BOSTON—Tanu Phoenix hit rock bottom many times, to the point where she almost gave up. She struggled with depression, attempted suicide twice and survived brutal domestic violence and emotional abuse.
Today, Ms. Phoneix heads one of the oldest and largest none-profit community organizations—India Association of Greater Boston, known as IAGB.
“I came to Boston as a young bride to a bright young man, full of romance, fantasies and dreams to live a wholesome life,” says Ms. Phoenix.
On April 26th, 2024, Ms. Phoenix will be honored as the Outstanding Woman of the Year 2024 at the 21st Annual Woman of the Year Awards gala at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA. The event will be attended by over 400 community leaders, social activists, entrepreneurs, academicians, and philanthropists.
To register for the gala, please click here.
An MIT and Babson graduate before his drug addictions and abusive nature, her husband was the love of her life.
“He physically and mentally abused my daughter and I for a significant amount of time, often times near death experiences for me. While all my dreams and fantasies didn’t take much time to get shattered, I didn’t break – I held on to the broken pieces for as long as I can remember – tried to stay in love, stay bright and never let go of the smile on my face,” says Ms. Phoenix. “I lost our house because we couldn’t pay the mortgage. Seeing all our expensive furniture, crockery, appliances, etc. being auctioned off, I realized how superficial material belongings are.”
Ms. Phoenix says that In many ways, everything she went through shaped her into the person she is today.
“It taught me to be strong and gave me thick skin so that I could practically withstand anything,” says Ms. Phoenix. “The failures and downfall of the man I loved with all my heart have shown me that no matter how smart and rich you are, you can still hit rock bottom. All the sexist and class discrimination I experienced in the dark phase of my life made me feel like I was an outcast in the Indian community. I never felt like I belonged. So, I decided to create my own path and not let other people’s harsh words define me.”
Here is a Q/A with Ms. Phoenix:
INDIA New England News: Please tell our readers about your work and what you enjoy most about it?
Tanu Phoenix: That I get to pursue excellence and be a rainbow in someone’s cloud, both professionally and community work wise.
At work, I get to chase my core values of pursuing excellence and practicing integrity. I do career mapping for Executive level hires, advise them on their career goals & aspirations, create their KPIs which enables me to “connect” and nurture long term relationships with them.
In my community service endeavors, I truly get to take initiatives, ownership and drive success. Community work acts as my soul food because I get to truly be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. I get to work together as a diverse Community, embracing differences or conflict of opinions with empathy and understanding. I get to hold each other with love while encouraging and soliciting open communication among and between each other.
INE: If you’re engaged with any charity or non-profit, please tell us why this organization and what do you do for them?
TP: As the President of IAGB (India Association of Greater Boston) my commitment has been to uphold our community as a place where our fellow community members can enjoy superior quality of civic, socio-cultural, educational and community service and Pan-India engagements. We are at an evolving juncture within and beyond the community. I would like to see IAGB work together as a diverse community wherein we act responsibly, reliably, and efficiently, respect the community and beyond, embrace differences or conflict of opinions with empathy and understanding, hold each other with love while encouraging and soliciting open communication among and between each other.
In addition to serving as the President of IAGB I am also an active part of the Executive boards of two other elite non-profit organizations.
I have been currently serving as the Board Secretary of Saheli Inc. for the past 4 years. Serving for a compelling cause-based non-profit like Saheli, which is dedicated to supporting South Asian women, their children and families lead a respectable life post surviving the trauma of domestic violence is true soul food for me. I feel emotionally invested in Saheli’s cause because I am a domestic violence trauma survivor myself, wherein I survived verbal, physical, emotional and social abuse and multiple near death experiences as well. I never thought I would be able to put my life back together and build it from ground zero but I did. Serving in the Saheli board has given me the opportunity to come full circle in life, where I get to work for a pressing cause I have been on the other side of.
I am also a Founder Member of IAB (Indian Americans for Burlington) and been its Cultural Director & Program Coordinator for 8 years, promoting and enhancing Indian culture & tradition not only in Burlington but also in towns and cities beyond.
INE: What are your hobbies and interests?
TP: Community service, dancing, anchoring /emceeing (oration), poetry & story writing, storytelling, corporate training and enhancement, Yoga, swimming, nature craftwork like ‘Best out of Waste’, doing children’s puppet shows and watching story-based world movies including Hindi and most other Indian regional movies.
INE: In what way do you feel you have most positively influenced or served the local community and your company/organization and professional field?
TP: In my professional field, I have exemplified excellence, hard work, trust, dedication, persistence & perseverance. In my community workspace, from what I have been told by people within the community & beyond, I bring exemplary passion & drive, sincerity, loyalty, and commitment to my work.
I am known to work collaboratively to develop and implement initiatives that advance a climate of parity, diversity, and inclusion in the fields of my work.
INE: What is your rare talent? “No FOMO (fear of missing out), only JOMO (joy of missing out) of Social Media”
TP: An eternal social media ‘non-participant. I have never had any account on FB or Instagram. Joined both about 5 months ago, for the first time in my life, after becoming the President of IAGB. I never endorsed networking on social media platforms as I have always believed in strengthening face-to-face relationships and interpersonal relationships. A ‘2 am’ friend for all, always a phone call away, I never missed not being on social media and in fact focused on real-world interactions. I take pride in my real life vs. reel life; being in touch with people and knowing a lot about them without ever having been on social media.
INE: Your favorite books?
TP:
- Short Stories by Rabindranath Tagore (kabuliwala, Chokher Bali, PostMaster, Sadhana, etc.)
- Bindur Chhele by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay
- Short Stories By Munshi Premchand
- Othelo by Shakespeare
- The Women by Kristin Hannah.
INE: Your favorite quotes?
TP:
- If winter comes, can spring be far behind? – Percy Bysshe Shelley
- It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela
- Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey
- Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. – C. S. Lewis
- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. —Oscar Wilde
- I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things. – Mother Teresa
- In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein
- Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude – Ralph Marston.
INE: Who inspires you the most?
TP: I actually look up to 2 people – one is Mother Teresa who devoted her life to helping those most in need. Her dedication of over 45 years ministering to the poor, sick, orphaned and dying, serving the blind, the aged, and the disabled is unparalleled.
The other one is Oprah Winfrey – she inspired me to never be afraid to fail – she faced failure many times, but she never let it stop her from pursuing her goals. She used her success to help others and worked o several charitable causes. She stayed focused on her goals despite her obstacles. She also inspired me with her skills as an orator and as a journalist – she broke down the traditional barriers of journalism. She prepared a mass audience to celebrate differences among people, regardless of color, disabilities, or sexual orientation.
INE: Your core value you try to live by?
TP: I have internalized 2 core values in my life – Always act with Integrity; Pursue Excellence
INE: If you get a chance to meet, who is the one person you would like to meet and why?
TP: If I could go back in time, I would like to meet Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi. Just like generations alike, her deep sense of devotion and piety, her spirit of nationalism and her unflinching courage inspired me greatly. Her remarkable determination in the face of adversity, and her spirit despite overwhelming odds have motivated me to do the same in my life. Her deep emotional connection with her child resonates with me. I would like to sit down with her and listen to a few words of wisdom and her progressive views on women empowerment. I would like to bow down to her for the sacrifices she made, for her unique perspectives and her courage to fight against social norms.
