Our Stories
Finding Our Place: The Story and Journey Behind San Diego Pardesi
Hi everyone, and welcome!
Whether you’re brand new or have been walking this path with me for over a decade, I am so grateful you’re here. My name is Shravani Gupta, founder of San Diego Pardesi. Today marks a massive milestone for us, and I want to share how we got here and where we are heading next.
How It All Started: September 2014
Twelve years ago, I packed my bags and relocated to San Diego. Like anyone in a new city, I faced a familiar hurdle: I longed for meaningful local connections, but everything felt scattered. There was no single, centralized space to plug into the heartbeat of the city.Driven by a simple desire to bridge that gap, I launched a Facebook group called Desi in Videsi. My mission was straightforward: aggregate, verify, and share local events so anyone looking for a community would always have an open invitation to belong.
From Social Feeds to a Permanent Home
What started as a small personal project blossomed as we connected with local organizations, artists, and small businesses. To meet our growing community where they were, we expanded to Instagram and rebranded as San Diego Pardesi. Eventually, I wanted to move beyond fleeting social media algorithms and build something permanent.
Today, we have officially launched our standalone platform: San Diego Pardesi. This website is a 12-year labor of love. It’s your ultimate, independent guide to San Diego—whether you’re a newcomer navigating the city or a long-time resident looking to deepen your roots.
Looking Ahead
This platform has always been fueled entirely by personal passion. As we step into this next chapter, our core mission remains the same: keeping this resource accessible to everyone. We’re working behind the scenes on exciting new initiatives and will share regular updates here. If you are a local business, organization, or community member who would like to collaborate or support our mission early on, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to Contact Us.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for building this community with me since 2014. Take a look around the new site, explore, and let’s keep connecting!
With warmth and gratitude,
Shravani Gupta
