A Wharton Graduate Chooses Entrepreneurship to ‘Fight the Fire’ of Saving Our Planet
Students who attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as undergraduates are known for pursuing internships and jobs in investment banking and management consulting. They seek prestige, competitive edge, great salaries, and the kind of strategic thinking that advances careers in business.
When Svanika Balasubramanian (pictured above talking about circularity, a sustainability concept where resources and products are kept in use for as long as possible) was a Wharton undergrad in 2015-2018, she too worked as a summer analyst for Deloitte Middle East and Morgan Stanley in New York City.
Then, she caught the entrepreneurship bug. And, a chance partnership with a student assigned to be her peer reviewer changed the direction of her life.
“My now-co-founder Peter Hjemdahl (a past Wharton Global High School Investment Competition client) was writing his thesis at Wharton about the economics of female waste workers in India, in the slums of Mumbai at the Deonar East landfill,” noted Svanika, whose original research project was on the economics of refugee resettlement and immigration in Germany. “He was researching a topic that I deeply cared about…so, we decided to co-write the thesis together. Eventually, we had this 200-page paper, and it just felt wrong to leave it at that, because we had somehow peered behind the curtain at a very not-talked-about topic, and there was so much there. We didn’t have it in our hearts to step away from that and do a different job in New York.”
And thus was born rePurpose Global. The company has grown into one of the world’s leading plastic action platforms that brings together brands, consumers, innovators and policymakers to combat the plastic waste crisis and improve the lives of marginalized waste workers – a startup that won Penn’s prestigious President’s Engagement Prize in 2018.
Seven years later, Svanika, Peter and their other co-founder Aditya Siroya – each at one time destined for corporate finance — are all-in on their entrepreneurship journey. RePurpose Global employs some 70 people globally and partners on projects that they say have recovered more than 23 million kilograms of plastic waste from the environment.
In Conversation with the CEO
Wharton Global Youth invited Svanika to talk about her career and her deep commitment to the circular economy – which she does with great energy and insight. You can watch that full interview on our Youtube channel.
“The circular economy is a newer concept that is starting to pick up steam,” said Svanika, who serves as rePurpose Global’s CEO. “It is the idea that our current model of use-and-throw culture, where we buy a product, use it once, and it goes into a landfill [is not sustainable]. The majority of things in a landfill that are single-use are used for less than 15 minutes before they ended up there. Instead, we all want to be moving toward a circular economy, where we use a product and then we remake it into a different product.”
Svanika (don’t miss how she uses a clever superhero analogy to describe her evolving day-to-day role as an entrepreneur and CEO!) shared her expertise about the plastic crisis facing our planet:
- Plastic consumption is alarmingly high – the average person consumes a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, and more than 60 million pounds of new plastic are generated every hour.
- Plastic production currently generates more carbon emissions than global aviation, making it a significant contributor to climate change that goes beyond traditional environmental concerns.
- Less than 10% of plastic in the United States is recycled, with most being landfilled or shipped to developing countries that are not equipped to handle the waste.
- The plastic waste crisis is deeply interconnected with humanitarian issues, with tens of millions of people in impoverished communities working in exploitative and unregulated waste management sectors, often experiencing reduced life expectancy and serious health problems. Repurpose Global works with approximately 600 brands to create formal employment for waste workers.
- The global plastic waste problem requires a comprehensive approach, involving brands, consumers, innovators, and policymakers, with an estimated $5.2 trillion needed over the next 15 years to transition to a circular economy and effectively address the crisis.
During our Wharton Global Youth interview, Svanika shared deeper revelations about environmental activism, business and career. Be sure to tune into our Youtube channel for a masterclass in entrepreneurship and the triple bottom line of how business must balance its commitment to people, planet and profits.
“Everybody throughout the history of time, from the first human being to where we are today, has always been born into a world in crisis; into a world on fire,” Svanika observed. “The responsibility that each of us holds is not to make sure that the world isn’t on fire, but rather that the fires that our future generations have to care about are different from the ones that we are fighting today.”
Conversation Starters
When Svanika Balasubramanian teamed up with Peter Hjemdahl for their research collaboration, she said, “Eventually, we had this 200-page paper, and it just felt wrong to leave it at that, because we had somehow peered behind the curtain at a very not-talked-about topic, and there was so much there.” Have you ever worked on a project that left you feeling similarly? How did you act on your interest? Share your story in the comment section of this article.
