SEEMA JANUARY 2023

CHANGING MINDS ON MENTAL HEALTH SPECIAL NEW MAGAZINE DESIGN!

WOMEN IN STEM ARE GAINING STEAM +

PRIYA GUPTA ISRANI IS CHAMPIONING SURVIVORS OF TRAFFICKING

Ooshma Garg

FOUNDER AND CEO OF GOBBLE

Change Renewal A TIME OF and

Ilove this time of the year. As I write this, it’s New Year’s Day 2023, and I am on board a plane reflecting on the past year. As I look out the window at the blue sky and the puffs of clouds, I am also wondering what the year will bring and how I can set my agenda and goals for 2023 and actively shape it. There is something about a fresh start that motivates change and offers hope of a better tomorrow, no matter how ambitious the goals for a better you.

I thought 2020 was unprecedented (and it surely was) but was I unprepared for the new normal of 2022. Massive changes in work, life, and home have taught us many lessons including that adversity can be an avenue for personal and professional growth.

I began the year interviewing Indra Nooyi about the great resignation brought about by the pandemic and how workers—women, in particular—were leaving the workforce in droves. Many didn’t want to come to work in person full time and were no longer willing to work long hours for a pittance.

Along with so many other biproducts, the global pandemic brought a change in priorities for so many of us. It’s no wonder then that “return to work” was a challenge. Neither carrots nor sticks could bring people back, as they had grown accustomed to a new work-life balance. Some were seeking stability and others were looking for change, whether they knew it or not, awakening from the deep slumber of the pandemic—

tired of inertia, and ready for something different.

Many people changed jobs, including me. Although I was firmly ensconced in a job and had closed the door to new opportunities, the ennui of the status quo got to me. So, when an unexpected and wholly new opportunity came, I took the leap and became the CEO of an exciting new healthcare business.

Many of us also lost loved ones this year, including pets. We lost our beloved Popcorn, an integral family member of more than 14 years. Our home feels empty without his presence. The other day I had to shoo off a herd of brazen deer eating the plants on our kitchen patio. Popcorn would have barked his head off and scared them away and shown them up for trespassing on his property.

Then there is SEEMA! She, too, has been through an unprecedented 2022, marked by change and growth. She is trying to up her game, gain share and grow, with a new and diverse team composition, an updated website, and a

newly redesigned magazine, which I hope you will enjoy!

Reinvention is not easy, nor is growth. Behind the scenes, we have gone through many growing pains, but we are very proud of the final product!

I hope you enjoy the new energy and vibe of this magazine, both the content, which reflects our desire to give you a combination of snackable and meaty pieces, and the design, which is fresh and contemporary.

The hard work continues behind the scenes to make SEEMA into a brand that reflects and showcases the changing face of South Asian women of the diaspora. Welcome to 2023 and a reinvented SEEMA!

• Seema Kumar, Founder, SEEMA Network •

PHOTO CREDIT: M. CLARK VISIONS

Experience

LIFESTYLE • BOOKS • LAUGHS

Funny You Should Ask

Meet Zarna Garg, the “Funny Brown Mom”

Holi Home Hues

Liven up your living space for the festival of colorsval of colors

Stack the Shelf

5 books by South Asian women authors to read in the New Year

Holi Home Hues

Liven

1 4

GO GREEN

One of the most simple and cost-effective ways to add vibrancy to your space is with plants or flowers. If you don’t have a green thumb, there are plenty of artificial options that will give you the same effect.

BRIGHTEN

IT UP

A lamp can bring so much personality into a space. Enliven the room with a pendant light or chandelier with a bold color or interesting pattern.

ADORN YOUR FLOOR

Adding a few area rugs is a simple way to energize your living space. Give your kitchen or hallways a splash of color with a runner or small rug.

ADD AN ACCENT WALL

For a pop of color, add an accent wall to your living space. Choose a bright color that accents the furniture. Or create your accent wall with a lively wallpaper design.

THROW IN SOME PILLOWS

Balance out neutral tones with a few eye-catching throw pillows. Pick shades from a similar palette and mix and match patterns.

Stack the Shelf

books by South Asian women writers to read in the New Year

RAJARAJA CHOLA KING OF KINGS BY KAMINI DANDAPANI

What it’s about: Kamini Dandapani does an incredible service to history buffs by bringing to the forefront one of India’s greatest and often overlooked dynasties: the Cholas.

[BLOCK]CHAIN REACTION BY ELIZABETH VARGHESE

What it’s about: As a business leader, trusted C-suite advisor and board director, Varghese furthers people and technology strategies with solutions in artificial intelligence, Blockchain, and robotics—for organizations that operate around the world and in space.

TOMB OF SAND BY GEETANJALI SHREE, DAISY ROCKWELL

What it’s about: Eighty-year-old Ma slips into a deep depression after the death of her husband—she refuses to leave her bed. Her responsible eldest son, Bade, and dutiful, Reebok-sporting daughter-in-law, Bahu, attend to Ma’s every need, while her favorite grandson, the cheerful and gregarious Sid, tries to lift her spirits with his guitar.

A COUNTRY CALLED CHILDHOOD BY

DEEPTI NAVAL

What it’s about: This beautifully written memoir tells the story of award-winning actress Deepti Naval and her life growing up in Amritsar during the tumultuous 1950s and 1960s. In extremely visual and evocative prose, Naval describes an unforgettable childhood filled with love, adventure, mystery, tragedy, and joy.

LOVE WITHOUT A STORY BY

ARUNDHATHI SUBRAMANIAM

What it’s about: A beautiful journey for lovers of poetry, Love Without a Story features poems that celebrate an expanding kinship: of passion and friendship, mythic quest and modern-day longing, in a world animated by dialogue and dissent, delirium, and silence.

Funny You Should Ask

Meet Zarna Garg, the “Funny Brown Mom”

GARG’S FIVE BEST PIECES OF LIFE ADVICE

1 Advice to South Asian children on dating. Date a doctor.

2 Everyday advice to husbands. Your wife is always right. Don’t overthink it.

3 Advice for South Asian girls who want a comedy career. Go for it. But also, marry a doctor.

4 Advice on the profession of comedy. Comedy is a volatile business. Yes, you will make money. But you need the stability. I understand now why our culture loves doctors. Comedy is an artistic pursuit. It’s up, it’s down until you’re good.

5 Advice to SEEMA readers

There is so much resistance to relaxing in our culture. It’s almost like you’re committing a crime. I’m here to tell you you’re not. Relaxing is free, so do it.

Nourish

4 to Follow

South Asian food bloggers with distinct perspectives

and styles

Street Food Art

Privanda Chouhan on how she taught herself to cook.

colors

Spice It Up

Under-used spices

CULTURE • FOOD • EAT

By Cate Reynolds

to Follow

South Asian food bloggers with distinct perspectives and styles

Whether you’re looking for a fresh take on a dadi ma’s home cooking or to level up your vegan culinary skills, these four Indian food influencers offer plenty of inspiration and ideas.

LIGHT AND FRESH

As a young person, Natasha Hamo suffered from an eating disorder that caused serious medical problems. As a result of that experience, she became a master of preparing and eating foods that nourish her body and her soul.

Natasha Hamo | @organicandhappy

TASTE OF HOME

Based in Jersey City, NJ, Manasi Khedlekar cooks with a purpose—to allow her kids to experience the culture, traditions, and flavors that are so deeply rooted in home-cooked Indian meals. “Cooking is a well-choreographed dance, visually is what brings it to life.

Favorite Meal: Basmati rice and daal

Manasi Khedlekar | @manasiny

EAT WITH YOUR EYES

San Diego-based Rumela Roy is as intent on making food look as good as it tastes. The photographer, food stylist, and recipe curator makes coconut laddu with jaggery look like a thing of art.

Rumela Roy | @mixandstir

GET COMFY

If you’re looking for accessible comfort food that you can make with relative ease, Wajiha offers the perfect feed. A little something for everyone, Wajiha offers up recipes and step-bystep videos for savory Moong daal lentil soup and karachi-style deghi biryani.

