South Asian Impact Project

Meera Pillai serves on three Northern Virginia nonprofit boards: Board Chair of Ronald McDonald House Charities, and board roles with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and Educate Fairfax. It all started more than a decade when Meera stepped away from her corporate IT career to figure out what was next. While volunteering at her kids' elementary school, she found a small grassroots pr...

Seema Alexander grew up working in her family's businesses in Washington DC — a restaurant, a travel agency, a grocery store, all built from scratch by her South Asian immigrant parents. She watched both businesses close when the internet arrived. Not from lack of effort, but from not seeing the shift coming. That experience became the lens through which she's seen everything since. Today, Seema i...

In this Season 1 Finale of the South Asian Impact Project Podcast , Vidhi Bhansali shares the 5 biggest lessons that anyone can use to start something new, build a vision, or make an impact. Inspired by conversations with six leaders across food justice, healthcare, education, art, and legal advocacy, this episode breaks down what it really takes to move from idea to action: purpose, resilience, c...

Art therapist, author, and community healer Sangeeta Prasad has spent decades helping people express what they can’t always put into words. In this episode, she takes us inside her work with children navigating big emotions, seniors seeking connection and purpose, immigrants rebuilding identity in a new country, and military veterans processing trauma . Trained in psychology, neuroscience, and fin...

In this episode, Speech and Language Pathologist Nidhi Tandon joins host Vidhi Bhansali for a candid, eye‑opening conversation about childhood communication, early intervention, and the rising impact of screen time. Drawing from her work with children and adults across the communication spectrum, Nidhi breaks down what SLPs really do, the early signs parents often miss, and why spoken and written...

What does it take to rebuild your life in a new country—again and again? In this episode, Vidhi sits down with Sunila Bali , an attorney, counselor, musician, and community advocate whose journey spans sports, teaching, immigration, law, and the founding of her own firm, Seva Law . Sunila shares how she went from representing her state in table tennis in India to restarting her life in the U.S., n...

In this episode, Sandeep Mehta shares how a technologist became a community builder, helping lead the creation of the marble Jain Center in the Washington DC area. What began as a shared dream evolved into a blueprint for any community hoping to honor its traditions through a lasting monument — one built with intention, collaboration, and deep cultural pride. Sandeep reflects on how the community...

In this episode, founder Mayur Mody shares how the American Diversity Group is reshaping access to healthcare across Maryland. What began with one powerful encounter has grown into a community‑rooted model offering medical and dental clinics, food support, refugee services, senior wellness programs, and youth workforce development. Mayur reflects on the barriers immigrants and underserved families...

How does a home kitchen turn into a movement feeding thousands? In this episode, Vidhi speaks with Nupur Panjabi , founder of Anna Sudha Community Kitchen & Pantry , to uncover how she transformed personal loss into one of Loudoun County’s most impactful food‑justice initiatives. Nupur shares the origins of Anna Sudha, the early days of cooking from her home, and how the organization now serve...