Meet Nani Vishwanath! (she/her)
Location: Seattle, WA
- How long have you been a part of TCC? How did you get connected?
I joined The Courage Collective during the summer of 2020. At the time, I was working at a tech company (with Daniel, and a few others from the crew!), and was energized by our mutual desire to see diversity & inclusion efforts that were more holistic and better resourced than what we were then presented with. The Courage Collective is now an incredibly important part of my life, and I am continually moved by the experiences we have with one another and our clients.
- Share your why. Why is DEI important to you?
My personal mission is to elevate the voices of the unheard. To me, spaces that truly and intentionally foster a commitment to DEI do the same- elevate all voices and change systems, values and ways of thinking so that more people can be themselves.
- Share one identity that is important to you right now.
I’m a working parent, and am constantly learning about who I am as a parent and who I want to be as a parent. It’s what everybody says- an incredibly hard and incredibly rewarding role, especially as I consider the intersectional nature of it.
- What superlative would you win?
- Most likely to… order another round so that the party can last a little longer
- Most likely to prioritize Bravo shows over all other television content
- Most likely to find any occasion to put together an elaborate cheese board
- Most likely to throw out disturbing “Would You Rather” questions when nobody asked for them
- What do you enjoy doing if and when you’re not working?
My happy place is hosting a dinner party with my friends and family. Good food, drink, music, laughter- the best. I also sing in a local Seattle choir, and enjoy making music with my community.
- Pick 3 words that you would use to describe your life.
- Evolving
- Full
- Joyful
- What’s a quote or mantra that you live by?
“Hold two truths” will forever be a guiding force for me.
- If you could change one thing about the way people interact with each other, what would it be?
I wish we could all remember that each person we interact with has been and are likely still fighting a battle or hardship of some kind. I believe we’d see a different world with more focus on compassion- for one another and for ourselves.
I recently read “What Happened to You” by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry and it had so many helpful lessons about this concept. “When you’re able to really see another person, that’s true compassion, and extending yourself in compassion to another human being changes the nature of our relationships, our communities, and our world.” – Oprah Winfrey
- If you could change one thing about our current cultural climate, what would it be?
The way in which we force binary thinking— through politics, social issues, career trajectories…anything. I wish we had a culture that embraced nuance and allowed for folks to show up accordingly.
- You can invite 3 people to your dream dinner party – who are you inviting and what are you serving? I can think of so many people I’d want to have a dream dinner party with, but at this moment, I’d be down for a big charcuterie feast with Brandi Carlile, Lizzo, and Obama.
Stay tuned for more opportunities to get to know the entire Courage Collective team!
