Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva

The Power of Unconventional Entrepreneurs with Arjita Sethi
"An unconventional entrepreneur has been hustling before the idea even came. It's their way of life." - Arjita Sethi
What if the thing that makes you feel like an outsider is actually the reason you're built to lead? In this episode, I talk to Arjita Sethi - an immigrant entrepreneur, educator, and founder of New Founders School. From growing up in Delhi and helping run a school with her mom at 16, to building a startup in Silicon Valley while navigating the U.S. immigration system, Arjita’s story is a powerful mix of hustle, heart, and hard-earned wisdom. We get into what it really takes to build something when you don’t come from privilege, and how being an immigrant gives you a different kind of edge - one that’s rooted in adaptability, resourcefulness, and the ability to keep going no matter what.
You'll hear us discuss:
- How growing up as an immigrant shaped the way Arjita leads, takes risks, and thinks like a founder
- Why some of the best entrepreneurs out there don’t look or sound like what the startup world expects
- The real superpowers immigrant founders already have - even if they don’t know it yet
- How she burned out chasing the “Silicon Valley dream” and what she had to unlearn
- What it’s like to build a business under constant visa pressure, and why that stress doesn’t get talked about enough
- How New Founders School is helping underestimated entrepreneurs turn their lived experience into leadership
Resources
Arjita Sethi on New Founder School | Arjitha's Advantage Program | LinkedIn