Kavita Roehling

I attribute my success to the foundational support of my parents, Sunil Pawar and Suman Pawar, my husband, Joshua Roehling, and my dearest friend, Lindsay Cole.

Growing up in India's male-dominated landscape, my parents instilled in me the conviction that education is paramount, granting me the courage to defy expectations and pursue my highest aspirations.

That bedrock of academic value, combined with the unwavering partnership and support of my husband, Joshua, and daughters Orion and Aries, cultivated the resilience and determination that define my leadership journey.

The best career advice I've ever received was to stop apologizing and be confident as a woman in my skills and what I can achieve as a woman.

This advice has been transformative for me, and I have to constantly remind myself of it. I need to stop being apologetic for my achievements and own my success with confidence.

As a leader, especially when I’m mentoring younger women or peers navigating their careers, I remind them that they’re often braver than they realize. Staying true to yourself matters. If something feels off, trust that instinct instead of talking yourself out of it. Strength doesn’t require harshness — you can be firm and still be kind. You can say no without justification. You can walk away without apologizing. You can change roles, change environments, and change direction when you need to.

Most importantly, you can show up as who you are — your background, your story, your path — and still succeed.

Education, passion, and hard work open doors, but mindset is what keeps you moving forward. If something no longer aligns with who you are, don’t force it. Be bold, stay grounded, and don’t lose yourself in the process. That’s the message I carry as a leader, and it’s the one I pass on to the next generation.

From an employee relations standpoint, the biggest challenges we’re facing right now are people‑driven. Workforces are more divided than they’ve been in a long time, whether it’s due to differing viewpoints, social issues, or day‑to‑day interpersonal friction. I see situations where employees misread intent, assume negative motives, or feel personally targeted, and that can quickly escalate into conflict or a sense of being marginalized.

What organizations need is a reset on connection and community. We have to bring people back to a place where they can work through differences without turning them into personal battles. That starts with respect — real, consistent respect — in how we communicate and how we show up for one another. When respect is the baseline, it becomes much easier to rebuild trust, reduce conflict, and create an environment where people feel aligned instead of divided.

That’s the core challenge right now, and it’s also where the most meaningful change can happen.

The values most important to me are family, integrity, being a good person, and trying to do the right thing always. I believe in having resilience and thinking about other people. I really try to create an environment where love is at the center of everything, and that's what I teach.

I also believe strongly in building trust and creating an environment of change and growth. I constantly ask myself how can I become a better mom, how can I be a better person, how can I be better to other people. Respect is fundamental to everything I do.