Aarti Namdev Shahani is an award-winning NPR journalist, bestselling author and host of the hit podcast “Art of Power.” She regularly interviews extraordinary leaders such as: President Barack Obama, the CEOs of Microsoft and PepsiCo, “Queer Eye” creator David Collins, democracy activist Stacey Abrams, Grammy and Oscar winning performer Common….and even the judge who sentenced her father to prison. Aarti’s own journey is remarkable. She grew up undocumented in Queens, New York. She graduated from Harvard on a full scholarship and became a national voice speaking to millions of Americans at a time from Silicon Valley.
Her first book, which is being developed into a feature film, is “among the finest memoirs written in recent decades—a heartbreaking, hilarious and tender love letter…a vivid, almost cinematic journey that is both beautiful and unforgettable” —Guy Raz, co-creator of How I Built This, TED Radio Hour
Aarti Namdev Shahani gives keynotes and interactive trainings on how to use your voice to build power. She has spoken at companies and nonprofits, including Starbucks, Google, Pixar, Capital One, Square and Skoll Foundation.
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 Trade Paperback
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 Here We AreTo Migrate To America...It's the Boldest Act of One's Life
Celadon Books
Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares follows the lives of Aarti, the precocious scholarship kid at one of Manhattan's most elite prep schools, and her dad, the shopkeeper who mistakenly sells watches and calculators to the notorious Cali drug cartel. Together, the two represent the extremes that coexist in our country, even within a single family, and a truth about immigrants that gets lost in the headlines. It isn’t a matter of good or evil; it's complicated. |
Finding Open Spaces, Building Power (keynote or training)
Have you ever screwed up a conversation? Played it back in your head, wincing at moments you shut someone down? Or what about that split second you shut yourself down? Humans have an existential need to connect. And yet, we get in our own way. The great news is: connection is a muscle you can build.
Aarti Shahani, award-winning NPR journalist and bestselling Macmillan author, used to be terrible at it. She thought talking and prosecuting were the same thing. Her end goal was not to learn, but to be right. Over the years, she felt trapped. She began looking for ways out, for open spaces – inside herself and others – through radical listening.
Listening is not a neutral act. Done deeply, it is a key strategy for building power. Aarti wants to teach you her hard won lessons. In your time together, you’ll learn:
how to turn down loud voices in order to hear quiet wisdom;
how to set wise intentions;
how to gather information that serves your end goals; and
how to open doors you didn’t even know existed.
Among the thousands of interviews Aarti has conducted, she doesn’t have a favorite one. But she does have a hardest one: talking with the judge who sentenced her father to jail. She’ll share how that exchange changed the course of her entire life.
Asian American, Proud and Loud (keynote) How do you pursue the creative journey when you’re supposed to be invisible? Aarti Shahani is among the most influential Asian American media makers in the U.S. She defies the stereotypes about quiet, submissive Model Minorities. In this Asian American Heritage Month keynote, Aarti will share how tragic family circumstances unlocked a life that’s bigger and more rewarding than anything she’d ever expected. With humor and practical tips, she’ll reveal how she pivoted from a community organizer in Queens, New York to NPR’s lead Silicon Valley correspondent in three years flat; how she sold her first book for enough to buy a house in San Francisco; how she got Barack Obama to talk frankly about his marriage. Her unconventional path will inspire audience members to take their shot.
Here We Are The immigrant has become an object of distrust, scorn and even hatred. Yet for many migrants, including Aarti Shahani, this identity is a source of profound pride. Her Asian American family fought three decades to make this country home. For almost half that time, Aarti played family lawyer, campaigning to stop the deportation of her father and hundreds of other immigrant New Yorkers. Her journey from undocumented kid in Queens to NPR Silicon Valley Correspondent is nothing short of remarkable. Aarti shares her inspiring story with humor and searing lessons on the American Dream, as well as the nightmares that threaten to take it away. You’ll leave her talk seeing this country and your own human potential differently.
Aarti Shahani, award-winning NPR journalist and bestselling Macmillan author, used to be terrible at it. She thought talking and prosecuting were the same thing. Her end goal was not to learn, but to be right. Over the years, she felt trapped. She began looking for ways out, for open spaces – inside herself and others – through radical listening.
