“I am a purpose-driven leader passionate about building peace and harmony through mental health awareness and support,” says Prakriti Poddar, the Global Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Roundglass (a digital wellbeing company). Prakritileads the strategy and execution of content creation for breathwork, meditation, yoga, food, music, and integrative health, focusing on evidence-based and holistic approaches.
Prakriti’s career choice: how did she arrive at it?
Prakriti comes from a banker’s family, but she chose to work in the health and wellness field because, from an early age, she was raised to be of service and was moved by the understanding that she could help people.
Prakriti credits her early experiences in boarding school with teaching her the value of routines and allowing her to meet different people worldwide. “I’m a huge people person, and boarding school helped me become adaptable, accepting, and non-judgmental,” says Prakriti.
Later, she studied economicsat York University, neurofeedback at the EEG Institute in California, transpersonal regression therapy and mental health counseling at the Tasso Institute in the Netherlands, and clinical hypnotherapy at the California Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Prakriti is also an ANLP-trained neurolinguistic programmer.
“My education equipped me with the skills of an entrepreneur, but it was my training in mental counseling and diverse therapeutic approaches that empowered me to make a significant impact on individuals facing mental health challenges. Through my entrepreneurial journey of operating a thriving mental health clinic and founding a dedicated mental health foundation focused on advocacy and awareness, I have emerged as a beacon of wellbeing leadership. Alongside my personal therapy experiences, these endeavors have not only shaped me but also inspired the creation of innovative solutions, fostering vitality and enhanced health for all,” passionately declares Prakriti.
Prakriti’s entrepreneur career began in Toronto with a company called Mind Over Image Consulting, where she helped people break through emotional roadblocks and experience the best in themselves. This morphed into corporate training and HR Development, an Integrative Health Center, and a Mental Health Foundation in India.
Prakriti’s Grandma’s inspiration and her Motivation
Prakriti was born in India but raised worldwide. While she kept changing countries, homes, and schools, her grandmother in India was one constant in her younger life. Prakriti’s grandma was a prolific healer and soothsayer who taught her faith and healing before she learned to read. In contrast, she didn’t realize the value of those lessons in her childhood. Prakriti found her way back to them when she began working in the mental health field in 2000.
“My grandma would say the St. Francis of Assisi peace prayer every night. I knew I needed to make mental health awareness more accessible — and this shaped my life’s path. I knew that mental health was a huge problem people were not addressing, so I deepened my understanding of psychology and spirituality and learned various healing practices. Mental health and wellbeing aren’t just my passion but the purpose that drives me daily,” says Prakriti.
“Every venture I’ve participated in stems from my drive to help people navigate mental health challenges and live their best lives. I wanted mental health awareness to be not only accessible but also fun! My mission from the outset has been to share the wellbeing practices that have changed my life with the world,” assures Prakriti.
Roundglass: A Wholistic Wellbeing Company
Roundglass was founded by Sunny Gurpreet Singh – an entrepreneur and philanthropist – in 2014 in Seattle, WA, USA, with a mission to empower people everywhere to live better through holistic wellbeing. The company strives to make an impact at the personal, community, and global levels.
Roundglass Living, our app, provides daily, personalized support to reach your wellbeing goals. It gives people a complete wellbeing toolkit, including breathwork, meditation, yoga, food, music, sleep stories, and more. The company recently launched some exciting new features in the app, such as mood check-ins, progress tracking, and customized timers.
Roundglass Giving focuses on grassroots initiatives in Punjab, India, to support community wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
Hurdles in the starting phase
As a mental health advocate, practitioner, and leader, Prakriti’s biggest challenge is the lack of awareness and stigma around mental health, especially in a country like India. People are afraid to seek help, leading to years of poor health and distress for them and their families. Knowing you can help alleviate suffering while repeatedly encountering this roadblock is challenging for her.
“My other biggest hurdle was being a woman in India. No one wanted to listen to us. I tried not to take that seriously and just fought the battle to prove everyone wrong,” says Prakriti.
Her Mantra to Overcome Hurdles
“Everybody’s searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to.
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs…a lonely place to be. And so, I learned to depend on me.” – Whitney Houston.
“This song of hope, resilience, and unwavering love really speaks to me. It is about the glory of our own inner being, the power we each have to rise above adversity and choose kindness. It’s not about an extraordinary hero but the extraordinary nature of self. Humans have an unyielding determination to make the world better and find the spirit to do so within themselves. This song teaches people not to be crushed by adversity but to rise to the challenge,” says Prakriti.
A significant influence on Prakriti’s life
“The deity Durga inspires me. She is the epitome of female power — a self-reliant goddess who rides on a lion to eliminate the forces of darkness,” says Prakriti.
Taking care of herself
“My wellbeing is my top priority. I can only reach my potential and show up for my team if I care for my body and mind. I practice some form of selfcare each day to keep my mind sharp and calm. I play tennis regularly, work out and practice yoga for my physical wellbeing. I aim to have green juice daily and am mindful of my intake of simple carbohydrates and processed sugars. And I push myself to learn something new daily,” disclosed Prakriti.
One Goal of a Noble Soul
Prakriti’s goals are to live with vitality, gratitude, and joy and to give best to herself, her family, and her community while staying aligned with her life’s mission.
Prakriti’s Keynote: Especially for women
Women must have an unwavering belief in themselves; that’s incredibly important. A fighting spirit is also vital since women often need to fight to prove their value. As women, we must learn the art of managing our personal lives while being there for our families. If our family is suffering, we can’t thrive.
Putting our families’ wellbeing before our own is a condition we have grown up with that we must overcome. Women often experience the most stress from within; it begins with looking inward, asking how we feel, and tuning into what our bodies and minds tell us. As a result, we over-give without filling our own cups, resulting in a cycle of over-giving. We’re only helping people if we burn out and become depleted. So, prioritize quality sleep, tension-relieving movement, and guilt-free breaks.
Women entrepreneurs should strive for knowledge, new skills, wisdom, and research in their area of expertise and enrol in courses and classes that will propel their personal and professional growth. As a leader, you also need to remember that people matter. Nurture your team and help build the leaders of tomorrow. Empathy is a strength. It can go a long way in making work relations trustworthy instead of just transactional. Respect your team and listen to them.
Prakriti’s Steps towards the Future
Roundglass is on the cusp of exciting change as the wellbeing industry is poised for growth. The global health and wellness market reached US$ 3.48 billion in 2022 and is expected to surpass US$ 4.4 billion by 2028.
To achieve these goals, Prakriti is focusing the company on mental health, building innovative, research-backed tools, practices, assessments, and music to revolutionize how they support mental wellbeing from day to day.
Roundglass’s mission is to democratize wholistic wellbeing for the world through its app and social initiatives. They aim to reach many more people and inspire them to begin their wellbeing journeys and transform their lives for the better.
