Paras Pundir

I've always been fascinated by what happens when you put the right people in the same room.

For more than a decade, I've been doing exactly that though the rooms have changed quite a bit.

I started out in the world of technology and startups, building communities around people, ideas and emerging technology. In 2016, I founded Community Folks, which grew into a network of thousands of community builders across India. I've since worked with global organisations including Microsoft and Facebook, hosted hundreds of gatherings, spoken at 100+ stages including TEDx, and was recognised as the Global Community Professional of the Year in 2020.

But after years of living in the rhythm of startups, events and always-moving-forward, I became curious about a different question:

What happens when we stop trying to make something happen?

That question eventually took me to Goa, and eventually became Swakaash — a slow-living movement built around the idea of taking a break with yourself.

Today, I curate and host experiences across mountains, forests and beaches, bringing together movement, nature, reflection, conversations, food, play and, most importantly, people. I've come to realise that the most memorable parts of a gathering are rarely the things you put on the schedule.

It's the conversation that continues long after dinner. The stranger who becomes a friend. The idea someone takes home with them. The moment everyone forgets to check their phone.

That's what I look for when I curate a space not just an experience people attend, but one that stays with them.