Listening is not a neutral act. Done deeply, it is a key strategy for building power. Aarti wants to teach you her hard won lessons. In your time together, you’ll learn:
how to turn down loud voices in order to hear quiet wisdom;
how to set wise intentions;
how to gather information that serves your end goals; and
how to open doors you didn’t even know existed.
Among the thousands of interviews Aarti has conducted, she doesn’t have a favorite one. But she does have a hardest one: talking with the judge who sentenced her father to jail. She’ll share how that exchange changed the course of her entire life.
Asian American, Proud and Loud (keynote) How do you pursue the creative journey when you’re supposed to be invisible? Aarti Shahani is among the most influential Asian American media makers in the U.S. She defies the stereotypes about quiet, submissive Model Minorities. In this Asian American Heritage Month keynote, Aarti will share how tragic family circumstances unlocked a life that’s bigger and more rewarding than anything she’d ever expected. With humor and practical tips, she’ll reveal how she pivoted from a community organizer in Queens, New York to NPR’s lead Silicon Valley correspondent in three years flat; how she sold her first book for enough to buy a house in San Francisco; how she got Barack Obama to talk frankly about his marriage. Her unconventional path will inspire audience members to take their shot.
Here We Are The immigrant has become an object of distrust, scorn and even hatred. Yet for many migrants, including Aarti Shahani, this identity is a source of profound pride. Her Asian American family fought three decades to make this country home. For almost half that time, Aarti played family lawyer, campaigning to stop the deportation of her father and hundreds of other immigrant New Yorkers. Her journey from undocumented kid in Queens to NPR Silicon Valley Correspondent is nothing short of remarkable. Aarti shares her inspiring story with humor and searing lessons on the American Dream, as well as the nightmares that threaten to take it away. You’ll leave her talk seeing this country and your own human potential differently.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle‘s cover story on Aarti Shahani.
Listen to Aarti on NPR discuss her book Here We Are.
Check out Aarti’s recent essay in The Washington Post.
Take a sneak peak at an excerpt with the Great RBG from Here We Are.
Visit the review page for Here We Are on Goodreads.
Find more on Aarti Shahani’s website.
"Aarti is simply captivating. She is such a powerful storyteller, her talk packed a big emotional punch. And yet her unique journey was super relatable. We've all had to navigate unfair power dynamics and either stay silent, not knowing how or whether to speak up; or speak up in a way we immediately regret. Aarti has been through it and shares her lessons with vivid detail, gripping audio excerpts from real life interviews, and comedy. She’s hilarious. There was so much ground covered in our hour together, I thought about Aarti’s talk the morning after, and the one after that. So did my colleagues. She didn’t just entertain us. She is a true teacher. Her lesson, grounded in deep experience, is: Be bold. Don’t mute yourself. Do it respectfully."
- Jamie Woolf, Director Culture and Learning, PIXAR
"Hosting Aarti Shahani as virtual Author-in-Residence at our high school was an excellent experience. Aarti spoke to the whole student body about finding her voice and learning to navigate around expectations based on race, culture, and immigration status. She worked directly with Junior English classes, who had read a portion of her book. Aarti planned her lesson based on the needs of our curriculum; she helped our students brainstorm topics for their own personal essays that would include research into family background. The students were engaged by her writing, and in person they responded to her warm, direct approach."
- Jole Seroff, Director of Library Services, Castilleja School
"We loved Shahani's voice—so genuine, lively, and intelligent—and were moved by her story, or shall we say stories, as there were so many narrative threads deftly woven together. We were impressed by the way Here We Are tackles some of the big issues our society faces but also is very personal and specific. We look forward to reading her next work!"
- The Brearley School (Lois Kahn Wallace Writers Award Committee)
"Aarti is both a phenomenal speaker and helped communicate hard, complex topics in a manner that made everyone feel safe and comfortable. And on top of that she did it virtually. Thanks to her, it's allowed us to accelerate our conversations on race, diversity, and equity."
