Tell us a little about yourself – your early days, where you were born, your schooling, college, your major, when you moved to the US, how you landed at your current role

I was born in Mumbai, India and because of my father’s job, I spent most of my childhood moving around very rural parts of India, occasionally returning to Mumbai for a few years in between. My schooling followed that pattern and involved me switching schools with every move, including moving from India to Brazil with the family during high school when my father was posted to Sao Paulo. While the culture, language, and school were different in each new location, I always had the comfort of a loving and supportive family. In hindsight, this prepared me well to adapt quickly in times of change, personally and professionally.

I moved to the US for my undergraduate studies. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics from Cornell University and then started my career in finance as an investment banker in New York. Over the years, I followed my curiosity and passion – this enabled me to explore different opportunities which ultimately resulted in my role as CFO at Zymergen. 

Have you drawn professional inspiration from others? Who/what inspired you to pursue your current career and why?

My current career has been the result of a journey of self-discovery, a dose of serendipity, and taking advantage of opportunities as they arose.

Early in my career, I realized that I thrived in environments where I had a strong cultural fit and where I was constantly learning and developing. My curiosity drove me to explore different roles in finance ranging from advisory to private equity and finally discovered what I enjoyed most was being in an operating role and building exciting companies. It also led me to explore different industries ranging from semiconductors to life sciences and clean tech, allowing me to learn about industries that I am curious and passionate about. 

How do you define success?

Success, for me, is gratitude for a life wholeheartedly lived including having the strength to deal with all the curve balls that come my way. I hope that when I am old and pensive, I will be glad of how and where I spent my time. For me, this has many facets such as working at companies with a mission that I am deeply passionate about, guiding and learning from brilliant young women leaders, being there for my children (and hopefully one day my grandchildren), a sense of deep and lasting love with my best friend and rock – my husband, strong bonds with family, friends, and community, and being present in the moment to appreciate the wonder of nature and this world. 

How do you manage self-doubt? How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?

Managing self-doubt has been an ongoing journey for me. When I first started my career, I was full of self-confidence, and over time, as I advanced to different and more senior roles, I found that sense of confidence eroding and more self-doubt creeping in. I built it back up by appreciating everything I had achieved and could do. I saw how others believed in me and learned to believe in myself. There have been critical points in my career where I have had to actively advocate for myself and I had self-doubt – my family and close friends have been my private cheerleaders, helping me overcome these moments.

How do you balance your career, personal life, and passions? Is there such a thing as balance?

Finding balance for me involves being clear on my priorities, asking for help, and learning where to say no. This has allowed me to feel wholehearted with my intentionality. At times this has meant a greater focus on my career and at times on my personal life, while always remembering to be kind to myself. 

What are the most important qualities you look for in people? Why?

Collaboration, transparency, and courage are qualities I look for in people on my team. I believe that strong teams are the key to building great organizations and for that, you need true collaboration, transparency and strong communication, and the courage to always speak the truth, share bad news or a contrarian point of view. 

How do you go about finding a mentor(s)? What are some steps to build that type of relationship?

I have been lucky to have had many mentors and sponsors over the years. None of them were formally assigned to me as part of a mentoring program – all the relationships developed organically. Some of my mentors have been my managers, some have been board members, some were  

What’s your favorite way to relax and unwind? 

Brushing my dog (she’s a long-haired bernedoodle, so it’s a solid 45-minute exercise), doing embroidery (it’s like meditation for me), reading a good sci-fi novel 

If you could have dinner with anyone (living or dead), who would that be and why?

I would want to have dinner with someone 500 years in the future to understand what the future is like – and hopefully it’s a beautiful sustainable world where mankind has learned to live in harmony with nature

What was the last book you read (or are reading)?

Project Hail Mary

If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Daal

Yoga & Chai or Zumba & Iced Tea?

Neither, more like Zumba and a hot cup of green tea

What Neythri means to you 

Neythri has been truly fantastic for me. Being able to find a safe space with like-minded South Asian professional women was critical as I went through a pivotal period in my life – both professionally and personally. It has helped me evolve, learn, and grow while forming deep and supportive bonds with an amazing group of women!