Akanksha Bandi

My success comes from persistence and the refusal to give up, even in the face of failure. I strongly believe in the idea that a winner is someone who failed but chose to try one more time. Success often requires climbing a long ladder built on setbacks, resilience, and continuous effort.

As a female immigrant who moved to the United States at the age of 22 and has built a life here over the past 16 years, I managed many challenges independently. At the same time, my journey was strengthened by the unwavering support of my parents through regular FaceTime calls, as well as the friendships and professional relationships I built in the U.S. together, these sources of support, combined with determination and perseverance, played a key role in my success.

The best career advice I have received is that success is incomplete without fulfillment. No matter where your career path leads, it is essential to make a conscious effort to live life fully and enjoy it along the way.

Maintaining a healthy work–life balance is crucial. We should work to support a meaningful life, not live solely to work. Pursuing passions outside of work is equally important, as they contribute to personal growth, well-being, and a truly balanced definition of success.

Persistence and discipline are essential to thriving in any career. While the United States remains a predominantly male-dominated professional landscape, it is important never to view yourself as less capable or less deserving of success because of your gender. Women are equally qualified to create meaningful impact, lead effectively, and reach the highest levels of achievement.

Equally important is maintaining strong work ethics. Someone may appear to be a high performer on the surface, but without integrity and ethical standards, long-term success is unsustainable. Following the right work ethics allows you to build a career grounded in trust, credibility, and self-respect. It is crucial to pursue your goals on your own timeline, without being pressured by others’ progress—especially when their success is not built on ethical practices. True success comes from doing the right work, the right way, at the right pace for you.

One of the biggest challenges in technology today is that artificial intelligence is still in its early stages of design, development, and understanding. While AI has the potential to be a major benefit to society, its capabilities and long-term impacts are not yet fully understood by the global community.

As AI continues to evolve, it is essential to carefully scrutinize its development and establish strong governmental regulations and ethical frameworks. Without responsible design, thoughtful implementation, and proper oversight, AI could pose serious risks in the future. Ensuring ethical use and accountability is critical to preventing potential harm and maximizing AI’s positive impact on humanity.

Work:

Great work begins with the right ideas. While implementation and execution are essential, they are ineffective without sound and thoughtful ideas guiding them. Meaningful outcomes are created when original ideas are developed with purpose—ideas that society and users can apply to achieve maximum impact and lasting results.

One of the most important work values is creating ideas that benefit society and contribute to a safe, positive environment and culture for future generations. I strongly value originality and integrity in my work. I believe it is unethical to copy others’ ideas and present them as one’s own, as this reflects poor work ethics and undermines trust, creativity, and professional responsibility.

Personal Life: One of my core personal values is kindness and living a fulfilling life. I believe life should be lived with purpose and meaning, rather than being driven solely by the pursuit of high-paying jobs or material success at the expense of personal fulfillment.

While building a business and growing wealth are important, they should be balanced with rich, meaningful life experiences. Success without depth is merely an expanded form of emptiness, and true success cannot exist without a fully lived and well-rounded life.