RAJI WRITES

The South Asian Literature and Art (SALA) festival presented its 6th edition Global Gaze, South Asian Soul on September 26-27 at Menlo College in Menlo Park, CA. As usual, there were stellar speakers, warm reconnections with previous attendees and old friends, stylish attire to admire, and tasty Indian fare with cups of steaming chai. I interviewed some speakers / authors at the Festival - Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, filmmaker Nandita Das, tech executive Kamini Ramani

The longtime Mayfield marketing chief launched her HarperCollins debut, Lotus Leadership, at SALA 2026 on her 63rd birthday. She spoke with me about the 33 women in its pages, goddess myths, marriage as a family project, and life after Sand Hill Road. Kamini Ramani and her new book “Lotus Leadership: A Modern Playbook of Ancient Wisdom” (HarperCollins 2026) Photo credit: Marla Aufmuth/HarperCollins When Silicon Valley tells the Indian American success story, it usually reach