Meet Kavya Gangasani

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kavya Gangasani a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kavya, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity comes from a belief that I deeply value. I believe that we can all thrive when we encourage and support everyone around us. Growing up, I was blessed to have a strong support system—from my family, friends, and mentors who supported and invested their time and energy in me. This kind of support is very valuable and I can say without doubt, it can have a significant impact on someone.

When I founded Bay Area Medical Explorers, it was my way of passing it forward and creating an inclusive space for youth to have access to resources, mentorship, and a supportive community at a low cost. I believe that being generous is about giving time, knowledge, and support to those around us.

I also believe that empathy plays a big role in generosity as well. In life, I’ve come to understand that everyone faces unique struggles and the initiatives we take—no matter how big or small, can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Giving back to my community and helping others globally is my purpose, and it always reminds me of the power we have to create positive change.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My name is Kavya Gangasani, and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Bay Area Medical Explorers, a student-led nonprofit that aims to educate youth about careers in medicine and connect students with opportunities in healthcare. What makes Bay Area Medical Explorers special is how students from different backgrounds and countries come together to collaborate and share unique ideas because of their passion for healthcare and community service.

We host a wide variety of unique events both in person and virtual, tailored to our members’ needs. As of the moment, we are hosting a free research bootcamp internship where students are able to work on projects with mentors and publish literature review papers through digital portfolios on our website.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are initiative, resilience, and empathy.

1. Initiative- Initiative has taught me to take the first step, even when things feel uncertain. There is truly never a “perfect” time to do something, so that is why it is very important to take action, despite the fact that the path may seem unclear. When I started Bay Area Medical Explorers, I stopped waiting for opportunities to come to me—I reached out to local organizations, organized virtual and in-person events, and created ways for students passionate about medicine like me to get hands-on medical experiences. This habit of starting things on my own, even if it was small, stayed with me, and it allowed me to grow my leadership skills and meet amazing people.

2. Resilience- Resilience has been a huge part of my journey. When things didn’t go as planned, it kept me motivated. There were times when I faced unexpected problems, and this quality helped me stay calm and find solutions instead of giving up. It has also taught me how to think on my feet and be confident in every challenge that I encounter, not only in Bay Area Medical Explorers, but also in life.

3. Empathy- Empathy is a fundamental truth in leadership and has shaped how I connect with others. Empathy has helped me understand everyone’s unique and different experiences. By listening to and understanding feedback from not only my team, but also members of Bay Area Medical Explorers, I was able to create inclusive hands-on experiences and provide mentorship. This allowed me to create meaningful opportunities that were created with purpose.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been changing my mindset and perspective on life. I used to hold back on a lot of opportunities because I was afraid that I wasn’t ready or good enough, but that was simply not true.

Often, we stand in our own way and place limits on ourselves because we are afraid of failure. Once I started believing in myself and began taking the initiative to try new things, I realized I was showing real growth

Shifting my mindset has taught me how to build confidence by taking action, even when I am unsure. Once I stopped doubting myself, I was able to see how capable I really am.

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