Today we’d like to introduce you to Shalini Serena Nair.
Shalini Serena, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I come from a very diverse background. My mother is from New Jersey but both her parents are from India. My father was born/grew up in Malaysia to a Malaysian Indian father and a Malaysian Chinese mother. His family left for Montreal Canada, where I spent the majority of my childhood visiting. So, I have a Texan/Canadian/Indian/Chinese/Malaysian background.
Growing up, I used to travel a lot. In middle school/high school I was involved with graphic design classes and yearbook, where I began to find an interest in photography. I’d combine my traveling with photography and started taking pictures for other people later in high school and also street photography in all the cities I’d visit to tell the story of the cities. I found photography to be a very powerful tool, you can point a lens on any subject, whether it be a social issue, a person, an object, a city, and be able to frame it however you want.
While in high school, I began volunteering for a homeless coalition. When I was there, I had the opportunity to work with families from all backgrounds. My experiences there eventually led to my focus on underdeveloped regions and gender inequality.
When I went off to college, I became a business major but eventually switched over to economics to focus on unemployment, lesser developed regions, and social justice policies. I joined a business fraternity when I first entered college, as well as a business & technology club, while also being part of the Boston University figure skating club as I’d been figure skating since I was three years old.
I joined a non-profit student-run organization called Eye2Eye. Eye2Eye is extremely special to me as it addresses some powerful issues I think are very prevalent in today’s society about gender equality in the workplace. I’m still a student at BU with a stronger background in Marketing within the tech industry. I’m currently founding a start-up with a dear classmate of mine, Deniz Hallik.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a ‘smooth’ road. I think part of growing up, learning, and finding your passions are realizing when things aren’t the right fit for you, and taking those hiccups and understanding your strengths and weaknesses from there. I’ve struggled with having these big ideas that I want to share with people and having limited manpower to make these ideas happen. I’ve learned that you can’t rely on other people to do work with or for you, and you have to be really creative in making things happen on your own.
Being a woman can also be challenging, but I’ve been extremely fortunate to have been able to have people support me with my goals. Honestly, finding a mentor or several can be helpful for young women trying to find their way. I had many points where I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life, or unsure of how to do something and wanted to give up. I was incredibly lucky to have grown up with an amazing and inspiring support group of mothers that served as my role models, as well as meeting so many incredible women in my time at college who guided me through all the issues I’ve faced.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m currently the president of a non-profit organization called Eye2Eye. My organization is focused on the equality of all genders in the workplace and in educational institutions. We’ve covered issues ranging from breaking the glass ceiling to the confidence gap. I’m super passionate about my work that I do with the organization as I believe a lot of gender imbalances that develop in the workplace stem from collegiate cultures. And often times, a lot of students are unaware of prejudices and completely normalize certain behaviors, whether it be sexual harassment or favorings towards certain genders for various aspects. My organization comes in to raise awareness, through conferences or through research that our incredible team has been developing studies for.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
The most valuable connections are your colleagues, classmates, family, and friends. Those are people who know you or have worked with you and have seen your accomplishments as well as things you have failed at. Don’t be afraid to reach out to anyone with any questions you might have, or when you need help accomplishing your goals.
I also frequently attend networking sessions at conferences I go to. This has been an extremely wonderful way to meet new people outside your social circles and to learn more about new industries and new companies. I highly recommend doing this as these new connections can be vital later down the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: bueye2eye.com
- Phone: 2149074984
- Email: serenanair2@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serenanair/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eye2EyeOrg/
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/serenanair
Image Credit:
Serena Nair | S&B Photography
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