SEEMA APRIL 2023

THE PLANTBASED FOOD REVOLUTION IS HERE

ECO-PRENEURS BRING IN THE GREEN

Sunaina Sinha Haldea

IN HER ROLE AT RAYMOND JAMES, SINHA

HALDEA IS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN PRIVATE EQUITY

A Season Green of

The first quarter is done and dusted, and we are bang in the busy end of the tax season—a certainty that can’t be ignored and must be endured. I counter the added stress that comes from managing and reporting the submissions in three different states by spending time in my garden—planting seeds, watering the plants, and just walking outside is both therapeutic and relaxing.

Since April is the month that gets our heads wrapped around all things financial, it was serendipitous that our cover story features someone who knows all about money matters.

Sunaina Sinha Haldea is one of the most influential people working in private equity today. As the global head of Private Capital Advisory group for Raymond James, she is often the only woman in the room brokering deals for some of the largest private equity sponsors in the world.

We also offer intriguing and inspiring stories of South Asian women who are paving the way for a new generation—not just opening doors but making them. In the Prosper section, read about Shasti Conrad—at 38, she is the first and youngest woman of color to serve as chair in the Washington State Democratic Party. Left outside an orphanage in Kolkata, India as a baby, she was adopted by a single white woman and was raised in rural Oregon. In Nourish, Priyanka Srinivas, the co-founder of Live Green, shares her plant-based wisdom. Her company provides plant-based alternatives to meat, eggs, and milk and also replacements for additives and ultra-processed ingredients.

If you have a wedding in the works , we share the latest trends to help you plan the big day. As Earth Day falls later in the month, we shine a light on some of our favorite ecofriendly and sustainable brands and highlight a new wave of women “ eco-prepreneurs ” who have built businesses that prioritize the planet alongside the profits.

A s traffic nightmares return to pre-pandemic levels (or worse), an increasing number of companies are favoring a return-to-office policy. In our Prosper section, we bring to you a few tips on how to manage the balance between commuting and continuing remote work. And if you are like me, and there’s no escaping the commute, we have you covered with some meditation apps to streamline your self-care.

I f you are a food lover (also like me), we share two ways in which you could celebrate the food-focused holidays in April to celebrate the Indian Solar New Year. The Nourish section also highlights the plantbased revolution, which is being adopted worldwide. For vegetarians who are often falling short of options when eating out or hosting a meal at home, Vasudha

Viswanath, the founder of We Ate Well, has got you covered. Her book—TheVegetarianReset—features cuisines from all over the world with a healthy Indian vegetarian twist so you can eat food that tastes good and is good for you.

I hope our April issue, which is loaded with information and inspiration, gets your mind off the burden of computing your taxes and looking toward all the good things that the month has to offer.

• Seema Kumar, Founder, SEEMA Network •

M. CLARK VISIONS

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SEEMA™ ISSUE 04 | APRIL 2023

EMPOWERING SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN GLOBALLY SEEMA KUMAR, FOUNDER

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Experience

BROADWAY • OSCARS • LEADERS

Stage Right

South Asian actors and shows are bringing increased representation on Broadway

Celebrating Asian Excellence

South Asian stars came out for the Academy Awards

Female

Leaders Unite

The South Asian fashion site Indiaspopup.com saluted women in style

Stage Right

South Asian actors and shows are bringing increased representation on Broadway

In 2017, Shoba Narayan became the first South Asian female in a principal role on Broadway since Bombay Dreams in 2004. Just a few years later, Narayan made Broadway history as the first-ever South Asian actress to play Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. Despite this, representation on Broadway has failed to make significant gains. The Asian American Performers Action Coalitions 2018-2019 visibility report found that 65.9 percent of all roles on Broadway were filled by white actors. But a crop of South Asian actors and new Indian shows are helping make inroads.

Michael Maliakel and Shoba Narayan

In September 2021, Aladdin returned to Broadway after its pandemic hiatus with both Aladdin and Jasmine being played by South Asian actors—Michael Maliakel and Shoba Narayan respectively—for the first time ever. While Maliakel and Narayan are no longer in the roles, the current cast features another actress of Indian descent as Princess Jasmine, Sonya Balsara.

Come Fall in Love - The DDLJ Musical

Aditya Chopra’s Broadway-aimed Come Fall in Love -

The DDLJ Musical is making history in more ways than one. Based on the Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the musical is set to be the first time an Indian director debuts on Broadway and the first Bollywood musical to be on Broadway. The musical had its world premiere at the Old Globe in San Diego in September 2022. While an official date has not yet been announced, the team is working to move to Broadway soon.

Life of Pi

Based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name, Life of Pi premiered on Broadway March 9 at

the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. It tells the story of a 16-year-old Indian boy named Pi Patel who is stranded on a lifeboat in the ocean with a Royal Bengal Tiger. The stage adaptation was written by renowned South Asian playwright Lolita Chakrabarti and features many South Asian actors, including Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera in the title role and Indian-born actor Mahira Kakkar as Pi’s mother.

Curtains Up Monsoon Wedding, The Musical makes its stage debut

On May 6, the musical Monsoon Wedding, The Musical, based on the 2001 motion picture of the same name, will make its debut in Brooklyn at St. Ann’s Warehouse. The musical is Mira Nair’s adaptation of the film, which welcomes audiences inside the chaotic leadup to an arranged marriage, which is plagued by modern tensions. The musical is a celebration of love, Punjabi culture, and her home city of Delhi. Costume designer Arjun Bhasin created 250 vibrant costumes, and Vishal Bhardwaj composed a pulsating score that draws upon on the many genres of Indian music, from classical to pop. For more information, visit stannswarehouse.org/ show/monsoon-wedding-the-musical.

Celebrating Asian Excellence

The stars came out to kick off the Oscars with a bang

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Anjula Acharia co-hosted the second annual South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Party on the Thursday before the Oscars at the Paramount Studios Lot in Hollywood. The event honored the 2023 Oscar nominees and various shortlisted filmmakers, including Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves, who won for Best Documentary Short Film for Elephant Whisperers, Ram Charan and NTR Jr, who won for the Best Song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, and many more.

Chopra Jonas gave a brief speech introducing the nominated filmmakers, in which she became emotional

remarking how incredibly proud she was seeing a room full of South Asian creative artists and having the chance to celebrate their achievements. She then invited each filmmaker to the stage to recognize their accomplishments and for each to give a short speech.

The party was the hottest ticket in town and limited to only the A-list celebrities from TV, film, fashion, music, and comedy. Co-chairs of the event included Malala Yousafzai, Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Vanity Fair ’s Radhika Jones, and 2022 Oscar winners Joseph Patel and Shruti Ganguly. —Sujata Murthy

PHOTO CREDIT:

Credit: Peach Hill Media @peachhillmedia

Female Leaders Unite

The South Asian fashion site Indiaspopup.com salutes women in style

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Indiaspopup.com honored South Asian women leaders who are paving the way for future generations. The luxury retailer hosted a “Power Table” dinner at Armani/Ristorante in New York City, hosting South Asian women who are making an impact in the worlds of fashion, entrepreneurship, media, entertainment, and journalism. “As we celebrate Women’s Day, we remain committed to sharing inspiring stories of South Asian women achievers and changemakers,” said Archana Yenna, founder and CEO of Indiapopup.com.

“Our recent Power Table dinner in New York City celebrated remarkable women, trailblazers of South Asian heritage, inspiring the next generation of female leaders to dream big and chase their aspirations.”

To showcase South Asian trailblazers, the company also honored five women in the diaspora who are instrumental in nonprofit, societal causes, and community building. Those included:

Nina Davuluri hosts the reality show “Made in America.”

(Clockwise from left) Hitha Palepu (entrepreneur and author), Nina Davuluri (acclaimed filmmaker, activist, actor, and entrepreneur), Megha Desai (Founder: The Desai Foundation), Cynthia Victor (beauty influencer), and Shobha Narayan (actor: film, television, and theater)

From left: Shobha Narayan, Nina Davuluri, Archana Yenna, Cynthia Victor, Hitha Palepu, and Megha Desai.

Hitha Palepu, cofounder and COO of Bridge2Act

Nourish

Plant-Based Revolution

The newest foods and snacks you add to your vegetarian menu

Green Goddess

Live Green Co. Founder Priyanka Srinivas shares her plant-based wisdom

colors

New Year, Two Ways

Celebrate these two favorite food-focused holidays

PLANT-BASED • GOING GREEN • HOLIDAYS

Plant-Based Revolution

By Maureen Petrosky

Pantries and shopping carts across the globe are transforming amid a plant-based revolution. It’s never been as much fun or delicious to eat plant based. Whether for health reasons, environmental concerns, or simply because they taste good the demand for more plant-based options is giving the grocery store a makeover.

