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 product 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.
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, modern Wellness Science, Happiness Research….. Learning both philosophy/wisdom and science, 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.
Still desperate, and still relentless – I then built an app for myself with ChatGPT — 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 of myself
- Not feeling like I was constantly “on” and able to rest and take a break (guilt free)
- 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, and to do it ethically and holistically.
Today, I’m drawing on my background leading AI teams at Microsoft to scale this into a rigorous product—one rooted in ethical AI, deep data privacy, and evidence-backed wellness science. Generative AI marks a turning point: for the first time in history, we can translate timeless wisdom into lived practice — unlocking the potential for human flourishing at scale. This is the future I envision: a world where technology doesn’t pull us apart, but reconnects us to each other, and to what matters most.
If any part of this story sounds familiar — if you’ve ever felt the gap between knowing and actually living differently — Soulira was built for you. I hope you’ll join me.
Ritika on LinkedIn
Soulira 