Upaya Social Ventures

09/29/2026

The light we carry.
The light we share.
The light we spark in others. ✨

This Diwali, join us for Brunch & Block Prints—a festive morning of brunch, mimosas, creativity, and connection with the Upaya community.

Come, create something beautiful, bring a friend or family member, and celebrate the possibilities that grow when we come together.

📅 Saturday, October 24 | 11 AM – 1 PM PDT
📍 Made Space | Capitol Hill, Seattle

🎟️ Limited tickets available, register here today: https://luma.com/uca78bef

Interested in volunteering at our March 5, 2027 gala in exchange for a discounted ticket? Email us at [email protected].

We look forward to connecting with our Upaya community for a Jaipuri block-printing experience led by Seattle artist Ritambhara Srinivasan. Ritambhara will…

09/23/2026

✨

Nalini Shekar, Shekar Prabhakar, and Marwan Abubaker co-founded Hasiru Dala Innovations (meaning Green Brigade) with a simple but important idea: waste pickers deserve to be recognised and valued as professionals. 🌍

Through their Inclusive Circularity® model, waste management workers are integrated into formal waste management systems as Green Collar® Professionals, creating dignified livelihoods while helping build a more inclusive and circular waste system. ♻️

Since partnering with Upaya, Hasiru Dala has grown its work across Bangalore and beyond, creating 1,331 dignified jobs and diverting 15,914 tons of waste, showing that circularity and inclusion can go hand in hand. 🚀

Behind every number is a person with an opportunity to build a more secure future. 💚

✨ Donate today and help us back more founders making a difference: https://www.upayasv.org/give-to-upaya

09/16/2026

🪔

⚡ Not long ago, Bismilla rarely left her home. Today, she's a micro-entrepreneur, selling biogas products alongside solar technology and running demos for farmers and families across rural India. What started as a step outside became a foundation for everything after.

🌟 She's more financially independent now, providing for her children on her own terms. But the real change runs deeper: she's found her voice, and earned the recognition and respect of her entire community.

🌍 SURE (Sakhi Unique Resource Enterprise) helps women become entrepreneurs, bringing clean energy and sustainable livelihoods to villages across India. When women lead, communities transform.

✨ Visit the link to donate today and help create more stories like Bismilla's: https://www.upayasv.org/give-to-upaya

🪔

09/09/2026

Something special is coming this fall. ✨

On October 24, we’ll gather with the Upaya community around a simple but powerful idea: the light we each carry within us.

The light we carry.
The light we share.
The light we spark in others.

Through a series of hands-on, artist-led workshops, we’ll create, connect, and celebrate the possibility that grows when we come together.

Registration and more details coming soon! 🪔

October 24, Saturday | Save the date.

08/14/2026

What if changing a life was as easy as a monthly contribution?

Monthly giving is one of the most powerful ways to support Upaya. It is simple to set up, and your recurring gift provides steady support that helps families access stable work, reliable incomes, and the opportunity to build a better future.

Join our community of monthly givers and be part of something bigger than a single donation. Together, we're building an economy where everyone has access to dignified work.

💛 Ready to make every month matter?
👉 Set up your monthly gift today: upayasv.org/monthly-giving

08/12/2026

🪔

When Jyoti joined Bastar Se Bazaar Tak as a supplier in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, she had no steady income and no roadmap for what came next. Today, she's rewriting that story, one skill and one saved rupee at a time.

She's grown more confident, more capable, and more hopeful. Beyond the income, she's gained real skills and a quiet sense of pride, along with the kind of respect from her community that no paycheck alone could buy. For Jyoti, this work isn't just about getting by. It's about building toward something bigger: a home, a car, and a future for her family that once felt out of reach. ✨

Bastar Se Bazaar Tak works directly with tribal farmers in Bastar to sustainably harvest and process non-timber forest produce like custard apple, tamarind, and jamun into high-quality goods under their Forest Naturals brand. In doing so, they're reducing post-harvest losses and connecting rural, tribal communities to urban markets. 🌿

💝 Donate today and help create more dignified jobs: https://www.upayasv.org/give-to-upaya

07/29/2026

This past weekend, we gathered with our community to celebrate 15 years of building a more inclusive future through dignified jobs. 💙

We loved reconnecting with our supporters and welcoming new faces as we reflected on the milestones we’ve reached and the work still ahead to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs and jobholders across India.

All those present also took part in a special mosaic workshop, creating pieces from rice and lentils, inspired by the pillars of dignified work: safe, stable, inclusive, and rewarding. A beautiful reminder that lasting change is built grain by grain. ✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to be part of Upaya’s journey. And a special shoutout to Yashodhra Painumkal for supporting us always 🤍

07/18/2026

For 15 years, Upaya has believed that one of the most effective ways to fight poverty is by creating dignified jobs. 🌱

That belief has guided every entrepreneur we've backed, every investment we've made, and every partnership we've built.

To mark this milestone, we asked Upaya's leaders to reflect on what they've learned along the way.

Over the years, one truth has remained constant:
Poverty isn't about a lack of effort, it's about a lack of access.

And that dignity isn’t simply about having a job;
It’s about agency, stability, and the ability to imagine a different future. 💛

As Upaya celebrates 15 years this weekend, we're proud to share this film; a reflection on our journey, the work that has shaped our legacy, and the many people who have made it all possible. ✨

Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/6WOP-kbX3qI?si=d3LLLt-v9LdzIY4N

Featuring:
🎙️ Sachi Shenoy, Co-founder
🎙️ Kate Cochran, Former CEO
🎙️ Shruti Goel, CoCEO
🎙️ AB Chakravarthy, CoCEO

🎥 Video Courtesy: LastBench Studios

In a country where inequality is impossible to ignore, we chose not...

07/16/2026

✨

When Vinay and Raksha Kothari founded GO DESi the goal was bigger than a snack brand. They wanted to celebrate India's food traditions while creating real opportunity for the communities behind them. 🥭🌾

By sourcing directly from farmers and building rural production units, Go Desi keeps more value local — and creates stable, dignified jobs, especially for women, close to home. 💼

Since Upaya invested in 2019, Go Desi has grown its rural network across Karnataka, proving purpose-driven business can power local economies and lasting pathways out of poverty. 🚀

✨ Donate today and help us back more changemakers like Go Desi: https://www.upayasv.org/give-to-upaya

🪔

07/10/2026

☀️ Summer Social with Upaya ☀️

Join us as we mark 15 years of dignified job creation! Celebrate the community that’s made this milestone possible—all while enjoying good food and great company on a summer afternoon.

We’re also excited to welcome local artist Yaminee Patel, who’ll lead a workshop exploring the theme of dignity. We’ll each create a meaningful piece to take home.

And yes, there’s a prize drawing! Every attendee gets an entry, plus one more for each guest you bring. We can’t wait to see you!

📅 July 26 | 11 am–1 pm PDT
📍 Newport Hills Swim & Tennis Club, Bellevue

RSVP by July 22: https://form.jotform.com/261596892734170

🪔