Eating whole foods, focused on fresh natural organic ingredients is the healthiest plant-based option, but the reality is busy lifestyles require shortcuts in the kitchen. With many new brands on the market and tried and true brands expanding into the plantbased space, there is now a multitude of yummy plant-based choices from heatand-eat meals to your favorite snacks and specialty items. Here are a few of the many new products we are loving this season.

Celeb Status

The newest foods and snacks you add to your vegetarian menu

Plant-based is en vogue, and celebs are jumping on the bandwagon. Try former Food Network star Ming Tsai’s favorite “bings,” which are Chinese flatbread pockets with a Western twist. Ming Bings include flavors inspired by tacos, cheeseburgers, and egg sandwiches and now can be found on shelves at more than 4,000 U.S. grocery stores.

Music lovers get to snack on Rob’s Backstage Popcorn , a plant-based popcorn collab between Kelly Clarkson and the Jonas Brothers. Flavors like Kelly’s Classic BBQ

and Mumbai Nights inspired by Priyanka Chopra make for addictive snack choices.

Lastly, keep an eye open for vegan celeb chef Tabitha Brown’s food collection launching at Target this spring. We are anxiously waiting for her ready-made meals like chickpea chili and pasta salad, vegan sausages, burgers, and ravioli.

Like the Real Thing Yogurt and creamers have been pain points for those seeking vegan options. Two new yogurts have upped the ante. First up, WayFare now offers plant-based yogurt made with pumpkin seeds, butter beans, and oats in plain strawberry, and raspberry. If it’s Greek yogurt you’re craving, Silk Greek Style Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative is a must-try. It’s rich, thick, and creamy, just like you want from Greek yogurt.

Vegan or dairy-free creamers previously created clumpy coffee and greasy mouthfeel. Finally, two brands, Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free are both offering plant-based coffee creamers that won’t make you

SNACK OBSESSED

→ Hippeas Chickpea Tortilla Chips in Nacho Vibes Flavor is an addictive plant-based option for Doritos.

→ White Chedda Outstanding Puffs is a vegan version of your favorite cheesy snack puff, and its serves up 21 grams of plant protein per serving.

→ Reese’s Plant-Based Oat Chocolate Confection & Peanut Butter Cups are the first plant-based option to roll out from Hershey’s chocolate factory. Next up look for plant-based Hershey bars with almond and sea salt.

→ Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Crème Pie flavor includes marshmallow swirls and gluten-free, vegan cookies. The new flavor is a permanent addition to Ben & Jerry’s non-

grimace. So Delicious re-introduced a new and improved version of their coconut milk creamer and Silk’s new Mocha Almond Creamer is a delicious chocolate plant-based addition to your coffee or tea.

Breakfast also has two new egg options- one in the dairy aisle and the other in the freezer section. WunderEggs , a new vegan hard-boiled egg option from Crafty Counter is nut-based and looks and tastes like the real thing. They will also be offering an egg white patty alternative expected to hit the shelves soon. JUST Egg now offers a delicious and portable breakfast option with frozen folded egg patties made with mung beans and turmeric.

dairy lineup and sure to satisfy any vegan sweet tooth.

→ Beyond Burgers

Vegan unMEAT added canned luncheon-style meat—like Spam—to its roster which already includes burgers, tuna, and chicken, a savory addition to sandwiches and salads and fun for appetizers, too.

If you’re looking for a hot lunch option Loma Linda’s vegan packs of chili are a quick heatand-eat option that is delicious and hearty. The pouches don’t need refrigerating, so they are perfect for a packed lunch.

Now you can have a tuna sammie or add to salads with Vgarden’s canned tuna alternative. You get the same look, texture, and taste of tuna without the guilt about overfishing.

There is now a plant-based snack for everyone. Here are our new faves.

Green Goddess

Live Green Co. Founder Priyanka Srinivas shares her plant-based wisdom

by Pratika Yashaswi

Sustainable living is in Priyanka Srinivas’s blood. Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, she grew up watching her mother reuse utensils and plastic bags and sanitize old clothes to use as cleaning rags.

As an adult, Srinivas worked with food retailers, where she learned a sobering lesson. Many market-dominating products, which claim to be “green” and “healthy,” are actually green-washed. “I felt like I was being cheated,” she says. “Like many people, I wished the industry would provide thoughtful solutions instead of expecting consumers to take responsibility for their choices.”

When she asked herself how she could improve the food industry, she found her answers in ancestral wisdom and technology. She united and created the Live Green Co., which offers plant-based alternatives to meats, eggs, and milk, as well as replacements for additives and ultra-processed ingredients, using

an AI-driven platform that generates innovative solutions. This helps to create clean, functional, sustainable plant-only foods, pharmaceuticals, and supplements.

Here is Srinivas’s insight into the future of plant-based food technology.

Why did you choose to work in food technology?

The food industry (particularly animalbased food production) is one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. And with the increasing urban population, food insecurity is on the rise as well. To overcome both these crises, we need large-scale solutions. We need to make better, healthier food that we love with minimal resources.

And this is where technology comes into play. There’s currently no better tool than technology, particularly

artificial intelligence, to enable disruptive change. So building a food tech start-up that is focused on scalable, healthy nutrition was a natural next step for me.

Can you offer some advice for people who are looking to make more environmentally friendly choices in their kitchens?

Small steps can lead to significant changes— and there is no such thing as too little or too late. From reusing plastic cutlery to making a change in your diet, like reducing animal-based foods, every small step can lead to a more sustainable future.

I encourage people to read food labels when grocery shopping. Look for products that contain whole foods like fruits, legumes, and grains. The plant-based and especially plant-only products I can recommend will have labels like “zero cholesterol,” “additive-free,” or “cleanlabel,” which makes it much easier. This is where we as consumers have the most power. Most brands push the responsibility onto the consumer. So let’s show them that we demand healthier products with our purchasing power!

What is Greenwashing?

Misleading or deceptive publicity created by an organization to present a more environmentally responsible image to the public.

New Year, Two Ways

Celebrate these two favorite food-focused holidays in April

by Bindu Gopal Rao

Poila Boishakh

The Bengal New Year, also known as “Poila Boishakh,” is significant cultural festival in the community in which food plays a vital role. In Bengal, food is an essen tial part of the culture, and every dish has its significance. The culture and heritage of food during Poila Baisakh represents the spirit of togetherness and celebration, where food is a symbol of unity, love, and renewal. “On this day, people prepare a variety of traditional dishes, including fish curry, chutneys, pulao, sweets, and desserts,” says Biju Philiph, executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport. “Panta bhat (fermented rice) with fried fish, a traditional breakfast, is a must-have dish on this day. On this auspicious day, people offer homemade sweets and other delicacies to their near and dear ones as a token of good will and prosperity. It is believed that sharing food on this day brings good luck,” says.

While the specific customs may vary, depending on the state, the Indian Solar New Year is rooted in traditions.

Vishu

In different parts of Kerala, Vishu is celebrated in varied ways. In the Malabar region, it is seen as the end of the reaping season for paddy and followed by the start of the sowing season. Vegetables and fruit are also harvested and kept as offerings for the deity. “The relevance of summer showers during this time is prime as it signifies a new beginning. Vishukanji is special— it is prepared with the husk and served right after the Vishukani (auspicious viewing of pious offerings) to the whole family. Mango pulissery and thoran made from butter bean leaves are additionally prepared,” says Latha Kuniyil, chef de Cuisine, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty. The Vishu sadhya is a significant family meal which features vegetables and fruit of that season. The New Year in the Malayalam calendar is marked by cleaning homes and neighborhood areas, visiting relatives with freshly harvested vegetables and the Vishukaniappams.

Prosper

LEGISLATION • POLITICS WORK

Defying Discrimination

An historic ordinance brings new attention to caste challenges in the U.S.

Civically Minded

Born in Kolkata and left in an orphanage, Shasti Conrad is making history in Washington State

How to Hybrid Tips to Balance Commuting and Remote Work as Companies Return to Office

Defying Discrimination

An historic ordinance brings new attention to caste challenges in the U.S.

By Pratika Yashaswi

In February this year, the Seattle City Council passed a historic law banning caste discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas.

Thanks to the efforts of Council Member Kshama Sawant and the support of prominent anti-caste organizations such as Equality Labs and the Ambedkar International Center (AIC), the ordinance was passed.

