50 Inspiring Women (Gujarat)- KD Blossom

“LOVE” 39

Devaki Theatre has been a part of Devaki's family for over 90 years. As a toddler in the crib, she would be at her parent's rehearsals and listen to them perform. She started her journey in theatre at the age of five. Beginning with the chorus, she worked as a child artist, played a few main roles, managed productions, and has grown to be a solo performer. Devaki started her journey in radio 18 years back. Radio pushed her to find her own mojo & personality of expression to the audience. With an incredible journey for over 18 years, Devaki rules the airwaves. She's the most awarded RJ in the last one and a half decades. Concerning her acting, she won the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2017 for her contributions to Theatre. She also represented India in Malta at the International Radio Festival. To all the awards Devaki received, she wittily adds, \"It's surprising when you get awards, people think you are good. But the fact is, you got the awards because you were good\". Q. What is your favourite word? day, signing up for things that appreciated my expression and for being true feels like - \"Yeah, maybe I am in the right place, doing the A. Love. My father just passed away about 6 months ago. As a kid, right thing at the right time.\" we used to carry autograph books to different people. It used to have hearts, flowers, a few questions about the favorite player, question with Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from an unfinished phrase –Love is…. (blank), Friendship is….. (blank). My your journey? father filled them up as – Love is an illusion. A. Never take what you have for granted. When you stick to the same I sat beside him on his deathbed and apologized for the things I did work for a very long time, it starts becoming mundane for people. wrong as a child. I felt like I must have hurt him somehow then he told That's where the challenge begins. I don't think we initially start with me this one thing. Devaki, throughout my life I fought for things that hurt our passion, it’s the opportunity. And once, when the opportunity is me and sometimes said to people about how they have hurt me, but provided, we try to excel in it. We try to give our best and believe that today, at the gist of my life I tell you that there is nothing beyond love we have arrived at a certain peak. The problem begins. Start challenging in the world. All of us struggle for the same thing in the end. We just yourself, find a new peak and that’s how you will grow. But remember, want to be loved. If you can give that to people, that's what matters. the new peak will always cost you loneliness. Why, because there's only one who can be at the top. Time will come when somebody else Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom will occupy that peak. By then, build a new peak and keep working for into the person you are today? it. Never take what you have for granted- Keep exploring more. Don't get affected by the claps you get. Look into how you can sharpen A. Oh my god. There are many. I've had a very rollercoaster-y life. My your skills further. life was filled with so many challenges and problems for which I had to find a solution on my own. Every time I faced it, I used to tell myself that I do question something simple- Do you want to explore so many -This is it. I can't do it anymore. But then, by not giving up and coming things and experiment yourself in life or just stick to one thing and out of it I looked back and thought -Thank God that I got out of it! give your best of all? Well, it all depends on what YOU want to do. For instance, if you really want to be a superstar, succeed in life, and I have stuck to the same people for a very long time now. I have had just be known for that single thing you achieved then prepare yourself the same circle of people being close for the past 25 years of my life. for the boredom. I am very grateful for my family. The art, which I have with me enables me to experience the Catharsis through my expression every single Boredom strikes when you don’t take step towards doing things day. And I feel that only a few are fortunate enough. To elaborate, differently. It’s where you don’t reshape everyday work. If you don’t maintaining a diary that will reflect on your past is a very good habit. learn every day and don’t re-create things, automatically it gets dragged Because, when you will look back it will inspire on how you dealt with into boring. the problems 10 or 15 years back. I have maintained a digital diary for the past 18 years which speaks about my profession and self. Once I heard the famous singer Sunidhi Chauhan’s words in an interview That made me a better actor because I could exactly differentiate the \"When people win music shows, they think they've achieved everything. character and me. No. That's when you begin.\" The award is the first step from where you begin. That’s when your talent grabs the attention and you need Now when I think about the choice I made to express myself every to start living up the things that have been packed for you. 40

\"Light\" 41

SHAINA SHAH Shaina began her career as a qualified Chartered Accountant and worked with one of the prominent audit and assurance companies. Her passion for working with people and for Indian grassroots soon pulled her towards joining ICECD (International Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Development) – a foundation started in 1986 working for women entrepreneurship across 55 countries and all states of India. Since then, she has worked with a large cross-section of society in the fields of entrepreneurship, health, and sanitation, women empowerment, industrial safety, environmental issues as well as education. Her work has reached out to thousands of people especially in the grassroots of India. Q. What is your favourite word? the family is going towards the development of women and girl children, rather than to purchase basic needs A. Light. I think light captures everything. It has within for the family. its darkness. It has within its light. It has the good, bad, everything and in light, I think everything becomes one. Experiencing so many stories, living with them, and getting to know them on a first-hand basis made me a Human beings were made to feel and are light-hearted. better person in so many ways. It further inspired the If you are that, you can do anything on this planet. It also idea in me to find inspiring stories of women across the means the light that comes through from inside when world. I have been a painter since I was a child and I we go through something and come out with lessons wanted to marry that with my idea of narrating inspiring we could otherwise have not gotten. There is so much stories of women from across the world. That's how I to the word, 'Light' and I am fascinated by it. started 'The Wow Woman Project'. Q. What was the moment in your life that made Q. What would you want the young boys & girls you Blossom into the person you are today? to learn from your journey? A. The legacy that I got from my family to be a part of A. The biggest lesson that I learned is that we are all the an NGO that they have started in 1986, 35 years ago. same. We are just divided by geography. This lesson Me being a chartered accountant, I quit my fancy job has made the world my home. For example, when there and have been working with this NGO for the last 11 was a big chemical explosion that happened in Lebanon years now. I worked with over 10,000 women across and the house of a woman from 'The Wow Woman India. I worked in remote areas that still don't have water Project' got burnt, it felt like someone from my family and electricity. I've had the pleasure of working with got affected. When borders are removed, you realize adolescent girls, I have had the opportunity of training that every action of yours affects the rest of the world women entrepreneurs. Our main aim is to make these too. It's not just your small area. If we expand ourselves, women financially independent so the disposal income of we can touch everybody on the planet. 42

