VRINDA SONKIYA
VRINDA SONKIYA
VRINDA SONKIYA
I like a good challenge, an unexpected conversation, and a reason to go somewhere new.
I like a good challenge, an unexpected conversation, and a reason to go somewhere new.
I like a good challenge, an unexpected conversation, and a reason to go somewhere new.
Tokyo → Jaipur → Silicon Valley → WHEREVER NEXT
Tokyo → Jaipur → Silicon Valley → WHEREVER NEXT
FOUNDER, EXPLORER, PERPETUAL STUDENT
FOUNDER, EXPLORER, PERPETUAL STUDENT
FOUNDER, EXPLORER, PERPETUAL STUDENT
Who I am,
briefly
Who I am, briefly
I'm a founder, operator, and lifelong learner who's constantly curious about people, places and what's possible.
I'm a founder, operator, and lifelong learner who's constantly curious about people, places and what's possible.
I'm a founder, operator, and lifelong learner who's constantly curious about people, places and what's possible.
I grew up between cultures and around a family business where trust is built over generations. I've carried that appreciation for people and relationships into everything I do, while finding my own way of building things. I'm happiest when I'm learning something new, figuring out a difficult problem, or meeting someone who sees the world differently.
I grew up between cultures and around a family business where trust is built over generations. I've carried that appreciation for people and relationships into everything I do, while finding my own way of building things. I'm happiest when I'm learning something new, figuring out a difficult problem, or meeting someone who sees the world differently.
I grew up between cultures and around a family business where trust is built over generations. I've carried that appreciation for people and relationships into everything I do, while finding my own way of building things. I'm happiest when I'm learning something new, figuring out a difficult problem, or meeting someone who sees the world differently.
What I'm made of
Japan · India · united states.
Home has never meant just one place.
Home has never meant just one place.
Indian by blood. Raised in Japan. Made a little more myself by every place I've called home. I've learnt there's rarely just one way to see something.
Japan · India · united states.
Home has never meant just one place.
Indian by blood. Raised in Japan. Made a little more myself by every place I've called home. I've learnt there's rarely just one way to see something.
Haas · Data Science · Economics
Built at Berkeley
Built at Berkeley
Business Administration at Haas, alongside Data Science and Economics. I still find myself moving between intuition and analysis.
Haas · Data Science · Economics
Built at Berkeley
Business Administration at Haas, alongside Data Science and Economics. I still find myself moving between intuition and analysis.
Hundreds of jewelers, a call away
Jewelry Runs in my Veins
Jewelry Runs in my Veins
Third-generation jeweler, raised in a joint family with hundreds of jewelers within one phone call. Most 5 year olds play with barbies, I got to play with diamonds.
Hundreds of jewelers, a call away
Jewelry Runs in my Veins
Third-generation jeweler, raised in a joint family with hundreds of jewelers within one phone call. Most 5 year olds play with barbies, I got to play with diamonds.
Chief of Staff / 500+ advised
Operator before Founder
Operator before Founder
Chief of Staff at a Silicon Valley startup, owning whatever was on fire. Before that, I've consulted for multiple Fortune 500 companies and advised 500+ Japanese SMBs.
Chief of Staff at a Silicon Valley startup, owning whatever was on fire. Before that, I've consulted for multiple Fortune 500 companies and advised 500+ Japanese SMBs.
Chief of Staff / 500+ advised
Operator before Founder
Chief of Staff at a Silicon Valley startup, owning whatever was on fire. Before that, I've consulted for multiple Fortune 500 companies and advised 500+ Japanese SMBs.
My Exploration of the World
I've never been particularly good at keeping my world small. I don't think travel makes you a different person overnight.
But it does give you more ways to understand the world, and sometimes, a little more humility about
how much you still have to learn.
I've never been particularly good at keeping my world small. I don't think travel makes you a different person overnight.
But it does give you more ways to understand the world, and sometimes, a little more humility about
how much you still have to learn.
