1. Tell us a bit about how you got involved with Asha.
I joined Asha St. Louis in 1999 and have long been inspired by Asha’s transparency, impact, and purpose-driven work. Over the years, I’ve served in many roles—helping lead the St. Louis chapter, mentoring Team Asha Running, supporting the Bangalore chapter while living in India (2016–2023), and now contributing to Team Asha Seattle.  So far, I’ve been helping with the Running and Climbing programs in Seattle. I’ve also made over a dozen project site visits, many with my family, each shaping my worldview.

2. How did you come to know about the Running / Climbing program?
I’ve been a long-time Asha volunteer, I’ve been part of Asha even before the inception of the very first Run for Asha started. So some of these questions may not apply to me.

3. What do you do for work?
Currently my primary role is managing some family health issues. I work part-time to support a small precision component manufacturing company in Hosur, India. I have Masters degrees in Architecture and Construction Management and have worked through several career paths as a Program and Project Manager in various industries, tech, transit, construction and design. I’ve also designed Air National Guard & Army facilities, helped estimate budget and schedules for a large military base in Italy, done freelance graphic design, washed dishes (and managed the dishroom) in a cafeteria, trained bus drivers, and more.

4. What motivates you to go outside?
I enjoy moving, be it dancing, hiking, biking, running etc. I found myself depressed through American winters for lack of light and fear of being cold. Learning to ski helped me understand how to be outdoors regardless of the weather. Training runners in St. Louis forced me to lead by example to take all weather in my stride. I began to build a self-identity of a person who would not use weather as an excuse for missing out on activities and the outdoors and began to cycle to work in the ice and snow. It helped that I was working for public transit at the time, so not using a vehicle to commute was an appropriate flex.

5. What motivates you to work for Asha ?

During a 2000 visit to a small rural school near Mangalore, I asked 10th-standard students about their ambitions. The boys spoke easily, some dreaming of becoming lorry drivers. Only two girls responded, saying they hoped to become ayahs for families in big cities.

At the end of my visit, those same girls approached me, holding hands. They asked if I had come from America. When I said yes, one said softly, “After you left our classroom, we talked. Watching you, Akka, we changed our minds. Now we believe we can also go to America one day. Maybe we can even have our own ayah.”

I was deeply moved by how my presence alone had expanded their sense of possibility. Through Asha, I’ve learned that privilege comes from networks and exposure—and that Asha is a powerful way to give back. After exploring other nonprofits in India, I returned to Asha for its exceptional impact, transparency, and collaborative, non-hierarchical model that empowers grassroots organizations.

6. What has been your best learning experience throughout with Asha ?
Having volunteered for over 2.5 decades now, Asha has been part of my life journey and has given me a lot. My home was the hub for volunteers and runners in St. Louis and I learned that those who come to run are generally healthy of heart and mind, and positive people. Those who are drawn to raising funds for charity tend to be good hearted and empathetic people. I’ve been blessed for all the capable volunteers of Asha whom I’ve gotten to learn from and along with.
In Asha Bangalore I learned that most people have easy ways to be “charitable”, but that Asha is exemplary in being secular, non-sectarian and careful to evaluate its impact in a wholistic manner.

My most profound learning experiences have come from site visits where the unique nature of challenges faced on the ground is very different than what we imagine. I’ve seen:
– Children and parents struggling for months for lack of antibiotic ointments
– Communities unable to access government schemes because their identification papers flew away with their roof in the most recent cyclone
– Women unwilling to access flowing water for fear of the social repercussions of their untouchability
– Gratitudes and generosity that are very deep for having very little

7. Anything you want to share with others ?
Always happy to share stories from Asha projects and children, find me through Asha Seattle’s Running or Climbing Programs and join me any weekend for a relaxed run, a hike —or a post-activity breakfast.