“R A DH A” 43

Suprava Q. What is your favourite word? Mishra A. There is one word that has always been close to my heart. The word is also a character Suprava Mishra took to learning Odissi - one of the 8 classical - RADHA. Radha lives in me and I believe that I dance forms of India - at an age too young to even understand am Radha. I have spent my entire life searching what dance meant. She is a renowned exponent of Odissi for the Krishna. When I talk to myself, I talk to classical dance. She combines tradition with innovation, Krishna. When I perform, Krishna is with me classicism with creativity, and the long established with on the stage. contemporary. With her qualities of being extremely innovative, original, creative, and thoughtful, she is a Guru every student Q. What was the moment in your life that aspires to learn from. As a teacher, she has a special quality made you Blossom into the person you in shaping the subtle and psychological framework of her are today? students. Suprava believes that dance must be linked to life and artists must use their unique position in society to make A. I used to learn dance as a kid but I was too a difference in living. young to really understand what I was learning. It was all play to me and it was about doing what my Guru was teaching me. In 1990, I met my husband for the first time. Seeing me dance, he told me that he liked watching me dance. In our conversations, I used to explain to my husband the meaning of my dance. During those conversations, talking about things that came right from my heart - I felt deep inside that I was born to pursue this. And that I was born to be Radha. I think those conversations were the defining moments that made me the person I am today. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. If I have to put it in one word, it's \"time management\". People always ask me during interviews, how I manage my time among personal life, work-life, and my dance career. I gather energy from one place and use it in another place. When I am spending time with my family, I am not spending energy, I gather energy that my family time gives me and use it at my work. It is the same with work, there is a certain energy that it gives me which I carry to my dance, and the energy I gather from my dance, I take it into my personal life. I always strive to live a complete life and I'm glad my students take that as inspiration from me. They perform amazingly well not just in their dance, but also in their studies. 44

Anoushka Parikh She is a badminton player, representing India since 2011. After having tried her hands at tennis, swimming and skating, she started playing Badminton at the age of 6 years when her mother, having identified her knack for sports, took her to one of the prestigious clubs in Ahmedabad. What started as a hobby soon turned into her passion as she fell in love with the sport. She wouldn’t miss practice for a single day and even gave parties a miss. Anoushka has won about 100 medals at state tournaments, around 50 medals at national tournaments and about 10 international medals. She is the first player from Gujarat to have won an international medal in Badminton and believes that she still has long way to go and many more laurels to win for the country. Greatness needs mental toughness, perseverance, motivation and dedicated passion and Anoushka is right on track to be amongst the top players in Badminton. “WILD” 45

Q. What is your favourite word? international tournament, that I came back home and was looked up to by a number of young aspiring players. That is when I A. \"Wild\" comes to my mind. I resonate with it. When I look back understood that with my medals come a sense of responsibility. to when I was a kid, growing up I have always been someone who When young children started to look up to me, I realized who I followed her heart, was free spirited and just wild in that sense. am as a person is far more important and of value. In a nutshell, the day I picked up the racquet, was when I began to blossom. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. After having played the sport for 18 years, and having competed at various levels, I would say who I am is a result of A. I have learned that it's all about the process and not always a long journey. Everyday has been about learning, growing, and about the outcome. Yes, you are training everyday for something being better than the previous day - in all aspects. And so, it is but you cannot control the outcome you want to achieve. You nearly impossible to mention a particular point of time when I can only control the process. You have to give it your all but also “blossomed” but I give credit to the environment that nurtured enjoy the journey. The moment you stop enjoying the journey, me. My coach always gave more importance to the kind of reaching the goal will not be as satisfying as you would have person I was over my achievements and my family always taught thought of it to be. I am delighted to see so many children taking me that values, ethics, and culture matter the most. I learned to up sports, and their parents supporting them. However, they always keep a check on my character over my medals. I believe must be realistic, and know that medals are not won overnight travel has been my greatest teacher and has groomed me to - it takes a lot of patience, sacrifice, resilience, perseverance, a great extent. Meeting people from all walks of life constantly and whatnot. Dream big, but work for it. Work hard, but smart. inspired me & learning about various cultures broadened my And when you feel like giving up, look back at why you started. perspective while keeping me grounded. However, it was when I first represented India in 2011 and won a medal at my maiden 46

