Be authentic. Be bold. Don’t be afraid to take up space. These are Srijita Ghosh’s go-to statements when counseling entrepreneurs. However, it was not until recently that the i2E venture advisor felt empowered to fully follow her own advice. Her story prompts the question: What’s in a name?
“When I first came to the U.S., I quickly changed how I used my name. I used the nickname ‘Dia’… It was difficult for people to pronounce my [real] name and it was awkward for me,” said Ghosh, who came to America as a teenager.
“Dia” wasn’t a huge stretch. “Didi” means older sister in Bengali, Ghosh’s native tongue, and her younger sister called her “Dia” for short. For eight years, Ghosh used the nickname on everything, from emails to business cards. Most people didn’t know her by any other name.
Fast forward to 2022, at a conference check-in table. Ghosh was picking up her lanyard when another attendee began a conversation with her about names. That person was getting a nametag reprinted with a different name—and Ghosh made the same request, later describing this as her “epiphany moment.”
I started thinking, ‘Did I use the name ‘Dia’ by choice? Or was it because there was this systematic barrier that made me feel like I had to change myself to accommodate others?’ Ghosh recalls. “Since then, I made the decision to start using my given name. Now I go by ‘Srijita.’ … It has completely changed a lot of things for me … I can’t tell people to believe in themselves unless I do [in myself]. Given, it’s just a name—but it’s also not. It was like reclaiming my identity in many ways.”
Ghosh came to America by way of tennis. She wanted to be the next Serena Williams, and her diligent practice and tenacity took her from India to a training program in Spain, and then to Oklahoma for a tennis scholarship at East Central University in Ada. When budget cuts abruptly ended the university’s tennis program in 2016, Ghosh turned her attention toward her studies and leadership, which included an entrepreneurship class. She participated in a student competition—spearheaded by i2E—that was reminiscent of the television show “Shark Tank,” allowing student entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas for cash prizes and mentorship. Ghosh won the pitch category and came second place in the business plan competition by presenting an innovative idea about a mental health technology company.
Following college, Ghosh worked for the Ada Jobs Foundation, where in 2018 she helped launch a regional summit focusing on rural economic development. That event paved the way for national attention and funding.
“In 2020, Ada was selected as one of the handful of rural communities by this really prestigious organization called CORI, the Center on Rural Innovation, to receive technical assistance to help with this economic development strategy, and that led to us winning EDA funding called ‘Build to Scale,’” she said.
Ghosh’s achievements kept her on i2E’s radar. When a position opened, she was invited to apply. She also serves on the Oklahoma Venture Forum executive board. Since moving to Oklahoma 10 years ago, Ghosh says she has come to appreciate the state’s resilience and sense of community, which makes it an ideal place to live, work and grow.
“Nobody builds companies by themselves. You really need the support—locally and otherwise—more than funding,” Ghosh said. “I just can’t think of a better job, to help others achieve their passion and their dreams.”
Ghosh’s everyday work is entrepreneurship led economic development in Oklahoma, but these days the work feels more personal. Now, when she introduces herself to others using her real name, she feels more aligned, more herself, truly Srijita—ready to take up space.