Wajiha | @the_comfort_food

Street Food Art

PriaVanda Chouhan on how she taught herself to cook and create thriving businesses

I moved to New York when I got married 14 years ago, and I didn’t know how to cook. I was in the fashion industry, and it was a recession, so no one was giving me an H1 visa to work. I was at home a lot and craving my parents and in-laws cooking, so I just started experimenting in our studio apartment, making recipe after recipe while watching shows like Rachael Ray, and 30-Minute Meals. The Food Network was on the whole time. Eventually, I was able to recreate my mom’s recipes. I got good at it. So I decided to do something with my newfound talent.

Indian street food was a niche that wasn’t exploited 10 years ago. And I love snacking. I created Desi Galli in 2012 when my friend was giving up a restaurant space on Lexington Avenue. The menu was inspired by the space because it’s so narrow. It looks like only a takeout counter, and it has a speakeasy-feel downstairs.

I was a new girl on the block, when all the other restaurants were owned by older men. Because of jealousy or competition, no one would talk to me, no one would help me, no one would advise me. I could not even borrow a cup of sugar from my neighbor. It was very lonely. That was my first experience with

Spice It Up

sexism. To this day, women make up only 13 percent of this industry.

But by 2015, I had mastered this restaurant. So in 2016 we opened up Avenue B. But only 5% of the demographic here was South Asian, so I had to educate people on Indian street food. For first-timers, I always recommend Desipoutine, an Indian-French dish I invented to pay homage to Montreal, where I was born and raised. Poutine is french fries with your traditional gravy and cheese curd, but I made the Indian version with the chicken gravy you’d put on tikka masala.

This year, we’re going to continue expanding up DG Pantry, which sells meal kits and ingredients, and we’re expanding our catering services. Indian food is becoming more mainstream. Social media and TikTok help share our culture and our festivals, and people just want to participate in everything. Especially in a diverse community like New York, everyone’s open to anything.”

it with easily confused with carom seeds (they look fairly similar). Radhuni is a strong-smelling dried fruit from

Body benefits: Aids in digestion and reduces inflammation

Anardana, which is also known as dried pomegranate seeds, is used in various dishes to add tanginess. In Punjabi households, Anardana is one of the most important ingredients to be added in stuffing for parathas and even in Kadhi.

What is a beautiful Indian dish without coriander, turmeric, or garam masala? Most of us Indian food foodies know all about the bursting, vibrant flavors those spices bring to any recipe. However,

2 3

Body benefits: Packed with fiber, it prevents plaque build up in the arteries.

Kalonji seeds are often used for offering flavor and aroma to curries, dal, stir-fried veggies, kachori, and papdis. With a toast in a dry skillet, these seeds offer bursts of flavors on top of Naan and paneer.

Body benefits: Kalonji seeds aid in blood sugar regulation and protect the liver. 1

Radhuni It’s also known as dried celery but be careful not to confuse

You may not be using these spices and herbs in your cooking, but you should.

Nabeela

Syed

Illinois State Representative Neha Narkhede

Cofounder of Confluent

Navigating Work Bias

Strategies for addressing microaggressions

Creative consultant, brand strategist Amita

Reva Bhatt

Nabeela Syed

Reva Bhatt

Nabeela Syed Illinois State Representative

My name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year-old Muslim, IndianAmerican woman. We just flipped a Republican-held suburban district. I’m now the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly. When I announced for State Representative, I made it a mission to genuinely engage in conversation with people—to give them a reason to get involved in our democracy and hope for better leadership that represents their values.

We won this race because we engaged in that conversation. We talked to seniors about the rising cost of prescription drugs. We talked to working families about the growing burden of property taxes. We talked to women, pledging that I would protect their right to reproductive healthcare. We spoke with parents about their desire to strengthen commonsense gun safety laws.

We won this race because the people of the 51st District want a representative who is ready to fight for them and their families. I knocked every door in this district. Tomorrow, I start knocking them again to thank them for placing their trust in me. I’m ready to get to work.

Visit nabeelasyed.com to learn more.

They vote based on the candidate and they vote based on issues.

“

Reva Bhatt Creative consultant

Writing Her Own Script

Despite the tradition among second-generation Indian Americans to pursue the medical and science fields, many women are looking to find their own paths. The key to successfully breaking away from tradition to pursue your own dreams, according to Reva Bhatt, creative director, stylist, and brand consultant, is persistence.

When she told them what she wanted to do, her parents were hesitant, to say the least. “I think there’s always going to be generational misunderstanding and not a full comprehension of my world.” Although, they eventually came around, with some convincing when they saw her drive and determination. “Now, [my dad’s] at parties in Silicon Valley with other Brown uncles and aunties in tech talking about how his daughter works with Cardi B.”

Up next: Bhatt is producing an events series through Rooted, a string of conversations that Bhatt hosts, aimed at celebrating the broader South Asian community.

Now, [my dad’s] at parties in Silicon Valley with other Brown uncles and aunties in tech talking about how his daughter works with Cardi B.”

“

83 PERCENT OF ASIAN WOMEN, 80 PERCENT OF BLACK WOMEN, AND 76 PERCENT OF LATINAS SAY THEY WANT TO BE PROMOTED.

“I didn’t want to be a doctor or an engineer.”

Success from the Start-up

Neha Narkhede Cofounder of Confluent

At 37, Neha Narkhede, co-founder of Confluent, an advisor to and investor in tech start-ups, is one of India’s youngest self-made entrepreneurs. Here’s her advice on how embracing her roots helped her become corporate dynamo.

1 2 3

EMBRACE YOUR HEROES. I didn’t have role models in tech, but I remember when I was younger my dad used to sit down and read these books to me of female role models, leaders in their own spaces.

KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I've learned to embrace my own unique background that truly makes me who I am today. The more you get comfortable with your own identity and see ways in which you are adding value because of that identity.

LEAN INTO YOUR STRENGTHS. From early on I was a problem solver; I loved building a new solution to a problem and was even happier when people used it.

I didn’t have role models in tech.”

Navigating Work Bias

Smart strategies for addressing microaggressions

By Amita Mehta

When you’re one of the few brown females in leadership, unconscious bias is something you encounter almost every day. While there will be instances you can brush, there will be circumstances you must confront head on.

There was a moment in my career that I remember like it was yesterday. I was in a packed elevator with a colleague after lunch, and he complained about having to smell like Indian food for the rest of the day. I heard a few chuckles in the elevator, and I suddenly felt very small. I didn’t want to let it go, but I also didn’t feel right embarrassing him in front of other people. I exited the elevator and met him in his office.

I let him know that his comments in the elevator didn’t make me feel good. I expressed that I was proud of my Indian heritage and that food is a major component of my identity. He stopped everything he was doing and looked up at me, completely mortified. He said he had no idea that his comments were hurtful, and he apologized. It was important to point out his behavior so he would be more conscious and aware in the future. That moment gave me a road map to approaching unconscious bias.

See something, say something. When you decide you’ve encountered a situation that requires action, you’ll want to stand up for yourself without putting your safety at risk. Address things at the source. I have found a one-to-one approach is highly effective, and it builds a sense of trust and mutual respect.

Assume positive intent.

Oftentimes, when I’ve coached people about their blind spots, they didn’t realize the impact of their behavior. Knowing that people don’t mean to be hurtful can shorten the gap between you, making it much more possible to create an ally out of the perpetrator.

Be brave.

Early on in my career, I didn’t have the chops to address conflict. I was taught to keep my head down, excel at my job, and avoid making waves. But over time, as my confidence grew, so did my ability to effectively use my voice and garner respect from others.

Business strategist and career architect Amita Mehta is the CEO of AMP Consulting.

Indulge

FASHION • SKIN • BEAUTY

Deepika Padukone

Styled byShalini

Nathani

•

Indian Wedding Trends

What to expect in the year to come

Hello Hydration

Five face-forward skin

savers for winter

Beauty

Inspiration

Three South Asian influencers to follow

Indian Wedding Trends: What to expect in the year to come

With intricate designs and bold hues, Indian bridal fashion is nothing short of beautiful. Shaleena Nathani, stylist to many of Bollywood’s biggest stars, gave us the lowdown on some of the Indian bridalwear trends.

VEILS

“A lot of brides are incorporating more western influences into their bridalwear, and veils are a great example of this. They pair beautifully with both saris and other silhouettes.

BELTS

“We’re seeing waist belts on all types of bridalwear–anarkalis, lehengas, sarees, salwar suits. . Belts are a great way to break up the look a bit and accentuate the waist.”