This legislation protects South Asian people of oppressed castes, many of whom self-identify as Dalits, allowing them to lodge complaints when they face caste prejudice. It will also prohibit businesses from discriminating based on caste concerning hiring, tenure, promotion, workplace conditions, or wages.

Currently, caste discrimination has been outlawed in India and prohibited in many Ivy League universities. However, public conversation about caste has yet to mature in the West, including in the United States. With this legislation, that’s changing.

Dalit workers face systemic discrimination, including bullying and harassment, exploitation, casteist slurs, demotion, and termination across professions. A survey

by Equality Labs found that two out of three Dalits in America have been mistreated at the workplace, and half are afraid to disclose their caste identity.

In recent years, the world, especially the American IT industry, has started paying more attention to caste. The state of California recently sued Cisco for discriminating against an Indian Dalit engineer at Cisco’s Silicon Valley headquarters based on caste. This ordinance i s one victory in the long fight against caste discrimination, and paves the way for passing similar laws across the United States.

Civically Minded

Born in Kolkata and left in an orphanage, Shasti Conrad is making history in Washington State

By Abhijit Masih

The Washington State Democratic Party selected Shasti Conrad as its chair in January this year. At 38, she is the youngest and the first woman of color to serve as chair in the state party’s history. Left outside an orphanage in Kolkata, India as a baby she was adopted by a single white woman and was raised in rural Oregon. She spoke to SEEMA about growing up as an Indian in a white family and her political journey.

Born in India, adopted and raised in the US

I was born in Kolkata. I was left outside an orphanage and adopted quickly. I left India when I was two months old and moved to the United States where I was raised by a single mom in Oregon. I was raised with a connection to India, with my heritage and where I came from. My mom made sure I had access to books and history and that it was a point of pride to come from India.

Growing up in a rural white town

I grew up on a farm in a rural town in Oregon with fewer than 15,000 people as one of the few Asian folks in the community. My mom wanted me to have this strong connection to India as a way to push back against the lack of diversity. It was difficult at times, because I just wanted to be like a normal American girl and I didn’t want to be different.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate and love my story. I’m proud to have been born in India, to be adopted, and to straddle these two different cultures.

Developing an interest in politics

My grandmother was British and had to earn her citizenship to the United States, which she got in her 50s. She took a lot of pride in voting and in community organizing work. When I was a kid, my grandma would take me to the polling place and into various volunteer activities. I believed that being engaged in politics was what you did. That’s how you gave back.

The importance of representation

I grew up when our models for leadership were mostly white men. They didn’t look like me. They didn’t think about the experiences folks like me were having and we weren’t reflected.

People of color and women, young people, poor people, who were just constantly being left behind. My big dream is that we actually get to see ourselves in numbers. Not being at the table means that your entire community isn’t reflected in the decisions that are getting made. One of my sayings is, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” The Asian community is realizing that and seeing there’s real opportunity here.

Her most treasured moment

I worked in the Obama administration for two years. At the end of your tenure, you got to take a departure photo with the President in the Oval Office and bring your family. I was able to invite my mom — who had raised me on her own as a working parent — to the White House and introduce her to the President. She was so proud.

If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. I think the Asian community is realizing that and seeing there’s real opportunity here.”

How to Hybrid

As

existing relationships, but also to make new connections. Take the time to introduce yourself to new people, and check in with old friends during your inoffice time. Not only can this provide a support system at work, but can also be an opportunity to collaborate on new projects or ideas.

Manage Expectations. The office and home office can be very different in terms of tech setup, social interactions, and overall environment—so don’t expect the same types of work to be done or the same output. If you can strategize what kind of tasks you best do at home, and which best get done in the office, you can save stress and make the most of each environment.

While many companies initially adopted a remote working policy during the pandemic, many have started to implement requirements to be back in the office two or three days a week.

This kind of hybrid work can present challenges for employees and leaders alike, so facilitating the change with intention can help. Here are a few ways experts recommend best navigating the bridge between.

(Re)build Relationships. After a long period of interacting over video conferencing or phone calls, the return to the office offers new opportunities to not only recalibrate

4

10

IN employees want to be in the office 2 to 3 times per week.

Source: Gallup

more companies adopt return-tooffice policies, here’s how to manage the balance between commuting and continuing remote work

Sundays with Watch Now!

Indulge

WEDDING • BEAUTY • TRAVEL

Hot Trends for Wedding Season

The planning trends you can’t miss

5 Sustainable Beauty Brands

A few of our favorite eco-friendly finds

Searching for Art in Basel

The country’s cultural capital showcases color and creativity on every corner

Hot Trends for Wedding Season

Adorn your celebrations with inspired ideas

Wedding planning season is well underway, and with it, we see couples shaking up old traditions in favor of creative ways to create their own memorable event. We spoke to Chris Neubauer, founder of boutique design firm Yonder Design, to uncover the biggest trends they’re seeing in multicultural weddings across the world.

Embroidered fabrics. Wherever there once might have been paper has been swapped out for more textured fabric options. Fabric menus especially have added an extra dose of elegance to every table placement.

Photographer: @amandacrean

Bold color palettes. Bigger and brighter has been on-trend this season taking over the more muted tones of years past. “We’re excited to see couple’s embrace more color this year, and have seen an increase in pink and orange already,” says Neubauer. Signage has gone big and bright as well, with acrylic signage leading guests to gather in the right spots.

Hype gifts. Forget the typical save the date or invitation, couples today are sending intricate gift boxes to their guests in advance of the wedding. “These often feature nods to the awaiting destination, religious ceremony or combining of culture,” says Neubauer.

Credits:

Planning and Design:

@eventdesignbymariannaidirin @mariannaidirin

Photographer: @GregFinck

Stationery: @yonderdesign

Venue: @goncanseco_sjd

Sustainable Beauty Brands

A few of our favorite eco-friendly finds

This Earth Day, we went looking for the best in eco-friendly beauty brands that offered sustainable practices without sacrificing strong skin- and hair-friendly benefits. Here’s a few of our favorite green finds.

TATA HARPER WATER-LOCK MOISTURIZER. Skip the primer with this all-in-one moisturizer that features peptides, pomegranate, and hyaluronic acid. Once it runs out, you can buy a refill pack instead of a whole new jar. $62; TATAHARPERSKINCARE.COM

BOONI DOON CLARITY CLEANSING GEL.

Packaged in sustainable aluminum, this smooth gel melts into a soothing cleansing oil when applied to the face. The formula also uses upcycled grapeseed oil from Napa wineries. $32; BOONIDOON.COM

REN EVERCALM™ OVERNIGHT RECOVERY BALM

Committed to clean beauty since 2000, REN operates with zero-waste, repurposing more than 45 tons of plastic. The bestseller recovery balm also sources sustainable ingredients like moisturizing sunflower and almond oil. $55; RENSKINCARE.COM

LUSH HENNA BRUN.

Long known for their colorful bath bombs, Lush has pioneered “naked” packaging, opening the first packaging-free cosmetics store in the UK in 2019. Readers rave over the rich color of their henna, fortified with fair trade cocoa butter, and available in five shades. $30; LUSH.COM

FABLE & MANE HOLIROOTS HAIR OIL.

Not only is this hair oil vegan and cruelty-free, but the silicon-free formula also features Ashwagandha, a powerful adaptogen, and Dashmool, a grounding plant that calms the scalp.

$16

FABLEANDMANE.COM

Searching for Art in Basel, Switzerland

The country’s cultural capital showcases color and creativity on every corner

Text and photos by Rashmi Gopal Rao

As the cultural capital of Switzerland, Basel offers a kaleidoscope of eclectic history and architecture. With both notable museums and a thriving street art scene, the city—located just an hour’s drive from Zurich—makes it easy to be an art aficionado. Here are a few must-stops to make along the way:

Mind the Museums

Housing one of the oldest art collections in the world, the Kunstmuseum Basel showcases a fine collection of Renaissance art, alongside collections in Surrealism, Constructivism, and Dadaism. For those looking for something with more modern flair, The Museum of Contemporary Art houses more recent paintings, sculptures, and video art. Housed amidst lush greenery which includes old trees and water lily ponds, the Fondation Beyeler displays the work of renowned artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

A Town Centerpiece

Built in various stages between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Rathaus Basel is located in the central Marktplatz and serves as the seat of the government. You can’t miss the dramatic red building with a prominent tower, while rich paintings and intricately crafted sculptures adorn the inside. The assembly hall as it stands today has been decorated by famous artist Hans Holbein in 1521.

