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

Hi Annette, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In my mind, risk and passion are closely related. If you want to be excited about getting out of bed in the morning to work, you have to be willing to take risks. As a young person, I thought risk taking involved following the best offer and moving around, learning more and more and reaping big rewards for the willingness to start again frequently. And that worked for a while. But as a more mature adult, risk taking became following things that I was passionate about—regardless of the status, popularity or money involved in the endeavor.

I never wanted to go to India, I had never heard of the Santal tribe, I didn’t really know anything about fundraising, and I was dreaming about a quiet time at home to sort family photos. Instead, I met someone who was passionate and joyful and had a vision for something lasting. So I gave my time to learning something new (again!) and the changes that have taken root in just a short time have far surpassed my expectations or hopes! The risk paid off. As the project becomes bigger, the risk is greater but so is my passion—this is a life-long and beyond commitment now. And while risk may send some packing, passion is super contagious—a lot of folks have been willing to jump right in with us.

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?
Tribe Rising India exists to create generational change. We build schools, educate children and provide hope for the Santal people. I think what sets us apart is that our success and challenges, strategies and pitfalls are all based on relationships and people. There are a lot of good causes out there, a lot of people in need. I always tell people who question our work if you don’t have a heart for this, then support something else–but follow your passion, meet and get to know the people who benefit from your work–then make your judgements, then make your choices.

Once I met the Santal children and their families, I began to only see what was the same in us–a people who were looking for a way to create a prosperous future for their children, their community. This program is about that. Our partners have a network of successful, sought-after schools–the wealthy choose this education. And now, it is being made available for those considered the lowest of the low!

I think we were successful because we went 150% in, kept communications frequent and honest and asked a lot of questions, didn’t shun bad news and delays, and kept learning! We are never afraid to say we don’t know or don’t understand, and we also never take no for an answer—there is always a way to get it done!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you are going to visit Mill Valley, I’d say you need to hike Mount Tam and the Marin Headlands, you need to eat burritos at Joe’s Taco Lounge and Grilly’s, hang out in downtown Mill Valley at the Depot and the Lumberyard and take in the scene, enjoy live music in the square or at Sweetwater Music Hall, catch a comedy show at the Throckmorton theater and stop in the galleries (you’ll be surprised by the rich offerings of the famous who hail from this area, like incredible paintings by Joan Baez) and fun clothing boutiques—no chain stores. Eat a lot: La Ginestra, Piazza D’Angelo, Bungalow 44 and Playa for a Oaxacan marguerita. Venture over to other parts of town too, like Tam Junction where you can shop at Proof Lab and sit in a beer garden, and Strawberry where you might stay at the Acqua Hotel. Venture to our neighboring towns too like Tiburon for a walk along the water at Blackie’s Pasture, and have an incredible sushi experience at Sushi Ran in Sausalito.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been so impressed with our donors! From a core group that rose to the occasion early on and provided scholarships for our first 100 students, to our committed annual sponsors who have been funding the capital campaign and made the girls’ hostel and dorm a possibility. Among our sponsors are a number of companies in the L.A. production community, notably Pop Arts and Park Pictures who have really stepped up. In addition to being committed sponsors, they have attended our events, introduced our work to others and provided encouragement to keep me feeling confident about reaching out to new donors. The bigger our base, the more certain we are that when the first high school for Santal students is complete in early 2024 all 1,200 students will have access to a scholarship!

Website: TribeRisingIndia.org

Image Credits
Paul Venables

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.