MUTED TONES

“Obviously red is the traditional color for Hindu brides, but we’re seeing a big shift towards more muted tones–ivory, beige, mauve. The bolder colors are still present, but are being seen more frequently in embellishments and other accessories.”

LOW NECKLINES

“Necklines are something that have changed a lot in the last decade. We’re seeing a lot more cropped tops with scoop necklines or v-necks–a bit like a bandeau style–which creates space for statement jewelry.”

Best Face Forward:

skin-savers we’re loving this season 5

With its dry air and colder temps, winter can bring with it a fair share of skin woes. From scaly patches, to increased redness, to tiresome tightness, the season’s side effects mean we all could give our faces an extra dose of TLC this time of year. We’ve rounded up some of the best ultra-hydrating moisturizers to get through the toughest months, no matter your skin type

SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O. VITAMIN C RICH HYDRATION CREAM.

$65, sundayriley.com

Give your skin its daily vitamins with this antioxidant-rich moisturizer that brightens dull skin and shields it from daily pollution. Plus, the citrusy scent and colorful packaging help brighten the winter blues.

TULA 24-7 MOISTURE HYDRATING DAY & NIGHT CREAM.

$54, tula.com

As a practicing gastroenterologist, Tula founder Dr. Roshini Raj wanted to bring the healing power of probiotics straight to the skin, and this crowdfavorite moisturizer comes packed with the irritation-fighting ingredient. This lightweight cream also includes prebiotics from chicory root to keep skin in balance.

NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST

WATER GEL.

$23, neutrogena.com.

Perfect for those with oily skin, this non-greasy formula slides on with ease and creates a protective moisture barrier all day long.

Boosted with hyaluronic acid, the gel absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind a shine.

TRUE BOTANICALS CHEBULA EXTREME CREAM

$110, truebotanicals.com

This lightweight sunscreen offers protection against UVA and UVB rays and the blue light that is emitted from our phones and computers. The gel-like formula is completely clear, making it great for deep skin tones. Did we mention it also acts as a primer? Safe for all skin types, this pink dream cream has quickly become a celeb-fave for its plumping properties and wax-free formulation. Its star ingredients include Chebula, long used in Ayurvedic medicine, but only recently extracted for skincare. Heaping with antioxidants, the ingredient helps maintain hydration, strengthens the skin at all layers, and heals UV damage.

BANYAN BOTANICALS BEAUTY BALM

$22, banyanbotanicals.com

This versatile and affordable balm combines the moisturizing powers of ghee with healing herbs shatavari and ashwagandha. Smooth onto the face, lips, elbows, or anywhere that might need a serious hydration boost.

Three South Asian Beauty Influencers to Follow

Representation matters, and that includes in the world of beauty. If you’re looking for makeup tips, tricks, or inspiration that celebrates brown skin, these three desi beauty and makeup influencers have you covered.

ANKITA CHATURVEDI / @CORALLISTA

Ankita is a beauty influence based in the UK with more than 350K followers on Instagram. Her skincare tips and stunning makeup tutorials incorporate the latest trends, making her a popular pick among millennials. Wondering how to deal with acne? Looking for Diwali makeup inspo? Ankita can help.

corallistablog

4,181 posts 351K followers

1,008 following

Ankita • Corallista Digital creator

While working as an editor at Cosmo India, Arshia noticed a shortage of South Asian content creators and decided to fill that void. She uses her feed to proudly display her Indian heritage and share her professional beauty, fashion, and lifestyle tips.

arshiamoorjani

3,045 posts 417K followers

1,365 following

Tamanna is a makeup artist, Youtuber, and owner of the digital community, Dress Your Face. In 2013, she gained notoriety when she collaborated with beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hills on an eyeshadow palette inspired by her Indian-Afghani background. Aside from her online tutorials, Tamanna also teaches online makeup courses.

dressyourface

4,019 posts 2.7M followers

685 following

Los

ARSHIA MOORJANI / @ ARSHIAMOORJANI

Arshia Moorjani Entrepreneur

TAMANNA ROASHAN / @DRESSYOURFACE

TAMANNA ROASHAN

Angeles MUA + Global Beauty Educator

Breathe

•

Medical

Gaslighting

How to advocate for yourself

In Her Words

Deepika Padukone

Explainer

What is Hysteria?

Medical Gaslighting

Studies show female patients of color are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed by medical providers. Here’s expert advice to keep you safe.

For hours, Anita Rishe lay in bed with one singular thought swinging back and forth across her brain. Something didn’t feel right. The symptoms, she would later tell doctors, were a bit hard to identify, but she felt vague nausea and intermittent chest pain. She was sweaty and dizzy. And even though it was nearly a decade since her mom died from heart failure, she couldn’t get the thought out of her head that she was having a heart attack.

Hours later, in the emergency room, doctors dismissed her symptoms, saying her EKG looked normal, but Rishe persisted. Finally, a stress test showed a blockage, and she got a stent put in by the end of the night. A nurse told her that her dogged determination may have saved her life. Research suggests that diagnostic errors occur in up to one out of every seven encounters between a doctor and patient, and that most of these mistakes are driven by the physician’s lack of knowledge. Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed than men in a variety of situations.

Patients who have felt that their symptoms were inappropriately dismissed as minor or primarily psychological by doctors are using the term “medical gaslighting” to describe their experiences and sharing their stories on social media. The term derives from a play called “Gaslight” about a husband’s attempt to drive his wife insane. And many patients, particularly women and people of color,

describe the search for accurate diagnosis and treatment as mad dening. “We know that women, and especially women of color, are often If your symptoms are being dismissed or you fear you are being medically gaslit, here’s advice on protecting yourself.

Soak It In

In a new study published in the medical journal Psychology Today, researchers found that people who took a bath once a day had a 28 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 26 percent lower risk of stroke, compared to those who never bathed.

KEEP A SYMPTOM JOURNAL. Writing down symptom information, like when symptoms start and stop and what makes them better or worse, helps create a detailed record that you can bring to your appointment.

PREPARE A LIST OF QUESTIONS. Make a list of questions you want answered, and use them to set the agenda for your visit. Your healthcare provider is trained in this and will recognize the phrase, “shared agenda setting.”

TAKE A RELATIVE OR FRIEND WITH YOU

If someone you trust is available, bring them along to your appointment. They can act as your advocate and witness.

What is Hysteria?

The inherent belief that women are more sensitive and prone to exaggerate pain isn’t just baked into our medical system—it’s baked into our very language. The word “hysteria,” in fact, comes from the Greek word for uterus, “hysteria.” There are still widespread beliefs in the medical community that anytime a woman complains about her health, it’s either related to her hormones or it’s in her head.

IN HER WORDS

Why Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone dedicated her life to advocating for women’s mental health

In early 2014, I vividly remember waking up with a hollow feeling in my stomach. I felt empty and directionless. I was irritable and I would cry endlessly. For someone who loves to multitask, making decisions suddenly felt like a burden. Waking up every morning had become a struggle. I was exhausted and often thought of giving up.

I was lucky. My mother recognized that something was amiss, and she insisted I seek professional help. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Through my journey to recover, I began to understand the stigma and lack of awareness associated with mental illness can be so impactful. I felt a deep need to save at least one life. It was this very need that motivated me to go public with my illness and launch the Live Love Laugh Foundation.

Mental illness presented us all with a very tough challenge. Now more than ever, we need to prioritize the needs of each individual, including those impacted by mental illness. My love-hate relationship with the illness has taught me so much. To be patient for one, that you are not alone. Most importantly, there is hope.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, INCLUDING THOSE IMPACTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS.

— DEEPIKA PADUKONE

to

Riches Dorm

How Ooshma Garg ’s Gobble became the first and only profitable acquisition in the direct-toconsumer food business.

• Pratika Yashaswi •

PHOTOS: TYLER WANG

hen you meet Ooshma Garg, serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of 15-minute meal kit service Gobble, you can’t help but be inspired and impressed—and not in the least because she’s a Forbes and Inc magazine 30 under 30 honoree. Her company, which became profitable in 2019, was recently acquired by global meal and supplement solutions conglomerate Intelligent Foods—the first and only profitable acquisition in the D2C food industry to date.

