A Career at the Intersection of Culture, Impact, and Indigenous Rights

In this episode of the Social Change Career Podcast, Ruby Hembrom, the founder of Adivani, shares her inspiring journey in creating a publishing venture dedicated to highlighting the voices of Adivasi authors and their stories. Discover how Ruby's impact career at the intersection of culture, activism, and publishing is driving social change and learn valuable insights on building a career that amplifies marginalized voices and preserves cultural heritage.

Why Listen and What You'll Learn:

• Voices That Matter: Understand how Ruby is creating a space where Adivasi stories are celebrated and learn about Adivani's mission to preserve and promote indigenous literature.
• Against the Current: Discover how Ruby's work breaks away from conventional publishing models, innovating in an industry filled with biases and traditional norms. Gain inspiration from her resilience and innovation as an entrepreneur in the challenging non-profit sector.
• Resilience in Entrepreneurship: Hear about Ruby's journey navigating the complex waters of funding and societal prejudice as the head of a non-profit organization and learn strategies for overcoming obstacles in impact-driven careers.
• Cultural Catalyst: Explore the role Adivani plays beyond publishing, sparking dialogue around Adivasi mobilization, activism, and reclaiming historical narratives. Understand the opportunities and challenges in building a high-impact career working on creating cultural spaces and promoting rights.
• Fellowship Forward: Learn how fellowships, such as the Atlantic Fellowship for Social and Economic Equity, can bolster impact careers, provide platforms for changemakers, and offer valuable networking opportunities.
• Interdisciplinary Impact: Discover how Ruby's diverse background in law, instructional design, and social science has shaped her unique approach to cultural activism and publishing. Gain insights on the power of interdisciplinary experiences in driving innovation and impact in mission-driven careers.

This conversation delves into Ruby's inspiring journey, the impact of Adivani, and valuable insights on building an impactful career amplifying indigenous voices for social change. Learn about the unique opportunities and challenges in creating cultural spaces, promoting rights, and driving positive social transformation through a purpose-driven career.

Bio: Ruby Hembrom is the founder and director of adivaani (first voices), an archiving and publishing outfit of and by Adivasis (the indigenous peoples of India). She is an Adivasi cultural practitioner, documentarian, writer, and publisher, based in Kolkata. A trained instructional designer, editor and book designer, her documentation initiative grew out of a need to claim Adivasi stake in historical and contemporary social, cultural, and literary spaces.

Ruby has written three books for children, including two on the Santal creation story, as well as the prize-winning Disaibon Hul (Let’s remember the rebellion), on the Santal uprising of 1855 against the oppressive forces of Indian landlords and the British empire. Ruby holds a law degree from Calcutta University, and an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science (Sociology) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, earned during her 2021-22 fellowship year as an Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity.

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