The Social Innovation Iniative will host a discussion, "Indigenous Entrepreneurs and Community Development in the Himalayas," with Sonali Mehta Rao, CEO of Ahaana Ventures.

After working in start-ups for over a decade, Sonali Mehta-Rao was disillusioned with the dominant systems that determined who gets to innovate and where, and who benefits from those innovations. She founded Ahaana Ventures to change the narrative of entrepreneurship and capitalism, and focuses on supporting indigenous entrepreneurs in the Himalayan region, who are building nature-based companies that nourish people and planet. Ahaana works with early-stage entrepreneurs and investors to reinvent early-stage investing – shifting power dynamics and challenging commonly-held beliefs and practices in order to lay the foundation for a more diverse and equitable start-up ecosystem globally. In this event Sonali will share her journey as an entrepreneur, and will also share examples of the leaders and communities Ahaana Ventures invests in.

The discussion is part of the Social Innovation Initiative's Fall Series, “Rooted in Wisdom: Indigenous Practice in Social Innovation Around the World.” Himalayan food will be served for dinner!