Aesthetic Public Spaces

From lovely paintings on buildings to vibrant street art, the city’s streets feature a riot of color. Don’t miss the graffiti on the streets near the Swiss SBB Railway Station (the largest border station in Europe) and the city center of Grossbasel , which portrays the faces of world famous artists, scientists, and other superstars. For another surprising display, see if you can spot the ornately carved metal fruits and vegetables within the cloisters of The Basel Cathedral.

A Kinetic Display

Located where the stage of the old city theater company once existed, the Tinguely Fountain features ten iron figures constantly in motion. A remarkable piece of art designed by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely, the fountain mimics a theater performance as the kinetic fountains appear to play with one another.

Credit: Photo by Odin Aerni on Unsplash

Breathe

MEDITATE • RENEW • DONATE

Meditation Made Easy 4 apps to streamline your self-care

Spring Clean

Declutter your spaces this season to move with more ease

Diversifying Organ Donation

Asian-Americans make up only 3.1% of donors, but doctors are working to raise awareness in the community

Meditation Made Easy apps to streamline your self-care 4

With a busy life and a never-ending list of to-dos, it can be challenging to fit in the time to schedule in selfcare — but research shows the benefits of more mindfulness and meditation can last a lifetime. One study in Aging Mental Health surveyed retired adults in four South Asian cities and found that those who meditated were less lonely, and experienced a greater sense of wellbeing and satisfaction than those who did not.

1 2 3 4

Headspace

This versatile app shares techniques that help you learn to manage your breathing, calm your mind, and sleep better. You can set a timer to whatever you can handle (yes, even one-minute!) which makes it a great option for those always on the go.

Cost: 14-day free trial, then $70 a year.

Calm

Calm’s sleep sounds and stories can be especially helpful if you have trouble winding down in bed after a long day. The app also features movement exercises, breathing techniques, and masterclasses around life balance. Though the yearly subscription can be a bit pricey, you can share the app with up to six people.

Cost: 7-day free trial, then $70 per year.

nsight Timer

One of the best free meditation apps, Insight Timer features live workshops, courses, and group meditations. The app has many talks and lectures covering spirituality, religion, and healing, so it can fit a wide variety of meditation styles if you’re looking to discover which path is right for you.

Cost: Free; Premium features available for $60 per year

Balance: Meditation & Sleep

If you’re looking for maximum interactivity, this app asks a daily question like “how are you feeling today?” Based on your answer, it will guide you to what you might most need. AI also helps the app learn as you use it to make even better recommendations.

Cost: 7-day free trial, then $70 per year

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Helps with focus

Improves the quality of your sleep

Aids relaxation and stress relief

Reduces anxiety

Promotes overall wellness

92% of meditators do so to relax and de-stress.

Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Spring Clean

Declutter your spaces this season to move with more ease

Warmer weather has us swinging open the windows to let fresh air in. It’s also the perfect time to sweep away the old relics of winter clutter to make way for new projects and space. But in the face of often overwhelming mess, it can be hard to know where to even begin. A few simple tips can make it easier—here’s how:

Categorize

Rather than facing the overwhelming prospect of tackling a whole bedroom or kitchen, focus on one key area at a time. For the bedroom, that might mean starting with clothing, where you can go through each piece and create “Donate”, “Keep”, and “Throw” piles. In the kitchen or study, it might mean going through paper products and tossing anything you no longer need.

Invest in Colorful Organizers

Keeping the clutter contained doesn’t have to be boring. By bringing a bit of bright color to closet or desk organizers, you can look at organization with a more optimistic mood.

Detox Your Digital Life.

Spring cleaning shouldn’t be contained to just your physical space; your digital environment can have just as much an effect on your moon and productivity. Spend a few minutes organizing your computer’s desktop, your email files, and anything else that might bring more ease to your online life in the year ahead.

Poppins Aqua Super Stacked, $80

Diversifying Organ

Donation

Asian-Americans make up only 3.1 percent of donors, but doctors are working to raise awareness in the community.

In the U.S., April marks National Donate Life month, which raises awareness of the need for organ, eye, and tissue donors to help save lives across the country. While Asian Americans make up 9 percent of organ transplant waiting list, only 3.1 percent of transplanted organs were from Asian American donors in 2020.

“The need for liver transplant is especially critical due to high incidence of hepatitis and liver failure among Asian Americans,” says Dr. Vasanthi Balaraman, a specialist in Transplant Nephrology at the Methodist Le Bonheur James D. Eason Transplant Institute in Memphis.

Once an organ is transplanted into a sick patient, the results can be nothing short of amazing. “You can take a person with end-stage liver disease, on the brink of death, and give them this new liver, which is really a gift of life,” says Dr. Priya Grewal, a liver transplantation specialist at Mount Sinai. “He or she is then going to have a very long and productive life, provided everything falls into place.”

Increasing awareness among potential donors and their families can make a dramatic impact in the levels of donation. “When an unfortunate thing happened to their loved one—whether it was an accident or stroke or heart attack—the loved one’s legacy can continue,” says Dr. Grewal. “They can impact five or six different lives.”

While you can register in most states to be an organ donor at the DMV when you renew your driver’s license, you can also register at organdonor.gov, which shows state-bystate instructions on how to sign up.

Organizations have been using the hashtag #DiversifyDonations across social media to help spread the word to underrepresented communities about the life-saving impact organ and tissue donation can have for individuals and families struggling with lifethreatening conditions.

BECOME A LIVING DONOR

While most organ donations still come from the deceased, living donation has become more viable in recent years. Living donors, who are physically and mentally screened before surgery, typically return to full health and live normal lives, while also helping to save another life while they’re alive. For resources on how to become one or find answers to questions, visit transplantliving.org.

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MAKE UP ARTIST: MAKE UP BY TANIA GRIER USING MERIT

of

Champion WOMEN

As the Global Head of the Private Capital Advisory group for Raymond James, Sunaina Sinha Haldea is one of the most influential people working in private equity today. In a field still dominated by men, she had to overcome great odds to get there.

• Abhijit Masih •

PHOTOS: SUJATA SETIA

Sunaina Sinha Haldea is often the only woman in the room brokering deals for some of the largest private equity sponsors in the world. She is the Global Head of the Private Capital Advisory group at Raymond James. She obtained a bachelors of science degree in Management Science and Engineering and a master’s of science degree in chemical engineering, both from Stanford University. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School. She founded Cebile Capital, a private fund placement agent and secondary market adviser to private equity firms, in early 2011. Research from McKinsey shows that women make up only 12 percent of managing directors and 16 percent of principals and partners in investment roles at private equity firms. It’s in those conditions that Sinha Haldea is one of the most influential people of either gender in private equity.

Sunaina Sinha Haldea spoke to SEEMA from her office in central London about the hard knocks she faced in being a woman of color in a male-dominated field and the skills and qualities she employs to drown out the noise. She is also a champion for greater women’s prominence in the financial workforce and walks the talk with 50 percent of her employees being women and minorities.

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

I was born in Delhi, but I left India when I was 8 years old, and grew up all over the world. I call myself a citizen of the world; I was raised in India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Vietnam, before I went to university. If I had to summarize my upbringing in one word, it would be adventure. With adventure comes plenty of highs, but there can also be a lot of knocks that teach resilience. The resilience came from changing locations every 3 to 5 years. My dad was a diplomat and the lessons learned and the memories that were being created, not just for me, but for my 3 younger siblings, have been absolutely invaluable for us.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

I graduated with my MBA and worked for a few years, doing what I currently do, but doing it for two large hedge fund managers. I was very successful at my job but I also knew that eventually I wanted to start something on my own. I got the opportunity in 2011, when one of my former employers said to me, if you start something on your own, we’ll become your first client. I took them for their word and started the business.

The early days were really tough, but with incredible learning experiences. I was the only shareholder in the business so all of the responsibility for the growth and the decisions rested on my shoulders. That was rather daunting. However, I look back and think the lessons of learning by doing, the growth mindset of pivoting from failures, figuring out what works and leaning into those are some nuggets that have stood me in great stead. No

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PHOTOGRAPHER: SUJATA SETIA MAKE UP ARTIST: MAKE UP BY TANIA GRIER USING MERIT

matter how much of a hard knock I suffered in the first two years, we were delivering good work and have long standing clients that go back 10 years plus at this point. I can’t say that financial services and entrepreneurship is for the faint of heart. But if you have the resilient muscle to lean into it, it can be incredibly rewarding.

