Mango Bites 🥭

🍂 And just like that, it’s October! 🎃☕

While we still have those few oh-so-precious weeks of fall weather, join us for a food crawl through Jackson Heights’ incredible Desi food scene. Dunno about you, but I’m always entertained by the 5 trucks on one block all claiming to be the “original” fuska truck 😂.

Based on your responses I’ll be splitting us into small groups, each with their own guide, to ensure you get your momo fix and meet awesome, like-minded people. And hey, maybe you’ll figure out which truck actually deserves the title….

Sign up at the link below (yup, the picture’s clickable lol).

Upcoming Mango Events 🎇

Register on the links below!

• Desi Bites of Jackson Heights: A Food Crawl (10/11) - Food crawl through Jackson Heights, everyone is encouraged to apply!

• Not-So-Daily-Standup x Mango - A Desi Tech Comedy Special (11/7) - A special Diwali event!! More details to come…. limited free tix and early bird ones already for grabs (MANGO2K24 will give you $5 off 👀 )!

The Scene 🪔

Other South Asian events I’m keeping an eye on in and around the city

Cool Desis Doing Cool Thing 🐘

Highlighting people in our community making strides in diverse fields!

Serena Advani is the founder of Seadrop, the brand reinventing skincare as water-activated tablets (instead of liquids). Her debut product is a first-of-its-kind, “just-add-water” skincare tablet that activates into a hydrating facial cleanser upon use with the tap water you already have at home. While traditional liquid cleanser is ~90% water and stored in single-use plastic, Seadrop's waterless cleanser comes in zero-waste, refillable packaging for skincare that’s cleaner for both the planet and your skin. Seadrop has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes (as one of the top new skincare launches), Harper’s Bazaar, Modern Retail, Refinery29, Elle, and on the Today Show.

Why do you do what you do?
Before the pandemic, while I was at my desk working at a beauty brand in SoHo, I overheard our product development team mention that our skincare is mostly water. In fact, ~90% of a standard liquid facial cleanser is water: the same water we have on tap at home. That water in skincare typically requires single-use packaging (usually plastic!) and the addition of artificial preservatives (since water breeds bacteria). 

I knew there was a better way to do skincare, and I had faith in powder-based concentrates (inspired by the South Asian skincare rituals I grew up with). Recipes mixing water with haldi (turmeric), besan (chickpea flour), and sandalwood powders have been passed down for generations in my family, and I have been determined to bring that same freshly-activated skincare concept to life. I knew that I wanted to build for Western consumers with dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, pre-dosed formulations that hadn't been seen before; water-activated tablets were the perfect solution. 

The patent-pending tablets not only allow me to bring my heritage to American skincare, but they also eliminate the need for single-use plastics (our packaging is zero-waste!) and artificial preservatives (since the beads are waterless!) They’re also TSA-approved & leakproof, so I’m also always motivated by the fact that I created a product that makes my life easier when I use it!

What does your Desi identity mean to you, and how has it influenced your journey?
My Desi identity is now a source of pride and something I love sharing with the world (especially through work, which honors my heritage with powdered skincare). However, growing up in the South, I didn't always feel this same connection. It wasn’t until college when I realized that my non-Indian friends were genuinely excited about my culture, and I realized that we have the power to set the conversation’s tone ourselves.

What advice do you have for those entering your field?
Ask for advice from entrepreneurs 1-2 years ahead of you. The best guidance I’ve received has been from entrepreneurs who were in my shoes recently - even if they’re not in my industry, their advice has been incredibly insightful and relevant.

Serena’s favs 🌟 
🎬 Bollywood Movie: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
🍛 Desi Eat: Pani puri
🌶️ NYC Restaurant: Kanyakumari

Meme Bazaar 👳🏽‍♀️

Random Stuff 💃

• Love what Mango is doing? 🥭 Buy us a coffee - any support would go a long way and let us keep hosting events!

• Want to sponsor an event or host something with me? Get in touch!

• Have a friend who’d want to be on this newsletter? Sign up for Mango Bites here!