Our YouTube interview with Svanika is rich with insight and career advice, moving from entrepreneurship as a source for change, to breaking cycles of generational poverty through structured economic opportunities. Listen to the interview (linked above) and choose a quote or theme that resonates with you. Discuss with a group or share your thoughts in the comment section of this article.
What do you think about Svanika choosing entrepreneurship over corporate finance? Would you make this choice? Why or why not?
This isn’t just some “save the planet” feel-good story. Svanika ditched the Wall Street dream because she saw how broken the system really is, profit over people, waste over workers. rePurpose Global actually puts money where it counts, tackling plastic pollution and the brutal labor behind it. If more finance folks don’t do this, they’re just fueling the problem. Real impact comes from solving these issues, not chasing the usual corporate grind.
Svanika proves to be an inspiring character as she not only works to make our modern world a healthier environment, but she also strives to make the world a better place for future generations to come. Many start-ups and companies can be blinded by the allure of promises of wealth and becoming household brands, instead of focusing on their own long-term success and even their impact on the global environment, unlike repurpose Global which was founded with a mission and a sustainable objective. Even though it may have been fate that Svanika was just as passionate as Peter was, initially writing his thesis, they took their insight and 200-page paper to the next level by building a global company off of it— seeing their hard work pay off and fighting for their passions. They built themselves opportunities based off of future visions of a better world instead of waiting to stumble across them and for someone else to create these openings for them. Seeking a solution to this serious yet unknown global issue, the co-founders of rePurpose Global redefine entrepreneurship as they are driven by passion and devotion instead of the usual drive of money and success.
When Svanika said, “We had this 200-page paper, and it just felt wrong to leave it at that,” it reminded me of how one of my projects, Bet Blue, grew from a summer party project to a youth-founded sustainable venture.
I was first fascinated with 3D printing in the 2nd grade, during an assignment to design skyscrapers. So, when tasked with designing poker sets for a friend’s party, I saw an opportunity to blend my passion for building and entrepreneurial spirit. As my high school’s 3D printer whirred to life, my entrepreneurial passions dimmed: the plastic filament that I was supposed to use would generate an enormous amount of waste.
According to the IUCN, 20 million tons of plastic waste are leaked into our environment each year, and like Svanika, I was shaken by the irony that I would be contributing to the very pollution that I hoped to fight. Yet, I was so enthralled with the idea of building something entrepreneurial. Inspired by leaders like Svanika and rePurpose, I launched Bet Blue–my capstone project that rescues plastic waste from NYC’s environment and converts it into 3D-printed poker sets. With Bet Blue, I turned plastic into profits and pollution into purpose.
Svanika’s journey with rePurpose shows that the circular economy and sustainable entrepreneurship aren’t just a detour of business; they are its future. It’s not just a niche path of entrepreneurs, but a path that we must take if we are to solve the global problems that we face today. She proves that sustainability doesn’t have to mean sacrifice; it can actually mean adding value, both economic and environmental. That’s the kind of future I want to bet on.
For the longest time, I have avoided the field of finance because I believed that it was a tedious and monotone 9-5 job at a computer all day. I have come a long way since then. Svanika’s journey showcased in this small snippet of text reveals what it means to really be engaged in the world of economics.
Corporate finance and entrepreneurship are two main pathways into finance. Both terms are broad images of immensely intricate occupations. In the corporate world, financial services such as, budgeting, analyzing and buying or selling are provided to clients. Entrepreneurship on the other hand, explores the business side that requires proper risk management and creativity.
A common misconception is that people need to choose one side between the two. The truth is that at least one third of people working in corporate finance transition to entrepreneurship. Svanika was one individual out of this statistic. What is the reason for such a customary switch? The answer is simple: risk. The ones who are willing to make the change are the ones that are willing to take the biggest risk. All of us are capable of having a passion that we would pursue to turn into an entrepreneurial innovation of some sort. However, if it was so easy, all of us would be owning multi-billion companies right now. But it is not.
Svanika chose to take this risk when staring rePurpose. She believed not only in herself but she in her mission and her intent to take on addressing sustainability. There are a multitude of upsides for doing this despite the huge gamble she is taking.
1) She is working on something she genuinely has passion for.
2) She gains more flexibility and learns how to become more independent.
3) She is able to really contribute and give back to society.
These benefits however, do not mean that her previous work in corporate was a waste. Corporate finance teaches many vital skills as well including technicalities, cooperation, and work ethic. Without working in corporate first, it would be extremely difficult to run your own business.