NOT ENOUGH WOMEN

The finance industry does an okay job of recruiting women and people from a minority background into the junior ranks, but not a very good job when it comes to retaining them and progressing them on to senior management and leadership positions. Why is that? Finance can be very lumpy, very deal oriented where there are big peaks of workflow, and those big peaks aren’t for everybody. So if you’re trying to start a family, if you’re a young mother, you really have to go through some very hard nights and weekends juggling a lot of things at the same time. Finance has one of the highest burnout risks for women so that really holds back the diversity element.

GAINING GROUND

My advice to companies and to fellow leaders when they ask me how I did it myself is by creating a diverse workplace of my own. More than 50 percent of my employees are women and minorities. You absolutely have to have an off and an on ramp for women and for people from diverse backgrounds. What does that mean? That means that if someone wants to take a couple of months out for mental health reasons, you do that, because the loyalty and the empathy that builds with them means that they’re likely to come back to you at the end of whatever journey they’re working through. Secondly, it cannot be a one size fits all model. There were many times we had to lean into what it means to be a woman and a minority. That means giving different holidays off. It means giving equal paternity and maternity, and sticking with it across the team. It also means that you leave hires open for longer, because you didn’t find a diverse set of candidates to evaluate. Diversity doesn’t come by itself. People just sit back and think it’s all gonna magically appear. That’s not how it goes. Leaders really have to lean into it and make that extra effort.

HONE YOUR SKILLS

There are three that have been absolutely integral. One of the skills I invested in about 12 years ago was meditation. I go to an annual meditation retreat. I meditate every morning for at least an hour, and that has been an absolute seminal centering point of each day. Any day of the week there would be things coming at you that make you feel a certain way - angry, sad, ecstatic, happy, etc. The big power of meditation is to give you control over your mind versus the other way around. The other two practices have been equally important. The second practice is really learning quickly from setbacks and failures. That has been a great secret to any type of entrepreneurial journey, but also in your personal life. Every time something negative happens, I say, okay, that’s great. What are my

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“I can’t say that financial services and entrepreneurship is for the faint of heart. But if you have the resilient muscle to lean into it, it can be incredibly rewarding.”

SUNAINA’S FAVORITES

FOOD

Dosa with sambar and chutney. I could eat it every day.

DESTINATION

Going back home to Mom. I get all my favorite things. Other than that – Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Hawaii and Paris. Some of my greatest memories and milestones were celebrated in Paris.

MOVIE

Has to be Shawshank Redemption. It’s a classic, but so powerful and so emotive in so many ways. Absolutely love that movie. The most recent movie that I’ve watched that was equally powerful was, She Said. It’s about the start of the MeToo movement from two New York Times journalists, and it is very much appropriate for the age we live in.

COLOR

If you had to put a gun to my head it would be blue. That’s because I love the sea. I love going to the ocean, and I love all different shades of blue.

SPORT

Definitely not golf, but my favorite sport is tennis. I love to play it. I love to watch it, and have been a follower of tennis for many, many years. I used to actually even teach tennis as a young teenager to make money.

HOBBY

Wine and food. I love to taste and drink different types of wines. I find wines complexity very compelling. One of my best and greatest hobbies right now is to engage where my kids are engaging. So at the moment I am teaching myself how to solve Rubik’s cubes.

PIECE OF JEWELRY

Very much my engagement ring. My husband gave it to me when he proposed in Paris. I will give you another one. At my wedding my mother gave me our ancestral nath (nose ring). It’s gone from eldest daughter to eldest daughter through her lineage over 5 generations, and it’s incredibly precious to me.

lessons here, and I keep digging for lessons, so that I won’t make these once again. And the third one really has been my family. I come from a large family in terms of my siblings and my parents, with my husband and my 3 kids and a dog. You need to have a set of people that you can really rely on to be yourself with, and that’s been a real blessing.

TUNE OUT THE NOISE

One of the ways that I tell others who are in my shoes or at different stages of their careers and who are women of color, is that you have to learn to distinguish signals from noise. I get comments to this day. It’s unfortunate, but it exists. I can’t control what other people say and do. I can only control myself. I consider it noise and that noise is there to distract you. It just fills your brain, and you have to have a way for distinguishing the signal from the noise. That colleague comes and mentioned something to you. Yes, of course you can get worked up about it and spend 45 minutes of your day thinking about it, or you can just let it go and move on with what’s really important. Your job, where you can make the most difference and where you’re valued. So that’s my biggest piece of advice to women of color. It isn’t easy and there will always be noise. There was noise 20 years ago when I started, and there’s noise today, and there will be noise 20 years from now. Use your difference as your power, and use your position of power to pull someone up below you. You can always do that. There is always someone else you can pull up and that’s the only way our ranks increase.

THE HARD ASK

This is one of my interview questions. (The one quality needed to ask clients to part with their money.)

“Finance has one of the highest burnout risks for women so that really holds back the diversity element.“

•

Diversity doesn’t come by itself. People just sit back and think it’s all going to magically appear. That’s not how it goes. Leaders really have to lean into it and make that extra effort.

I actually love asking this question and you get lots of answers –persistence, tenacity, communication, etc. The actual answer is and the research shows it - is listening. The more you listen the more information someone shares with you. To have curiosity, genuine curiosity, not fake curiosity about another human being. So that you can ask them open-ended questions and you start receiving that information and that has made me good at my job. Which is very much asking people for money. That is what we do. The more information I get about my counterpart, it makes me stronger at what I say, and, therefore, what I say is going to be much more nuanced. It’s going to be much more relevant to what they want to hear and it makes me much more effective at my job. So it’s one of the most undervalued skills in the world today. Everybody just wants to talk and fill the space around them and be seen and heard. Well, if you sit back and listen, the information will come to you that will allow you to be even better at your job.

WINE ENTHUSIAST

The green is not my thing. I have tried to play golf and it just takes too many hours of one’s life to get any good at it. My strength has been the goblet. I know enough about wine to be dangerous, and a lot of men think they know their wine really well. So when they get someone who can match them, and can talk with them fluently, it stands up very well and that very much has been one of my secret weapons. I found wine to be a very easy going common thread across cultures. At the end of the day you have to find a point of connection with the human being on the other side of the table.

ADVICE FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS LOOKING TO RAISE CAPITAL

1. The most important thing you can do is to learn to tell a story. That means you have to communicate. You have to be able to be effective. It is important that you get real, unadulterated feedback about whether you’re good at it or not. If you realize you might not be very good at it, get someone to come with you who is better than you. If you can’t tell a story effectively enough and you’re not getting the resonance, don’t be afraid to say this is not one of my strong points. Get somebody else who believes in your story, your journey and who can put it across.

2. Absolutely lean into your network and make the ask. One of the things a lot of women are not very good at, and I find this especially with South Asian women, is that we get shy when it comes to making the ask. How can I ask for this money? How can I ask him? It’s usually a him. I get a lot of this from the South Asian female community. Well, ladies, if you don’t ask, you’re still at the same spot. Some folks who are very reticent to do it, I advise them to practice saying it in the shower, practicing it in the mirror. If it’s on Zoom, to minimize the video and then just make the ask. Say the words out loud. Just practice. Find three places where you’ve been hesitant, and go make the ask in small settings.

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MAKE UP ARTIST: MAKE UP BY TANIA GRIER USING MERIT

Tanya Singhal

The Eco-Preneuers

A new wave of women entrepreneurs have built businesses that prioritize the planet alongside profits, while also serving their communities.

• Lindsey Galloway •

While Earth Day has been celebrated every April 22 since 1970, this year has put the planet and the challenges it faces into sharp relief. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently issued a report that the world is nowhere close to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions enough to limit warming to 1.5 Celius by 2030, warning countries around the world that they must do more to stem the tide.

But some women aren’t waiting. Instead, they’re fighting the climate crisis on their own terms by building businesses built on earth-friendly practices. We spoke to some of these sustainability stars across different fields to find out what motivates them, how they give back, and what the future of sustainability looks like across the globe.

The Ethical Traveler Harika Parmar, Founder, VOGO Tours

As a vegetarian, Harika Parmar remembers spending countless hours trying to find tours that didn’t involve meat, animal exploitation and chain hotels. When she did, she found herself disappointed in the options presented to her.

“I had my fair share of bad food experiences on travels involving sacrifice, struggle and compromise in the form of plain salads, simple side dishes, accidental meat broths, or fish dishes misunderstood as vegetarian choices,” she says. “I’m sure the majority of vegans and vegetarians can relate.”

