortable in his skin in any country.

Aditya suggests three things that every Indian moving abroad should keep in mind:

As you grow older, building relationships might be difficult. But talk to people around you, form bonds, and ensure that you make enough social connections.
Nothing replaces hard work, and the truth is that immigrants definitely need to work harder than locals.
Pick up new skills, learn new languages, and understand the dynamics of the country you move to. It always helps to grow, both personally and professionally.

Follow Aditya Mhatre on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Samir Lakhani: Saving lives in developing countries through soap recycling

(February 6, 2024) Interested in sustainability, 23-year-old Samir Lakhani found himself on a muddy trail in one of the villages of Cambodia in 2014 when he caught the sight of a woman bathing her child with laundry detergent. A young volunteer from Pennsylvania, US, Samir was shocked and disturbed. "Something as basic as soap was missing in the majority households of rural Cambodians," Samir tells Global Indian. Keen to bring about a change, he found his solution in Eco Soap Bank which supplies recycled soap to the developing world with a mission to promote basic hygiene, restore health, and employ marginalised women. Started in 2014, the non-profit venture now has recycling centres in five countries - Cambodia, Nepal, Tanzania, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. "Each year 25,000 metric tonnes of soap bars make it to the landfills," informs Samir who has been able to save 4.5 million kilos of soap bars from entering the landfill with Eco Soap Bank. "Moreover, we have provided soap to over 9 million people in 30 countries so far," adds the social entrepreneur who was on the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. [caption id="attachment_48810" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Samir Lakhani at Eco-Soap Bank headquarter in Siem

[caption id="attachment_48810" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Samir Lakhani | Global Indian Samir Lakhani at Eco-Soap Bank headquarter in Siem Reap, Cambodia.[/caption]

The journey that changed it all

With their roots in Gujarat, his mom was born in Tanzania while his dad is from Uganda, who like other South Asians had to face sudden expulsion at the hands of dictator Idi Amin in 1972. He relocated to the US where he studied at Brown University. His mom, a paediatrician, travelled as a youngster and after studying in Iran for some time, she secured admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up, Samir heard stories about Africa from his parents, which left him intrigued. "I was eager to see what Africa was all about. During high school, I got the opportunity to visit the towns where my parents were born and understand the context in which they were born. Joining the dots of their origin to their final destination was pretty remarkable. It left me with a lot of energy but also the commitment to work in those areas because of the quality of life I had in the US," he adds.

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Passionate about eco-conscious practices, Samir enrolled in environmental studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and an internship with a climate change resilience group led him to Cambodia. But what he noticed in the next few days in a village in Cambodia left him shocked and heartbroken - everyone was using laundry detergent to bathe. "I felt an incredible amount of guilt that something as affordable as soap was out of reach for a majority of the population in the country. I was very disturbed and couldn't get that scene out of my head." Upon his return to the hotel room in Siem Reap, he saw the soap bar replaced by housekeepers. "I realised I had barely used the last one." This epiphany led to the birth of Eco Soap Bank with the aim to recycle soap and distribute it to the underprivileged. "I realised that something as simple as soap was not available in a village 5 miles away, and the same soap was thrown away daily for luxury tourists. Those quick realisations organically created the organisation."

Recycling soaps for the underprivileged

The process began with Samir going from hotel to hotel in Cambodia asking them to collect their used soaps for Eco Soap Bank. But the request was met with resistance. "We initially got a strong pushback because it required them to do extra work and some thought it was a strange request." However, with time their reputation grew hotel-by-hotel, and many started collecting soap for Eco Soap Bank.

While Samir started experimenting with a grinder in his hotel room, crushing the soap into smaller particles, he also kept visiting the nearby rural areas to understand the people and their lack of awareness of basic hygiene. The results were shocking. Most people put the onus of health issues in their community on bad karma. "It was the lack of education and awareness that played a pivotal role," he adds, agreeing to the fact that many doctors and health practitioners were killed in the 70s genocide, thus creating a huge gap in healthcare awareness. "During Covid-19, many Cambodian communities in the rural areas thought Covid was a symptom of eating too many chillies," reveals Samir, adding, "Honestly, I didn't want to lose another generation of Cambodians to misinformation."