Therefore, I would consider takings similar steps to Svanika in the future. I believe in finding a fire to fight yet I know this can only be possible with corporate background.
Svanika’s pivot from corporate finance to entrepreneurship was bold but purposeful, she saw a chance to turn research into real world impact. It worked because the circular economy was an untapped niche where her finance skills added value, proving business can drive social change. As a Pakistani aspiring management consultant, I’d weigh stability against impact, our market needs both corporate jobs and innovators to solve crises like waste management. I might start in consulting (for experience/networks) then transition to entrepreneurship, like Svanika did, but with local problems like textile waste. Here, limited funding and risk averse investors make entrepreneurship harder (one failed startup has made me humble and realistic), but ESG consulting could bridge the gap between profit and purpose. Her choice inspires me, but I’d adapt it: use corporate training to later launch ventures tackling Pakistan’s waste or energy gaps.
Its a fact that Svantikas story is a powerful reminder that true impact often lies outside traditional paths, the drive for a deeper incentive within sustainability rather than corporate finance shows her goal for changing the world.
“Plastic production currently generates more carbon emissions than global aviation, making it a significant contributor to climate change that goes beyond traditional environmental concerns”. This highlights how even a single piece of plastic can influence the trajectory of our planet, with serious implications for future generations. “The global plastic waste problem requires a comprehensive approach, involving brands, consumers, innovators, and policymakers, with an estimated $5.2 trillion needed over the next 15 years to transition to a circular economy and effectively address the crisis.” Svantikas mission with repurpose global is to reshape the world , maximising benefits for our future generations. Her work challenges the conventional limits of corporate finance, proving that it can go beyond routine operations to drive meaningful, systematic change.
There is growing demand for green innovation and entrepreneurship is increasingly growing proving to be driving the force behind it. Unlike traditional corporate finance, entrepreneurship allows for cross disciplinary learning, creative freedom, and a deeper commitment to long term goals. These fires that our future generations have to care about are different to the ones we are fighting today. My main message from this is how entrepreneurship isn’t about just starting a business but it’s about starting a better future.
The world desperately needs more people like Svanika, and I’m not talking about her achievements, her impact, or even her character. I’m talking about her guilt. Let me explain, Svanika states that “we had this 200-page paper, and it just felt wrong to leave it at that.” Breaking this statement down, one can see her hard work exemplified through her 200-page paper. What is interesting is that she used the word “wrong” as a means to continue the initiative she started in that paper. Additionally, she continues to say that, “we didn’t have it in our hearts to step away from that and do a different job in New York.” When we think about right and wrong, we usually consider simple things, such as stealing or lying. Svanika felt like it was “wrong” not to continue what she was already doing. I wholeheartedly believe that it was this belief that she had that led her to be as successful as she is today. The guilt that she felt for not pursuing this topic allowed her to make her profound impact. This foundation isn’t in many success stories. Many people have a passion, or some type of positive incentive. But for the first time, someone impacted the world with a negative incentive, even though it may not seem so at first glance.
Svanika’s journey—Corporate internships to co-founding RePurpose Global—is a rich testament to purpose-driven entrepreneurship driven by passionate research and unwavering belief. What began as an academic interest in women waste pickers in Mumbai grew into a mission that’s now recovered over 23 million kilograms of plastic and established sustainable livelihoods across the globe.
Her decision to leave a conventional finance trajectory and respond to the plastic crisis is a lovely truth: job fulfillment arises from battling the world’s “fires,” not avoiding them. This philosophy fits with the entrepreneurship turnaround narratives we studied in our AWS/Python training—where we moved from abstract learning to designing solutions that combat money exclusion, since data solutions were shallow without a social component.
I was most impressed with RePurpose Global’s key model: the confluence of circular economy strategy with systemic empowerment. Collecting plastic is only half the story—the true potential lies in getting waste workers into formal value chains, offering decent wage, training, and healthcare benefits. This multi-channeled effort transforms RePurpose not just into a recycling platform but a social enterprise linking economic opportunity with ecological rebirth.
A few standout facts—like plastic production producing more carbon emissions than international air travel, and each of us eating a credit-card-worth of plastic every week—drive home scope of issue. Transforming it requires working together up value chain: consumers, brands, innovators, and policymakers. RePurpose’s platform aligns with this imperative—its partnerships with 600 companies and end-to-end strategy illustrate multi-stakeholder coordination climate-solution issues require.
