Avisha Daryanani, 27, acquired a Bachelors of Science in Speech Sciences and graduated with Honors from University College London, and a diploma from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. She then moved back to her current hometown of Hong Kong to work as a Speech Pathologist at the Integrate HK, a private practice that offers co-ordinated therapy services by a team of professionals for people of all ages. Their clients range from children of all ages with noticeable speech and language delay, autism, developmental disorders such as Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, as well as those with articulation and speech difficulties. In addition to working at Integrate HK, Avisha is a member of the Hong Kong Association of Speech Therapists. In her down time when she is not helping an autistic child or an adult with communication problems, Avisha enjoys other activities such reading, sports, listening to music, travelling and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Avisha, in her own words, answers BSM’s queries about the inspiration that led to her career choice, what being a speech pathologist is all about (and the pros and cons of it), and how it has changed her life as a woman…

Dr. Karuna Sabnani, NMD, is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, an accredited four-year naturopathic medical college in Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English Literature from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Deciding that she wanted to help people and start her own venture, Dr. Karuna Sabnani moved to New York City to run her own naturopathic healthcare practice for two years, before moving back to Berkeley, California. A short time later she became licensed as a Naturopathic Doctor in the State of California and is currently a member of the California Association of Naturopathic Doctors. She enjoys long walks in nature, dancing, meditating, reading, practicing yoga and spending time with loved ones.

Dr. Karuna Sabnani, NMD, speaks to BSM about the incident that led to her newfound interest in naturopathic medicine, how she set up her private practice, and much more…

Dr. Gitu Bhatia, 48, was born and raised in Delhi until the age of 21, when she completed her undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Sciences in Child Development and Education from Lady Irwin College. In the pursuit of further studies, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue higher studies and acquired a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from California State University in 1985. Dr. Gitu then worked as a family mediator for the courts, helping parents who were going through divorce work out custody and visitation arrangements best suited for their kids. After she got married and had children, Dr. Gitu returned to school at Pepperdine University to work on her doctoral degree – her area of specialization was Cross Cultural Psychology. In addition to teaching and volunteering her time in professional organizations that support standardized ethical practices, Dr. Gitu also established a private practice in Los Angeles to offer her services as a licensed clinical psychologist. When she has free time, in addition to cherishing relationships with family and friends, she also loves to read, watch movies, hike, do yoga and constantly challenge herself physically, especially for charity walkathons.

Dr. Gitu Bhatia answers to BSM’s queries about her life as a clinical psychologist, the process of starting a private practice, and the advantages of being a woman in this field…

Karishma Daswani, 27, was born in Jaipur, India, and brought up in a number of places namely Berlin, Mumbai and New Delhi. Right from school, she was geared towards a future in academics when she topped her class for 9 consecutive years and was the recipient of the Mahindra Scholarship for Academic Excellence three years in a row. As Karishma graduated from University of Delhi with a Bachelors degree in Information Technology (BIT) and a Masters degree in Human Resource Management (CIPD) from Middlesex University Business School, London, she also received a regional scholarship worth 1,000 Pounds for her dedication. After a few unsatisfactory jobs working for other companies, Karishma felt that she would benefit herself and those around her better by starting her own company – she now works as an independent Human Resources consultant in New Delhi, India. In her free time, she also nurtures an educational website for students and people interested in the subject of Human Resource Management. When Karishma is not working, she enjoys reading, swimming, Yoga, listening to Jazz, travelling, hanging around in shopping malls and being with the people she loves.

