Pritika Swarup, international IMG model and entrepreneur, versatile in both commercial and high fashion work, has continued to gain popularity around the world. She founded and is the CEO of her own line of skincare products based on her heritage and Indian philosophy (an Ayurvedic holistic approached for wellness and healthy living), called Prakti Beauty. Pritika has a B.A. in Finance from Columbia University and is the founder and president of Praetorian Management LLC, a secondary market investment fund run by Columbia University students, which has become the largest fund in the history of the university. Growing up, Pritika connected both sides of her heritage, learning how differently beauty was defined within each culture. Initially living in Virginia, she moved to New York when she was 17 to pursue a career in modelling, where she felt that she was in a world which solely centered on her aesthetic. Now, she notes, the industry feels less superficial, but it was a different story when she first started out. “It was all about your appearance and had nothing to do with your personality and background, or what else you can bring to the table,” she recalls. Instead of feeling caught between two worlds, this made her honor her authentic self and look within, versus sticking with what is said to be beautiful. “In India,” Pritika says, “It's kind of the total opposite; it would be strange to see someone wearing a full face of makeup.” Pritika is immensely passionate about her involvement in humanitarian causes. Her philanthropic work with Operation Smile is especially important to her. As a Smile Ambassador for the international nonprofit, which provides free corrective surgeries and support to children and adults who were born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, Pritika visited Peru as part of their Woman in Medicine program. She met with each family members who participated in the surgeries, together with all female doctors and all female volunteers. In 2022, she joined more than 300 Houstonians in lending their support to ensure children are given new smiles and brighter futures during the 2022 Smile Gala Houston. This event celebrated the hundreds of thousands of life-changing surgeries and comprehensive services provided around the world since 1982, as well as the thousands of patients Operation Smile will serve.
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