Shailini Shailini Sheth Amin is the founder of MORALFIBRE - a company that aims to Sheth create conscious environmental products. They reinvented the \"Khadi\" fabric in contemporary style. MORALFIBRE has been short-listed for the Ethical Business Amin award by the Ethical Fashion Forum. Along with promoting Khadi to meet the modern fashion needs, the business also offers a new twist with a touch of the old practice. Shailini soon identified a market for khadi in the growing zero carbon footprint and clean technology movement. The hand-spun cloth comes with great quality and is sustainable. With a fashion statement, the notion of social responsibility has also been addressed in her company model, with 75 percent of profits given to a charitable trust, Sah-Unnati Foundation. The fund is used by the organization to train artisans in innovative khadi manufacturing techniques and to increase research on old khadi production methods. Q. What is your favourite word? Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Reinvention. You must reinvent the product. People always need to reinvent themselves. Innovation happens when someone A. Support the artists and support the handmade. That is the conscious renovates themselves. Khadi is such a traditional fabric, but today it's leadership to take up as an individual in the society. There is something contemporary in style. That's happening because people are coming called ESV we have in our organization. It stands for Environmental up with new perspectives to present something. New perspectives Saving Values. We work with an agency that measures the number of towards anything come through reinventing yourself. trees we save through metrics. Every time our product is purchased, that individual contributes towards saving water and other environmental Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom aspects. This phase is to gradually educate and explain the beneficial into the person you are today? environmental impact by taking one step at a time and making them more conscious even with minor actions. A. There were several turning points that made me who I believe I am. It is the inner voice of my dear aunt - who brought me up - that guided When we invest in a product, we must consider what it means to me in making many positive choices all the way. Giving is as satisfying ourselves, as well as what it represents to the world and the environment. as receiving, work with detachment, honesty to myself, commitment We attempt to establish these principles and I would like the young towards the community as a trustee are some of them. Padmashri ones to do the same. Contribute, consciously invest in the appropriate Indumati Chimanlal, my aunt, worked with Gandhi, was a freedom things, and educate people on how they may have a beneficial impact fighter and an educationist. She worked for women empowerment on the environment by taking little measures. and for the Khadi movement and it's ethos at the grassroots level all her life. She set up the first Khadi shop in Ahmedabad. I feel that my work is my small contribution and dedication towards her and many other torchbearer women like her who made us who we are. 47

“REINVENTION” 48

Kinjal “PERSISTENCE” Shah Kinjal Shah is a biomedical engineer. She works towards slum education. She is the co-founder and is a trustee member of Shwas NGO - which works for slum child education. They pick a certain community and educate parents on the value of education. In the coming phases, they would rent out the necessary infrastructure, hire full-time educators, and seek to have one instructor for every 5-6 kids. In this approach, they ensure that they give not only the best learning infrastructure but also a highly close-knit, personal learning atmosphere. Q. What is your favourite word? A. Persistence. That's the word I can think of when I look back into my 15 years of journey. I kept moving forward irrespective of what challenges came in the way. Of course, there will be difficult times that will hit you right on the face, but we shouldn’t stop. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. We initiated Shwas NGO with a group of 4-5 friends. We had been working into this for almost three years and they had progressively moved on to other projects. A few of them relocated abroad for new jobs, while others pursued different opportunities. At the time, I felt obliged to hold strong and protect the wonderful things we had begun. We were able to assist so many children in just three years. We gave the children the freedom to think, imagine, and achieve their goals. Giving up on Shwas NGO was like giving up on a child's hope. I also had a strong belief in what we were accomplishing. So that's when I decided to continue this quest. It was all about bringing out the best in me and making the children pleased with my talents. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. People are still sceptical about pursuing an unusual career as a full-time job. I want to tell them that they can. Everyone who wishes to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship may give it a second thought. After going through my own experience, I can confidently say that it is a legitimate career opportunity. When a person chooses a profession that their family and community do not understand, they will undoubtedly experience difficulties. There will be some consequences, but that is the risk that comes with taking alternative methods to life. Challenges do not make something impossible; they merely make it more difficult. If you have the will and determination to take on new challenges every day, every odd choice will turn out to be the best decision you could have made. 49

50

“Emotional Intimacy” 51

Raksha Raksha Bharadia is a writer and an editor. She has authored Bharadia three books published by Rupa & Co. She has put together 13 titles in the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series for Westland. She has also worked as a scriptwriter with Star Plus. Also, been a columnist for Femina, Ahmedabad Mirror, and DNA, Ahmedabad. Raksha has taught creative writing for a Master's Program at CEPT, Ahmedabad. Q. What is your favourite word? together and shaped me as a better person throughout life. A. Emotional Intimacy. I love what it means, but we also Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to fear the most to be vulnerable. That is how we have been learn from your journey? conditioned to. Be it the mother, father, children, partner, friends, etc., I believe there is a level of intimacy in every A. There are three quick things that I can think of. relationship of our life. Of course, we cannot be emotionally intimate with everyone in our lives, but with those we do, 1. Self-love is essential. We know how important it is, but we must give it our best. when it comes to women it gets harder. They have so many stories to tell, but the conditioning that they are used to over Q. What was the moment in your life that made you the years makes us go silent. It's critical to disrupting the Blossom into the person you are today? cycle of conditioning. A. Going within and figuring out the purpose - this has 2. It is critical to figure out what you are truly aligned to, been my constant. But everything else keeps changing. beyond the influence of external factors. I believe every It has been a continuous journey from being a housewife person is born with two or three strong suits, and with with two children who nearly always had her plate full, to a awareness and determination, they can make a living that writer who composed Chicken Soup for the Souls' Stories is rewarding both on personal and professional fronts. and now works on multiple books, to the new website that I am constructing that focuses on nurturing relationships. 3. Finally, the most important part is striking a balance In fact, in every stage of my life, whatever I went through, I between all the roles you play and working towards your wrote a book about my learnings and experiences at that goals. It is how you prioritize yourself, break the rules, time. There is no one moment, rather all the moments came embrace your abilities, and achieve your goals over time. 52

