Page 17 - Seniors Today October 2020

Ranjana Martinez – The Muse has made San Antonio, Texas her home. An
NRI with an ancestry who believed in ‘desh ki
sewa’, with roots firmly entrenched in the US,
she believes in service to the needy.

Samarth and Neha Mod – New Age
Techies

Letter from White House to Ranjana Martinez
Ranjana and Charlie - Then
Ranjana Martinez’ multi-faceted background,
rich in genealogy, boasts of father Col Priya
Ranjan Adhikari of the 3/5th Gurkhas, later
Assam Rifles, and Meena Adhikari (nurse
and captain in the British Army). After TIA Award Sam with partner Rohit Boolchandani
finishing Grad School and while working for of an investor he successfully launched
Air India, she met her future husband Carlos FreshWorks, an application Development
Ruben Jorge Martinez, an anaesthesiologist company. What started with just two people
from Argentina. She married him and moved RBC Award Winner grew into a company that employs seventy in
to the US, where she was happy making a the span of less than five years. Freshworks is
home for their family. now recognised as the Top Agile Application
Most immigrants have success stories of Development studio in Canada. In 2019,
career achievements but Ranjana has created Sam won the coveted RBC Top 25 Canadian
her own legacy because of her compassionate Immigrant and Top Entrepreneur and was
nature. A chance meeting with a young fellow named in the prestigious BC ranks of 30
named Barry, her encouraging words asking under 30.
Ranjana and Carlos Martinez him to reach beyond the stars coined the now Sam is married to Neha Dubey, whom he
famous phrase, “Yes we can!” This, the 44th met in Indore. Neha chose to take a jump into
President of the United States Barack (Barry) Sam and Neha at a New Year Party the abyss of his dreams, unsure of the future
Obama achieved and in one of his speeches Samarth, born in Chhindwara, MP, India, was ahead but with a strong conviction that faith
alluded to Ranjana’s pep talk that motivated raised in Bhopal and earned his Bachelor of can move mountains. While continuing to
him into community service, law, and politics. IT at SGSITS, Indore, MP, India. He migrated support Sam’s dreams, she carved a niche
Ranjana is the proud recipient of a letter from to Canada in 2013 after receiving an entrance for herself as a Business Analyst with the
the White House which Obama wrote to her scholarship to the University of Victoria’s Government of British Columbia, and they
during his Presidency. MBA programme. Armed with a do-or-die have both made Canada their home for now.
Having lost her husband a few years ago, attitude, a friend/business partner Rohit They make up for the life they left behind by
she is thankful for her son Carlos Ranjan Boolchandani and a mentoring professor, surrounding themselves with food, frolic,
(Charlie) who is doing his third year of Samarth who goes by the abbreviated name laughter, and fellow Indians.
residency in Plastic Surgery. Although she is ‘Sam’ started dabbling in a startup. He These are the new age NRIs whose
an engineer with a degree from NIT, she has remembers facing many challenges that geographical choices of home and hearth are
Ranjana and Charlie - Now immersed herself in community service and included cultural barriers but with the help boundless.

16 SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #16 | OCTOBER 2020 17