In this episode of Conversations with Vegan Women Leaders, we interview Nivi Jaswal, founder of the Virsa Foundation in Boston.

A connector at heart, Nivi builds strong and passionate teams inspired to deliver socially responsible projects with high community impact.

A former Unilever executive, she brings 15 years’ experience in international marketing, brand management and corporate strategy in consumer goods, life sciences and the media and research industry.

Nivi who was born and raised in India, founded the Virsa Foundation which brings together professionals from diverse specialties to design and deliver climate-conscious, plant-powered community projects, with a focus on addressing chronic illness, encouraging emotional wellbeing, immune resiliency and fostering creative and artistic expression among women of color in underserved communities.

She is currently leading an ethnographic research program called JIVINITI, which focuses on low income, nutritionally underserved women of color in the US.

Nivi also brought together the JIVINITI women’s coalition that is calling on the US administration to pivot to a plant-based economy.

In this conversation, Nivi talks about:

• How growing up in India shaped who she is today

• How the caste system and colorism impact women in India

• How getting sick resulted in her leaving her high-flying corporate career to start a non-profit

• What she gained from the corporate world that she believes is essential for social justice movements and the non-profit sector to take on board

• The devastating personal impact she’s experiencing from the Covid-19 pandemic and how she’s handling it

• And more

Visit the Virsa Foundation’s website 

Find out about the JIVINITI women’s coalition campaign 

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