From the perspective of Sanjay Sehgal
I was born in New Delhi, growing up in a large family. It was my grandfather who first helped spark my interest in business. I pursued computer science and earned my bachelor’s in India. It was the early days of computer technology, so I came here to the U.S. to take it to the next level. Taking a short-term contract assignment in the Bay Area, I left with a small suitcase and told my family, “I’ll be back before you know it.” I only expected to be gone for three months, but an opportunity in Atlanta turned into a full-time career. It wasn’t until nearly two years later that I went back to India to visit.
During the dot-com boom, my expertise in developing new products for technology industry was put to the test when I founded iVivity, which created network storage solutions and other services. After several years of running iVivity, I joined a venture capital firm, but it wasn’t long before I started another company, Scentric, focusing on classifying data. A third venture, Pramana, a human user validation solution, came after. My latest venture is called MSys Technologies, a data storage company I brought to the US from India. While I spend about a third of my time running it, the other two-thirds of my time are for my family and teaching Heartfulness Meditation.
I find it ironic that I grew up in India where the meditation practice originated, but was first introduced to the practice in the United States.
Heartfulness is a way of living. We live in an age where we think hyperactivity is normal. If we aren’t doing something, we’re restless. But that harms the mental and physical self. Heartfulness teaches heart-centered living. One learns to rest the mind and opens oneself to the heart.
It is through Heartfulness that I have been able to prosper and create a balanced and prosperous life.
My wife and I are both trained Heartfulness facilitators. Every Wednesday, we host a group meditation for about thirty people in our home. Our son, Suraj, recently also became a Heartfulness facilitator.
My wife Geeta is from the northern part of India. We had an arranged marriage and first met only two days before getting married. “But it feels like we were made for each other,” says my wife Geeta. Our son was born in USA and Geeta taught at a Montessori school while he was young. Later Geeta decided to go back to school and become a software quality assurance analyst. She worked for Mansfield Oil Company for several years, before joining me at MSys Technologies as VP for Training and Recruitment. We enjoy working together, have the same schedule and travel together, and so have more time to teach Heartfulness.
Suraj graduated from Alpharetta High School two years ago and was offered the Stamps President’s Scholarship at Georgia Tech. He is currently a junior, majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with a minor in International Affairs, and a certificate in Psychology. Suraj has a passion for making the world a better place and is involved in several non-profit organizations. He has been involved in fighting human trafficking since high school with youthSpark and OneVoice Atlanta where he serves as VP for External Affairs. He enjoys writing in his free time and has had an article about his involvement in the 2016 Winter Youth Assembly at the United Nations published by the Huffington Post.
We all enjoy traveling back to India to visit family contributing to our local community here in Windward. Heartfulness meditation continues to be an important part of our lives, and the lives of the students they teach.
–Sanjay Sehgal