She also found herself horrified by the animal exploitation of many tour operators, which included everything from camel and elephant rides to tanked sea life visits to fish markets and street side meat vendors. “The list of ethical ignorance has no end when it comes to the majority of tour operators,” she says.

That’s when she knew she wanted to start VOGO tours, a UK-based company dedicated to ethical tours and focused on vegan and vegetarian travellers. While she knows vegetarians used to spend hours searching for which restaurant to eat, she works instead on curating unique food experiences, like plant-based bush BBQs in West India and custom vegetarian cooking experiences on a farm.

She also ensures that each hotel they stay at meets at least one of 10 of their proprietary ethical requirements, including criteria like being a local employer, having a recycling or composting program, or having energy efficient installations. The tours also incorporate local artisans, philanthropic initiatives, and ecological education. “We are attuned to local culture and are advocates of authentic immersive encounters,” says Parmar.

One of her favorite trips she remembers was in Marari Beach in South India, where she stayed in a small family-owned eco-lodge, all constructed with local materials and outfitted with rainwater harvesting. She loved that it was miles away from the mainstream budget chain resorts where tourists flock. “Especially in a postCovid world, tourism dollars are needed more than ever to sustain indigenous communities,” says Parmar.

A Solar-Powered Pursuit

company called SolarArise with a vision to bring solar energy prices on par or lower than conventional power.

While others at the time considered solar to be a “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) rather than a money-maker, she was convinced she could do both. “I wanted to prove solar could make good returns for investors on their investment,” she says. “So I aimed to build a team from the ground up, gain capability and experience, to be able to continually build larger scale plants, – not just in India but all over the world.”

And she succeeded. SolarArise has since built seven solar plants which power more than 250,000 homes, reducing 600,000 tons of CO 2 emissions per year. “These plants have now been sold to an infrastructure trust listed on the London Stock Exchange and have made multiples for our investors,” she says.

Tanya

Singhal, Founder, SolarArise & A Climate Tech Venture

In 2009, Tanya Singhal had a stable, consistent consulting job with the Boston Consulting Group. But her world turned upside down when she found herself investigating the solar potential of India.

“I attended a presentation that showed that just filling a small box covering 7.5% of the desert on the map of India with solar panels was sufficient to power all of India,” she recalls. “The solar sector was waiting and all it needed was professionals to jump in and realize its potential.”

Awestruck at the opportunity solar had to transform the climate crisis, she followed her passion and in 2010 took the plunge to join a solarengineering firm to better under-stand how solar could work in India. In 2014, she took the leap toward entrepreneurship, starting a

Not only that, but her actions helped pave the way for continuing India’s energy transformation. “Today solar is cheaper than fossil fuels, and it’s the talk-ofthe-town!” says Singhal. “We were able to reach sub coal prices in 2015, four years ahead of target. Solar today accounts for 15 percent of the Indian power capacity and is now a key sector for India’s energy independence path.”

Today she’s focused on continuing her passion toward carbon neutrality, focusing on technology solutions and AI to help empower individuals to be more climate conscious. “There is a lot we must all do, each of us, to move to a low-carbon world,” she says.

Beauty Made Simple & Sustainable Archana Johnsen, Founder/ Formulator Forshelli

Archana Johnsen always struggled to find skincare products that suited her complicated skin type, which had oily, textured skin on the top half and sides of her face, and dry, sensitive skin on the lower half of her face. She also found that products

Archana Johnsen

contained too many or low quality ingredients. So she used her experience as a natural skincare formulator to create a skincare that would aid her sensitive skin, with a philosophy of simplicity and sustainability, rooted in the concept of Ayurveda.

“Ayurvedic skin treatments are minimal by design,” says Johnsen. “Most true Ayurvedic formulations only contain a few ingredients, yet work wonderfully to soothe and calm the skin. There is great emphasis on the value of cold-pressed, organic, and natural seed oils for nourishing the skin.”

Instead of treating symptoms, the goal of Ayurveda is to restore health to the skin so it can repair any issues that might be present. She applied all these principles to the creation of her beauty brand Forshelli, named after the phonetic pronunciation of the Norwegian word Forskjellig which literally translates to “different.”

“Å gjøre en Forskjell is my guideline. It means ‘to make a difference,’” says Johnsen. “My goal is to raise more awareness regarding skin health as I truly believe that healthy and resilient skin fixes most of its problems on its own.”

She carefully chooses her ingredients based on their production methods and impact on the environment, and also uses cold-process methods, which ensure energy efficiency and sustainability. She also uses a “just-in-time” production system, which avoids wasting unused product. “It ensures only the freshest and more recent batches

are shipped out,” she says. The packaging also uses recycled materials and biodegradable tape—and she’s moving to make all her packaging completely biodegradable.

“Sustainability to me means balancing my needs with those of my environment,” she says. “It means applying thought to the choices I make on a daily basis that involve using or consuming products.”

VOGO Tours

3 Steps to Living More Sustainably

Though the climate crisis can feel overwhelming at times, all of us have the power to make small changes that can collectively lead to a big impact. Here are a few ways to get started.

Measure Your Carbon Footprint. “Knowing the problem is half the solution,” says Tanya Singhal, founder of SolarArise and A Climate Tech Venture. “See what your big contributors are and then work to reduce them.” Our homes can be some of the biggest contributors, so switching to energy efficient products, reducing and reusing products wherever possible, and buying local can all go a long way to cutting down your output.

Make Sustainability a Lifestyle. While much focus is put around the planet on Earth Day, we can’t make the mistake of something we think about as a one off. “Sustainability is a lifestyle that needs to be adopted with patience as a part of our daily lives,” says Singhal.

1 2 3

Consider Office Sharing. While it may seem counterintuitive, working from home actually leads to higher emissions than working from an office, says Singhal. If you can work from an office in a shared space, the energy use is split across colleagues. “So take an energy efficient transport mode, like an electric car, or walk or bike to work,” she suggests.

VOGO Tours

VOGO Tours

VOGO Tours

It’s one thing to avoid animal products in your diet, but eating foods that are also nutritious and delicious can be a challenge. Vasudha Viswanath, founder of We Ate Well helps us rethink our vegetarian ways.

So many vegetarians face a quandary. In an effort to steer clear of animal products, eating a balanced diet that tastes good to the palette can feel like an uphill battle. Vasudha Viswanath, the founder of We Ate Well, has got you covered. From her own experience as a vegetarian and the need to adjust her diet after an annual medical checkup reflected high blood sugar, she combined her passion for food and healthy eating to write a healthy cookbook called The Vegetarian Reset , which features cuisines from all over the world with a healthy Indian vegetarian twist.

Viswanath, who was rising professionally as a hedge fund executive, was shocked to see the results of her annual medical checkup, which showed an elevated blood sugar level. Following a vegetarian diet all her life, she always felt that she was eating healthy but the overload of carbs in her diet had resulted in the distressing finding. “I thought I was eating healthy,” Viswanath says. “I thought I was cooking at home and eating home food but that led to a note from the doctor saying that my blood sugar levels were elevated. This was a year after I had my baby, so I couldn’t really blame it on that.”

Concern for her overall health and that of her husband led her to experiment with low-carb and healthy vegetarian recipes that eventually resulted in The Vegetarian Reset. “The doctor’s note really got me thinking and researching into what healthy food really means. I changed the way I cook,” she recalls. “And I developed a lot of recipes just for myself and my husband at home.”

Foodie Culture

Born into a family of foodies in Bangalore, Viswanath as a threeyear-old would be asking her parents about the contents of her lunchbox for the next day. The enthusiasm continued and developed into a

passion for cooking and experimenting. “I would bake a lot and our oven was a little clunky, and it wouldn’t get hot enough for a cake. So I figured out that I could fill up a pressure cooker with sand and bake cakes in that. I was always fond of experimenting in the kitchen,’ she recalls.

The tinkering with recipes and the experiments continued when she moved to the U.S. for her undergrad in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University. She was fortunate to find a big Indian community and an Indian grocery store for the basic supplies. “I got to experience several cuisines, but it was always the Indianized take on that cuisine, with a generous dash of masala added and that’s a big influence in the way I cook,” she says.

Viswanath pursued a career in finance and spent a decade on Wall Street but didn’t have the same passion that she had for the culinary art. She left her job to create We Ate Well—a community for foodies with a mission to help people enjoy eating mindfully and sustainably on a vegetarian diet.

Reassessing her life and what she really wanted to do during the pandemic, Viswanath took an exit package and took the next step in her life. She decided to write a book.

