Being a First-Generation Indian American: My Crutch and My Superpower

Want to know the full tea on how I actually implement this strategy to get my cold messages to work so well?
 
I broke it all down in this video.

_{ENTREPRENEURSHIP & VENTURE CAPITAL}

🛠️ Build Gen She With Me

Being a First-Generation Desi Girl:
My Crutch and My Superpower

My parents immigrated from India with the dream that I would become an engineer, doctor, or lawyer. For a while, I shared that dream, but I began to wonder if it was truly mine or simply the only path I knew. Growing up in a predominantly South Asian neighborhood in the Bay Area, my childhood differed from that of most first-generation kids – I felt included, seen, encouraged, and welcomed within the broader Asian immigrant community.

In my twenties, I started questioning the “conventional path” that many of my peers were following. I asked myself: Is big tech the only option if I want a job in tech? Is entrepreneurship only legitimate if it’s venture-backed and software-driven? These questions led me to explore fields beyond my community's typical choices, resulting in some of the most isolating years of my life. In many ways, I'm still figuring out how to belong again.

I knew I wanted to give power to my voice and have a day-to-day life that didn't involve staring at a laptop. Eventually, I realized that this meant pursuing a career in media – quite literally the last thing anyone expected. Despite the unfamiliarity of this path, my parents and my community supported me unconditionally and encouraged me to dream big.

To those occasional “aunties” or “uncles” who can’t understand what I’m building and conclude that “I’m lost and will eventually figure it out when I go back to tech”… as someone who now makes more money than I ever did in big tech and is fully living her dream life, I think I might just have it a little bit figured out.

Here’s to asking the right questions, pushing boundaries, and creating new paths for the next generation to follow a more authentic journey. As you become a future “aunty” or “uncle” and struggle to keep up with the evolving world, I hope you encourage your kids to challenge your perspectives and guide you towards new ways of building an even better world, continuing and expanding your legacy.

I am proud to be Desi and forever indebted to the village that raised me, gave me the space to ask tough questions, and believed in my potential enough to let me pursue my own path. 💪

 💰️ Mom, I Am a Rich Man
_{An interview series uncovering the stories and strategies of badass women on a quest to find richness in health and wealth.}

Emma Pratt (26)

Emma works as a corporate development associate on Uber's M&A Integration team and co-founded Girl Math Capital, an alternative investing syndicate and community for early-career women. She targets early stage, better-for-you consumer brands as an angel investor and is based out of New York City.

Most importantly, Emma is also one of our Gen She Scouts this summer!!!✨ 

1. What was your first angel investment and how did you get into it

   What was your first angel investment and how did you get into it? My first angel investment was Vacation, a clean, reef-friendly, and "leisure-enhancing" suncare brand. I first started experimenting with angel investing through AngelList, and within a few months, I discovered platforms like Cherub and Play Money and began meeting other founders and funders who have introduced me to deal flow.

2. What are some professional development expenses you have?

   Most of my professional development expenses go towards Girl Math Capital or attending local events to meet other investors or discover new brands!

3. What's your best advice for someone aspiring to pursue an M&A role in big tech?

   Be curious, stay informed (I recommend subscribing to Axios Pro Rata for M&A news), and learn as much as you can about the companies you're excited about.

4. Why did you want to become a Gen She Scout?

   I originally joined the Gen She Scout program to gain hands-on experience sourcing and evaluating potential investments for our venture partners. However, the program has also given me something equally, if not more, valuable: a strong network of fellow scouts and program leaders who have empowered me both within and beyond the program.

🤝 Invest With Me
_{Turns out you don’t need to be crazy rich to own a piece of the trillions of dollars that flow through the tech industry every year! Wefunder is a platform that allows anyone to invest as little as $100 into startups, and each week, I’ll be sharing one company that I’m investing in with you!}

✨ $454K annual run rate revenue, 86% gross margins, 162% YoY growth

✨ Partnerships and integrations with Thumbtack, Intuit Quickbooks, 1build, CompanyCam, 1build & Squarexx

✨ $32K MRR, 6K MAUs, 950+ active paying customers

_{RESOURCES + JOBS}

Don’t miss these 👀

^CAREER

💰️ I made $500K by the time I was 24 and I’m spilling all the tea on how I got there. Follow along here!

⏰ How to not hate your 9 to 5 (for the girly pops only!)

🤳 The era of the influencer is officially over…and B2B marketing is in?!

🪩 Work hard AND party hard, or you will fail; spoken so well here.

🗽 So many of you asked me which conference I’m attending in NYC this summer to network and uplevel myself, so I got you all discount codes for it! Use code “GENSHE” for $50 off any ticket here. (I’ll be at the VIP events if you want to hang!)

^WELLNESS

🥒 The anti-cramp wellness trend, pickle juice!

🧠 3 tips to protect your brain

💄 TSC covers functional medicine tips on how to eliminate inflammation on their podast.

What’s new on our job board 🔥

1️⃣ Sales Development Representative @ Dell Technologies

2️⃣ Content Marketing Associate @ Prelim

3️⃣ Technical Project Manager @ Prelim

4️⃣ Marketing Data Analyst @ Canonical

5️⃣ Marketing Science and Engineering Internship @ Live Nation Entertainment

6️⃣ Strategic Initiatives - Summer Graduate Internship @ Intel

… and more! 😉

❤️ Avni, Founder @ Gen She // Sponsor this newsletter