- DJ Patil, first U.S. Chief Data Scientist (appointed under President Obama), CTO of Devoted Health
"Aarti shared her story and facilitated a conversation for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship’s virtual Fall Conference in October. Aarti’s conversation was so personal yet touched upon a host of universal themes, from the power of personal narrative, to navigating family dynamics, building a career and making a mark as an immigrant. Aarti’s journey became a launching pad for a deep and meaningful conversation amongst the fellowship community during the conference. By sharing her story in such an honest and open way, Aarti inspired this already accomplished group of young adults to consider how both their struggles and their triumphs can help them make a difference in the world."
- Craig Harwood, Director, Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship For New Americans
"Aarti’s discussion about the immigrant experience, our legal system, and her personal journey was as interesting and compelling as her memoir. The presentation resonated in a thought provoking way that is sure to generate ongoing talks and reflection about today’s meaning of the American Dream."
- Malachi Jones, Williams & Connolly LLP
"Aarti shared her family’s story, as detailed in her book Here We Are, with our AI2 team in late Summer 2020. As an AI research institute, our invited talks often feature new learnings from renowned AI researchers or paper highlights from top-tier conferences. Hearing Aarti’s story, which speaks to our collective humanity, was a welcome and refreshing change. Despite the bitter battles she details that touch on a flawed immigration and justice system, her talk was inspiring, honest, and relatable. Aarti speaks openly and conversationally about her deeply personal story. In this year filled with challenges, Aarti’s talk was a highlight."
- Oren Etzioni, CEO Allen Institute for AI (AI2)
- Jamie Woolf, Director Culture and Learning, PIXAR
"Hosting Aarti Shahani as virtual Author-in-Residence at our high school was an excellent experience. Aarti spoke to the whole student body about finding her voice and learning to navigate around expectations based on race, culture, and immigration status. She worked directly with Junior English classes, who had read a portion of her book. Aarti planned her lesson based on the needs of our curriculum; she helped our students brainstorm topics for their own personal essays that would include research into family background. The students were engaged by her writing, and in person they responded to her warm, direct approach."
- Jole Seroff, Director of Library Services, Castilleja School
"We loved Shahani's voice—so genuine, lively, and intelligent—and were moved by her story, or shall we say stories, as there were so many narrative threads deftly woven together. We were impressed by the way Here We Are tackles some of the big issues our society faces but also is very personal and specific. We look forward to reading her next work!"
- The Brearley School (Lois Kahn Wallace Writers Award Committee)
"Aarti is both a phenomenal speaker and helped communicate hard, complex topics in a manner that made everyone feel safe and comfortable. And on top of that she did it virtually. Thanks to her, it's allowed us to accelerate our conversations on race, diversity, and equity."
- DJ Patil, first U.S. Chief Data Scientist (appointed under President Obama), CTO of Devoted Health
"Aarti shared her story and facilitated a conversation for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship’s virtual Fall Conference in October. Aarti’s conversation was so personal yet touched upon a host of universal themes, from the power of personal narrative, to navigating family dynamics, building a career and making a mark as an immigrant. Aarti’s journey became a launching pad for a deep and meaningful conversation amongst the fellowship community during the conference. By sharing her story in such an honest and open way, Aarti inspired this already accomplished group of young adults to consider how both their struggles and their triumphs can help them make a difference in the world."
- Craig Harwood, Director, Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship For New Americans
"Aarti’s discussion about the immigrant experience, our legal system, and her personal journey was as interesting and compelling as her memoir. The presentation resonated in a thought provoking way that is sure to generate ongoing talks and reflection about today’s meaning of the American Dream."
- Malachi Jones, Williams & Connolly LLP
"Aarti shared her family’s story, as detailed in her book Here We Are, with our AI2 team in late Summer 2020. As an AI research institute, our invited talks often feature new learnings from renowned AI researchers or paper highlights from top-tier conferences. Hearing Aarti’s story, which speaks to our collective humanity, was a welcome and refreshing change. Despite the bitter battles she details that touch on a flawed immigration and justice system, her talk was inspiring, honest, and relatable. Aarti speaks openly and conversationally about her deeply personal story. In this year filled with challenges, Aarti’s talk was a highlight."
- Oren Etzioni, CEO Allen Institute for AI (AI2)