Daughter of physicians and physician-scientists, Garg grew up with the enviable luxury of having nutritious and delicious food prepared by her father every day. Chief of Nutrition and Endocrinology at UT Southwestern in Dallas, he inspired in his daughter a soulful appreciation of home cooking, which she turned into a hugely successful, profitable, debt-free business.

Today, Gobble has fulfilled hundreds of millions of dollars in orders across the continental United States. It has grown sustainably and profitably without external capital for over four years. Thanks to Gobble, its acquiring company Intelligent Foods will now have the capacity to produce more than $1.5 billion in food products annually across its facilities.

Garg’s history of entrepreneurship dates back to high school. Her first “serious” business, which was in the field of recruitment, began her junior year in her dorm room at Stanford (where she was studying biomechanical engineering). She confesses she didn’t get much sleep during that period. She had raised all the beds in her 200 feet dorm room to the ceiling and put desks under them, a true-blue dorm-room startup. For much of the time, she was sleeping in friends’ rooms. “I was just very scrappy and enthralled with the idea of building a company,” she says.

SEEMA sat down with Garg to talk about Gobble, her personal story, and how tech is changing people’s relationship with food.

GOBBLE WAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY INTELLIGENT FOODS, AND YOU’RE NOW CEO OF BOTH SUNBASKET AND GOBBLE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY?

My friends are calling it a decade-long overnight success. It means a lot to me because building Gobble has taken up my entire adult life. It’s one thing to have an ending to a chapter. But it’s another thing for that to be truly a dream come true, something very successful. And that’s not always guaranteed. Gobble has been through many ups and downs. There were numerous times we almost ran out of money or funding… Underneath this hair is all tons of gray hair. I feel like an 80-year-old on the inside. But I am very grateful. This year, we found a partner that saw so much value in what we had built. And it was the right fit, not a forced fit. So that was special.

GOBBLE’S TECHNOLOGY MAPS EACH PERSON’S TASTES TO DEVELOP THE PERFECT WEEKLY PLAYLIST FOR THEIR DIET PREFERENCES. THAT’S AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF HOW TECH IS TRANSFORMING PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOOD AS WELL AS OFFERING PERSONALIZATION. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO IT THAT WAY?

It wasn’t easy. Finding the algorithm to your tastes is one of the most challenging machine learning problems out there. People eat three to four times a day, but their eating preferences vary for each meal period. So you might be willing to have the same breakfast multiple days in a row multiple times a week, but maybe you want something different for dinner? And then, how often do you want to eat the same dinner before you get bored of it? And that’s just talking about repeatability. Someone might say that they’re eating healthy, but their order behavior is very different from their stated preferences. How do we give you what you want without insulting you and saying, “Well, we know that you like this, even though your goals are different.” So, there’s just so much nuance even regarding personal preferences, allergens and so on. It’s an exciting and challenging problem. And I think we’ve made a lot of headway with the tens of thousands of data points we collect every week. And what’s exciting is that once you’re collecting and analyzing that data, you can streamline the back end of the operations. So what I’d like to do is have, for example, 50 ingredients and, with those ingredients, make completely different personalized meals for every single person in our membership.

THE INITIAL DAYS FOR A STARTUP FOUNDER CAN BE QUITE LONELY. NOBODY SEEMS TO LOVE YOUR IDEA, AND YOU HAVE TO KNOCK ON MANY DOORS AND GET NO AS AN ANSWER. HOW DID YOU KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED? Well, you’re right. It is very lonely. There are many nights when you’re working until the wee hours and eating whatever fast food is, is available. And I think the motivation came from two places: One is that when I saw someone interested in what I was building, or paying money for my website, or my service, or the food I was providing—that is very intoxicating. It’s so validating and fulfilling to create something with your own hands that people value. That kept me motivated through all those internal struggles and dark times —that there were people out there interested in giving me a positive review and wanting me to succeed. Beyond that, there’s just been this fire in my heart, I guess, from starting the business from something very true to myself.

GOBBLE HAS BEEN MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR MANY PEOPLE: FROM TENNIS SUPERSTARS LIKE SERENA WILLIAMS TO REGULAR STUDENTS. DO YOU HAVE ONE MEMORABLE STORY OF SOMEBODY WHO’S A DELIGHTED USER? One story sticks out in particular. I was interviewing a gentleman who wanted to work at our company. And at the very end, he shared with me that he’d been a Gobble member recently. He shared that he had gotten divorced in the last year, and it turned his life upside down because his ex-wife used to do all the cooking, and he gets his son every other week. He was still struggling with building a home or getting into a rhythm with his son. He started using Gobble, which helped him learn how to cook and made it easy with the 15-minute dinner kits. But the story he shared with me was that a couple of weeks into that, his son looked up at him as he was cooking and said, “Dad, it feels like we’re a family again.” That stuck because it’s not about the food, necessarily. It’s not the spaghetti, or the chicken tikka masala. To give to people that sense of relationship and and closeness over something I built—that’s very special.

Sometimes we freeze ourselves because we’re so worried about 10 steps ahead. But if we can break it down into just the next thing, or the next day, one day, you’ll look back and see, Wow,you climbedawhole mountain.

“I learned how to think bigger and bigger and scale my efforts. That is beneficial now that I’m leading more than 1,000 employees and hundreds of millions of dollars of business a year in food revenue.”

GOBBLE IS SUCH AN INSPIRING SUCCESS STORY, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE CONSIDERING GOING THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP ROUTE. CAN YOU OFFER ADVICE FOR YOUNG SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO MIGHT BE DAUNTED BY THE IDEA OF STARTING THEIR OWN COMPANY?

My advice is to begin anyway, even if you’re feeling overwhelmed. And what I mean by that is, no matter what anybody else says or tells you, or the hurdle you encounter or your impostor syndrome or self-talk, take one step and and then one more step forward. And then after that, take another step and another step. Sometimes we freeze ourselves because we’re so worried about 10 steps ahead. But if we can break it down into just the next thing, or the next day one day, you’ll look back and see, Wow, you climbed a whole mountain

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE KEY LESSONS YOU’VE TAKEN FROM YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY?

Thinking big is a learned skill. I thought my first company idea was a tremendous idea. And when I went to fundraise, I received feedback that it was a niche idea, that it was something that I could build without funding. That had only a certain market cap. I took offense to that because my company was a reflection of my identity, and I felt like people were saying that I was less than other entrepreneurs. However, after making products and going through the idea maze, I learned that I had chosen a niche for my business, and perhaps I could think even bigger. That’s one big change that occurs by just not studying, but by starting, and by just getting out there. And learning by doing is also really important—I learned how to think bigger and bigger and scale my efforts. That is beneficial now that I’m leading more than 1,000 employees and hundreds of millions of dollars of business a year in food revenue, and I’m hoping to continue growing.

WHAT WAS THE SMALL IDEA? AND WHAT’S YOUR DEFINITION OF WHAT’S THE BIGGER IDEA?

Well, the first idea was what we called Peer-to-Peer Lasagna, and how it manifested was, we had an online marketplace for people to order homecooked food from other people, like hobbyist chefs, aunties and uncles and grandmas and grandpas nearby. So when I first started Gobble, we had home chefs in the Bay Area making some extra portions of food. And I was the delivery driver picking up that food and delivering it to hungry kids or employees at tech startups late at night. But that model wasn’t very scalable. Once, an Italian woman’s eggplant parmesan got popular. But she wasn’t able to make 200 of them per night. She was only able to fulfill 20. In addition, we were limited by how far we could drive. And if you’re only paying 5 or 6 dollars for delivery, someone can’t drive from San Jose to San Francisco two hours to deliver the food.

I learned that by doing and saw how hard we were working to fulfill a limited amount of potential. That’s where the iteration comes in. I thought about how we could reach more people, and that’s how we came upon refrigerated shipments. Now, instead of just seven miles, we could reach seven states across the West Coast. And that was so exciting for me. By a simple change in the model, I didn’t have to earn that growth, I just had to be smart enough to design that growth.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND? WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS BESIDES FOOD?

I’m a big fan of the outdoors, and I live near Golden Gate Bridge. There are a number of parks in San Francisco where I go for long walks every day to clear my head as a walking meditation and to be with the outdoors. It’s so grounding. I don’t have just one hobby—I’m always going out and reading new books or exploring new places, really soaking up all the different museum exhibits and live musicians and, arts and culture here. I’m a big fan of putting myself out there learning and experiencing new things.

and

Changing Hearts Minds

A new focus on mental health in the South Asian community is improving lives and slowly but surely removing lingering stigma.

