If you’re looking for an example of a 科罗拉多大学 alum making big strides in the world of tech, 同时也在努力改善世界, 你很难找到比Niyanta Khatri ' 17更好的了. Khatri在加德满都出生和长大, 然后搬到浦那, 在来CC主修数学和经济学之前. As an international student, Khatri says there were a lot of unknowns for her. She didn’t know what the campus would be like or how she would adapt as a student. 离家这么远绝对是一种挣扎. “The biggest adjustment for me was having to think about spending time with family. As an international student, short trips home were just not possible,卡特里说.
在CC工作期间, Khatri和另外两名学生共同创办了一家公司, 18岁的哈维·卡迪亚吉和18岁的约翰·罗伊·多米尼克, 叫Ogugu. She compares it to what the companies Square and Stripe are doing today with QR code sales, 而是特别关注撒哈拉以南非洲地区. 该组织选择了这个地点，因为它是Kadyanji的家乡, but Khatri says she connected with it as the economy there was very similar to her own home. She brought her understanding of these markets as a strength to the project. “我对销售充满热情. 理解数据才能讲述故事，”她说. The trio participated in The Big Idea pitch competition at CC and earned multiple grants to fund the project. Ogugu is now part of Dar Teknohama Business Incubator, the fastest growing accelerator in Tanzania.
在今天这个科技含量很高的世界里, some see liberal arts schools as archaic institutions that don’t really prepare students for the modern job market. 但是Khatri说绝对不会. 她坚信CC是通往科技世界的绝佳渠道. “The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about liberal arts education in the tech world is interdisciplinary thinking. 我在CC接受的教育鼓励了我的这种想法.” This way of approaching tasks is becoming increasingly important in the tech industry as companies try to create more holistic products. “Individuals with this dynamic background are able to draw on multiple disciplines to be able to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions. 这对文科生来说是非常小众的.”
除了文科方面的优势, Khatri将其归功于强度, 速度, and format of study that CC provides with being a great foundation for her current work. “The critical thinking skills that we developed at a very fast 速度 at CC have become a great skill set and were a value I brought with me into the tech world. Finding creative solutions to problems within a tight timeline is something I thrive in now 因为 that’s what I did for four years in Colorado.” Khatri also notes that the project-based learning she had at CC provided great preparation for her career in tech, 项目工作在哪里是创新的核心.
今天, Khatri是销售增长的领导者, working for Logitech — a company she started with as an intern while she was still at CC. Because of the Block Plan, she was even able to extend her internship for a couple blocks. Khatri now works in the company’s sales organization and was key in the its transition from B2C to B2B, 在成长过程中扮演了许多角色. One of these positions required a move to Toronto (at the start of the pandemic!) where she led a team to set up an entirely new sales structure for the company in Canada while working completely virtually from her apartment. “在告别晚宴之前，我从未见过任何团队成员!卡特里说，一开始情况并不明朗, 在流行病和隔离问题之间, 这个项目是否会发生. “我们认为这段时间的工作进度会有点慢. 我这辈子从没这么忙过.” The hard work paid off and Khatri and her team made the largest deal in Logitech history.
当Khatri第一次进入科技行业时, 她担心自己因为一些错误的原因而脱颖而出. “I thought being a woman, being an immigrant, were not selling points. I thought they were areas I needed to hide to fit the mold of the tech industry.” Thankfully, Khatri found great mentorship in Silicon Valley that helped her see otherwise. “我是这份工作的最佳人选 因为 I’m a woman of color, I’m an immigrant, I’m a millennial,” says Khatri. “招聘经理寻找的是我天生具备的东西. I don’t have to learn the diverse ways of thinking about certain problems.” Khatri notes that 因为 of where she grew up and all the places she’s moved, 这副镜片对她来说很自然. “I get the nuances of different cultures 因为 that’s what my experience has been.她对想进入科技行业的有色人种女性的建议是, "向那些和你长相相似的人伸出援手.” As someone who was once there, she knows it’s intimidating, but completely worth the effort. “人们真的很乐于助人. 你的问题是否非常具体，是否与合适的人有联系. 你会意识到网络的力量.”
Beyond her day job, Khatri is now working to give back to her community. As someone who moved away from her home country to go to school and work abroad, one of Khatri’s biggest concerns is not wanting to be part of her country’s “brain drain.” She knew she had to use her success to give back to Nepal — particularly, the women of Nepal. “I wanted to figure out how to use my skillset, my network, and my experience to give back.” She began with the idea of offering workshops to grassroots level women entrepreneurs, providing them with the business acumen to take their concepts further. She is now working with both a woman’s organization and a private equity firm in Nepal. 在他们的帮助下, Khatri is founding an accelerator that allows women entrepreneurs to apply for grants and then take them through a six to twelve-month process focusing on their product and bringing it to market. The program will provide one-on-one mentorships and bring in experts from different parts of Nepal as well as international individuals and organizations. 长期目标? “这将是一个女性对女性的平台, that focuses on allyship and mentorship but also really helping women taking their businesses to the next level,卡特里说. She notes that there are a lot of women out there who have amazing talent and an amazing product, 但就是没有人脉，没有资源. 她的目标是帮助这个被边缘化的群体.
如果你想联系尼扬塔·卡特里，请通过 她的LinkedIn个人资料.