Geeta Solanki Geeta Solanki previously worked as a childbirth educator. She became aware of a graver and broader issue of menstruation cleanliness after meeting several women from varied social and economic backgrounds. This led to the establishment of her organization, Unipads- Reusable Sanitary Pads, supported by her former colleagues and friends. Their vision is to provide a sustainable solution for menstrual hygiene to underprivileged women. Geeta continues to provide the right products for women and creates awareness related to menstrual hygiene. She runs this organization with several women employees, to empower women and provide them with opportunities. Q. What is your favourite word? A. Positivity. Optimism is something that naturally comes to me and people around me also believe in that. When I tell them that things will be done, they believe me and put their trust in me. I am a positive person who looks on the brighter side regardless of any situation. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. There was no time as such. Feminism was something I was keen about at an early age. I was brought up in an orthodox family in Gujarat. Since my father was not a staunch orthodox, he let me study in a convent school and continued my education in a boarding school. My mom educated me on how a girl should behave. That led me to question certain ways of life girls are taught in our society. I always wanted to prove myself and I strongly believed that I shouldn’t stop myself from anything just because I am a woman. The desire to prove myself to the family and the community is something that surely made me the person I am today. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. If you want to do something and if you are passionate about it, just go for it. If you start calculating the pros and cons, even before you start you will have 100’s of reasons to give up. But if you find even a single reason to do it, just go for it. Trust yourself and stay positive. Try to develop an optimistic approach to any situation you face. Learn the lesson out of the adversity and be grateful for every decision you take. 53

“POSITIVITY” 54

“POWER” 55

SHRIYA DAMANI She is the founder and CEO of SkyQuest Technology Group. They are a Global Market Intelligence, Innovation Management & Commercialization organization that connect innovation to new markets, networks & collaborators for achieving sustainable development goals. She has created a team of open-minded, positive, and creative people who stand by the motto of thinking big and moving fast. The first step of innovation comes with how she has designed the organization to work towards consistent smaller steps, instead of planning to take huge leaps to get there. She is one of the inspiring self-made entrepreneurs of Gujarat. Q. What is your favourite word? A. ‘Power’ to me is something so intrinsic and gives you the freedom to operate in all spheres of life. I am not referring to the external power related to politics or money, but the inner ability to make decisions on your own and take control of this life. That to me is exhilarating. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. When I was in my third grade I always said I wanted to become an entrepreneur. It came from the power I saw in the entrepreneurs all around me. Then I took science, did college, biotechnology, seeing peers do a PhD and this cycle sort of rubbed on me. When I did my master's in art in Pondicherry, I realized peer pressure can only take me until there, and I needed to know what I really wanted to do. During my masters, the flash of light from my 3rd grade when I wanted to be an entrepreneur came and hit me back. I guess it was there when I got on track to where I am now. And it is not from one moment, but a series of small moments that you get that flash of light. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Just do it. Take a leap. You always have what it takes to achieve what you want to. Often we are in self-doubt but that’s a good thing too. It acts as a radar to keep you in the right direction. 56

Esha Shah “Phoenix” 57

Esha Shah, one half of the couple who are more popularly known as the founders of Foodaholics in Ahmedabad, manifests happiness, affability, and sheer brilliance when you first meet her. A new mother to a daughter, who she cannot wait to introduce to the world of food. By profession, Esha is a Corporate Behavioural Trainer working with recognised brands across all industries. She is also an academician where she shares her industry expertise with the students of reputed business institutes. With the intention to celebrate her love for food and flair for writing, she co-founded the community of Foodaholics in Ahmedabad. They have meticulously gathered the food enthusiasts from the city and beyond who come together to celebrate all things food. So massive is their combined love for food that the community even has a Guinness World Record for conducting the Largest Potluck Party (2016) to their merit. However, what makes Foodaholics unique is inclusivity. It welcomes people from all spheres of life, recognises all kinds of food preferences, and does it while successfully maintaining a very safe and respectful environment which is perceived as nearly unattainable in the virtual world. Q. What is your favourite word? A. Phoenix. Just like this immortal bird I find myself resurrecting from any and all misfortunes, without allowing it to dampen my spirits. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. In my early 20s I went through a succession of unfortunate events which pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Following this phase, everything I did was with the intention to live in the moment. I would not say there was a plan, but I just kept connecting the dots. In hindsight, it all makes sense. Meandering with the flow has made me the straightforward, fuss-free person that I am today. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Never regret anything that happens in your life because it does so for a reason. Even if it is adversity, it leaves you with a learning. Overt in terms of thinking and planning makes you miss enjoying the important moments in your life. Accept what's happening, embrace it, and live through it. Today, I can say, all the hardships have made sense, since I've emerged from them with a sparkle. It is important to learn from your own mistakes; you evolve into a stronger version of yourself. 58

Chitra Singla Chitra Singla is an Associate Professor, Strategy at IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA). She also provides training and consulting services for the family business and start- ups to help them grow and solve their problems. She chairs ‘Young Entrepreneurs Programme’ at IIMA. She has received many awards and honours such as the Philip Thomas Memorial Case Award, Madan Mohanka Award for Research in International Business, Most Promising Research Award' at Strategic Management Society Conference, India Chapter, and Best Paper Award for research work on Family Businesses at Academy of Management Conference, USA. Q. What is your favourite word? I became more aware of my strengths and academic interests. This did increase my A. We can do it — that is my favourite self-confidence. Post this, I completed phrase. To put it in a word, I would say my Ph.D. in Strategy from IIM Bangalore. “proactive”. We are usually trapped in a During PhD, I realised that I am very problem-oriented attitude and continue curious about the problems and growth to complain. Progress begins when we journey of family businesses and start- shift our perspective, take a solution- ups in India. Today I am in IIMA, chairing oriented approach, and trust that we can the Centre of Innovation Incubation and do it. It doesn't matter how quickly or Entrepreneurship (CIIE.CO). Looking back, slowly we make progress as long as we I can say confidently that no obstacle is a keep moving. This approach allows us to roadblock to your success if you choose grow—both personally and professionally. to believe in yourself and be persistent in your efforts. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the Q. What would you want the young person you are today? boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. A series of realisations led me to where I am today. Born and raised in a small rural A. Go with the flow. And when you face town in Punjab, my world was limited. a problem, take a solution-oriented Particularly, lack of fluency in English due approach. Being from the Strategy and to my schooling in Hindi medium acted as Entrepreneurship domain, I can vouch a hurdle in initial years of higher studies. that, problems are usually not very When I joined my master's program at IIT big, and solutions are usually not very Kanpur, I realized that my hard work and complex. Success follows when you focus my desire to excel had brought me so far on the solutions. that the language wasn't much of a barrier. 59