I've never been particularly good at keeping my world small.I don't think travel makes you a different person overnight.
But it does give you more ways to understand the world, and sometimes, a little more humility about
how much you still have to learn.
3
3
3
ROOTS
ROOTS
ROOTS
5
5
5
COUNTRIES LIVED IN
COUNTRIES LIVED IN
COUNTRIES LIVED IN
25+
25+
25+
COUNTRIES EXPLORED
COUNTRIES EXPLORED
COUNTRIES EXPLORED
“Somewhere along the way, something changed.”
“Somewhere along the way, something changed.”
“Somewhere along the way, something changed.”
I have never had a good idea sitting still
Why it matters
I have learned to put myself in unfamiliar places, ask better questions, and pay attention to the things I might otherwise miss.
I have learned to put myself in unfamiliar places, ask better questions, and pay attention to the things I might otherwise miss.
What it means for the company
Some of my best ideas in Zuuro have come from places I wasn't planning to be, people I wasn't planning to meet, and questions I hadn't thought to ask.
Some of my best ideas in Zuuro have come from places I wasn't planning to be, people I wasn't planning to meet, and questions I hadn't thought to ask.
Why it
matters
I have learned to put myself in unfamiliar places, ask better questions, and pay attention to the things I might otherwise miss.
What it means for the company
Some of my best ideas in Zuuro have come from places I wasn't planning to be, people I wasn't planning to meet, and questions I hadn't thought to ask.
01/
New York
Someone I met on the subway ended up building Zuuro's RAG engine.
01/
New York
Someone I met on the subway ended up building Zuuro's RAG engine.
01/
New York
Someone I met on the subway ended up building Zuuro's RAG engine.
02/
London
We rewrote our positioning around tarnish-free everyday jewelry after getting closer to what people actually wanted.
02/
London
We rewrote our positioning around tarnish-free everyday jewelry after getting closer to what people actually wanted.
02/
London
We rewrote our positioning around tarnish-free everyday jewelry after getting closer to what people actually wanted.
03/
Bali
Spending time around digital nomads got me thinking differently about what a modern business could look like.
03/
Bali
Spending time around digital nomads got me thinking differently about what a modern business could look like.
03/
Bali
Spending time around digital nomads got me thinking differently about what a modern business could look like.
04/
Lisbon
One of my favourite marketing ideas came from an art curator who had never sold a product in her life.
04/
Lisbon
One of my favourite marketing ideas came from an art curator who had never sold a product in her life.
04/
Lisbon
One of my favourite marketing ideas came from an art curator who had never sold a product in her life.
05/
Sydney
I left Sydney with a mentor in my corner: a former Pandora go-to-market leader.
05/
Sydney
I left Sydney with a mentor in my corner: a former Pandora go-to-market leader.
05/
Sydney
I left Sydney with a mentor in my corner: a former Pandora go-to-market leader.
My Recent 90 day Challenges
Small experiments in becoming a slightly more interesting version of myself.
Small experiments in becoming a slightly more interesting version of myself.
Small experiments in becoming a slightly more interesting version of myself.
01
01
Learn the splits
Learn the splits
Learn the splits
Gravity remains undefeated
Gravity remains undefeated
02
02
Play my favorite songs on the piano
Play my favorite songs on the piano
Play my favorite songs on the piano
Few songs in, many more to go
Few songs in, many more to go
03
03
Write 600 words every day
Write 600 words every day
Write 600 words every day
Turns out writing is not my strong suit
Turns out writing is not my strong suit
04
04
Get Back Into Baking
Get Back Into Baking
Get Back Into Baking
Helped make my days a little sweeter :)
Helped make my days a little sweeter :)
05
05
Finish a Book Every Week
Finish a Book Every Week
Finish a Book Every Week
Some weeks are easier than others…
Some weeks are easier than others…
06
06
Learn to Surf
Learn to Surf
Learn to Surf
The waves were a lot bigger in my head…
The waves were a lot bigger in my head…
Volumes that challenged certainties and reshaped how I see the everyday.
