We use plastic in packaging every day. Its disposable nature makes it an easier choice. However, its chemical properties make it hard to break down. Poly-sea: Phasing Out Plastic Pollution in the Ocean was my Masters thesis at Parsons. It aims to create a shift in both corporate decisions on plastic packaging and on consumer behaviour. 

The 5 Gyres Institute empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, art, education, and adventure. I am an Ambassador for their cause and advocate their mission by conducting workshops at educational institutions and speaking at events; at Parsons, NYU and Wythe Hotel.

Attending the Post Disposable Design Workshop led by UNSCHOOL and Kaospilot in Aarhus, Denmark was an enriching opportunity for me. The workshop’s goal was to maximize our capacity to create interventions that help us all shift from the hyper-disposable society we have created, to a more sustainable, regenerative and circular one.  

While studying at Parsons, I was an active part of LEAP Entrepreneurship Club at The New School. We created LEAP as a space for student led ventures on specific managerial and leadership skills. Through this student club, I learnt more about entrepreneurship from a business, finance and sustainability perspective.

To understand wearable technology, I attended the Shape Changing Materials Workshop hosted by Noumena and Wearshops at Parsons. We explored alternative ways of integrating smart memory alloys (SMA) with fabric. This was my first attempt at understanding how smart materials work and it was an extremely fascinating experience! 

As a part of the Net Impact Chapter at Parson's School of Design, I helped organize student design jams and pop up events. Our combined interest in social innovation and human centered design, led to the team inculcating awareness on the need for sustainability in the fashion industry. 

As a GVI volunteer, I spent a summer in Pez Maya, Mexico scuba diving with an incredible group of people! I studied how to identify different coral species using the CoralWatch  methodology and collected data determining the ecological health of different species of corals in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve area. 

I spent a summer interning at 17000 ft. Foundation - working to improve lives of the people of remote, high altitude mountainous villages of Ladakh, in areas that lie isolated and ignored for centuries due to problems of harsh terrain. I love working with children and hold the experiences I had here so close to my heart!