Farzanah Gangjee
Some like to test the waters before jumping in. Not Farzanah. In fact, she'll be the one leading you right out onto the high dive, cheering you on every step of the way. Farzanah was 14-years-old and growing up in Calcutta, India when she made the swim team. The event catapulted her - a supposedly shy girl - and her natural-born leadership skills into the limelight. Organizing meetings, de-facto cheerleading, mentoring, recruiting, she did it all - zealously. But what good's a leader without a great team? In and out of the pool Farzanah discovered how success often requires personal sacrifice, and that many heads are, indeed, better than one. It was a feeling that incentivized her in a way nothing else ever had - and still hasn't.
Since emerging as a force to be reckoned with at age 14, Farzanah has taken her talents around the world - visiting more than 20 countries and every continent with the exception of Australia. After graduating high school in India, she came to the United States to attend Smith College where she earned a degree in French Language and Literature. Fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, French, Spanish and Arabic, Farzanah was perfectly suited for LanguageWorks, Inc., a premier localization service provider that helps companies communicate effectively with audiences around the world via translation and interpretation. As vice-president, she worked closely with the entire leadership team to grow the firm from a small startup to a large and profitable corporation.
Now in Portland, Farzanah lives with her wife and their two children. Recently, she returned to India with her daughter, Amaya. While there, they visited The Calcutta Swimming Club - the same place Farzanah's life dramatically changed years ago. Amaya asked if she too could have her name on a wall plaque like her mom. Knowing that it would take Amaya more than just great swimming, but also a dedication to leadership and teamwork, Farzanah smiled and said, "I very much hope so."