Educated
Our Moon Has Blood Clots
The Forty Rules of Love
Prisoners of Geography
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Dark Matter
Sapiens
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Mother Mary Comes to Me
The Forty Rules of Love
- Elif Shafak
"This book allowed me to see the same situation through multiple different lenses. It was brain-altering."
Volumes that challenged certainties and reshaped how I see the everyday.
Educated
Our Moon Has Blood Clots
The Forty Rules of Love
Prisoners of Geography
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Dark Matter
Sapiens
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Mother Mary Comes to Me
The Forty Rules of Love
- Elif Shafak
"This book allowed me to see the same situation through multiple different lenses. It was brain-altering."
Volumes that challenged certainties and reshaped how I see the everyday.
Educated
Our Moon Has Blood Clots
The Forty Rules of Love
Prisoners of Geography
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Dark Matter
Sapiens
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Mother Mary Comes to Me
The Forty Rules of Love
- Elif Shafak
"This book allowed me to see the same situation through multiple different lenses. It was brain-altering."
CURRENTLY BUILDING · ZUURO
A Family Business, A new question
What if buying fine jewelry felt as good as owning it?
What if buying fine jewelry felt as good as owning it?
I've grown up around the jewelry industry. I've seen the expertise, the relationships, and the care that go into finding and making beautiful things.
I've also become interested in a different question: why can discovering and buying fine jewelry online still feel so difficult?
How do you help someone understand what they're buying, feel confident in their decision, and find a piece that means something to them, even when the person who made it isn't standing in the room?
That's the question behind ZUURO.
We're building a marketplace that connects people with exceptional fine jewelry from independent jewelers, with a focus on making the experience more transparent, approachable, and trustworthy.
It's an old industry with a lot of knowledge to share and plenty of room for new ideas.
I'm excited by the challenge of bringing those two things together.
I've grown up around the jewelry industry. I've seen the expertise, the relationships, and the care that go into finding and making beautiful things.
I've also become interested in a different question: why can discovering and buying fine jewelry online still feel so difficult?
How do you help someone understand what they're buying, feel confident in their decision, and find a piece that means something to them, even when the person who made it isn't standing in the room?
That's the question behind ZUURO.
We're building a marketplace that connects people with exceptional fine jewelry from independent jewelers, with a focus on making the experience more transparent, approachable, and trustworthy.
It's an old industry with a lot of knowledge to share and plenty of room for new ideas.
I'm excited by the challenge of bringing those two things together.
I've grown up around the jewelry industry. I've seen the expertise, the relationships, and the care that go into finding and making beautiful things.
I've also become interested in a different question: why can discovering and buying fine jewelry online still feel so difficult?
How do you help someone understand what they're buying, feel confident in their decision, and find a piece that means something to them, even when the person who made it isn't standing in the room?
That's the question behind ZUURO.
We're building a marketplace that connects people with exceptional fine jewelry from independent jewelers, with a focus on making the experience more transparent, approachable, and trustworthy.
It's an old industry with a lot of knowledge to share and plenty of room for new ideas.
I'm excited by the challenge of bringing those two things together.
A work in progress,
as all interesting things tend to be.
A work in progress,
as all interesting things tend to be.
A work in progress,
as all interesting things tend to be.
Current rabbit holes
01/
Why Japan has so many vending machines
01/
Why Japan has so many vending machines
01/
Why Japan has so many vending machines
02/
The economics of luxury jewelry
02/
The economics of luxury jewelry
02/
The economics of luxury jewelry
03/
Why some cities feel walkable
03/
Why some cities feel walkable
03/
Why some cities feel walkable
04/
Alexandrite
04/
Alexandrite
04/
Alexandrite
05/
How AI is changing search
05/
How AI is changing search
05/
How AI is changing search
06/
Whatever I’m reading about at 1:00 AM
06/
Whatever I’m reading about at 1:00 AM
06/
Whatever I’m reading about at 1:00 AM