10
Following the expected path of academic achievement led Gauri through
pres�gious schools, economics degrees, and ul�mately, into the world of
investment banking. Yet, this conven�onal success felt hollow. “I was numb
by my job,” she admi�ed, hin�ng at a profound disconnect between her
external achievements and internal ful�llment. The desire for impact work
persisted. A pivotal transi�on occurred when she began working in the develop-
ment sector in the village of Sirohi. Here, the abstract dichotomy she observed
growing up became brutally concrete. She encountered a community mirroring
her hometown’s constraints – girls uneducated, con�ned to their homes, denied
economic par�cipa�on.
The Catalyst. From Financial Numbness to Focused Ac�on
"That's the time, I decided. I will do it."
This incident wasn’t just mo�va�on; it was the speci�c, intolerable problem
demanding a solu�on, moving her from a general desire for impact to focused,
necessary ac�on driven by a frustra�on she could no longer ignore.