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Profile
Hello, great to meet you! I’m called Anu, and I’m passionate about questions. I love that a good question can make us pause, rethink and revise what we know. Sometimes a question absolutely needs to be answered, and other times, not at all. Questions keep my brain nimble, and encourage me to stay curious and engaged.
As the daughter of immigrants who has grown up between two cultures, I often draw on my personal experience as a way to connect with and amplify the voices of those who have historically not been heard.
As a scholar and academic at the University of Washington, I also know that racial equity work is challenging, emotional, institutional, and personal. I’ve taught about global issues, race, gender, identity, and equity to thousands of students, presented at high-profile as well as more humble events, and collaborated with social change agents and innovative thinkers around the world.
In my consultancy practice and as a facilitator, I partner with clients for the long haul and strive to build inclusivity and collaboration, inviting people into conversation.
I’m a cultural in-between and go-between who values nuance as well as clarity.
I bring both passion and expertise to my work as a speaker, facilitator, author and educator. I specialize in issues of racial equity and social change. I believe in dialogue, and invite people to grapple with the challenges of history and navigate our present with curiosity, honesty, and open-heartedness.
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I’m so compelled by the notion that all of us deserve to feel seen and heard in our complex identities and experiences. Each and every one of us.
If all of us did feel more seen and heard, would we then act out our insecurities on others less often?
Would we then have more space in our hearts for true compassion and empathy?
The quest for more care, camaraderie and connection is what drives me each and every day. I’m inspired by the many change-agents I’ve met around the world — ordinary people who are making life a little better for themselves and others in the small pockets of life that they lead.
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The fact that I get to bring people together to talk about critical personal and social issues feels incredible to me.
We need healthy, productive and engaging dialogue now more than ever. Most of us have been raised with little familiarity and too few tools on how to build authentic relationships across different identities and experiences. This, of course, has deep consequences in our communities both near and far. With some support however, we can create more meaningful connections based on love, grace and friendly curiosity with both ourselves and each other. I love that I get to do this work!
Academic Partners
- University of Washington
- Various travel industry and university partners
What reciprocity looks like for me
Reciprocity to me feels like belonging. It’s when we gather to make a meal and everyone naturally takes on a task that contributes to the whole. Reciprocity in an unequal world is certainly not a given. Deep and abiding connections across race, income, opportunity and global location take time, trust and affection. Reciprocity in the context of my work and especially this international project feels like righting history’s many wrongs, one relationship at a time.
Advice I’d give …
If you want to work in the racial equity and DEI sphere, I’d advise you to get real comfortable with discomfort. Know what discomfort means from the theoretical and social level down to the nervous system and cellular level. This skill will come in handy all the time, each and every day!
Fun Facts
If I was an animal, I would be …
A meerkat — they are gregarious animals and social with one another. They work together, communicate, and live in groups of families.
My secret talent is …
I have a toe that bends in fun ways and performs tricks! 🙂
When I was a child, I wanted to be …
A volcano scientist! (Which I later learned is called a geologist!)
My favorite thing to eat is …
I love chaat, Indian snacky street food. Chaat is often salty, sour, spicy and a little sweet — all at once.
My favorite place to to be is …
In a pool swimming slow, relaxed laps
Connect with Anu
Connect with Anu’s work
My book on unpacking our baggage about who we are, where we come from, and how much we have.