I was born and raised in Indonesia and Singapore, where I attended international schools and had classmates and teachers who were from all over the world. My parents are from India and growing, I seamlessly switched between three languages, picking up on cultural nuances of each, and making them mine. Listening and authentically synthesize people’s stories has always been intuitive and a part of who I am as a researcher and documentary filmmaker. I have a B.A. in Film/Video Studies and Sociology from The University of Michigan and after producing and directing two feature documentary films, I pursued a M.F.A in Design for Social Innovation from The School of Visual Arts. I am well-versed in applying ethnography, user experience research, qualitative methods, and the power of storytelling to understand what motivates human behavior and experiences.

I have 5 years of experience working in the financial, tech and health sectors specializing in qualitative researcher, running over twenty usability studies a year, as well as surveys, concept-tests, and generative research studies using ethnographic principles. I synthesize insights into compelling narratives, and try as often as I can to incorporate visual stories, to provide clients with compelling narratives that highlight user challenges and provide actionable recommendations for design improvements.

Asides from my work within industry, I am passionate about participatory research methods and media training, as I believe that everyone should be able to tell their own stories. I’ve worked on executing participatory research methodologies and producing content for clients such as RWJBarnabas Health, W.K Kellogg Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation. Additionally, I have trained youth at organizations such as Reel Works Teen Filmmaking and South Asian Youth Alliance in New York City, and Akshara Foundation in Mumbai, India.

Prior to working as a Researcher, I have 15 years of experience working in the nonfiction film and television industry. Both of my feature documentary films, “The Great Indian Marriage Bazaar” and “Beyond Bollywood” have been screened at festivals and universities internationally as well as on Netflix, AppleTV and PrimeVideo. Asides from the feature documentaries, I have produced several short documentaries and nonfiction series for outlets such as Vice Media, MTV, History Channel, Crime&Investigation.

I believe that my background in documentary filmmaking shapes my approach as a Researcher, blending ethnographic methods with storytelling to create inclusive and impactful experiences for end-users.