Bio for Raju Rajan
Raju Rajan is a Global Account Chief Technologist with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Founder and President of ReWild Long Island.
Episode highlight
Raju Rajan is passionate about introducing people to the land, to native plants, and to the concept of rewilding. His idea is that if everyone starts with one small plant action, our relationship to the planet will heal. Combined with this planet passion mission is a deep understanding of the significance and role of technology, an area in which he has developed much expertise.
Links
Email: raju@rewildlongisland.org
Website: www.rewildlongisland.org
Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/well/mind/mental-health-climate-anxiety.html
Quotes
“Feminism really dismantles nationalism.”
“No culture progresses without rebels.”
“Trust breeds more confidence and it breeds more success.”
Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
At age seven, Raju was killing ants on the kitchen floor with his four year-old brother when his grandfather pleaded with them to stop. That “sense of empathy” and respect for life was an important part of the culture in his vegetarian household.
Influential Groups
Raju was the first male son in his anglicized, urban middle-class Brahmin family living in a patriarchal society. He feels privileged to have been born in India at the confluence of many religious and spiritual traditions which inform his political and environmental work today.
His greatest influence comes from his work as a technologist, using tools to make community work more efficient.
Temperament and Personality Influences
Raju claims he gets angry very quickly and it has taken many years and wife’s patience to help him mellow down. He also needs to resonate with the reason behind any action before doing it. Working with customers has made him accepting, unruffled and professional.
Cultural Epiphanies
Moving to the USA from India was a cultural shock for Raju - seeing light-skinned people doing menial labour was a stark change from the skin colour-based society he came from. It was also unusual for women in the early 90s in India to do well in STEM courses, like the one he was in.
Advice to an Employer
Raju’s advice to the people he works with is, “Know what you are committing to but deliver on whatever you commit.”
More Great Insights!
Learn more about Raju’s work on his website.