• Lindsey Galloway •

OSarika

Agarwal’s life looked perfect. She scored top grades, excelled in Indian classical dance, and was respected by her family and community. But in her drive to please everyone around her, she became dependent on others and their approval for her self-worth and self-confidence, and a lingering sadness and constant stress crept in.

When she turned to her community to talk about the emotions she was having, people reacted in stark contrast to the positive ways they reacted toward her achievements. “When I told a family member about my mental illness, I was labeled as ‘crazy,’” she says. “The resulting embarrassment led me to stay silent for years.” Isolated in her own thoughts, she eventually turned to self-harm and a suicide attempt, until she finally found help to treat her diagnosed major depression and anxiety.

Agarwal is far from alone. According to the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA), one in five South Asians in the U.S. report experiencing a mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime, but often express greater stigma toward mental health than other groups. This stigma can sometimes lead to deadly consequences. Studies show that suicide continues to

be the leading cause of death among South Asian Americans at ages 15 to 24, and Asian American girls in grades 9 through 12 are 20 percent more likely to attempt suicide as compared to white female students.

The stigma against mental illness can make it harder to reach out for help when needed. “South Asian communities are often collectivist and familycentered with a hierarchy that promotes the collective family interests over individual interest,” said Anjali Gowda Ferguson, Ph.D., LCP, a culturally responsive psychologist. “This messaging suggests that focusing on the self may be inconsiderate of larger community demands. Women may receive messaging that this focus is selfish or unnecessary.”

However, a new wave of celebrity openness, generational attitude shifts, and the expanding resources that emerged during Covid-19 are changing the conversation around mental health, creating safer spaces to share our emotions, and allowing all of us the opportunity to build a more balanced body and mind.

TAKING THE FIRST STEP

Acknowledging your own feelings can be a good first step to taking your own mental health seriously, along with recognizing that struggling does not make you less-than. “As a South Asian woman, I felt so much pressure to be perfect, and I was incapable of seeing a way in which I could admit to suffering mental illness and ask for help while still maintaining that ‘perfect’ image,” says Agarwal. “I only saw two choices: I either became a disappointment to my community

by disclosing my hardships, or a disappointment to myself by continuing to suffer in silence.” But she eventually realized that being someone who struggled with mental illness and being someone the community could be proud of did not have to be mutually exclusive.

In fact, taking care of ourselves can allow us to be in greater service to the people around us. Dr. Ferguson likens taking care of our mental health to putting your oxygen mask on first in an airplane emergency, emphasizing that it’s important we put on our own oxygen masks first before helping others. By seeking support for our mental health, we can create a more solid foundation for our family and friends.

“It does not make you selfish for doing so, it actually makes you stronger, more able to face the demands of your role as a South Asian woman, and ultimately more able and capable of supporting your family and community,” says Dr. Ferguson. “So, start by acknowledging your needs and seek support [systems] that are culturally-informed and a mental health provider who understands the nuanced demands of the culture and how it impacts your mental health.”

ONGOING CHALLENGES

A mental health journey isn’t often a linear one, with ups and downs that can shift as our lives continue to change. For Agarwal, that meant reminding herself that low days weren’t an indication of her getting sick again or as a failure, but as an opportunity to use the tools she’s learned to to manage through and emerge on the other side more quickly than before.

The value of rest for our mental health can be another area that can feel at odds with cultural conditioning. “Whenever I used to take rest, I felt lazy. Why be resting when I could be working on achieving something more?” says Agarwal. “Yet as I’ve started prioritizing my mental health, I’ve realized that taking rest is not lazy, but rather one of the most responsible things I can do for myself.” Instead of running ragged to the point of burnout and failure, she began to recognize that rest is what enables both her mind and body the ability to achieve.

TO SPEAK OR NOT TO SPEAK

Even when we embrace our own mental health struggles, talking with friends and family members about it can still feel fraught, and positive feedback is never a guarantee. When and if you decide to share this journey with others, it can be helpful to set your own expectations of what you want out of the process.

Before disclosing to others, Dr. Ferguson recommends preparing answers to the following questions:

• What would you like to achieve out of sharing the process?

• Do you need to share every detail?

• What would you like that individual to do with the information?

If they fall short of your expectations and do not respond in the way you’d like, it’s important to also have a self-care and coping plan. Boundaries can also be important during this journey, and it’s okay to distance yourself from someone until you are in a

better, more internally resourced place. “Remember that you do not need other people’s acceptance to focus on your health needs. Taking care of yourself does not need to be approved,” said Dr. Ferguson. “If you broke your arm and needed surgery to fix it, would you ask for approval from your family members before seeking surgery?”

Agarwal also recommends taking a compassionate response when possible. “Consider that people’s reactions to this topic are not personal but are rather coming from an extremely powerful cultural misinterpretation that has been around for centuries,” she said. Pushback isn’t always an attack, but often a lack of knowledge on a topic; and patience, especially with friends and family members, can start to pave the way for bigger change.

For Agarwal, now a public speaker for mental health education organization Minding Your Mind and a third-year therapist in a doctoral program, speaking

up became a powerful way to continue to heal herself and help others. “As I started opening up about my mental health and not letting other people’s reactions discourage me from speaking my truth, I realized that communicating honestly about my illness in spite of the stigma is what allowed me to combat it.”

Her honesty also continues to help others. She recalls the time she spoke to a group of parents at a nearby school. “An Indian woman in her 50s came up to me afterwards in tears and said ‘I now realize I’ve understood my daughter all wrong. There’s nothing wrong with her; she’s just suffering.’”

As Agarwal continues on her journey, she emphasizes that mental health issues aren’t indicative of who you are, but rather what you’re going through. “Asking for help does not change your identity,” she says. “Quite the opposite. Accepting help and being able to heal will allow you to become the greatest version of yourself that you can possibly be.”

3 WOMEN FORGING NEW FRONTIERS IN MENTAL HEALTH

changing the face of mental health support.

Deepika Padukone Founder, Live Love Laugh Foundation

Actor Deepika Padukone still remembers the day vividly when she woke up directionless and empty. While she often thought about giving up, her mother recognized something was amiss and insisted she get professional help. After being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, she started a long road

to recovery. “The love and support of my family, counselor, and psychiatrist encouraged me through those dark days,” she says. But in her journey, she recognized the stigma and lack of awareness around mental illness. She wanted to be able to save at least one life and decided to go public about her illness and set up the Live Love Laugh Foundation. Today, the foundation works toward providing mental health education, building mental health capacity for doctors, and enabling mental healthcare access in rural areas.

thelivelovelaughfoundation.org

Through their research, advocacy, and education, these women are

Mental Health Resources

988.

Designed to be used just like 911, the 988 number connects those in crisis to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Brand new in 2020, the number can be used for calls, texts, or chats for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. samhsa.gov/find-help/988

SAMHIN.

Originally started in New Jersey, the South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network now provides nationwide access to research, resources, and a searchable database of mental health professionals. samhin.org

Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. This partnership between Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School provides free daily meditation and mindfulness practices to help ease anxiety, grief, and fear. You can register for live sessions in advance on the website. chacmc.org/connect

SAPHA.

The South Asian Public Health Association focuses on promoting the health and well-being of South Asian communities in the United States, and provides culturally specific resources and health providers. Visit sapha.org/community-guide/ mental-health-resources

Preetha Nooyi Principal, Business Development at the Noetic Fund

The daughter of business icon Indra Nooyi, Preetha Nooyi is making her own strides as a leader at Noetic, which invests globally in companies at the forefront of mental health therapeutics in biotech, digital health, and medical devices. “In my role, I love educating people about what’s happening in mental health and psychedelics,” she says. “It’s not just about investing. This is really about providing help and support to those who need it.”

Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MA, NCC Creator of Brown Girl Therapy

When she embarked on her

own therapy journey, Sahaj Kaur Kohli was living with her immigrant parents who didn’t understand her need for professional support. But the experience inspired her to provide support and encouragement to others, and create the community Brown Girl Therapy while starting her own practice. “I know that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t had years of therapy,” she said. “I really wanted to be able to provide that to someone else.”