Being vegetarian does not always mean you are eating healthy. It does not put you in the clear from ailments. The note from the doctor after her regular medical exam came as a shocker to Viswanath, who thought her vegetarian diet cooked at home had the perfect nutrition balance. “My doctor’s note said to minimize rice, pasta, and sweets. Most people know they should avoid eating sweets—that’s a no brainer. But rice and pasta? What am I supposed to eat instead? This is what I ate every day. So I started to research and ended up reading a lot of books and I finally understood the science that what we eat impacts our blood sugar,”Viswanath says. “So if you keep eating a lot of foods that are high in

carbs, what happens is your insulin keeps spiking. Over time, your body becomes resistant to that insulin, which is when it gets to a critical pace.”

Viswanath shifted her focus to what and how she should be eating. A shift from quantity to quality, but at the same time not missing out on Indian dishes like her favorite—dal. Most vegetarians, like Viswanath, do not really eat enough vegetables. Their plates are predominantly filled with rice, maize and wheat. She talks about the changes she made in her diet. “When I shifted my focus to include fiber and protein, the healthy fat really filled me up and kept me satisfied. Which meant that I automatically needed fewer grains or carbs,” she explains. She suggests not cutting out all carbs in an extreme way. Instead, she recommends focusing on what you add rather than what you subtract from the plate.

Uplift Your Diet

The prospect of an uninspiring diet filled with quinoa, avocado, and greens was understandably very uninspiring. Viswanath set about putting her passion for cooking and experimentation to work and to satisfy her craving for flavor. “I said I’m gonna create my own recipes. In vegetarian food, you obviously have veggies mixed in, but the center of the plate is always the carbs. So I would just replace them. If I made fried rice with white rice, I would replace that with cauliflower rice,” she talks about her recipes.

The lifelong vegetarian and a forever foodie, Viswanath is all set to release her book, The Vegetarian Reset, this month. The book includes 75 recipes that she has carefully put together from around the world and re-imagined them to make vegetarian food healthy and fun. If you are a vegetarian and hard pressed for options, the book might help introduce a wider spread in your kitchen.

Viswanath gives a sneak peek into her debut book. “This book was written for foodies that want to eat healthy. When I was trying to find recipes to eat healthy, the vegetarian books were either telling you how to make excellent focaccia, or noodles, or they’re telling you how to make boring salads and smoothies. It was hard to find a book that was really healthy and had a focus on nutrition and flavor. That’s the balance that I tried to straddle in this book. What I have tried to do is make eating healthy, really compelling.”

At the next annual medical checkup, Viswanath, having followed a healthy vegetarian diet based on her own recipes, was able to bring her sugar levels back to normal. She was able to eat her favorite foods that are part of her cultural heritage. She said, “I could taste flavors from different cuisines and it really transformed the way I looked at what was possible and really unleashed my creativity in the kitchen.”

“It has ingredients in both metric as well as U.S. measurements. Nutritional information is provided for each recipe. It’s a gorgeous coffee table book. It’s a book that you want to pick up and start cooking because the pictures look so amazing. The recipes are inspired by traditional cuisines from all around the world. So if you love spice, if you love flavor and you like learning how different cuisines are made and finding the commonalities as well as what makes each cuisine different and special. You can take a little trip around the world and still eat healthy and that is really the core essence behind this book.”

The Vegetarian Reset, in her own words

I KICK AND I FLY Ruchira Gupta

Actor and political activist Ashley Judd testifies that this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how to empower girls to break free from intergenerational prostitution and sex trafficking.

As a young journalist, author Ruchira Gupta spent considerable time hiking through the hills of Nepal, visiting numerous villages from where girls went missing, to be sold across the border to brothels in India. Moved by this injustice, she created an Emmy award-winning documentary The Selling of Innocents.

Now Ruchira’s debut YA book I Kick and I Fly will be available in bookstores April 18. It is a story of a girl in Bihar, India, who escapes the sex trade when a local hostel owner helps her to understand the value of her body through Kung Fu. Through martial arts, she learns that her body isn’t an object to be commoditized and preyed upon, but a medium to protect herself and those around her. The story sees her start as a Kung Fu champ in Bihar and ends in Queens, New York.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

I wrote “I Kick and I Fly” because it is important for young people to deal with difficult topics, even if painful, in a hopeful and age-appropriate way. My story is based on the truth and the hope that I experienced through my NGO, Apne Aap. “I Kick and I Fly” is a tool for parents, teachers, and young people to talk about issues that matter in their lives but are invisible.

SEEMA’S VIEW :

The book takes a hard look at sex trafficking, the largest organized crime in the world targeting young children. A story of resilience, it reveals how elements like body shaming, bullying and commoditization can be fought back. A fantastic debut with an inspiring story.

GREAT DISHES TO RING IN THE SOLAR NEW YEAR

• Bindu Gopal Rao •

Recipes for traditional dishes to celebrate the event

The start of the solar new year usually falls on April 14. While customs may vary depending on the state, the rituals that go with it are rooted in tradition.

Food plays a vital role in the Bengali New Year, also known as Poila Boishakh. It is a time for family gatherings, feasts, and the sharing of traditional delicacies.

“On this day, people prepare a variety of traditional dishes, including fish curry, chutneys, pulao, sweets, and desserts,” says Biju Philiph, executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport. “Panta bhat (fermented rice) with fried fish, a traditional breakfast, is a must-have dish on this day. In Bengal, food is an essential part of the culture, every dish has its significance. People offer homemade sweets and other delicacies to their near and dear ones as a token of goodwill and prosperity. It is believed that sharing food on this day brings good luck.”

In different parts of Kerala, Vishu is celebrated differently. In the Malabar region, it marks the end of the reaping season for paddy and followed by the start of the sowing season. Vegetables and fruit are also harvested and kept as offerings for the deity.

“The relevance of summer showers during this time is prime as it signifies a new beginning,” says Latha Kuniyil, chef de cuisine, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty. “Vishukanji is special. It is prepared with rice husk and served right after the Vishukani (auspicious viewing of the offerings) to the whole family. Mango pulissery and thoran made from butter bean leaves are also prepared.”

The Vishu sadhya is a significant family meal that features vegetables and fruit of that season. The new year in the Malayalam calendar is marked by a cleaning of the home and surroundnig areas, visiting relatives with freshly harvested vegetables and vishukaniappams.

Jolphai guror chutney, courtesy Biju Philiph , executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport

Jolphai guror chutney is a traditional chutney from Bengal made with olive fruits and jaggery (gur) or sugar. Jolphai, also known as Indian olive, is commonly found in the northeastern states of India and often eaten with labra (a dish with seasonal vegetables, ginger and spices). A combination of ingredients gives the chutney a unique flavor profile. In particular, the panch phoron spices—cumin, mustard, fenugreek, fennel, and nigella seeds - give the chutney a slightly nutty and aromatic flavor. Easily made, the dish can be served with a variety of dishes, including rice amd roti, or even as a dip for snacks. The unique flavor makes the jolphai guror chutney a popular dish in West Bengal.

INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs

● 7 oz olives

● 4 ½ oz sugar

● 2 tomatoes

● 2 red chillies

● ½ tbsp fennel seeds

● ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds

● ½ tbsp black cumin seeds

● ½ tbsp cumin seeds ½ tbsp

● ½ tbsp turmeric powder

● 8 cashews

● ¼ cup raisins

● 1 tbsp oil

● Salt to taste

● Coriander leaves to garnish

METHOD

1. Remove seeds from two cups of whole olives.

2. heat oil in a pan, add red chili and fennel seed, fenugreek seed, black cumin seed and jeera for tempering.

3. Add cashews and fry until the color changes to light brown.

4. Now add the medium cut tomatoes, grated ginger, and sauté those for 2-3 minutes till the tomatoes become soft.

5. Now add the turmeric powder and salt and sauté them till the raw smell reduces.

6. Open the lid of the pressure cooker after releasing the pressure.

7. Add the Jalpai (olives) along with the water in the pan and mix them nicely

8. Now add the sugar and mix them well.

9. Slowly add the soaked raisins.

10. Now allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes on medium flame.

11. The chutney starts boiling now, let them boil for two more minutes.

12. Turn off the flame now, and spread some chopped coriander leaves over them.

13. Serve cold.

Ilish biryani,

courtesy Sumiet Raghuvanshi , corporate chef, White Castle Hospitality

Biryani is usually associated with kutton or chicken. However, ilish being the king of fish, there is no better way to represent Bengal on a plate than this. This dish is a gastronomic treat: a piece of art that’s aromatic and delicate, made with long grained and aged basmati rice, and garnished with saffron.

