Today we’d like to introduce you to Geeta Menon.
Hi Geeta, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Let me start with some recent milestones. I was selected Woman of the Year 2023 by the Indian Association of North Texas, elected to take Voluntary early retirement from my job at SAP after three decades in corporate and reached the five-year anniversary of the environmental non-profit that I had founded. It is a good juncture to consider what motivates me and three aspects that I am considering as I recast my goals. For this, I must reflect on my past. I was born and brought up in Calcutta, India, and my inspiration started with my mother, Shanta Menon, who established a school for the differently abled. She showed me how the love that extends beyond family and friends to the community can be life-changing. My association with a Dallas friend, Sharmila Bose, also started in childhood, and she continues to be a guiding figure, showing me how grassroots support needs to be built for positive change in the civic engagement process, one person at a time. Through Tanya Pinto, founder of Baal Dan, a charity attending to street children, I learned the joys and challenges of creating and running a non-profit.
My corporate experience developed strengths in several areas. I am able to provide definitions and structure to ambiguous problems to allow for their easier resolution. I have persevered with diverse teams in multiple geographies to execute successfully complex initiatives. I have reinvented myself multiple times to become an expert in new technologies in Cybersecurity, Supply chain, Artificial Intelligence, etc.
My preparation found motivation for what has become my life’s mission. Five years ago, while attending an EarthX show in Dallas on Earth Day, I came to the realization that it was better to do something, however small than watch with despair as the planet heads towards an existential crisis. Better to light a small candle than sit cursing the darkness. I invited a group of friends who had idealism and a desire to make a difference over to my home for chai and brainstorming. That was the genesis of One Earth One Chance (OEOC), a non-profit devoted to action aimed at restoring the health of the planet.
Since then, we have raised funds and planted 1450+ native trees and shrubs, and conducted 46+ awareness events in the DFW area. We are poised to launch an educational curriculum developed in partnership with the University of Texas, Dallas. As Gandhi said, ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’. OEOC has added an enormously enriching dimension to my life as we take actions that make a difference. This impelled me to end my corporate career early as environmental sustainability has become all-consuming.
I am inspired by Hugh Wilson, a botanist in New Zealand who was considered a fool and a dreamer for spending 30 years restoring degraded farmland. Now lauded as a hero, he oversees 1500 hectares of resplendent native forest, where birds and other wildlife are abundant and 47 known waterfalls are in permanent flow. I am indebted to my tribe and my partners, who are rooting for me as I chart my course and do my part to drive positive change by thinking globally and acting locally. As I approach Earth Day 2024, I am re-energized and ready to act! So come and join me as we fight for a healthier tomorrow for humans, flora, and fauna.
Alright, 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?
It has not been smooth sailing, but no worthwhile journey is without any struggles. Change is difficult, there is great resistance to new ideas, and sustainability habits are hard to build. Overconsumption is the norm, and learning the five R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle requires conscious choices.
Planting trees and shrubs requires funds, and obtaining ongoing financial and non-financial resources is a challenge for a small new non-profit. A lot of energy has to be spent on raising funds versus implementing creative ideas.
The deteriorating health of the environment poses exponential problems that are not easy to reverse or solve. We need to pick solutions that have the best chance to leave a mark, and this is an evolving field that involves time, resources, trial, and refinement.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional experienced in taking projects from vision to operation, building and inspiring diverse and talented teams, and utilizing innovative technologies. My multi-disciplinary background with large and startup companies and customer lifecycle focus has enabled me to deliver process transformation using a phased approach. I use analytical expertise to deconstruct problems and provide a targeted strategy based on organizational needs, frameworks, and value to stakeholders. My leadership style is a balance of data-driven decision-making and an intuitive understanding of situations and people. Persistence and focus have often helped me overcome obstacles. My most recent experience is in scaling security, privacy, and regulatory compliance programs.
Any big plans?
I look forward to delivering on the vision for One Earth One Chance – ‘Restore a cleaner, greener planet and promote actionable awareness.’ This will involve education, research, publication of the Environmental Sustainability curriculum and resources library, and advocacy (e.g., Show and Tell) to reduce plastic in social and business communities.
Partnerships – to explore the Miyawaki forest concept, start chapters in new cities, introduce curriculums in K-12 schools and colleges, and conduct tree planting and litter removal events with partner organizations.
Fundraising – Generate funds from individuals and organizations to achieve tree and shrub planting goals and leverage social media to create awareness of the cause and green products.
Operational Efficiency – Explore technology innovation for recycling and further scale the operations.
I also want to spend more time with my family, focus on their mental and physical health and mine, and explore both the world outside and within.
Pricing:
- Friends of OEOC – volunteer time
- Members of OEOC – donate $100 or more for tree planting
- Key Donors of OEOC – donate $500 or more for tree planting
Contact Info:
- Phone: (469) 443-8626
- Email: oneearthonechanceteam@gmail.
com - Web: oneearthonechance.org
- Instagram: @_oneearthonechance
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/1Earth1Chance
- Whatsapp: chat.whatsapp.com/
JKVkjzEiRO13kMP53XToA1 - Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/one-
earth-one-chance