That touches on transferability: how do you take highly impactful, local projects and replicate them into repeatable models? Let’s say, would RePurpose’s be applicable to Southeast Asia’s electronic waste or Latin America’s crop waste? Do we have standard financial vehicles or governance models (e.g., impact bonds or blockchain traceability) that would allow local groups to replicate success with accountability and social safeguards in place?
Finally, Svanika’s superhero allegory was more than genius—it recalls that tackling systemic issues ultimately involves identity shifts—to be a change-maker, not a consultant; an activist, not an analyst. Entrepreneurship in this way becomes the ultimate leadership crucible.
Thank you, Diana and team, for illuminating Svanika’s story. This is not only inspiration—this is a playbook for business, policy, and tech changemakers. I’m looking forward to hearing about how new leaders can leverage academic thinking to inform scalable, justice-oriented enterprise.
The plastic waste crisis that Svanika described was shocking to me, not only because of the numbers but because of how invisible this crisis feels in everyday life. The notion that each of us could be eating the equivalent of a credit card of plastic every week is terrifying, and yet most of us usually don’t give it any thought. I know I didn’t, until I started paying attention to how much plastic was part of my routine, mostly water bottles, snack wrappers, and packaging on almost everything. Once you see it, it’s hard to unsee it.
What is even more heartbreaking is that the people bearing the brunt of this crisis are not the same ones creating the greatest amount of waste. Svanika’s assertion about waste workers, people seeing to the sorting of our waste in unsafe and unregulated conditions, clearly demonstrates that plastic pollution goes beyond just an environmental issue. It is an issue of human rights.
On my individual level, I have made minor changes, for example, I use reusable bottles, I say no to single-use plastics, I am figuring out what can and cannot be recycled. But I also know, in order for the situation to improve it has to be systems-change, not changes to one’s individual habits. We need international cooperation between governments, businesses, and communities, to take steps toward a circular economy with an emphasis on sustainability and justice, and voices such as Svanika’s are showing us that it is not only possible but necessary.
I’m just so inspired by Svanika’s story. Like so many students, she started down the “safe path” finance, Morgan Stanley and Deloitte internships, and then something different. I loved how that one small connection with Peter turned into a 200-page thesis and ended up being one of the world’s leading plastic action platforms. It’s such an inspiring reminder that massive change can start out of a class project or even just a common interest.
I especially identified with her comment that “it felt wrong to just leave the research as a paper.” I’ve felt that way too. I worked on a campaign for youth mental health with my group, and once we presented it in class, I felt like, Wait, this actually can help people. Why do we have to leave it there? So we continued we built a modest website, had an online forum, and shared resources. It was not grand, but we made something that lived past the assignment. That’s why I loved Svanika’s story so much.
Also, what she was able to do at rePurpose Global shows that business isn’t all about profit it can transform communities, create jobs for individuals, and help save the planet. I had no idea that making plastic releases more greenhouse gases than commercial air travel worldwide I was amazed. And that most plastic is used for less than 15 minutes before it’s sent to a landfill? That’s not only irresponsible, that’s toxic.
If I were forced to make a decision between corporate finance and social entrepreneurship, I’d do what Svanika did. Not because one is better than the other, but because I need to know that the work I’m doing every single day is helping someone, not just expanding a company’s bottom line. That’s why I’m so stoked about courses like Leadership in the Business World because I want to learn how to lead teams that care about people, planet, AND profit.
This interview really made me reflect. Svanika’s superhero leadership metaphor was so accurate how your work shifts every day, but your purpose doesn’t. That’s what I’d like for my own future too.
As someone who dedicated months to building a medical product to enhance global healthcare, I connected instantly with Svanika Balasubramanian’s plastic action project. Influential ventures are not ones confined to following the steps of prestigious corporations, but those innovations created through a mission so inspiring that it is fueled by the passion to make a difference in the world.
Swanika Balasubramanian embodies this message: having founded rePurpose rather than taking her job at a prestigious firm in New York because her research had sparked in her such a powerful determination that leaving behind her prior commitment in favour of alleviating the climate crisis and its burden on marginalized communities had been nothing short of a necessity.
Svanika’s success allows me to reflect on my understanding of entrepreneurship success — the depth to which my ideology integrates into underserved communities outweighs the amount of technology developed or capital gained.
