Meet Alka Subramanian | Business executive

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alka Subramanian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alka, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2000,  my husband Suresh, a dear friend Ellen Furnari, and I would read about the HIV and AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Every family in Africa had been impacted but the women and children were impacted disproportionately. We  learned that children as young as 10 or 11 years old were sole caregivers for their younger siblings and grandmothers who had few resources had to take care of their orphaned grandchildren.

All three of us were dedicated parents and we felt it was time to take a break from our careers to work on this. We strongly believe that all children, irrespective of where they are born, have a right to adequate health care. In addition, in a global economy our children can stay safe only if all children are safe. We founded the Power of Love Foundation with the goal to provide health care services to vulnerable children living with HIV and to strengthen families.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The mission of our organization is to build strong and vibrant communities by ensuring no child is born with HIV, provide healthcare HIV+ children, and empower vulnerable women. We believe that our approach of finding solutions that take advantage of the culture and knowledge that exists in communities, and empowering the local team to implement these solutions has been critical for our success. Our main challenge was the time commitment needed to gain the trust of community leaders and church pastors.

Couple of key lessons: change happens one child/one woman/one family at a time; and my personal experience is that I have benefited and learned much more than the investment made on my part.

I want the world to know that Zambia is a country rich in resources and with a rich culture. Its people are hardworking, friendly, and honest. We stand to gain by learning from them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego has so many spots that I love. My favorites are: A walk along the harbor at Sea Port Village, Spanish Village and the International Houses at Balboa Park, Taco cafes in Barrio Logan, the many micro breweries around town, Boba tea cafes, Ramen noodles on Convoy Street, Liberty Station, and beautiful sunsets at La Jolla Cove or Del Mar Beach. But what I love most about this city is the people are friendly, and apart from the morning and evening rush hours (and that is exactly what they are – just an hour), I can get to almost any part of the city in 30 minutes or less.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shout out to the family I was born in and the family I acquired after adulthood. I grew up in a well-off family in India and received the best education and health care. As a teenager I became aware of my privileged status and the difficult circumstances of the majority of the people around me. After high school, my major in both undergraduate and graduate schools was development economics. My educational background and subsequent teaching and research at the University of South Dakota cemented my belief in social justice and equality for everyone.

I have had the unconditional support of my family in all my ventures, the most recent being launching a non-profit organization. I continue to have their support, and welcome this opportunity to recognize them.

Website: www.poweroflove.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/polfoundation

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PowerofLoveFoundation

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