Life & Work with Monica Kachru

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Kachru.

Hi Monica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey commenced with a tragic event – every parent’s nightmare. On August 11, 2017, I lost my older daughter, Anaya. Just two weeks away from embarking on her college freshman year at 18, she left an irreplaceable void. Anaya’s impact extended beyond our family; it stemmed from her commitment to addressing educational inequality in low-income communities. During her senior year in high school, she delved into researching the challenges faced by students lacking her privileges, uncovering systemic barriers that left them without a fair chance in higher education. Her findings highlighted financial hardships and a lack of social and emotional support as key factors, ultimately leading to alienation and dropout.

Growing up, Anaya had always been a kid who was mature way beyond her years. She also had an insatiable desire to help others and make this world better for all. Her vision for this world was always rooted in love and equity for all. While I was proud of who she was growing up to be, I was also concerned as a mom that she was taking too much on her shoulders. When we lost Anaya, our family struggled a lot with what we could do in her honor, which could truly embody her ethos. In the throes of our grief and desire to honor her dreams, we found her project as an answer and built a foundation around it. The mission of the Foundation is to support students from first-generation and / or low-income communities through college by providing comprehensive support.

Our Foundation offers support in five key areas:
1. Financial Assistance: Enabling students to attend college by providing essential financial support.
2. Personalized Mentorship: Offering one-on-one guidance through professional mentors for all four years or more, ensuring undivided attention and support. Additionally, incoming students receive a peer mentor, a recent graduate, to assist with social situations, and mentors are available 24/7 throughout the year.
3. Paid Internships: Providing opportunities for hands-on experience, fostering social capital crucial for post-graduation job searches.
4. Financial Literacy: Equipping students with critical financial knowledge to navigate short-term needs and plan for long-term financial goals.
5. Workplace Training: Covering a spectrum of needs, from crafting effective resumes to interview preparation, networking skills, and personal brand building.

Anaya would often say to me, “Mom, we have to level the playing field”. While Anaya is not here with us today, her dream lives on. At the Anaya Tipnis Foundation, our unwavering focus is on “leveling the playing field,” equipping students from first-generation and low-income families with the tools to empower themselves. Our mission is to provide these students with the same resources as their wealthier, privileged peers, ensuring equal opportunities for success.

While the national graduation rates hover around 10% for low-income students, we are looking at 100% graduation rates. Our first cohort graduated this May at 100% graduation rate, and all have already secured coveted jobs in their field of choice. I am so happy to share that we are indeed leveling the playing field!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Navigating my journey has been far from smooth as I grapple with the complexities of managing my own thoughts and emotions. Dealing with profound grief on a personal level, I’ve questioned the purpose of my existence in the face of my child’s untimely passing. Anaya, who aspired to make a difference, is no longer here, and I find myself wrestling with the contrast of my continued existence. Balancing the support for my surviving daughter and husband while coping with my own sorrow has been a challenging task. The contemplation of quitting my day job arises often, but the prospect triggers a cascade of financial implications compelling me to deny myself that permission. Despite these personal struggles, I embarked on establishing a nonprofit foundation with a meager $5,000. The mission was ambitious, aiming to overcome the obstacles hindering students’ progress to graduate with an undergraduate diploma.

Building a team and finding mentors, all without financial compensation, proved daunting. No one on the team had prior experience in the nonprofit sector or educating the communities we served. Juggling full-time jobs and personal life, all our team members required constant balancing of expectations and sacrifices; furthermore, initiating a perpetual cycle of seeking monetary and time contributions, we navigated the challenges of fundraising to support the students. Our team, unfamiliar with the nonprofit world, had to learn the essence of giving and asking others to give. Finally, we have to accept that our students might not fully comprehend our efforts, yet we remain committed to our mission to consistently show up for them day after day.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Throughout the day, I guide a team at Eversource Energy, dedicated to securing clean energy and cutting-edge technologies like solar, onshore and offshore wind, and energy storage. Our mission is to pave the way for increased levels of sustainable energy in the Northeast. I also had the privilege of leading a startup in Africa, aiming to transition commercial and industrial customers from diesel to cleaner alternatives. The majority of my career has revolved around reducing our carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Before losing Anaya, my proudest moments were professional achievements, whether it was earning recognition at Eversource, sealing a million-dollar project in Africa, or supporting the development of large-scale renewable projects. Since that loss, my perspective has shifted, and I now find pride in the impact of our collective passion at the Foundation.

Despite the challenges we face, our foundation has cultivated expertise and determination to overcome obstacles. I am profoundly humbled and proud of the community of volunteers we’ve assembled, individuals who embody the spirit of giving back, creating a ripple effect that lifts families out of intergenerational poverty.

How do you define success?
Success to me is finding peace in knowing that if today were my last, I would carry no regrets. I aim to have poured love into every relationship, made a meaningful impact in the lives of others, and laid the groundwork for a legacy that transcends my own existence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anayafoundation.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anayatipnisfoundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anayatipnisfoundation/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anayatipnisfoundation/

Image Credits
Paul Falcone, Wellesley Media Corporation Rama K. Ramaswamy