Mumbai's Mahilas: Kristin Kagetsu
Ellen Guo (EG): Can you tell me about your background, where you grew up and where you have lived?
Kristin Kagetsu (KK): So, I was born and raised in New York City. I went to MIT and studied Mechanical Engineering. When I got to college, I realized I wanted to do something with engineering that would also help people. I discovered D-Lab, a program which teaches about engineering in the context of international development. Through this, I worked on several projects, including one in Nicaragua on waste management and one in India on developing a locally-sourced, all-natural crayon.
EG: What brought you to India? How long have you been here?
KK: I came to Uttarakhand during my senior year with D-Lab, and it was then that I realized I wanted to come back to India and do work in social space. I had already accepted a corporate job in the US, so I went back and tried it but realized I was looking for something that was directly impacting and helping people. So, a year later, I was looking for opportunities to come back to India. I started talking to my current co-founder who had been working on a project on low-cost sanitary pad machines. With that idea, we entered Harvard's New Venture Competition in 2014 and won. That was the catalyst for this whole project. I moved to India that December and have been working on getting Saathi off the ground ever since. Right now, we're getting ready to launch the product in August or September.
EG: Can you tell me more about Saathi?
KK: Saathi's goal is to create a cradle to cradle solution for feminine hygiene products. We're starting by creating eco-friendly sanitary pads from banana tree fibre. As you may know, only 12% of women in India use sanitary pads. Given that very low number, a lot of people are focused on increasing access and awareness. Currently, pads are manufactured by importing inexpensive materials from China, but these pads aren't eco-friendly and are often burned, releasing toxins. We thought, how can we continue making and distributing sanitary pads in an environmentally responsible way? We've spent the past year finding eco-friendly suppliers and conducting our R&D, and we believe we have been able to create a solution for this problem.
EG: Professionally, have you encountered any gender- or taboo-related obstacles?
KK: I do notice it every once in a while. Most of the people we meet with are men, and it may be that they feel more comfortable talking with another man.
In terms of taboo, it's been exciting to run our awareness workshops and see that people are open to talk about pads, disposal, and waste. One of my colleagues, Rupesh, runs the workshops and people have been receptive whether it's him or a female colleague running the workshop. On the flip side, there have been instances at expos where some, but not all, students will come up to learn about Saathi and then sheepishly walk away or start giggling when they realize we're working on pads. I generally try to keep talking and make it short because I do think that this is an issue they should hear about.
EG: How have you dealt with language barriers? Have you studied an Indian language?
KK: When I was in Uttarakhand, I learned a lot of the Hindi vocabulary I know - from a colleague with whom I developed the natural dye crayons. I don't have any formal training so it's difficult to communicate in a grammatically correct way, but I'd like to learn. Now that I'm in Ahmedabad, some people have suggested that I learn Gujarati, but most of the people that we meet with speak both Hindi and Gujarati, so I think Hindi would be the best common denominator.
EG: Do you feel that India has accepted you, even though you are not of Indian descent?
KK: Generally, yes. If you try to understand their culture, they will more readily accept you. In the beginning, it was a bit of a struggle because people look at you differently if you are a foreigner, but I'm adapting the best that I can and have gotten a lot more used to it. People in Gujarat have been very friendly and helpful.
EG: What are you currently reading?
KK: I'm not currently reading anything, though there are many things on my reading list, but I've been watching these inspirational videos about how to approach business in an authentic and productive way.
EG: What's your favourite cuisine?
KK: Growing up in New York City, I was exposed to so many different cuisines that it's hard to pick one. These days, since I don't get it very often in India, I crave Japanese, Chinese, Korean, barbeque, and Spanish food the most.
EG: What advice do you have for someone who is settling down in a completely new country and culture?
KK: Having an open mind. If you go in with minimal expectations, you will be more open to whatever it is that you experience. The little things are really important as well-just being open and talking to people, trying to understand cultural similarities and differences, asking questions. Patience is another thing I've been learning, especially patience in explaining things and understanding how things work in a system that is new to me. It's also very helpful to know at least a few people in the country before moving, so that you have people to chat and hang out with after moving away from all your friends and family.
Mumbai's Mahilas is an interview series conducted by Ellen Guo, Programme Development Intern, Asia Society India Centre. The series explores the experiences of women of pan-Asian descent who are living and working in India, highlighting the unique narratives of these multicultural women. Interviews delve into professional and cultural experiences, covering their backgrounds, interests, challenges, and advice for other women. Any views or opinions presented in this series are solely those of the individuals and do not represent those of the Asia Society India Centre.