Long before JiVA Mental Health existed, Ektha Aggarwal found herself asking one question: Why are so many people in our communities suffering in silence while the systems meant to help continue missing what matters most?

Born in Tanzania and shaped by life across multiple countries, Ektha developed an early understanding of what it means to live between worlds, balancing identity, family expectations, belonging, and the unspoken emotional weight carried by many. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly 2 decades of experience, she worked closely with individuals and families navigating trauma, grief, intergenerational conflict, immigration stress, burnout, and identity struggles. Over time, one truth became impossible to ignore: South Asians were repeatedly seeking support from mental health systems that failed to understand the cultural realities shaping their lived experiences.

This work has always been deeply personal. Long before founding JiVA, Ektha focused her research on South Asian women and the impact of mental health stigma on identity, emotional wellbeing, and family systems, laying the foundation for what would become her life’s work.  JiVA was never created simply to provide therapy. It was built to challenge generations of silence and fundamentally transform how South Asian communities understand healing.

Today, Ektha is building far beyond traditional mental health care, leading initiatives focused on youth mental health, postpartum support, psychiatric care access, mentorship pipelines, and community education designed to create change across generations.  Alongside leading JiVA, she has spent over a decade serving in nonprofit leadership and has become a national voice in conversations around South Asian mental health, speaking with universities, leadership organizations, and major institutions advancing mental health equity.

At the center of everything she believes is one truth: Our communities do not need to be taught how to heal. They need spaces where healing feels safe enough to begin. Because when one person breaks the silence, generations change.