Guiding Dreams & Arnab Barua
Arnab & Shruthi have had a 1:1 coaching engagement since early 2023. The intention of this work was to:
Support Arnab in bringing to life his dream to serve vulnerable youth in his home of Assam through starting an organisation
Support his transition from working full time in Bangalore to dedicating his energy to his organisation
Build his confidence and support his growth as a social impact leader
Shruthi met Arnab in India at the Unleash Innovation Lab in 2022, where she was a Lead facilitator working with Arnab’s team and since then has supported him in his commitment to serve and support vulnerable children and youth in the state of Assam, India.
Over the past two years Shruthi has walked alongside Arnab in his efforts to understand the challenge and ecosystem of child maltreatment, map and connect with the various stakeholders, sense and identify opportunities for pilots and tests, build relationships with community, partners and funders and ultimately launch the organisation Guiding Dreams. Sharing methodologies such as Theory U have greatly supported the work of Guiding Dreams led to their participation in the ULab2x program, a pivotal step in Guiding Dream’s journey. More than this, Shruthi's role has been to help Arnab deepen his Self-confidence and walk alongside him as he makes his dreams a reality.
Over the past 2 years, Arnab made the shift from working in Bangalore and spending his free time working on this project, to reaching a point where there was momentum and funding to support his move back to his home town in Assam where Guiding Dreams is now his priority and focus. This was the goal set in the initial sessions between Shruthi and Arnab, a testament in Arnab’s words of how powerful it is when “intention meets guidance”.
Guiding Dreams is today addressing child maltreatment, neglect and abuse, in a systemic and holistic way. They work with families, schools and communities to build resilience, nurture peace and create safe spaces for healing and growth of all children. Read more here.
In Arnab’s words:
“In every conversation with Shruthi, I found a deeper understanding of my journey and a renewed courage to serve my community. Her guidance has been like a compass, helping me stay grounded in my purpose while navigating complex and complicated challenges. Guiding Dreams is, in many ways, a testament to the power of mentorship, guidance, and the belief that change starts from within.”