Last year, upon learning about the difficulty of people living in remote regions to access urgent medical services and the strain placed on public services through accidental dispatches, I designed a medical alert device that could better allocate public resources while facilitating remote residents’ access to medical attention. Although I felt this project to be unattainable, I could not abandon this idea, and neglect the right to a dignified life after having “peered behind the curtain” myself, at the injustice of the inequitable reach of our medical services. As such, Svanika’s journey with rePurpose Global has reinforced this passion and desire in me to continue fighting for what I believe in, rather than pursue an outdated notion of success found in traditional labour structures. As of today, I have submitted my medical wristband prototype to the Blue Ocean Competition to generate awareness that a simple double-click device can save resources, in terms of both financial and non-financial means, when only the ambulance arrives in case of medical emergency rather than requiring the additional police officers and firefighters.
Svanika’s story holds a special place in my heart, and stories like hers inspire me to take action and help improve our community just like she did. As she states, it’s our responsibility to help extinguish the ravaging fires around the world, so they don’t continue to flame for years to come. When I saw that Svanika and Peter wrote a 200 page paper for school, I realized that schoolwork shouldn’t just be viewed as checkboxes to complete, but rather opportunities to fuel our growth. If we view everything with passion, as a way to help our community, we can accomplish anything. I wrote a poem to express these emotions and inspirations that Svanika’s story creates:
Our world is a wildfire,
Flames appearing everywhere,
But in moments of true dire,
It’s our job to care.
There was a large wildfire,
And Svanika took a stance,
She moved with a purpose higher,
And changed the world through finance.
This world is a wildfire,
But not everyone has those sparks inside,
That sort of hidden desire,
To deeply care with pride.
Our world has wildfires,
And I want to put it out,
To accomplish what nobody requires,
With passion and little doubt.
These wildfires inspire to make a difference,
Just like Svanika started with 200 pages,
I want to achieve something large and immense,
Where I can put down the fire that wildly rages.
Svanika stayed to do what was right,
And I want to make an effort too,
I will help put the fire out of light,
Because that is my job to do.
Our world is a wildfire,
And like her I will stand strong,
I will become a signifier,
Of everything that is wrong.
Svanika’s journey hit me hard. She didn’t just choose entrepreneurship to leave corporate finance, but rather because she knew it was the right thing to do. She could not just leave behind the challenges she knew existed. With her passion and guilt, she worked hard to help solve these challenges. Her story reminds us that our true chance to help our community doesn’t just come from the position we are in, but also the passion we have to tackle these fires. We cannot accomplish anything without that simple desire and love for what we do. Whether it’s through writing (which I love), leading, or creating new things, I want to be part of the new generation that tries to smoke out these flames with passion. I hope to turn purpose into true action that can truly make a difference.
Svanika’s story holds a special place in my heart, and stories like hers inspire me to take action and help improve our community just like she did. As she states, it’s our responsibility to help extinguish the ravaging fires around the world, so they don’t continue to flame for years to come. When I saw that Svanika and Peter wrote a 200 page paper for school, I realized that schoolwork shouldn’t just be viewed as checkboxes to complete, but rather opportunities to fuel our growth. If we view everything with passion, as a way to help our community, we can accomplish anything. I wrote a poem to express these emotions and inspirations that Svanika’s story creates:
Our world is a wildfire.
Flames appearing everywhere.
But in moments of true dire.
It’s our job to care.
There was a large wildfire.
And Svanika took a stance.
She moved with a purpose higher.
And changed the world through finance.
This world is a wildfire.
But not everyone has those sparks inside.
That sort of hidden desire.
To deeply care with pride.
Our world has wildfires.
And I want to put it out.
To accomplish what nobody requires.
With passion and little doubt.
These wildfires inspire to make a difference.
Just like Svanika started with 200 pages.
I want to achieve something large and immense.
Where I can put down the fire that wildly rages.
Svanika stayed to do what was right.
And I want to make an effort too.
I will help put the fire out of light.
Because that is my job to do.
Our world is a wildfire.
And like her I will stand strong.
I will become a signifier.
Of everything that is wrong.
Svanika’s journey hit me hard. She didn’t just choose entrepreneurship to leave corporate finance, but rather because she knew it was the right thing to do. She could not just leave behind the challenges she knew existed. With her passion and guilt, she worked hard to help solve these challenges. Her story reminds us that our true chance to help our community doesn’t just come from the position we are in, but also the passion we have to tackle these fires. We cannot accomplish anything without that simple desire and love for what we do. Whether it’s through writing (which I love), leading, or creating new things, I want to be part of the new generation that tries to smoke out these flames with passion. I hope to turn purpose into true action that can truly make a difference.