“Proactive” 60

SHAILI SHAH Shaili Shah is a singer and an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Mortantra - a jewellery-making company. Shaili had the concept for Mortantra when looking for personalized replica jewellery for her wedding. She decided to design her own jewellery after failing to find the perfect piece. As a result, Shaili's entrepreneurial side was born. She believes that any idea can only become a reality if one learns to overlook other people's opinions, trust in oneself, and act. Q. What is your favourite word? A. Dream. I believe everything you do today, might have been your dream once. It is all connected. I am somebody who had diverse passions. I've done theatre, been a singer, now I am an entrepreneur. All the way along, it has always been what I dreamt to become, and it has often come true. Whatever your dream, it is going to come true if you are optimistic and manifest them sincerely. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. When I started up in the jewellery segment, a lot of the fellow Entrepreneurs in my city had started calling me out saying that I am a 'wanna-be-designer' who doesn't know the technicality of designing but has just started up. Even when I was meeting the clients, they'd ask me for a quick sketch. I'd gently reply that I wasn't a designer who knew to sketch, but always had the sense of style when it came to jewellery. When I started out, all of these situations tested my flow, but it only motivated me to keep going and prove myself. I am glad I didn't quit. And now, here I am. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Many young people relate the success factor to luck. But that is not so. It is the hard work, and the leap of faith you take in the journey you set. When your intentions are right, and you put all your heart into it, then it is going to work out well in the end. Be bold to take that first step. 61

“Dream” 62

“Resilience” 63

Dr. Navneet Gill With all of the backlash that the hospitality industry has faced as a result of the pandemic, Navneet Gill, owner of Nini's Kitchen, a chain of dining restaurants in Gujarat, has not only ensured that her staff's needs are met, but she has also extended a helping hand to the helpless hungry citizens. This is when Gill took to social media to promote the \"Feed Amdavad\" project, urging individuals in need of food to participate. As word spread, many people began to visit. But because Gill's money was limited, she needed to come up with a plan. That's when she came up with the idea of dining bonds. \"Dining bonds are a type of investment in a future dinner at Nini's Kitchen,\" she explains. So, for every INR 1,000 bond purchased, they issue a food coupon that may be redeemed later. This way, they will have the finances needed to keep the program going.\" Q. What is your favourite word? A. Resilience. I would cry when everything goes wrong, but I would also do whatever it takes to make them right. Once you are in it, you are in it. In this entire journey, there have been many setbacks, but here we are. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. Consistent, persistent, and mindful involvement in daily life has been my secret. That attitude of never giving up and sticking with the dream has paid off in the long run. There was no plan B. We were so deep into it that we found our way up. From beginning a café where no one came in and employees kept quitting, to now having 5 outlets open and running, I think it is the determination to succeed that has paid off. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Don't be carried away by what you watch in films and television when it comes to starting up on your own. More than the glitz, work on the math behind it. Work on the WHY part. It is important to understand what is driving you. Whether it is money or fame or serving people or whatever it might be, just be clear in what you are doing and why you are doing it. When you work hard on your basics, the business will grow organically. 64

Mira Erda Mira Erda is one of India’s foremost female open-wheel racers. She began racing when she was nine years old. Her first race came after just 25 days of training as she competed in the 2010 JK Tyre National Rotax Max Championship in India. She managed her first podiums and race win in 2011, also winning the award for the Best Improved Driver of the Year. Through consistent performances, she made her way to the JK Racing Championship 2014 to become the youngest Formula 4 girl driver. In 2017, she became the first Indian woman to race in the Euro JK series, one of the highest classes of Formula racing in India. In 2019, she won her first-ever international podium by finishing first in the Ladies category in Round 2 of the FIA Formula 4 SEA Championship at Sepang International Circuit. 65

“ PA S S ION AT E ” Q. What is your favourite word? A. Passionate. I never knew what I was getting myself into as a 9-year-old. You never know what you are getting yourself into. But I was just very passionate about driving and speed. I didn't know what was coming my way. Even when people judged me for choosing to race as a girl, as the only girl among boys, none of those factors affected me. Nothing affected me because I was just passionate about my driving and kept going. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. No one moment can define what I turned out today. With every race, my drive, my achievements, and the urge to improve myself push me out of my comfort zone and do a little more every time. I think when you do something you really love, it just motivates you to push yourself more and learn about what you are doing. Every race, even the ones I couldn't win - they all gave me lessons, kept me motivated, and put me back on track again. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. I would just say, follow something that makes you happy. Don't follow something because society is telling you to. And if it's racing, women can do it. Once the helmet is on, nobody knows your gender. It's about working hard for what you want. 66

