Women of the Diamond Industry [WoDI], focuses on the issue of gender equality along the entire diamond and jewelry supply chain. The series provides a platform for women in the industry to tell their own stories and describe the particular challenges they have faced in their careers.
The 19th article in the series is authored by Keziah Gerosano, CEO of the Dholakia Foundation and the Chief Sustainability Officer [CSO] at the Hari Krishna [HK] Group. Only in her mid-20s, she describes a remarkable journey, starting in the Philippines, and continuing on to the United States then to India.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” are words by Mahatma Gandhi that have guided my life.
Inder the heading, Embracing uncertainty and moving to India, Keziah cited, the humorist Leo Rosten once wrote, “Some things are so unexpected that no one is prepared for them.”
I never knew the gem and jewelry industry, but at one of my UN speeches, I met Mr. Brijesh Dholakia, CEO of Hari Krishna Exports, a leading diamond manufacturing. He told me about how his firm, through its philanthropic arm, the Dholakia Foundation, is promoting environmental conservation in India, including the planting more than 2 million trees and constructing 75 lakes in drought-prone regions of the country.
After learning about their inspiring work, the UN1FY team and I visited India to see what they were doing firsthand. It was a life-changing trip, for upon concluding my role at UN1FY and completing my undergraduate studies, I embraced the opportunity to become the first CEO of the Dholakia Foundation. I was 23 years of age.
The foundation had been established in 1996 by Savji, Himmat, Tulsi and Ghanshyam Dholakia, renowned diamond businessmen all recognized for their humanitarian contributions. Since its inception, it had launched more than 60 annual programs focusing on environmental conservation, healthcare, and education leadership — aimed at empowering and uplifting vulnerable communities.
Eager to apply my global experiences to local solutions, I made a bold decision. I skipped my graduation ceremony in New York City, packed up my belongings, and booked a one-way flight to India.
Upon arriving in Mumbai, I was warmly welcomed by the Dholakia family, with who I had lunch, and then embarked on a four-hour train journey to Surat, the diamond manufacturing capital of the world, where nine out of ten diamonds are cut and polished.
Wasting no time, I started work the very next day, meeting the management team and settling into my new role. From the outset, I had a clear vision—to build one of the youngest women-led executive teams within a major foundation on a global scale.
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