Her Story
About Pragya
Pragya Bakshi serves as the paralegal for the General Counsel at AssetMark, an asset management firm in the financial technology field based in San Jose, California. She joined the role in December of the prior year and focuses on managing vendor and sales contracts, reviewing legal and business risks, and providing in-house legal advisory support. Bakshi began her career in the tech industry eight years ago and transitioned to fintech more recently, drawing on her prior experience as in-house legal counsel for Tech Mahindra in the APAC region, where she was recognized for closing high net worth client deals in Vietnam. She earned a Bachelor's of Arts with a Bachelor's of Law in India after five years of study and later completed a Master of Laws at Berkeley, graduating in 2025 while balancing new motherhood and a lengthy commute. Bakshi is a licensed practicing advocate in India, a Certified Commercial Contract Management Practitioner through WorldCC, and a member of that organization, formerly known as IACCM. She plans to pursue licensure as an attorney in California. Outside her role, she participates in volunteer food sorting efforts for White Pony Express in Concord through her employer.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Pragya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my own resilience and self. Every time I hit rock bottom I make myself stand back up. I set a few goals for myself, write down 4 or 5 things that I need to do within 6 months or within this year, and once I get to all of them I feel very accomplished and ready for the next challenge.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Do what you are supposed to do, not more not less. If you are juggling other roles in your life, do as much as you're supposed to do so that you can find time for the other parts of your life which will make you feel more accomplished and help you be very productive at your work.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
We don't know how much strength we have once we realize our strength, we can do anything. Always look within yourself and know your strong points and also know your weaknesses so that you can overcome them or at least work towards overcoming your weaknesses but always focus on your strengths.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is juggling having a full-time job and studying for my license to practice as an attorney because studying for it is time-consuming and demanding. Once I overcome that challenge and accomplish being an attorney, that is going to be the next big opportunity for me.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is the biggest value that I really hold onto because it would take you a long way either in your personal life or professional life. Even in relationships if you are always guarded and not your honest true self I don't see that relationship going a long way.
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