Broad Run High School
Attending: American University
Founder: NEST4US

Millions worldwide don’t have access to basic necessities. This is proof that society needs people to spark change. So, I thought, why couldn’t that be me? I’m Esha Venkat, a senior at BRHS & founder and COO of nonprofit NEST4US (www.nest4us.org), which was formed as a philanthropic platform built upon kindness, generosity, and social good. Through 5 core programs, we tackle 14+ UN.

SDGs & a plethora of societal issues including global hunger, climate change, quality education, equity, mental health, etc. What began as a small project 6 years ago is now a multifaceted global organization fueled by 5,000+ volunteers of all demographics who’ve altogether contributed 2.5+ million dollars in value of volunteer hours, impacting tens of thousands in 30+ countries across 6 continents.

To date, NEST4US has:
*Served 300,000+ meals
*Rescued over 1.1 million pounds of surplus food, equivalent to $1,865,000+ in
value of meals donated & 874,860+ lbs of carbon emissions saved overall
*Donated 15,000+ books globally
*Empowered 100,000+ youth worldwide
*Reached 375,000+ on social media pages
*Provided 4,500+ school supply kits
*Assembled 85,000+ blessing bags
*Engaged 7,500+ tutees & tutors worldwide
*Impacted 500+ schools
*Organized 250+ engaging workshops
*Assembled 2,000+ Birthdays-In-A-Box
*Created 25,000+ kindness notes
And now, over the past 8 years, I’ve contributed 4,000+ hours of service as a leader
in manifold capacities for entities from Points of Light, DoSomething, WWF, & Be
Strong Global to Giving Tuesday, Good Deeds Day, Civics Unplugged, & Global
Peace HQ! I’ve advocated for the Global Goals at hundreds of renowned venues
such as The King Center, George H.W. Bush Foundation, Disney, Lead National
Conferences, YSA, Intrepid Museum, PeaceJam, etc.

However, this didn’t come about easily. Despite facing many hardships stemming from systemic inequality being a Gen-Z Indian-American female entrepreneur, I turned my pain into purpose by fostering a community through NEST4US built upon mutual respect, kindness, and empathy & intergenerational, intercultural, and intersectional change. To me, a true leader is someone who not only positively impacts people, but also inspires them to take charge themselves. Over the past 12 years, I’ve carried this mindset into everything I’ve indulged in—the arts, as hip-hop and kathak lead dancer & 3rd-degree black belt and instructor in karate, sports, as captain of my soccer teams & referee, academics, as Class of 2023 salutatorian with a 4.73 GPA,and service, as an active leader in numerous global philanthropic & student-led organizations including Key Club, all National Honor Societies ((Math, English, Spanish, Science, Social Studies), Interact Club, Unified Spartans (Special
Olympics), Girls Who Code, etc. And finally...what’s next for me?

Over the years, I’ve learned how much power I have in creating lasting change, despite my young age and minority status. That’s why, above all, my goal is to use my voice for good by combining my passion for sustainability and purpose of giving back to aid communities without vital resources through influential work within the health, technology, and nonprofit sectors. Not only would the VPC Community Involvement and Kathleen Eovino Memorial Scholarship support my personal philanthropic endeavors, but it would also grant me the opportunity to increase the scope of my humanitarian efforts across the globe. Via acceptance into college with support from the VPC, I’ll be one step closer to cultivating a legacy defined by the impact I make on people’s lives—a testament to the hope, love, and light I have and will continue to leave in each and every life I touch during my time on this planet.

And this is just the beginning.