“SHIKHU CHU” 67

Reema Nanavaty Reema Nanavaty is a social worker and one of the leaders of the Q. What is your favourite word? Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA). She was honored by the Government of India, in 2013, by bestowing her the A. There is a word in Gujarat-Shikhu Chu that means I am Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her contributions learning. I believe that life is a journey, which gives us enormous in the field of social services. opportunities to learn. It is all about what you make out of it. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. Once, I was travelling with a woman from the SEWA, who suddenly gave me a small piece of paper with a number written on it. She said that it was her new telephone number. I was surprised because I knew her meagre income would not support this. I wondered about the decision to invest her little income into a telephone. Then, she explained the thread that was required for her embroidery works. Every time she planned to buy one, she had to wait for the bus to hop to the destination. At times it would be cancelled, or by the time she reaches, the concerned person would have left for other work. Often, she came back home unfinished. And that’s why she invested in the telephone so she can check the status, plan her visits wisely at just one dial. She said it saved her a lot of time and money. Now that was something plain yet, smart choice and vision. That incident made me re-think the ways we look at people, especially the underprivileged. If we work with an open mind towards development, the possibilities are endless. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. I work along and on the women from rural villages. Despite all the hardships they face, which include water scarcity, lack of electricity, and unemployment, they always welcome us with a warm smile. They are content with what they have, and they innovate to cope. Their optimism inspires and boosts the strength in me. It makes me wonder about our short- temper. We easily complain about the little things, like the delayed meetings or the network issues. But look at these women who have nothing, yet their positive perspective of life is something we need to learn. 68

Nikita Tiwari Nikita is a graduate of Electronics and Communications from NIT Raipur. She co-founded NeerX, along with Harsh Agrawal. The purpose of NeerX is to contribute to a good quality crop. Since most Farmers aren’t aware and are not much educated about the soil health parameters, they often face crop failures. To bring a technological solution to this problem, NeerX developed SHOOL - Smart Sensor for Hydrology and Land Application. This tool enables measuring of various soil parameters such as the moisture, salinity and dielectric permittivity. Q. What is your favourite word? A. “Dreamer who works hard to realize it” - that is how I define myself. Anyone who dreams and works hard enough can achieve what they want to. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. My parents always wanted me to become an IAS officer. But I chose the entrepreneurial journey to empower the farmers with the technology we had built together in our start-up. One common hurdle I faced was gender - as a woman with height problems. People did not consider me or my work seriously. But with time, working closely with farmers, I was able to smash the hurdle and start coming forward. Small or big, the challenges I faced have always been my moments of inspiration. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Listen to your parents. But go with what your heart says. It is essential to believe in yourself, and naturally, others will also believe in you. 69

“Dreamer” 70

“ E X P E R I M E N TA L” 71

SALONI MEHTA Saloni is a freelancer who works in fashion & is also a celebrity stylist. A blogger in the subjects of fashion, lifestyle, and accessory design. She is the Co- Founder of an NGO called Kavita Mehta Foundation, which empowers girl child education and helps other NGOs build a network for a better run. She is also a Co-founder of Whiplash Space, a Content, Ideation, Execution, Curation, and Marketing organization. Q. What is your favourite word? A. Experimental. From fashion to foundation to entrepreneurship, I love to experiment. I always do things that I find interesting, irrespective of what others might think or say. It is, I assume, essential to living life to the fullest. I believe curiosity is an artist’s biggest strength. If you are curious, you grasp and absorb more and when there’s so much coming in, you exhale creativity through exploration in your craft. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. When I was 16 years old, I lost my mother. That incident bought a massive change in my life. With the unexpected change came the responsibility. It is hard to describe what I went through then. But yes, here I am. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Keep going forward. That is how I am, doing things that my heart agrees to. If it interests me and benefits the people around me, I go for it. That is how I can juggle multiple hats at this age. 72

“ZEN” 73

Aditi Q. What is your favourite word? Parekh A. ZEN. When I oversee my mind, I believe I provide my Aditi Parekh comes from a renowned bureaucratic business finest performance. You can do anything in life when you family based in Delhi, married into an industrialist household flow in rhythm with your senses, whether at business or in in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and has worked in areas of shipping, your personal life. I practice yoga, meditation, and other logistics, and travel. An online MBA course from Harvard Business forms of mindfulness to tap into my optimism and become School further honed this MBA grad's business sensibilities as she a better person overall. This has enabled me to see through established the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation in Ahmedabad. any scenario rather than succumb to the truth, which can Aditi’s dream is to empower women by making luxury fashion be difficult at times. affordable and accessible to them through handpicked Indian designer outfits. Her initiatives to favorably influence women Q. What was the moment in your life that made you entrepreneurs have earned her the Udgam Women Achievers Blossom into the person you are today? Award 2020 and Passion Vista's Most Admired Global Indians 2020. Aditi’s personal touch in every aspect of TFE makes her an A. The support of my family was the driving force that kept integral contributor to the dynamic fashion scene in the country. me going. Yes, both a strong mind and a strong body are required. That is an essential condition. But it was my family's support that kept me going, even when I faltered. Many processes, people, and resources are involved in the formation of a corporation. Of course, it was a crazy experience, but the consistent support helped me get through it all. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. Be consistent, follow your dreams, and do not give up so easily. There will be ups and downs but never give up on the situations. Ultimately that makes the difference between dreamers and achievers. 74