Aiming for a healthy and dignified life

While awareness is the key, Samir emphasises that "education which is physical and pragmatic like handing out a bar of soap" is the most effective. "And that's the kind of journey we have taken." The continuous awareness has led to a shift in the mindset of the people, especially children. "Children are much more open to new ideas than adults, so we are focussing on them even if they are in schools or refugee camps." To this end, they also make soaps in toy shapes. "They excite children, who take to handwashing faster," says Samir. When they started Eco Soap Bank a decade ago, creating awareness was as important as soap recycling. However, over the years, it has become less of their strategic priority as they are now mostly focussed on "the hygiene supply gap vs the hygiene awareness gap. Because 2 billion people don't have access to soap at home."

Eco Soap Bank | Global Indian

During COVID-19, Eco Soap Bank called for an urgent need to restrategise as their major supplier- hotels - went into lockdown worldwide. "We switched to factories that make commercial bar soaps as they also generate some volume of waste. We asked them to collect the waste for us and we were able to continue recycling waste. We distributed our 50 millionth soap at the end of 2023." Soap factories worldwide waste an estimate a quarter billion of soap bars annually, and many supply this excess to Eco Soap Bank," informs Samir. Explaining the process behind soap recycling, Samir says the soap collected from factories makes it to their recycling centres where it is crushed into powder. That mix is then pushed through an extruder machine and takes the shape of a bar of soap. "It's a very simple process."

[caption id="attachment_48812" align="aligncenter" width="687"] Eco Soap Bank | Global Indian One of Eco Soap Bank's recycling centre[/caption]

The recycled soaps are then distributed through hundreds and thousands of partnerships with smaller and big organisations - from UNICEF to community schools or social centres. "We distribute soaps to the refugee camps through UN agencies as well as local schools," reveals Samir as Eco Soap Bank makes 50000 bars of soap a day.

Eco Soap Bank began with the mission to recycle soap, promote basic hygiene, and provide employment to marginalised women around the world. "Currently 160 women work in the soap recycling facilities across the five countries, and we plan to increase the number to 212 by the end of the year." Eco Soap Bank also helps women set up businesses by selling soaps at a nominal price. "If an employee is particularly excited, we also provide them with volumes of soap that they can sell in their community while also engaging in hygiene outreach. The vast majority of the women we employ prefer the employment route, however, we do have 320 other women who just exclusively sell soap," adds Samir.

Eco Soap Bank

In the last decade, he has been humbled by the outpour of help and support for Eco Soap Bank, which led to the opening up of recycling centres in four more countries. " I am amazed by people's generosity to get involved and take your mission to the next level," says Samir for whom that singular experience in Cambodia acted as a North Star, guiding him throughout.

Coming to India soon

Eco Soap Bank now plans to expand into India soon, for which they need to partner with factories here. "We also want to be the primary supplier of soaps to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh and Central Africa," Samir says.

When Samir started Eco Soap Bank a decade ago, he had no idea about social entrepreneurship but he answered his calling and learnt on the way. "Nothing is out of reach for anyone on how to do, and I hope my story is a small example of that," he signs off.

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Meet Mangesh Ghogre, the only Indian to construct crosswords for New York Times and LA Times

(November 2, 2021) The next time you attempt solving an NYT or LA Times crossword, do keep an eye out for the byline. It’s quite likely that the crossword you’re attempting to solve would have been constructed by a young Mumbai-based investment banker, who’s had a passion for crosswords since his engineering days. Meet Mangesh Ghogre, the 41-year-old executive director and head of equity capital at Nomura Holdings, who has been the only Indian to have his crosswords published in some of America’s top publications and is the first Indian to have judged the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament directed by New York Times. At a time when most of his peers were busy cracking the GRE and GMAT to go to the US, Ghogre was busy solving crosswords least expecting the puzzle to one day transform his life in ways he could only imagine. Today, while most of his peers are settled either in the US or UK, it is Ghogre who holds the unique distinction of being the only Indian to earn prime spot in some of America’s top publications. The Panvel boy who made it big Born in Panvel, on the outskirts of Mumbai, in 1980, Ghogre led the life a typically middle-class Indian in the 1980s would. His father worked at the Reliance plant there and his mother was a homemaker. Their lives revolved

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Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

The Panvel boy who made it big

Born in Panvel, on the outskirts of Mumbai, in 1980, Ghogre led the life a typically middle-class Indian in the 1980s would. His father worked at the Reliance plant there and his mother was a homemaker. Their lives revolved around Mumbai and Nagpur (their hometown) and there was little to no exposure to a world outside of India. This was after all an era with no internet connectivity, cable TV or Hollywood films in the country. After his schooling, Ghogre opted to study Mechanical Engineering from VJTI in Matunga and moved into a hostel to avoid long commutes.

