In this spotlight, we’re chatting with Impact Hub HNL intern, Prerna Kalra. Prerna has been interning with us since October 2018, and it’s been so valuable having her marketing expertise, design skills, and event planning experience on our team.
In addition to helping the team with our social media and events, she’s hosting a big event to bring Indian dance, music, and food to Honolulu! On May 18, our space will be transformed into an Indian dance party: Jai Ho! Bollywood Dance Night will happen on Saturday, May 18, at 6:30pm: everyone is welcome to listen to great music, enjoy Bollywood dance performance, and eat yummy Indian food.
Andrea Bertoli (AB): Tell me a little bit more about you – how did you find yourself in Honolulu?
Prerna Kalra (PK): When I met my husband in 2017, the last thing on my mind was to leave my job and family and move to a new country… But I told myself that not everyone gets the privilege of living the island life, so just after my wedding in 2018, I moved to Hawaii to create a bag full of new experiences, learnings, and memories – My Hawaii Diaries is what I call it. I moved here for six months, but the charisma of Hawaii held me back, and I am still here living the Aloha life.
AB: Can you tell me a little bit more about your background?
PK: I am a marketing and sales professional with more than five years of experience across telecom and insurance industries, with a key focus on customer success, client management, business development, and revenue assurance. I hold a Master’s degree holder with a specialization in Marketing. Marketing is something that helps me open my creative mind, while my sales experience has enhanced my focus on the importance of relationship building and the hunger to achieve targets. When I move back to India, I want to explore more creative pursuits.
AB: What inspired you to host this coming event, and what can people expect from this type of dance party?
PK: I had a customer-facing role while I was working in India, however, event planning has always made me happy. Beginning from my school to my Master’s work, I worked with various clubs to host college festivals and events. Impact Hub HNL has given me an opportunity to explore these pursuits even more. I’ve been about learning various ways of hosting events and really digging deeper into my areas of interest in marketing and event planning. As I am originally from India, a common thread of conversation with people here in Hawaii has been about the craze for Bollywood music and Indian food, so that has been my inspiration behind organizing this event. I really want people to put on their dancing shoes and enjoy a festive evening celebrating Indian culture.
AB: What lights you up and brings your joy?
PK: The perfect idea of living life for me is to travel, explore, and network with people. I also have a strong pull towards theatre: I have five years of experience in the theatre, which has always brought me so much joy. And my time in Hawaii has introduced me to my love for healthy cooking and teaching Bollywood dance to kids.
Register for the coming Bollywood event on May 18 here. Active Impact Hub HNL members get a discount using code MEMBER.
Thanks, Prerna, for taking the time to chat with us!
