Samhitha Varanasi is a student at Homestead High School in California. She has earned several awards for academic excellence in Digital Marketing, Biology, Spanish, and Business Law. Additionally, she became the California FBLA State Champion for Community Service Project. She has also achieved notable results in state and national FBLA competitions.
Entrepreneurship and Sustainability
Samhitha founded Etiqua to address the effects of fast fashion. The business promotes ethical and sustainable small clothing businesses. In December 2022, more than nine vendors had expressed interest in joining the initiative.
Throughout high school, Samhitha has explored business through academic courses and nearly six years of involvement with FBLA. She has participated in local, state, and national competitions. Furthermore, her clothing sustainability project reached more than 4,500 community members. Local newspapers and government representatives also recognised its impact.
Leadership and Community Service
Beyond entrepreneurship, Samhitha co-founded Creative Minds, an international nonprofit organisation. She serves as its Chief Operating Officer and oversees educational aid projects in India, Uganda, and Ecuador.
She manages more than 50 volunteers across six time zones. In addition, she conducts monthly progress checks and resolves issues to keep projects moving forward.
Samhitha has also gained practical business experience through internships at the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce and Flow Synergy Business Alliance. These opportunities have helped her explore business beyond the classroom.
Research on Attracting Private Investors in Blended Finance
At CCIR Academy, Samhitha conducted a research project titled “Attracting Private Investors in Blended Finance.”
Her research explores ways to encourage private investment in initiatives that combine public and private sector funding. This approach, known as blended finance, aims to address social and environmental challenges through collaboration.
By examining investment strategies and funding mechanisms, Samhitha investigates how different sectors can work together to support these initiatives.
Samhitha’s appearance on CCIR Academy Student Spotlights highlights her dedication to research. She also expressed gratitude for her professor’s guidance and the support of CCIR Academy throughout her research journey.
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