Meet Arjita Sethi | Founder of New Founder School

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

Hi Arjita, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my journey as an entrepreneur at 16 in India, where I co-built a vocational school that reached 100,000 people and partnered with organizations like the United Nations.

Silicon Valley pretty enamored me, so I moved to San Francisco in 2014. My first startup in Silicon Valley was interesting. A shared vision and passion of my partner and me fueled the spark for me. Meeting someone equally driven to impact through entrepreneurship positively ignited my belief that I could turn my startup idea into reality. We built an edtech solution for Kids worldwide by leveraging AI and AR. Of course, we were ahead of the AI boom by 5 years in 2017.

I was willing to take risks and make sacrifices. Leaving my home country and coping with restrictive visa hurdles demonstrated my perseverance and commitment. I tried it all! Overcoming setbacks only strengthened my resolve. Though disappointing, failures like a scrapped prototype and rejection from Y Combinator pushed me to refine my approach.

Immigrant grit became my secret weapon. The constant obstacles as foreign founders built resilience, adaptability, and determination in me to overcome the odds.

Equity and independence mattered to me after hitting funding roadblocks and then finally building a venture-backed Silicon Valley company.

But then I hit burnout and realized that I needed to build something at a more manageable pace. This is why I created New Founder School. At the core, it was about creating change for me. My vision to build solutions to help other immigrant and unconventional entrepreneurs fueled me through years of uncertainty.

In the last three years, we have impacted about 1000 unconventional entrepreneurs, building ideas and businesses at their own pace while consistently growing. I realized I became an entrepreneur because I wanted the freedom to make a life that I truly and thoroughly enjoyed!

So today, after building a virtual business school and a wellness brand while living my life fully and holistically, I share this blueprint with any unconventional entrepreneur so they, too, can create something meaningful while taking care of themselves.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a serial entrepreneur determined to make education and entrepreneurship a more equitable place. I started my entrepreneurship journey at 16.

Over the last 20 years, I have impacted over 50.000 people across 40 countries and sit on the advisory board of the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center. I teach entrepreneurship at Hult International Business School and San Francisco State University. I also received her Alien of Extraordinary Ability visa in the US for my work in education and social entrepreneurship.

Previously I worked with Google’s Women tech makers to support women in technology across continents. I am also a TEDx speaker and angel investor and have been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Better India, and Economic Times.

At New Founder School, I help founders with their launch strategy, user-driven marketing, business models, and getting funding ready.

What sets me apart is the fact that I support ALL types of businesses. I have coached and advised startups, small businesses, creators, coaches, and side hustlers equally. I use my academic and entrepreneurship experience to build actionable plans that can be executed by unconventional entrepreneurs without feeling the overwhelm and burnout.

Two thing sI am proud of two things: firstly, having the opportunity to connect with and help foreign founders who have the same struggles I did when I started my entrepreneurship journey in the US. Secondly, I would like to have the opportunity to connect and help entrepreneurs at all levels. I think a part of what’s great is the diversity in the businesses I work with.

But just like any other entrepreneur, I have had my fair share of challenges. From visa struggles to rejections from customers and investors, I have seen it all. But each challenge has led me to the right opportunity and help me become more resilient. I think this journey is what led me to create the New Founder School and support other unconventional entrepreneurs in the same boat as me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I LOVE San Francisco. And I would definitely start with coffee and pastries at Tartine in the Mission neighborhood. Then, spend some time in Dorole’s Park, relaxing under the sun. Then, we would go to Neiman Marcus for a grand High Tea at Rotunda for a scrumptious lunch. Take a walk by Embarcedero till the coit tower to get the cool breeze. Finally, head to Cha Cha Cha at Haight and Ashbury for a remarkable evening of Cuban food and Sangria.

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?
My partner, Anshul Dhawan, has been instrumental in this journey. He and I not only built our first startup together but also supported me in getting my master’s, finding my footing in Silicon Valley, and truly building my brand.

My mom, Alka Sethi, who taught me entrepreneurship in my first venture in India growing up, has been the skill that has made me believe that I can thrive in any place.

Website: https://newfounderschool.com/the-nfs-advantage-program/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arjitasethi/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjitasethi/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@newfounderschool