She now runs the Culturally Enough community and newsletter for those who want to learn to live more authentically in their bicultural/multicultural identity, and is the author of the forthcoming book But What Will People Say? On Navigating Mental Health as the Child of Immigrants. sahajkohli.com

STEAM Gaining

After decades being vastly outnumbered by men, women are gaining traction in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Here, three South Asian women share triumphs and challenges and discuss what must to be done to make the STEM fields more accessible for women

• Cate Reynolds •

While the numbers are still unbalanced, women are showing significant gains in STEM fields, accounting for 27 percent of the workforce, compared to only 8 percent in 1970. However, given that women make up 48 percent of the United States workforce, compared to 38 percent five decades ago, the STEM fields still have ground to make up to reach equal representation. Historically, women were not encouraged to pursue science and math education, which fueled the gender gap in the STEM fields. A recent survey found that women in STEM were more than twice as likely to say they are considering leaving the workforce compared to women in other industries. Factors like gender stereotypes, maledominated cultures, lack of female role models, and math anxiety continue to perpetuate gender STEM gaps. A large pay gaps still exists between men and women in STEM, with women earning around 74 percent of men’s median earnings. While great strides have been made in closing the gender gap, the STEM fields are still falling short in many ways. To learn how the field has changed, and the importance of representation in STEM, we spoke with three science superstars about their experience as women in STEM: Dr. Sugata Banerjee: a gynecologist and obstetrician, Dr. Surita Banerjee, a surgical resident at BronxCare Health System, and Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Biogen.

IN YOUR EARLY LIFE, HOW WERE YOU EXPOSED TO STEM? WAS THAT SOMETHING GIRLS WERE ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE?

SUGATA: In my early life, women were more of homemakers. People thought a career suitable for women would be that of a teacher, professor or something like that. In most lower-middle-class and middle-class families, boys were given the most education, especially in STEM. Women were considered unable to understand mathematics and science.

SURITA: I grew up in India, fortunately in a very matriarchal family of doctors. So I was exposed to medicine and science at a very young age. Growing up, I saw my mother as this bad-ass doctor who made her presence felt professionally as she beautifully managed her personal life. Even at school when my mother would come for PTA meetings, she had a different way about her, which was endearing and intimidating, and I remember desperately wanting to be her.

MAHA: Medicine has always been my passion. I believe as early as six or seven years old, I used to be fascinated by the opportunity to really understand science. Physics, chemistry, and biology were the three subjects that I was attracted to. My parents were unable to afford my education, but I serendipitously came across an exchange program that was a scholarship for medical education in the Soviet Union, then the USSR. I did not know what I was getting myself into, but my passion of becoming a physician one day and helping patients drove me. My parents were behind me, they supported me completely.

FEMALE ATTRITION IN STEM FIELDS IS OFTEN TERMED A “LEAKY PIPELINE,” WHERE WOMEN LEAVE THE FIELD BECAUSE OF WORKPLACE CULTURES, STRUCTURES, AND PRACTICES. DID YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE ISSUES? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

SUGATA: I was lucky enough to be born in a family where there was no discrimination between men and women. Whatever education my brothers got, even I was exposed to it. And I was encouraged to study science, but it really depended on the family. It’s not

Dr. Sugata Bannerjee Gynecologist & Obstetrician

Dr. Surita Bannerjee

Surgical Resident at BronxCare Health System

always in your hands. Particularly in rural India, it depends upon the economic and socioeconomic of the family.

SURITA: Sad, but true. It’s still a man’s world, and sexism at the workplace is very prevalent. However, I am surrounded by excellent female co-residents, and my mother who epitomizes the bond of womanhood. Had it not been for my female coresidents who have supported me, encouraged me, and helped me out, it would have been very difficult. Thankfully, I am lucky to have a dad and a brother who believe in me and not what society asks from women, and a few good men among my residents who understand the struggle of being women, and encourage/ support us.

MAHA: I can tell you honestly, I have not experienced it, but I’ve seen other people go through it. My guidance to them is “lean in and speak up.” Be confident, be bold, practice radical candor, and show people that you can also be vulnerable. I tell people don’t use gender to discriminate against yourself. Show people your merit. It’s as simple as leaning in and speaking up.

Make this a mantra. It’s about confidence and not feeling inhibited just because you’re a woman.

WHILE NOT ALL STEM FIELDS AND JOBS ARE MONOLITHIC, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR PROFESSION CHANGE? HAS THE ENVIRONMENT BECOME MORE WELCOMING TOWARD WOMEN DURING YOUR TIME IN THE FIELD?

SUGATA: Engineering [in particular] is something that [wasn’t considered] a woman’s domain. Now, there are many female engineers cropping up, but it used to be an absolute no-no.

SURITA: Definitely. Hospitals and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education are more understanding and lenient about maternity leave and my current hospital is trying to find a place for lactating mothers where they can comfortably breastfeed. Policies have changed where we are actively coached to open up and complain about any sort of harassment faced at the workplace.

Do not be afraid to use your voice. There’s nothing more beautiful or sexy than a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind.”

Dr. Surita Banerjee

MAHA: I think the women workforce has significantly expanded, there are a lot more opportunities opening up. But having said that, I don’t know if there are enough mentoring opportunities for women that are just coming out of undergrad and graduate programs. So, you know, I do think that it merits more discussion in terms of what else could we be doing to show [girls and women] what is possible in terms of career. When I graduated medical school, all I knew was I was going to either practice in an institution or open my own private practice. That’s the world I knew existed for a physician. I didn’t think about combining medicine, business, and corporate America. And I don’t know if women today have that opportunity. The question is, how do we open that up for them?

WHY IS IT SO CRUCIAL FOR WOMEN TO BE PROMINENT IN SCIENCE?

SUGATA: It’s crucial that women have a science background. They should study science, even if it is at a basic level, because maybe a woman might not like science, but otherwise she will not be exposed to modern technology.

SURITA: As the old saying goes “If you need a job to be heard, tell a man. If you need that job to be done, tell a woman!”

Jokes aside, I think it’s very important for young women, especially young South Asian women, to have strong women role models. From a very young age, South Asian women are taught about getting married and having kids. Like their life will cease to exist, if they are not married by 30 and have kids. Having a well-rounded life is important, which means having a career is equally important as having a family and especially in the current socioeconomic climate, it’s imperative, women have financial independence.

I am 30+, happily single, and love the difference I make in my patient’s lives. Also, we need more empowered women in commanding positions to guide decisions that will directly affect women’s health and reproductive rights. No uterus, no opinion, as simple as that.

MAHA: I think it’s the diversity of thinking. Women are passionate, women are

committed, women are a force when it comes to change, right? Women are more resilient, they adapt to change better, and they come out as winners. It’s just because of all the different life situations we go through. Right. I feel that women have what it takes to be leaders, what it takes to be a pioneer, what it takes to be innovators and champions. That is something we need to empower women of Asian descent to really appreciate, recognize, and be bold about. The cultural upbringing in Asia is women need to be soft spoken, women need to be polite. All these taboos and stigmas need to go away.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG SOUTH ASIAN GIRL INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER IN SCIENCE?

SUGATA: South Asian girls – or anyone in the world – should be encouraged to pursue a career in science if they’re interested. Science gives you a greater domain. Science is developing so fast, and it allows you to be more exposed to more techniques and modern gadgets. So I think it’s important for every girl to know and be exposed to science.

SURITA: If you can take anything away from this little conversation, it would be to go ahead with your dreams of pursuing science. We need young minds and strong female role models who in turn will carry on the torch and influence other young minds, like the ripple effect. Not only science, but this also holds true for any field art/literature/ sports. Read, be aware, have an opinion, and do not be afraid to use your voice. There’s nothing more beautiful or sexy than a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. The goal in life is to have a well-rounded life, which includes both personal and professional lives.

MAHA: I would say follow your dreams, follow your brain, and follow your heart. Do not give up. Find the ways to open up the doors. We also need to showcase opportunities, and whose doors can they knock on, who can be their mentors, who can show them, what are some of the things that are possible. Reach for what is possible, and everything is possible as long as you have that dream.

Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan Sr. Vice President & Chief Medical Officer of Biogen

Don’t use gender to discriminate against yourself. Show people your merit. It’s as simple as leaning in and speaking up. Make this a mantra. It’s about confidence and not feeling inhibited just because you’re a woman.

Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan

The

Guardian

• Abhijit Masih •

Priya Gupta Israni is the president of IHC for Her, an organization focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, reintegrating and empowering victims of sex trafficking, both in India and the U.S. An artist and designer who also has a degree in clinical psychology, she shares her journey, which began in India, her work with IHC for Her, and her plans for her label.

Tell us a little bit about your growing years. I was born and grew up in Jaipur. I finished my master’s in clinical psychology, then went on to Bangalore, where I studied fashion. I got married, came here and then studied fashion at Parsons in New York City.

As the president of IHC for Her you focus on helping victims of human trafficking. What sparked your interest?

My brother was born with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Growing up in a household where your own younger brother has so many challenges, I think, creates room for empathy. It creates room for not always being the center of attention. For me today, when I look back, I think that is really where my journey began. To be able to help anybody who needs help.

What is the mission of IHC for Her?

IHC for Her provides the survivor a second chance at creating their own narrative,

Priya Gupta Israni

A creative designer, she also doubles as a champion of survivors of trafficking.

a right to their own hopes and dreams and the potential to a better life. A lot of resources, a lot of great NGO work is being done in terms of rescuing these young victims of sexual trafficking. Unfortunately, when they come to a shelter, they are not getting adequate training, whether it’s vocational training, educational or supplemental training. Once they turn 18, they have to move past the shelter and go into the real world, but they do not have skills to be able to survive and become self reliant. Unfortunately, at that point, some of them choose to go back into the world of trafficking. At IHC for Her, we focus our primary attention to ensuring that the survivor has been fully trained in financial literacy, digital literacy, foundational education and a vocational skilling course with the aim that when she leaves the shelter, she is able to be fully self reliant in making a living. So that when she’s 18, and needs to move on, she’s either able to get a job or open a small business. For candidates in our program, who are opting for opening their own small businesses, we also provide them seed money. Our entire cycle ensures that each survivor is fully self reliant and is able to break away from her set of circumstances in the past.

How can an individual or an organization assist IHC for Her in rescuing and rehabilitating victims of sexual trafficking?

In the not-for-profit world, the first and foremost help that one can use is donating. If you can help raise funds and donate funds, because it takes a certain amount of experience. We no longer are a conceptual organization; we’re doing work on ground and are seeing results. So if there are corporations that can match donations, please reach out. The more support we get from you financially, the more the girls we are able to help. You can also be what we call amplify. If you talk to us, you’re able to then talk to 10 or 20 more families. This is where great work is being done, because the more people know that this is an issue, whether they live in India or here, the more we can protect our kids. Lastly, if you think you can in any capacity spread the word, reach out and help us. Our entire mission in the United States, besides our chapter in India, is also to create awareness so that we can keep our children safer.

Tell us a little about the other side of your life, as a designer and your label.

I have had a long journey before I came to United States when I got married. It’s almost been 25 years.

Growing up in a household where your younger brother has so many challenges, creates room for empathy. It creates room for not always being the center of attention.

I had my own fashion label in Jaipur, where I learned everything from manufacturing, and so on and so forth. Coming here, though, I had to pivot a little bit as one does when you come here because my degree was not being recognized. I had the skill that I accrued in India, for designing but I couldn’t actually begin my own design label that early on, because you need seed money. But I did work extensively for a very long time with home shopping network. So I learned a lot about how American business works. And then fast forward to now, where I am in the process of launching my label. It’s always been my creative passion, but I think also it can be very instrumental in being able to help the girls big. Everything I manufacture and sell, already has built in money for the girls. So 10 percent of my profit on each sale goes to our own organization.

How do you take a break from your profound work and de-stress?

For me, my biggest refuge is my home. My husband Manish and my daughter are exceptional singers. My son, he’s a fine young man. We have so much laughter and joy at home. That’s really thanks to my husband, because I’m bringing in so much weight having worked with the survivors that I need levity. Really, all three of them provide levity. Other than that I meditate and have done for a number of years now. I also am an artist, and I sketch and paint. So if and when I do get time, then that’s really where my heart is in the ability to be able to create.

At IHC for Her, we focus our attention on ensuring that the survivor has been fully trained in financial literacy, digital literacy, foundational education, and vocational skills with the aim that when she leaves the shelter, she is able to be fully self-reliant.

For me, my biggest refuge is my home.

“

Vegetarian Reset: “ 75 Low-Carb, ” The Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World

BY VASUDHA VISWANATH

“The Vegetarian Reset” has 75 lowcarb and high-protein recipes rooted in whole foods such as vegetables, legumes, spices, and healthy fats.

In this, her debut cookbook, Viswanath takes her readers on a little trip around the world, as she draws inspiration from an array of traditional cuisines from east to west. Her recipes put vegetables front and center – for example, using riced cauliflower or spiralized vegetables in lieu of white rice or noodles, and creating breads out of less-processed alternatives like chickpea and almond flour. The smoothies are refreshingly savory, and desserts are lightly sweetened with whole fruit. Due to their focus on vegetables, the recipes in this book tend to be moderately low-carb and are

predominantly gluten-free. Nutritional facts are provided for each recipe.

Vasudha Viswanath is the founder of We Ate Well, a community for foodies that focuses on eating mindfully and sustainably on a vegetarian diet. A lifelong vegetarian and passionate home cook, her journey into eating healthy started with a doctor’s note about her elevated blood sugar after a routine physical. She transformed the way she cooked, to cut out excessive starch and sugar and found that she had never felt better. After spending over a decade on Wall Street where she specialized in technology and business strategy, Viswanath left her career in finance to write a cookbook and create We Ate Well. Viswanath, who grew up in Bangalore, India, now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

SEEMA’S VIEW

The book provides easy solutions to spend less time cooking and more time connecting with your family over a home cooked meal.

If food for you means love and family this one’s for you.

TALESSoupy

Three great recipes to make for a wholesome beginning to a meal

• Bindu Gopal Rao •

Murg ananas ka shorba , courtesy

Abhay Pratap, executive chef, Fazlani

Natures Nest

A SOUP WHETS YOUR APPETITE AND STARTS ANY MEAL ON A GOOD NOTE –AND THERE ARE SO MANY VARIATIONS OF IT. WE SHARE THREE OPTIONS FROM WELL-KNOWN CHEFS THAT YOU CAN TRY AT HOME.

This is a hearty soup with pineapple. Bromelain derived from pineapple may help in reducing the swelling and inflammation and eases out the process of respiration.

INGREDIENTS

2.5 oz cubed chicken breast

11 oz fresh pineapple juice

1 tsp oil

½ tsp Himalayan salt

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tsp minced garlic

• ½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp besan (gram flour)

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

Crushed black pepper, to taste

1 tsp coriander leaf chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, marinate chicken with salt and pepper and cook it in oven until it gets cooked

In a hot pan with oil, sauté garlic until the raw flavor is removed.

• Add all the dry spices leaving apart from the gram flour and fry until the raw flavor is removed. Toss in the cooked chicken cubes and then add gram flour and sauté for a few minutes.

Add fresh pineapple juice and honey. Bring to a boil and adjust seasoning, top with coriander, and serve hot.

Oyster mushrooms cappuccino soup , courtesy Deepak

Kashyap , executive chef, Welcomhotel Jim Corbett

Oyster mushrooms are not just nutritious, but have heart and immune system benefits, help keep blood sugar at healthy levels, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

INGREDIENTS

1 oyster mushroom

1 ¾ oz chopped red onions

1 ¾ oz garlic

1 tsp celery salt

¾ oz chives

1 ¾ oz salted butter

¼ tsp crushed black pepper

5 tbsp fresh cooking cream

• ½ tbsp brandy (optional)

METHOD

Wash and cut the oyster mushrooms. Sauté garlic, onions, and chives in salted butter. Saute evenly cut oyster mushrooms, and, if you wish, flambé with brandy. Let it cool and blend it with celery salt, a little cream, and crushed pepper. Serve it with chop oyster mushrooms, cream, and greens.

