Venu Gupta on compassion and collective change.

Welcome to the newsletter, Venu! Tell me a bit more about your work. 

I work with people, organizations, and communities to clarify and live closer to their values. I am deeply interested in letting our values shape our decisions, behavior, and attitudes, particularly with respect to the value of racial justice. I do this by coaching individuals and teams, facilitating all sorts of gatherings, and, sometimes, getting deeper into the details as a consultant. 

My lived experience is my work. First, I hope my work is the flower that comes from the suffering I have faced and caused: racism, misogyny, classism, and more. Second, I am learning that for me to "meet myself" I have to put my lived experience in perspective. 

I hope our country begins to understand that there is no path forward as a multiracial democracy without our industry. For our industry, I hope we understand that our country has no path forward as a multiracial democracy without us. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are the way.

I love that your work is grounded in compassion. What role do you think compassion plays in our collective work?

I believe compassion is critical to our collective work because it allows us to love even when we don't understand. Compassion doesn't require acquiescence or agreement; it only requires that we recognize any with dignity and respect. Compassion is a higher-order way of being, and I believe, it's the path to our collective freedom.

Absolutely. What are some of the challenges you’re facing in your work right now?

Three key challenges (or opportunities): (1) How to do this work while maintaining my own peace and joy; (2) How to do this work so systems change starts internally and then moves externally; (3) How to balance the current environment of backlash with good work that is happening.

What’s keeping you well as your work unfolds?

Diving back into my yoga practice. It's energizing, peaceful, and quiet.

How can this community support you right now?

My family and I traveled for a year in 2023; we landed back home in early January. I am so excited to be diving into equity and inclusion work in this way. Since I building my business, I would love new clients, new thought partners, and new inspirations. 

Venu is an executive coach and organizational consultant with 20+ years of experience driving results for organizations that effect real change. For seven years, she led the Chicago Committee on Minority Lawyers in Large Law Firms as Executive Director. She has also led development at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, advanced democracy at Mother Jones, and led campaigns and political action for women of color. Venu holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Also, Venu is a certified ICF coach and yoga instructor. She lives in one of the best cities in the world, Chicago, with her husband and two kids.

Learn more about Venu by following her on LinkedIn or her website.