![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Juggling technology, law and business might sound like three different careers, but for Meghana Dhar (’06), the combinations of those fields have defined her path. Now a Silicon Valley executive and founder of Tea in Tech, she sits at the forefront of conversations about artificial intelligence.
In 2017, Dhar became the first hire on Instagram Shopping’s go-to-market team and led a global team for the platform. She later joined Snap Inc. as Global Head of Partnerships, working with brands and creators like Kim Kardashian and Coachella to “make Snapchat cool again,” she joked.
“That’s where I really fell in love with tech platforms, the future of social media and buying and selling,” Dhar said. “Everything at the time was going online and towards being mobile and adaptable, understanding where the needle is moving and thinking about how to drive value. Those are the skills that I actually used in my jobs.”
After recently returning to Silicon Valley, Dhar developed an interest in AI, whose potential in businesses, she notes, has mostly been exclusive to the area. Now, as a strategic adviser for venture capital startups and businesses, she aims to meld the two fields, with companies like General Motors reaching out to discuss implementing AI into their products.
Fittingly, Dhar recently launched a passion project Tea in Tech, a media brand and newsletter that provides insights on AI and, as the name suggests, technology. Across platforms, Tea in Tech has reached an audience of 55,000.
Between starting out with an interest in policy and law to a career in business and AI, Dhar’s career has made many turns. However, she has made the most out of her experience, being named under Forbes 30 under 30 and finding work that she both finds passion in and is impactful.
At first, her experience at Harker from K through 12 did not focus on technology. Her experience as the captain of the debate team and the mock trial team inspired her to become a criminal defense or civil rights attorney. Entering college at the University of California, Berkeley, with her sights set on law school, Dhar passed the LSAT and earned admission to several law programs after graduation. However, a rotational role at Visa introduced her to the fast-paced world of business, where she discovered a passion for strategy and innovation.
“I kept deferring and going, ‘One more year. One more year,’” Dhar said. “Finally the law school said, “You gotta make up your mind,” and I realized I didn’t want to go to law school anymore. What’s funny is, I was working with corporate lawyers, and I realized how boring their jobs were. Mock trial was fun, but the reality of the law was really different.”
From working at Visa, Dhar then moved onto eBay before enrolling in Harvard Business School’s two-year program. That decision paved the way for her entry into consumer technology, a field encompassing everything from smartphones and laptops to social media platforms, e-commerce sites, and digital payment systems.
“My mission in life, even when I wanted to be a lawyer, was about democratizing access and justice and bringing information to people,” Dhar said. “There’s no one really talking about AI from a strategic lens or from a business lens, and so that’s my mission. I’m really enjoying it, and I think that it’s allowing me to tap into my creativity and think critically about bigger themes.”
Throughout her life, Dhar has traveled from coast to coast. Raised in the Silicon Valley, traveling to Harvard, then to New York and LA before returning home, Dhar realized how pervasive AI has become, despite its inaccessibility outside of the Silicon Valley, and took action through her work as an adviser and founding Tea in Tech.
“A lot of brands and businesses are trying to figure out how to get into the AI conversation,” Dhar said. “A lot of consumers and businesses are trying to figure out, ‘How do we leverage AI in our lives and our businesses?’ I want to be that middle ground to help people, and I really believe that growing up in Silicon Valley gives me an edge.”
“Especially in a world of AI, things are changing really quickly. You need to be able to be creative, critically think and find a path. That’s what I’ve been really good at,” Dhar said. “Pivot and then keep moving, and then pivot again and keep moving. That’s what makes really successful business people, and that’s a skill you learn at Harker, because you’re always being challenged and pushed and taught the fundamentals of critical thinking.”
