Becoming “The Woman in Deed”
As I mention in my memoir “The Woman in Deed: Road to IPO, Bridge Tables, and Beyond”—yes, mine is a Silicon Valley success story. But Silicon Valley success stories are never solo performances. They need to be told more often and more honestly, not as hero narratives but with their entire cast. The valley has […]
The Discipline of Ignoring
In March, I arrived in St. Louis for a bridge tournament with my usual Danish and part‑Swedish team, but my head was elsewhere. My memoir had been published five months earlier, and the PR demands were consuming me. I did not feel mentally geared to summon what I call my “bridge brain” for a high‑level […]
Don’t Lean In
I loved Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In for its practical career advice. At the risk of mischaracterizing her message—which advocates leaning into challenges, opportunities, and ambition, not leaning on someone—I still find the title troubling. The phrase suggests women need support to stay upright, as if we’re inherently unstable. In my experience, the opposite has […]
Rediscovering Rajasthan: An India I Thought I Already Knew
I just returned from the Jaipur Literature Festival, and the experience left me thinking about how much of India I had carried in memory—and how much I had misunderstood or simply never known. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, a state I grew up imagining from a distance. As a child, Rajasthan lived in my […]
Courage
Publishing my memoir—a 75th birthday gift to myself—turned out to be a bigger gift than I imagined. Upon reflecting, I realized I wasn’t just courageous or strong; I was becoming fearless through my experiences. The Writing Journey: They all fainted in the background when my writing journey began to become a published author. It started […]
The Untold Culture of Silicon Valley
Since I published The Woman in Deed two months ago, one question kept popping up: Why did you decide to write this book? The answer is simple. Silicon Valley’s stories—especially those of immigrant founders and women leaders—need to be told. Not just the headlines about billion‑dollar exits, but the human stories that reveal the culture […]
Authenticity
I remember a moment in my early career when I was invited to speak at a tech event. I prepared carefully, dressed conservatively, and stuck to the script—wanting to sound polished and credible. The talk went fine, however afterward, someone approached me and said, “You were impressive, but I didn’t quite feel you in it.” […]
Expectations
At a recent literary gala, the evening began not with a famous author or polished emcee, but with an unpretentious man from a local Indi-Comedy-Club. Unknown name, ordinary appearance—expectations were low. He began with a story. A heart surgeon had given him the address of his clinic, and when the comedian went there, he noticed […]
A Revelation from the Bridge Table: “Play Your Own Game”
As a bridge player for over a decade, I’ve heard the phrase “play your own game” countless times from experts. Of course, we all play our own game, don’t we? But two weeks after a recent tournament, I realized the concept runs deeper than the bridge table. I’ve come to understand that “playing your own […]
The Real Prize
Success in Poznań, Poland