“C E N T E R E D” 75

Bhumika Bhumika Shodhan is the Founder and Creative Director at SHYAMAL & BHUMIKA. With a mission to take the crafts and skills of India to the World, she uses fashion as her medium to connect a global audience to intricately crafted Indian Couture. Being one of the most globally followed Indian designer, she believes in promoting ancient crafts and helping in the advancement of those sections of society who would lose not only their heritage but also their livelihood if these crafts are not revived and preserved. Q. What is your favourite word? A. “Being Centered” From the universe of possibilities and creativity, there is always a need to come back to my centre. One focal point that you have in mind at all times, be it while creating a collection or planning a show or multitasking, this one concept keeps me balanced all through the process and the result. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. They say life is always at some turning point. It depends on how prepared you are to engage with opportunities and challenges that come your way. I believe that if one learns to do things in a better way than you’ve done them before it leads to an improvement and over the years it compounds into something momentous. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. You should have a vision and stand by it at all times. Be creative and original in all that you do. Always listen to your heart and instinct. Follow your passion and success will follow. 76

Usha Rada Usha Rada is Ahmedabad’s lady cop, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from Zone 2. She is known for driving fear into the hearts of hardened criminals. Rada is popular as one of the most strict female cops in the Gujarat Police. When posted as ACP (Women Crime Branch) of Ahmedabad, she added a number of feathers to her cap by cracking serious cases, including sex rackets and human trafficking. Q. What is your favourite word? A. \"Paramaathma\" (Divine) is my favourite word. It just makes me feel good. I am a spiritual person as well, and that word attracts a part of me within. I feel calmer and content when I think of it. Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. There isn't one moment. Especially when you live the life of a police officer. You keep facing new challenges every single day. We don't have a particular routine. Different days, different problems and you need to deal with every one of them differently. You might have seen how the police chase down the criminals in movies, how they outsmart the criminals and arrest them - these are things that happened a lot of times in my career. When a crime occurs in a rural region with no cameras or other forms of digital surveillance, it can be tough to investigate. You need to entirely depend on theorizing and conversing with people. These problems need to be approached differently to solve the crime. My profession has shaped me into the person you see today. It isn't one moment; it rather is everything that is happening every day that contributes to the lessons I learn and the person I am becoming. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? A. All I want to tell the young generation is that if you want to be successful in life, you need to work hard. You can call it working hard, or you call it struggle - both mean the same, the language changes our perception. Whatever you want to do, do it with all your heart. Often, we put the best of our efforts to achieve something and once we achieve it, we stop putting in the same kind of effort. We neglect things and ignore the results. Achievements mean nothing if you cannot be consistent in your efforts. Awards, achievements, and recognition do not define success. It is defined by the consistency of your efforts irrespective of anything. 77

“PA R A M A ATHM A” 78

ESTHER DAVID Esther David is an Indian Jewish author and artist. She has received the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ for English Literature and the ‘National Jewish Book Award’ USA for her book 'Bene Appetit-The Cuisine of Indian Jews.’ She studied art at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University, Vadodara, under the guidance of Professor Sankho Chaudhuri. Her novels are translated into French, Hebrew, Marathi and Gujarati. Later, she was visiting faculty at CEPT University and NIFT Gandhinagar. She was an Art Critic and Columnist of Times of India, Ahmedabad edition. She was the chairperson of ‘Gujarat State Lalit Kala Akademi,’ and is known for her illustrations, as she occasionally exhibits her works in Ahmedabad. Q. Q. What is your favourite word? Lake. While in Vadodara; I received greater exposure to arts, as I imbibed Tagorean values, the essence A. “HEART” - My heart draws me to see everything of Satyajit Ray’s films, theatre, folk music and world beautiful - in the visual arts, performing arts and nature; art. Through the years, I have become close to our with love and compassion small close-knit Bene Israel Jewish community, as we often met at the Magen Abraham Synagogue in Q. What was the moment in your life that made Ahmedabad, which has inspired me to create Indian you Blossom into the person you are today? Jewish literature. A. My early exposure to art, literature and the Q. What would you want the young boys & girls performing arts happened because of the artistic to learn from your journey? atmosphere in our family house, when we lived as a joint family in the old city of Ahmedabad. I developed A. Believe in yourself. Keep on working and be a love for nature and wildlife from my father Reuben creative. The rest will fall into place. David who created the zoo complex around Kankaria 79

“HEART” 80

Devangana Lashkary Devangana holds a graduate degree in Zoology from St. Xavier College, Ahmedabad, and has completed a Master’s in Environment Science and Technology from IEER, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune. To study and work along on various subjects, she has developed a keen interest in ecological sustainability, lake assessment, wildlife conservation, environmental awareness, and education. She is an environmental researcher and a CSR consultant skilled in Biodiversity, Carbon Sequestration, Environmental Awareness, and Sustainability. Q. What is your favourite word? impacted my life’s journey. I’d say had a significant impact on me. I feel I always used to connect the dots. sorry for the vulnerable people and A. Life. I lost my mother, and my Take cyclones as an example. We wildlife. The more I notice this, the brother, so I understand how didn't use to have such violent more I attempt to fix it. precious life is, and what life has to storms, rainfall, and floods in India. offer. But things apart, I find myself It is the result of rapid climate Q. What would you want the lucky enough to be able to do what change. Rural life and wildlife are young boys & girls to learn from I love the most. the most impacted, although they your journey? are not the ones that contribute Q. What was the moment in your to carbon emissions. The urban A. Be empathetic. No matter how life that made you Blossom into area contributes to the ecological rebellious you are, be empathetic to the person you are today? footprint. Do you get the picture? nature especially. Only by coexisting Climate change is real, and it has with nature will you discover what life A. Not one but many moments is all about. 81