Peas and mint soup , courtesy Gautam

Kumar , executive chef, Moksha

Himalaya Spa Resort

Soup prepared with seasonal fresh pea and mint has a distinct taste and flavor. This is quite easy to prepare at home and has tremendous health benefits.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz fresh green peas

6 fresh mint leaves

2 tbsp salted butter

• 1 tsp Indian whole spices

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp fresh cream

Salt, to taste

¼ tsp white pepper powder

METHOD

Blend the green and mint l eaves to a fine paste. Heat the butter in a pan ad add the Indian whole spice and bay leaf, waiting till the mix crackles. Add the green peas and mint paste, and stir the mix 3 to 4 minutes on low heat.

Add 1 2/3 cups of water, boiling the mix, then letting it simmer till it is reduced to half the original volume.

Add salt, pepper and the seasoning as required.

Add the fresh cream by stirring in a single direction (like clockwise) so that the cream does not curdle.

Strain the soup with a strainer or muslin cloth.

Boil the soup again and serve hot.

ARIES

March 21 -

April 19

It feels like a perfect time for new beginnings and major changes in life, health, relationships and finances that may shape your life this year. You are going to be pushed to your limits, and there will be moments where you feel like giving up. Everything will work out in the end. Do not give up on yourself or your dreams. It could well be your time to shine! You may find money or opportunities falling into your lap when you need them most. Pay attention to your love relationships. Invest in travel or a short getaway.

2023: Keep an open mind and adapt to the new changes that may present themselves. Don’t over-commit or extend yourself, financially if it doesn’t feel right. Implement lifestyle choices that will benefit your health.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

This is the best time to take advantage of positive changes that are happening in your life, but also to embrace the challenges that come with growth.

FORECAST WITH FARZANA

You will be working hard, and it will be worth it. Conquer your inner worries and be- lieve in yourself to take the leap. Relationships thrive with positive reinforcement, encouragement, and compassion. There’s no need to push. Be cautious in business situations, for the other party may not have your best interest in mind. Assertively, discipline yourself and set an example of integrity. Allow what’s meant for you to come with ease.

2023: Focus on doing what you want to do, instead of being caught up in what other people think of you. Reading the fine print, now can save you a lot of headaches, later.

GEMINI

May 21June 20

Now is the time to take the room by storm and tackle your goals with dedication. You have the energy,

confidence, and passion to make things happen and lead others powerfully. If you have been considering starting a business or embarking on a new job, your ideas will come to fruition. Use this time to heal any negative programming that is stopping you from getting where you would like to be. If in a relationship, this is the year to deepen your bond. Expand your financial profile through new investments, or perhaps start a side hustle.

2023: As you navigate this time in your life, focus on the power of now however, keep your vision in sight. Be patient, listen to your intuition, and know that the universe is working on your behalf.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

You may find that the only way to fix a problem, sometimes is to leave it and move on. You are headed towards a much better position in life, so long as you are willing to evolve and shed everything that holds you back. The probability of you moving house, evolving in a relationship, going through a mental

shift, changing jobs or an elevation, is likely. As you find material stability, let past experiences remind you to keep an eye out on behaviors that perpetrate a pattern in your financial investments, personal relationships and career dealings.

2023: Patience and gratitude are key. This is not a time to tuck tail and run but stay steadfast and complete whatever you undertake. It’s important you must look ahead and not just backwards or, you may risk falling over.

LEO

July 23 -

August 22

The year indicates happier times, uplifting and positive energy and good feelings. You find people from your past coming back into your life. Weddings, engagement parties, baby showers and other celebrations keep you heady and inspire you to spend quality time with people you cherish. Money makes its way to you but you could find yourself spending a lot, perhaps on these celebrations. Focus on areas that might be disjointed, and work on piecing them back together one at a time. You may land a new contract, relocate, increase sales, or get a promotion. Be mindful and balance your love and friendships.

2023: The work that you put in, is likely to pay off. Be discerning of superficial relationships. Enjoy yourself but be focused on the impact excessive indulgence could have on your health and aim for moderation.

VIRGO

August 23 - September 22

Your life is blessed and not through luck, but hard work and efforts. It will reveal itself through a fruitful job, wise financial decisions, a secure home life, and a dedicated and long-term relationship or the arrival of new love in your life, if you are single. The possibility of an unexpected windfall is high. Property may be on your mind – to purchase, sell, renovate or construct your dream house. Your employment and career path seem solid and may support you monetarily in the long haul. Be an example of healthy living through your decisions and deeds.

2023: Spread your generosity and make sure your self-worth is not tied to your riches. A good time to prepare for the future and build a legacy like beginning a pension, creating a will, or long range investments.

LIBRA

September 23 - October 22

Get your life in order, and focus on more pressing priorities. Visualize your goal, chart the course of action, and then stick to it, relentlessly with focus, dedication, and determination. Make sure everything is planned and executed, down to the minutest detail. You thrive when you accept any responsibility given without any complaints or grudges.

In the area of love, you may want to take things slow and easy. Stable love needs time and consistent effort to blossom. If you are in search of financial or work security, it will reach you even if it is beneath mountains.

2023: Use your routine to increase your productivity without stifling your creative spark and spirit of innovation. Follow your sense of duty however quash the need to seek perfection or fall prey to workaholism.

SCORPIO

October 23No-

vember 21

While you may be at a crossroad, moving forward is your best bet. And, it requires you to make some life-changing decisions. To reap the fruits of your labor and soar to greater heights, get real with yourself. Share your challenges and fears with those who can nudge you on the path to victory. If you’ve been working your fingers to the bone, your efforts will be acknowledged and rewarded. In the matters of finance, rushing in will only ruin your chances of success. Communication is the secret sauce of empowering relationships. Take the time to truly connect with your partner.

2023: Allow yourself to have a fresh start but don’t forget the lessons you’ve learned. Tune in to a higher frequency in life and love. Expect new contracts being signed and/or some positive cash flow.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 - December 21

It is time to take a step back and reflect on where you’ve been and where do you want to go from here. Rely more on yourself for answers, intuition, and guidance. Big changes and money are no longer the oxygen that keeps your pulse moving. Conservative spending, is the need of the hour. In relationships, let go of the past to understand each other, better. Release the brakes and go with the flow, great things are on the anvil. A good time to declutter, detox and drop the past where it belongs – behind.

2023: Detach yourself from the chaos around you and lean into a more level-headed state of spiritual reflection and soul-searching. Specialization and focus are the buzzwords. Instead of being obsessed by material or spiritual pursuits, aim for balance.

CAPRICORN Decem -

ber 22January 19

While you may seem to stand alone, giv- en your strength and determination, you have the vision to push through any adversity and come out victorious. Fight your corner, stand tall, if people challenge

your belief system or call your morals into question. For the singles, change your modus operandi and do things, differently. In an existing relationship, you can withstand any challenge, as long as you’re willing to work things out and work for it. Protect what you have. Don’t waste your hard-earned money on frivolous purchases. Mute, unfollow and block, anything that’s taking away your power.

2023: The life you deserve is the one you create so be intentional about it. This is not a year to dig your heels in and declare a my-way-or-thehighway approach. Take breaks and pace yourself so your health doesn’t suffer.

2023: Stop dreaming and start doing to invent a new and radiant future. Remember, your outcomes are not set in stone. Release outdated energy and don’t overplay your part in anyone’s life.

PISCES

Feb 21

– Mar 20

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 – Feb 20

Be careful of what you wish as not everything may be as rosy as it looks. Your decisions in the present will bear significant consequences on what lies ahead. Delay any important decisions until you are clear on the objective or till it feels right. Be mindful of setting unrealistic expectations for yourself in your career lest it results in disappointment. If financial or romantic opportunities seem too good to be true right now, they probably are. Your current relationship may need some TLC, so invest time and energy in nurturing it.

The universe is aligning to bring positive changes, your way. You are in the right place, doing the right thing and achieving what you have envisioned to create a beautiful life. Make a brave move and put your original ideas into practice with focus, tenacity, and grit. However, play your cards close to your chest. You might be presented with an opportunity to mentor someone or be mentored. For those who are looking for a job or property, new opportunities emerge. Manifest the magic of a new relationship, or honor your current one with the gift of your attention.

2023: Independence, initiative and creative expression, are your strengths. Use these gifts, wisely. You might finally feel more like yourself than you have felt in a long while. Vet new acquaintances or new projects in business.

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

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