From Volunteering to Visionary – Richa Shrivastava’s Journey

Her journey is a reminder that every small step, every experiment, every risk leads to something bigger than ourselves. What’s stopping you from taking your leap?

What if one moment could change the course of your life? For Richa Shrivastava, that moment came when she stumbled upon Bhumi during her college days. Organizing an Info Fest as a volunteer, she found herself deeply connected with the cause, realizing the power of empathy and action. Bhumi became the playground where she honed her leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving skills - traits that would later shape her entrepreneurial journey.

Fast forward a few years, Richa found herself at a crossroads after working in the corporate sector and a strategic government role. She knew she wanted to create something meaningful, something that sparked innovation and empowered communities. That’s when she took a leap of faith and joined Maker’s Asylum in 2018, India’s first community makerspace founded by her husband, Vaibhav.

The story of Maker’s Asylum is nothing short of extraordinary. It all began when the ceiling of Vaibhav’s office collapsed, breaking everything inside. But from the wreckage rose something remarkable - a space for creators, innovators, and problem-solvers to come together. For Richa, it was an opportunity she couldn’t miss. With her love for learning and adrenaline-filled challenges, she became an integral part of the makerspace, overseeing strategic partnerships, marketing, and outreach.

But it wasn’t just about ideation, it was about impact. When the world was grappling with a crisis, Maker’s Asylum stepped up. Through open-source designs, they produced and distributed over 1 million face shields across 42 cities and villages in India! Today, their innovation extends to baby shields, rebreather masks for senior citizens, active respirators for high-risk environments, and even an upcoming oxygen concentrator project. More than a space, it has become a movement, empowering over 600 people across the country to build life-saving innovations in their own communities.

And at the heart of this impact-driven journey is Richa, an experimenter, explorer, and changemaker. From organizing a college fest to leading a movement in open-source innovation, her story is a testament to the power of embracing change. She is also a professional paraglider, embodying her belief that “change is the only constant.”

Her journey is a reminder that every small step, every experiment, every risk leads to something bigger than ourselves. What’s stopping you from taking your leap?

#Throwback #HumansOfBhumi