Ridhima H Hegde

International culture, arts, spirituality,  and humanitarian issues have influenced Ridhima H Hegde from a young age. Born and raised in New York City, she attended the United Nations International School where cultural appreciation and a passion for building a foundation for a better world was instilled. Visiting family in Mumbai and other parts of India kept her connected to her traditional roots and spirituality, which she values deeply and strives to preserve. 

The events of 9/11 and the subsequent wars in the Middle East lead to a  greater search for truth and understanding in order to best contribute to building peace. Ridhima explored this at Boston University where she earned her BA in international relations with a focus on the Middle East & Africa. Throughout her life, Ridhima has always been creative at heart and after graduation she found herself driven towards pursuing her interests in international relations in a creative way.

Since 2008 she has worked, collaborated and supported independent socially conscious artists in the fields of documentary photography, music, art, and film. In addition, she earned a certificate in creative arts & health at the New School and in community music training of trainers from Musicians without Borders with the vision of sharing the power of the arts as a form of healing and peace building. Ridhima believes that through creative expression and cultural awareness,  the world can come together to preserve the beauty and wisdom of traditional cultures, transform pain and suffering, and develop the respect and understanding needed to bridge the gap of inequality, preserve nature and wildlife, and develop a foundation of  compassion needed for the world to heal, enlighten, and shine love.