INGREDIENTS

● 7 oz ilish fish

● 6 ½ oz basmati rice

● A pinch of green cardamom

● A pinch of nutmeg powder

● ½ inch cinnamon stick

● A pinch of mace

● 1 clove

● A pinch of shahi jeera

● 2-3 white pepperw, whole

● A few dry rose petals

● A few drops of rose water

● 1 ¾ tsp garam masala

● 1 ¾ tsp coriander powder

● A few drops of kewra water

● 3.5 oz onions

● 3.5 oz mawa or milk solids

● 7 oz ghee

● 2 oz milk

● 1.5 oz curd

● ½ tsp salt

● A small piece of green chilli

● 3 tbsp mMustard oil

● 1 ¾ tsp chickpea flour

● 1 ¾ tsp rice flour

● 1/3 tbsp kasundi or mustard sauce

● 5 ¼ oz chal kumro

● 1 ¾ oz cucumber

METHOD

1. Boil the rice with whole spices (green cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, clove, shahi jeera). Cook the rice till 80% done. Drain.

2. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric. Then shallow-fry the fish in mustard oil.

3. In the same oil, make a gravy of thinly sliced onion.

4. Brown the onion in oil and then add the fish stock, add all the spice powders

(garam masala, coriander powder, and kasundi), followed by curd, milk and mawa.

5. To assemble, put the gravy in the bottom, layered with rice, fish, and mawa. Sprinkle gulab jal, dried rose petals, ghee, and kewra water. Repeat the process and layer the top with fried onion and saffron. Seal and cook for 10 minutes.

6. On the side, serve chal kumro. This is made with clean and thickly sliced ash gourd. Coat it with rice and chickpea flours, add salt and pepper, and shallow fry in mustard oil.

7. Add a salad of thinly sliced cucumber and onion with green chilli and lemon.

Vishukkani appam, courtesy Latha Kuniyil, chef de cuisine, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty

Vishukaniappam is made from the first rice harvest of the season. It is ground and powdered along with the husk. Jaggery, sesame, cumin seeds are added later. It is believed that when this appam is steamed, if it does not crack while rising, it will be a fruitful year. If it cracks, things may not look so good.

INGREDIENTS

● 2.2 lb raw rice

● 1.5 lb jaggery

● 2 cups of ghee

● 4 ½ tsp sesame seeds

● ½ dry coconut

● 2 ¼ tsp cumin

● A pinch of cardamom powder

● Salt to taste

● ¼ tsp baking powder

METHOD

1. Wash the raw rice and soak it for a minimum of five hours.

2. Strain it then grind it into small granules.

3. Make jaggery syrup, then strain and keep it at room temperature.

4. Mix rice powder and jaggery syrup, and keep minimum three hours.

5. Heat pan and add ghee, sesame seed, cumin, dry coconut slice, mix baking powder. Add into the rice jaggery mix.

6. Take an iron pan, add ghee, and pour the batter in and cook both sides nicely.

ARIES

March 21April 19

Are you shutting yourself out from your feelings due to indecisiveness?

Then step back; the answers you seek are within you. Overthinking may only make it worse. Relationships call for balance and tuning out negative talk. Call a truce on a troublesome situation and take actions that promote peace of mind. If you need time to consider your next course of action, honor the pause and go with your gut. Ignoring a problem may not help your career or relationship. Ensure that you have all the facts before you make any financial decision. Give vent to any bottled-up emotions by journaling.

TAURUS

April 20May 20

If you have experienced a stagnant period lately, get ready for new juice in your life. Display courage and assertiveness and seize the opportunities you get. Expect some good news. Shrug off fears of scarcity and look at all you have. Keep your brainstorming playful and light; it will offset any stress. Explore your creativity - an old hobby or an activity that gives you joy. There’s a possibility of a positive friendship at or outside work, or renewing passions in a current relationship. Pack your bags for unexpected travels and adventures.

FORECAST WITH FARZANA

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

A big positive change might be on the horizon. It may be a new job, success, property, travel or love. Prepare to make moves and shake things up a bit. Make sure you plan your moves, even though things may not go according to plan. Creativity, leadership, optimism and speed are highlights of the month. There is energy in passion and adventure, so go forth and create the world you desire, but with wisdom, not haste. You have strong support but you may need strength and clarity for what lies ahead. Put a brake on that impulsive streak, especially in money matters.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

It’s a time to raise your head from all the hard work you’ve been doing and take stock of your goals before re-calibrating future plans. Success is a journey, not a destination. Focus on what gives results. However, don’t overdo it and exhaust yourself. Be patient, keep the faith, and appreciate the progress you have made. You are likely to be rewarded, financially or in some other tangible way. If you have poured your heart and soul in love, it will pay off. Work-life balance may strengthen your relationship or help you find a new one.

LEO

July 23 -

August 22

If you feel unappreciated and are focussed on what you don’t have, then perhaps you need to adjust your perspective and reorganize your thoughts. Opportunity is everywhere, but it will not be seen until you take some interest in seeing it. Release yourself out of any mental stubbornness and deploy a new approach. In love, if you feel more like roommates than lovers, it’s time to ignite some passion. If you feel distracted and distant at work take some time to detach the issue; look inward and understand what makes you unhappy and do something about it. Count your blessings, there is so much to be grateful for.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sept 22

You may have no more financial or health issues to worry about. New opportunities, property, new projects, and travel beckon. The month is a green light to go ahead with your plans. Prepare to prosper, thanks to research, determination and clarity. Whatever you start doing is sure to succeed with discipline and diligence. New avenues to earning are a possibility. You are likely to do well when you stay steadfast and balance the energies around you. Life opens the doors to a relationship grounded in reality. Money may be an important consideration in your relationship.

LIBRA

Sept 23Oct 22

An urgent and critical situation may need your undivided focus, and call for some shrewd decision-making. Rely on logic over emotion. Instead of being autocratic, lead with fairness and flexibility. You will win more people with kindness than a sharp tongue. You are on top of your game in your personal transformation. Apply your sense of humor, loosen up and enjoy the moment. A pivotal decision may set the course of your life for the next few months. Your recipe for success is to add more structure to your routine, set high standards for yourself and others, and strive to be your best self.

SCORPIO

Oct 23Nov 21

Pick your battles and focus on minimizing conflicts. Step away from any toxic situation and be mindful about saying things you may regret. Also be ready to admit you were wrong and make amends. When you stand by your truth, the chances of victory are high. Remember, real talent has its own light, so work to harmonize what you want with what is possible. Tact, clear boundaries and assertiveness are recipes for peace in personal and professional relationships. Vet the facts while making decisions related to finance and property.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

You will learn to balance creative pursuits and clear-minded action this month. Freedom is at hand if you have the courage to cut ties that bind you. Saying no is easier. Ask yourself some hard questions, such as, ‘Should I be spending money on this thing, when I haven’t budgeted for these more important things first?’ Your capacity to delegate will give you the space to pursue new opportunities. Be decisive, pragmatic and logical while approaching a challenge. It is not the best of times for romance, so keep things low-key, objective, focused and fair.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Have you been allowing yourself to wallow in regret and disappointment? You may be upset about something that hasn’t worked out the way you wanted. While the pain is real, it isn’t a free pass to stay stuck in this mode forever. Assume more control and shift your attention to your well-being. In any relationship changes are likely to benefit both of you. Focus on your strengths, not regrets, and keep walking. You have new opportunities that could bring you that ray of happiness if you say ‘yes’ to them.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 – Feb 20

You may notice that the people around you appreciate you more. An opportunity to work in a team of

two, or in collaboration on a project, is likely. Expect smooth sailing at work and life when you win arguments through tact, kindness and compassion. Place the right intentions out there. Remember it’s okay to ask for help or call in a favor to achieve your goals. It is a good time to bring alive some passion to love. If solo, you may find yourself in a budding relationship with reciprocal feelings. Tune in to your emotions and intuition.

PISCES

Feb 21 –

March 20

You are being called to be a better team player. Strive to make that the centerpiece of your mission at work and in your relationships. If conflict is inevitable, set boundaries and speak your truth. This is not a moment to fight back or stubbornly defend your position. Accept changes at work; in fact, use them to initiate the changes you may like in your career. In love, less ego and more conversations can go a long way. In money matters, hold on to the purse strings and invest wisely. Do whatever you need to stay centered.

Farzana Suri is a victory coach who coaches people through their life’s challenges to take the leap to victory, using the science of numerology. For a personalized forecast, you may contact Farzana at surifarzana@ gmail.com or visit her website www.farzanasuri.com