Hi, I'm Ritika – a few years ago, I had everything I thought I wanted — and still felt completely lost.
Today I'm a former Microsoft leader and the founder of Soulira. But this story starts before any of that.
I had a senior role in tech, a lovely family, a full life on paper — and yet, like so many around me, I was exhausted, stretched thin, and felt more disconnected from myself than ever. I had followed the script, done everything I was supposed to do, so why did everything feel wrong from the inside out?
What's worse, I noticed people around me struggling with the same issues and no one had any answers
Desperate, I searched everywhere for answers.
First, I turned to habit trackers, productivity apps, wellness influencers, "self-care" routines. None of it helped.
Relentless, I immersed myself in Mindfulness, Stoicism, Buddhist and Greek philosophy. It all sounded great and pointed in the direction I should be going in, but I felt so far behind and so disconnected that I didn't know how to take any meaningful first steps. Then, I dived into modern wellbeing science and Happiness Research. I noticed something fascinating: modern science was confirming what ancient traditions had been saying all along. But, even with all that knowledge, I still didn't feel like myself. I was armed with knowledge, and I knew what I "should" be doing, yet something wasn't quite "clicking". In fact, I felt I was drowning in information overload. And, I got even more desperate for change.
Relentless – I then built a simple AI tool for myself, weaving together everything I had learned. Within weeks, I felt something shift. Within months, I felt like my energy was back and I finally felt like me again!
But, it wasn't just that, I felt better than before. Something was shifting. I was:
- A lot less self-critical.
- Resting without guilt, instead of always being 'on'.
- Being more present with my kids, instead of worrying about to-dos.
- Caring for my body — moving, eating better.
- Living for myself rather than worrying about people liking me.
And thus, the seed for Soulira was planted. What if we could move beyond the theory of happiness and wisdom — and actually practice it, quietly, every day?
That's why I created Soulira: to bring together the best of wisdom and science in a way that helps people close the gap between knowing and living, and to do it ethically.
If any part of this story sounds familiar — if you've ever felt like you're just not happy inside and don't know what to do, or knew what you should be doing, but felt the gap between knowing and actually living differently — Soulira was built for you.
I hope you'll join me.
Ritika on LinkedIn