“Life” 82

Harmeet Kaur Dawar Q. What is your favourite word? what made her go to and fro during the session. She said she was in her periods and hasn't been wearing a cloth or A. Gratitude. I feel grateful to so many people in my life for pad, so had to walk out every five minutes to wash. It shook being the source of inspiration to me. I'm also very vocal me in a way that I felt stirred. It is one of those moments about it because I believe it's important to express gratitude. that made me focus more on people who are deprived of By expressing ourselves, we reassure ourselves of how basic facilities. fortunate we are with what we have, which motivates us to accomplish more. Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey? Q. What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today? A. Being a volunteer for various causes taught me a lot. Every child should volunteer. I feel every parent must make A. Once I was delivering a lecture on sanitation in a village in this possible for their children. Be it any organization for any Rajasthan. There was this one girl who kept going out and cause, we've to channel the child's area of interest into an coming back every five minutes. I was wondering if she found act of volunteering. How impactful would it be if every child the lecture boring, or she had some other important work gets to volunteer for the underprivileged before they turn outside. Post the lecture I did happen to meet her and asked 18? The impact will change their way of seeing life positively. 83

Harmeet Kaur founded The Pink Foundation, an organization that promotes holistic development of marginalized section of society, by adapting an integrated approach with main emphasis on Four Es: - Entrepreneurship, Employment, Education and Empowerment. She is a Communications Consultant and has worked in the NGO sector with organizations like Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and Craftroots. She is associated with the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper and Young Leader-Fellow at Young Connectors of Future Programme of Swedish Institute, Sweden. Besides this, she is a scholar at Thomson Reuters Foundation and participated in Trust Women Conference hosted in London. She also has a strong entrepreneurial spirit which gave her an opportunity to be on the Mentor Board of The Gujarat University Startup & Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC). She also has experience in issues relating to Dalits, Women Empowerment, NREGA, and Craft Artisans. “Gratitude” 84

Tanya Shah Tanya Shah is an entrepreneur and a visioner who dreams of a better playing field for children. Tanya's vision is to introduce education into play for children because she believes in the holistic development of a child through toys played with, stories heard, and books read. Along with her husband, she founded \"Toycra\", one of the largest Specialty Toys & Games aggregators in the Country. They are also one of the largest distributors of educational, award-winning play assets pan India with a presence across 100+ retailers & mom-pop setups and have a portfolio of 15 Global brands that are exclusive to just Toycra. Their motto is - \"Play to grow\". With over 10,000 toys in their store, they are conscious about picking the right toys that enable entertainment and education for kids. Q. What is your favourite word? sent me the pictures of all those prototypes. We couldn't immediately start though. I worked as a A. Community. I'm part of a wonderful kid's banker for quite some time. After a couple of years, community. Many children have returned to us we finally started this. But yeah, that trip was the throughout the years. They've grown up in front of moment for us. It basically was like finding the fuel my eyes and alongside me. I know their stories, their for the passion. personal challenges, their likes, and their dislikes. From the level of interaction that we were able to Q. What would you want the young boys & girls develop with the parents that approached us, we to learn from your journey? developed ideas for what their children could read and play with - the whole process is thrilling. It makes A. Don't be scared to switch your passions. I am me glad to know that I have a large community of from a family of bankers. The natural course of my kids and their parents that appreciate us on a more life was being a banker and I liked doing what I was instinctive level. doing. When the opportunity to establish Toycra offered itself to us, I was terrified. How was I meant Q. What was the moment in your life that made to carry on my family's financial legacy? Putting so you Blossom into the person you are today? much money at risk and starting from scratch was the next significant risk. If I must give one piece of A. There was one moment when Virang (Co-founder advice I learned from my journey, I will add - Just go & Director of \"Toycra\") went to Germany immediately for it. Dive right in. Do what you want to do and don't after MBA. He met several like-minded people there worry about switching passions. I had to do a lot of who were likewise interested in education through research before getting into what I am doing now. play. He discovered several prototype toys over there. You must do all that. There will be a lot of hard work And I remember having this urge to just want to leave you have to do. But the first step is to dive right into it. my job and start working towards Toycra when he 85

“COMMUNITY” 86

Anuja Amin Anuja Amin is a Post-Graduate in Human Resource Management from the London School of Economics. The mission of reaching out to children who were victims of trauma led her to pursue a Bachelor in Psychology from the University of Nottingham. Motivated by her own experience, she developed Circles of Safety to sensitize the community to prevent child sexual abuse. For sex education and to empower the young ones, Anuja designed a curriculum based on age. The curriculum will help with their decision-making and behavioral effects on society. Anuja aims to cultivate a change in a culture where adults are no longer uncomfortable and discuss topics, such as sexual matters, that are taboo in society. It is cumbersome when child safety is at stake. Q. What is your favourite word? Q. What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your A. Gratitude to me is essential. Life is full journey? of all kinds of surprising situations, and sometimes it all seems dark. We should A. I have always had the freedom to opt be thankful for all the silver linings that can for, to forge my path. Though I did not: help overcome the shadows. It can be a I sought to create the space for myself. saviour through all means. Recalling, I sense a great responsibility for the choices I made. Peer pressure Q. What was the moment in your and expectations influence contemporary life that made you Blossom into the youth. In the long run, I believe staying true person you are today? to what you believe in, following it through, and then dealing with the consequences A. I still remember the time from 2016, mould you into an authentic being. when I stood in front of an audience of nearly 200 educators and parents. I started with this-I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. Halfway through, the first row in the audience was in tears. I realized the power of stories by then. Fact- Spoken, I could help them unburden their feelings that have been tucked away for years. That was one of the defining moments which shaped my journey to this very moment. 87

“GR ATIT UDE” 88