Karishma Daswani ruminates to BSM on the inspiration that led to her career in Human Resources, her website and how it has helped others, and the importance of education and financial independence…

Rashmi Vaswani, 27, went to Christ College for her undergraduate and acquired a Bachelors degree in Business Management. After receiving a Masters degree in International Business at the International Management Institute in New Delhi, she did a certificate course on Small and Medium Scale Industries at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahemdabad. Rashmi then came back to Bangalore to work and stay with her family. After a stint in the corporate world, Rashmi realized that she was not a fan of the 9-to-5 job routine. One day three years ago, while indulging her favorite hobby of making chocolates, she sent out some of her home-made chocolates as Diwali gifts. They were very well-received and people requested her chocolates to send out as gifts. This was when the concept of Rage Chocolatier was born – today, she is the founder and director of a company that manufactures premium, made-to-order chocolates for corporate and personal gifting, and currently employs two chefs and a team of eight people for packaging. Rashmi’s favorite chocolate is Rage Hazelnut cream truffles.

Rashmi Vaswani speaks to BSM about the inspiration behind her chocolatier, its humble beginnings and the edge it has over other chocolate companies, and the challenges they faced along the way…

Roshni Mansukhani-Gurnani, 25, was born and raised in Canada and is a chef by profession. She started her restaurant life at the age of 13 working initially as a bus person, a prep cook then a line cook at a local diner. She acquired a Bachelors of Business Administration as well as a degree in Culinary Management from the Culinary Institute of Canada, PEI Canada. After graduation, she worked in New York, London, and Goa before moving back home to Toronto to work as Executive Sous Chef at the Clublink Country. Shortly before her marriage, Roshni was chosen as one of the 4 chefs to compete for $10,000 on a popular cooking show called “Chopped: Pride on the Plate” on the Food Network channel in the United States. After few nail-biting episodes, the other three male chefs were ‘chopped’ from the show and Roshni won the grand prize as best chef. When Roshni got married to her husband and moved to Boston, she was determined to stay in this field. Upon a friend’s encouragement to look into a particular company in Boston that was building a new campus dining facility, Roshni was chosen for her new vocation as Executive chef at Merrimack University. When she is not cooking for five thousand people, she loves to watch a lot of movies and of course, the Food Network. She also loves to travel and learn about different cultures, especially with her husband Prem.

Roshni Mansukhani-Gurnani talks to BSM about her victory on the popular American TV show “Chopped: Pride on a Plate”, her love of cooking from a young age, and the pride felt in being a Sindhi chef…

Priya Nagrani, a Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon, stands tall in the Company’s hierarchy of women bankers, taking her place on the Company’s team to be recognized by US Banker as one of the top three women banking teams in 2009.  Not surprising, as this is in line with her receipt of a 2008 Rising Star Award by the Women’s Bond Club of New York.

Banking and bankers are highly topical subjects in the current climate of economic and financial recovery from what appeared to be imminent collapse in the recent downturn.  Priya pinpoints the definitive role that women can play as the industry climbs back to its former prime position of institutional priority in the world of finance and economics.

Says Priya, “I didn’t find any difference in being male or female — at least at The Bank of New York Mellon, I was never at a disadvantage because I was a woman.  On the contrary, the Company is committed to diversity and inclusiveness, and this is demonstrated through one of our affinity groups, the Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN). The mission of WIN is to act as a global resource for the professional development and advancement of women at The Bank of New York Mellon.  I am a member of the Steering Committee and work with the most senior women across the Company to advance WIN’s mission and objectives.  WIN also has a strong mentoring program, and I was fortunate enough to participate in that program last year – with the most senior ranking woman in the Company (and one of US Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking) as my mentor.”

Born in Mumbai, but moved to the U.S.A. at the age of five, Priya Nagrani stumbled into a career in finance. She studied international economics, political science and history at two prestigious Ivy League universities – earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a graduate degree from Columbia University.  

After college, she was recruited by JP Morgan and after graduate school by The Bank of New York Mellon.

She is now a Vice President within The Bank of New York Mellon’s Strategy, Development and Investment group, a part of the Company’s Financial Markets & Treasury Services sector.

Along the way up the Company’s corporate ladder, she has acquired experience in varied areas: evaluation of potential mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives in the Developing Markets and Risk Management.

Priya Nagrani, Vice President, Strategy, Development and Investment Group, BNY Mellon, gives candid and informative responses to Rachana Mirpuri’s queries at an interview…

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