Story & Lesson Highlights with Meera Mahidhara of Los Angeles

Meera Mahidhara shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Meera, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Who are you learning from right now?
One of the most inspiring and attentive mentors I have been learning from through building HomeScreens has been Dr. Monica Bharel. She was the former health commissioner of Boston and spent much of her early career ensuring equitable medical delivery to the houseless community there. Having her perspective as someone who bridges both the medical field and public health has been monumental in shaping the journey I have taken with my startup. Beyond her professional accomplishments, seeing a female Indian leader carry herself with such humility and grace encourages me to push myself to be better, constantly improve, and never lose sight of the impact I want to create.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am currently a student at UC Berkeley in the Haas Robinson Life Sciences, Business, and Entrepreneurship (LSBE) program, where I study Molecular Cell Biology and Business Administration with a minor in Public Policy. I am passionate about creating solutions at the intersection of healthcare and social impact, which led me to develop HomeScreens, a startup dedicated to increasing accessibility and access to care for houseless individuals.

HomeScreens is a mobile app that allows houseless individuals to reserve shelter beds up to a week in advance. To overcome barriers to technology, we partner with phone companies to provide temporary phones with the HomeScreens app pre-installed, enabling users to make reservations and calls without incurring cellular costs. For shelters, the platform provides a standardized and organized system to update room availability, simplifying occupancy management and facilitating referrals to nearby shelters when one is full. Additionally, HomeScreens bridges the gap between hospitals and intermediary housing by helping place houseless patients in stable housing immediately after discharge or after stays in assisted living homes. This model helps break the cycle of patients returning to the streets post-treatment, reducing preventable illnesses, repeated hospitalizations, and strain on healthcare resources.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that has most shaped how I see myself is the one I had with my grandfather. He was a pediatrician in a small town in Central California, where he dedicated his life to serving his community. No matter the financial, language, or cultural barriers, he treated every child with the same care and compassion, often going out of his way to ensure families felt supported. Watching how he built trust and created impact taught me that true success lies in the mark you leave on your community. His values of service and empathy are what inspire me every day as I build HomeScreens. Though he is not here to see this journey, I know he would be proud to see me working toward creating accessible healthcare and housing solutions for those who need it most, just as he did in his own way.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me resilience and self-belief in ways that success never could. As someone starting this journey at a young age, I’ve faced countless rejections, not because of my idea or work ethic, but because of my age and appearance. Every “no” became an opportunity to dive deeper into my vision for HomeScreens, refining it into what it is today. Each challenge pushed me to grow and expand my knowledge, sharpen my acumen, and build a confidence that isn’t shaken by external doubt. While success is one of my goals, I want to earn it by continually developing my idea, truly understanding the problem at hand, and creating a lasting social impact that is driven by purpose rather than profit or fame.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I believe the public version of me is the real me because the work I put into HomeScreens reflects my most authentic self. I’ve learned that staying true to my values and vision will take me further in this industry than trying to force my business into a mold or become someone I’m not. My original vision for HomeScreens was as a nonprofit, and even though it has evolved into a startup, that decision came after careful thought and debate. At its core, HomeScreens remains a social impact initiative aimed at improving society, and I believe I’ve stayed true to that mission despite the new perspectives, incentives, and challenges that come with running a business. In many ways, HomeScreens is simply an extension of who I am and the change I hope to create in the world.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am deeply connected to the people I’m working to serve. Rejection and criticism are never easy, especially when I’m told that HomeScreens won’t succeed unless I prioritize profit, but the voices of the houseless individuals I’ve met remind me why I started this journey. From the very beginning, during my first customer interviews, their feedback alone gave me the confidence to believe that what I was building could create real change. What moves me most are the relationships I’ve formed with mothers, children, grandparents, and shelter staff in my hometown. Acting as a liaison and amplifying their true concerns has been the most meaningful part of this work. I find peace in seeing our collective efforts take root, whether it’s a little girl who’s excited to read because she no longer worries about where she’ll sleep, or a grandmother who finally has a few extra dollars for herself because she no longer has to spend them calling shelters every week.