It was around this time that he and a few friends got together and decided to move to the US after their engineering course in search of greener pastures. There was a hitch though: English was not their strong language, most of them were more fluent in Hindi. Their go-to resource back then while preparing for GRE and GMAT, was the Barron’s word list. “But these were not words that we used in everyday lives,” Ghogre tells Global Indian, “It was around this time that I began trying to solve the crosswords that would appear in The Times of India in a bid to improve my vocabulary.”

For the love of crossword

The crossword though was no easy feat and many of his friends eventually gave up. But Ghogre kept at it. “In retrospect it was my motivation to crack the GMAT and also the fact that I was curious about the answers which I would refer to the next day,” he explains, adding, “It was only much later that I realized that these crosswords were syndicated from the LA Times. We didn’t have any exposure to American culture, let alone American slang, back then. And the crossword is usually a reflection of society and its culture.”

Ghogre would religiously try to solve the crossword every single day and would check the solutions the next day and make elaborate notes. His diaries were divided into neat sections: slang, animals, religion, geography, flowers, etc. He’d created his own mini-Wikipedia. Over the years, he began to put two and two together and was finally able to begin solving the crossword completely about eight years later. By this time, it had become a habit that he couldn’t do without.

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

The crossword had opened up a whole new world for him: of American culture, society, geography, food, wildlife and even cinema. American slang like dough, grand, hero (sandwich), break a leg etc became commonplace for him. It also introduced him to the rivers in the US and animals like coyote, llama, and emu. “I’d never heard of these animals before, let alone seen them. When internet finally came to India, I went to a cybercafé to look these animals up to see what they looked like,” he recalls.

Life changing grid

The crossword had fascinated him and he’d carry it with him everywhere. “In the process, I was thrown out of class for solving the crossword mid-lecture, I’d carry it to the canteen and even the washroom. My friends would laugh at me,” smiles Ghogre. “Now they’re in awe of what the small black and white grid did for me.”

The crossword had truly changed his life; he is now considered an authority on it. As time went by, Ghogre got better and better at solving the puzzle. Though he didn’t manage to crack the GMAT and move to the US, he did land a good job when he graduated in 2000. However, a few months later, that job offer was withdrawn due to the dot come bust. “I spent a year at home jobless because of the market situation. I prepared for CAT to do my MBA but didn’t get into the IIMs; it wasn’t a great time. That’s when I took to crossword more strongly. It was my solace; it was addictive.”

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

He eventually did his MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and embarked on a career as an investment banker with ICICI Securities. He also worked with SBI Capital and HSBC before being appointed by Nomura as executive director in 2016.

Through it all, his love for crossword was going strong. “But I also began noticing that all these crosswords had American bylines, there were no Indian names on the scene. I began researching and came across blogs that analyse the puzzle and also spoke about how to construct one. So, I thought why not give constructing a crossword a shot,” says Ghogre.

The only Indian constructor

He sent his first one to the editor of LA Times. Though it wasn’t selected, the editor did encourage him to keep at it. That’s when Ghogre came across a lady Nancy Salomon, a veteran crossword constructor. The two began corresponding by email and she coached him through the nuances of the making a good puzzle. Several tries later, Ghogre’s first crossword was published in the LA Times in September 2010.

Since then, Ghogre has had several of his crosswords published in international publications. The ultimate though was when his work was featured in New York Times, which is considered the Holy Grail of crosswords. Today, he is counted among the top crossword constructors in the world and has been invited to judge the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament as well. That was when Ghogre finally got on a plane to visit the continent he’d learnt so much about through his 15x15 black and white grid. “It was a fantasy come true for me. I finally saw so many of the things I’d learnt about,” he says.

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

Bringing in the desi flavour

In his own way, Ghogre also ensures that he educates Americans on some Indian nuances. In 2019, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, he designed a special crossword with the word Gandhi and a few other Indian terms that was published in New York Times. “There is no other icon as Global Indian as Gandhi and I, in my own way, had the world celebrate him on that landmark occasion,” he smiles.

A typical crossword takes Ghogre about a year or 1.5 years to construct, due to the complexity involved. “Each crossword has to have a specific theme, has to pass the breakfast test (words that one would be comfortable using at the start of one’s day), and conform to the grid’s symmetry. So, it is rather time consuming to construct a crossword; it is a solitary activity,” says the father of two, who has had his crosswords displayed at the prestigious Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.

“Crossword didn’t just change my life, it is my life,” says Ghogre, who has been an investment banker for 17 years, but has been solving crosswords for 25. “My nirvana moment was to be able to sit on the same local train that I used to all those years ago in college and solve a crossword with my byline.”

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