The problem that Wharton graduate Svanika chose to tackle is really a problem that I’ve seen practically everywhere: plastic pollution. Whether I’m going to take a stroll at a park or driving somewhere, there’s always some shiny plastic wrap tangled in the grass. It’s frustrating to see this virtually everywhere. Even going on a nature walk with my class to collect some trash feels like it’s getting us nowhere. But it’s definitely a start.
The numbers that Svanika provides are alarming. 60 million tons of plastic is being produced every hour. It surprises me how much we as humans are consuming so readily when it’s a threat to the very home we know and love. And it’s making matters worse because the production of plastics is releasing copious amounts of greenhouse gases, a contributor to climate change. So, where is all that plastic going then? As I looked around my surroundings, suddenly I wasn’t surprised anymore. Many items strewn around my house have plastic. That chair. That cutting board. That part of a stand fan. That plastic water bottle. Those buckets. Even clothes that are of synthetic materials. Everywhere I look, there’s plastic.
Svanika’s company assures me that the problem is being taken care of. Yes, that’s good to hear. But how fast? This complex problem harbors many roots, ingrained into every little corner. There is just numerous amounts of plastic and many companies have incorporated them into their products, whether it is a juice container or a part of a machine. How are we going to start developing new materials or methods to avoid such a problem in the first place?
Reading further into the article, I found how Svanika is attempting to involve brands, innovators, policymakers, and consumers. We are all the heart of the plastic waste issue, whether it be through producing it, buying it, or throwing it carelessly away. I agree with the approach she is attempting to follow– the circular economy. Trying to reuse the plastic repeatedly instead of processing new ones. Now, it’s just a matter of time and effort to get all of us on board to push through and start chipping away at the unending mountain of dilemmas we’ve created for ourselves.
I did not expect to be so moved by a story that started with Deloitte and Morgan Stanley internships — and yet Svanika’s path resonated with me. Like so many students before me, I had always quantified success in terms of climbing the classic corporate hierarchy, that getting the job at the “name” firm was somehow the ultimate “destination.” But seeing her decision to divert from the conventional path in favor of a cause she truly loved gave me pause to think about what is most important in terms of creating impact.
Her enthusiasm to act — to go beyond mere completion of a 200-page thesis and think about it done — made me see how easy it is to become familiar with an issue but fail to face solutions to it. I had read about articles explaining the plastics epidemic and browsed through disturbing photographs of huge landfills and polluted water bodies. I had never really taken a moment to think about those affected by it — the workers toiling on landfills without protection and people breathing in the consequences of our disposable world.
What really struck me was how much she focused on the circular economy — not just an ecological movement but a deep-seated change of perspective. It’s the realization that everything we see has a second life if we are to grant it one. Business itself is not about profit maximization but a fine balancing act of people, planet, and purpose. I particularly appreciate how she did not let the onus of the crisis paralyze her but used it to accept responsibility to transform part of it. Svanika made me realize that leadership is not necessarily about having the smartest person in the room; it’s about having the guts to act when others do not act. Furthermore, it’s true that the most satisfying careers are often those we do not expect to be—those which are born of a moment of newfound belief and unwavering dedication to remain involved when something is not finished yet.
Her account made me think deeper about living the life I want to establish—a life that is meaningful not just in the eyes of others but one that is also significant in itself.
Svanika’s choice to leave behind a typical corporate career and focus on solving environmental and social challenges was both thoughtful and inspiring. What struck me most was how she and her co-founder took a 200-page thesis on female waste workers in Mumbai and turned it into rePurpose Global, recovering millions of kilograms of plastic waste. Despite my lack of interest in business, I connected with her commitment to using her knowledge to take real-world action. Her focus on the circular economy, which involves rethinking our “use-and-throw” culture and creating systems that keep materials in use, stood out to me because it connects environmental harm with social justice. I’m more drawn to science and public health, but her story made me think about how research can lead to solutions that protect both people and the planet. I hope to work on environmental issues like pollution or climate-related health risks, and her journey reminded me that even one project, if approached with purpose, can spark change that goes far beyond the classroom.
“Some projects don’t end — they evolve into movements.”
I deeply felt what Svanika said about that 200-page paper. I’ve worked on ideas that felt bigger than just ‘schoolwork’. Even at my age, I’ve sensed when something deserves more than a grade — it deserves a future.
Choosing impact over comfort is not easy, but her story reminds me that purpose has its own kind of success. I may not be ready to launch a company today — but I am ready to think differently about what I start, and how far I let it grow.