There are no better ways to experience the world if not by traveling and making efforts to learn about other cultures. Lakshmi Natarajan has established the principle that traveling is about how the experience of visiting places shapes the traveler. In the times we are in, the opportunity to learn about the world starts from home. Lakshmi is a globetrotting Indian-American corporate executive, entrepreneur, consultant, and advisory board member. Born in India and raised in the US, Lakshmi’s world travels started at a young age during her family visits to India. Her parents and grandparents set the foundation to learn about the world.
As a person of color, Lakshmi’s early childhood as an immigrant in the US was not without challenges. When her family moved to Teaneck, an inclusive multicultural town in New Jersey, she felt a sense of belonging in her community. Her desire to learn about others stemmed from her being the “different” one, her experiences growing up in Teaneck, and all her trips to India. Lakshmi attended the University of Pennsylvania and majored in Economics. She established her professional career across marketing, sales, strategy, operations, and consulting for companies such as Accenture, American Express, GlaxoSmithKline, Compass, and numerous clients across various industries. Within these experiences, Lakshmi has held various global leadership positions across continents, which allowed her to collaborate with diverse teams. She has visited over 60 countries and leverages those experiences to provide cultural education in the local schools and community.
Family is everything to Lakshmi. Her husband, Kailash Amruthur, and their two daughters Shyla (age 5) and Shriya (age 4), currently reside in Miami, FL. So far, they have traveled to over 30 countries across six continents. Lakshmi’s motivation to build her businesses was born from her passions, strengths, and life priorities. She reached a point where she was unable to give 100% to any aspect of her life—career, family, or herself. This is something many people, especially mothers, can relate to—wondering if there is something better out there that integrates life values and priorities. As Lakshmi said, “We should not overanalyze our setbacks, rather coach ourselves like we so easily coach our kids to turn a negative into a positive.” Her personal challenges empowered her to believe in her mission. She wanted her children to appreciate other cultures and inspire other moms to educate their children about the world through travel and from home. This led to Lakshmi launching two businesses. One is Excelador, a global business consulting and advisory firm, which she established based on her strengths in coaching clients to lead high performing teams and optimize their growth. Her life’s passion, Travel Plus ThemTM, is a coaching and education company that helps families raise their children as global citizens.
Lakshmi created Travel Plus ThemTM to go beyond being solely a travel influencer company. She is committed to ensuring that the next generation is exposed to the world to help them garner knowledge about others. The target audience is parents who want to raise their children in a more accepting and inclusive environment from home and parents who want to travel with young children. Leveraging her extensive global travel experience and the latest technology, Lakshmi educates parents on how to expose children to the world and cultures from home through parent guides, children’s worksheets, videos (her children are teaching too), activities, coaching, and other resources available online. She also provides best practices on how families can travel safely during the pandemic and discusses other mommy information too.
As Lakshmi said “I envision Travel Plus ThemTM positively influencing the lives of parents in exposing their children to the world through travel and from home. Even a sprinkle of knowledge can open up a world of curiosity. Global knowledge builds self-confidence and reinforces respect, empathy, and appreciation for others. As parents, we are on the journey together to build a future of diversity, inclusivity, and belonging.” This mompreneur is just getting started in helping you raise global citizens, one child at a time. Visit their website for more information.
