Ranjani Ramakrishna
In our latest Five Questions With conversation, we talk to new board member Ranjani Ramakrishna about her childhood, her path into the law, and her long-standing passion for classical Indian dance. Ranjani is a San Francisco-based attorney providing fractional general counsel to early-state start-ups in enterprise SAAS platforms and AI technologies focused on healthcare, education, and government solutions.
Tell us about your childhood
I was born and raised in India. My dad worked for the government as a civil services officer. After retirement, he joined politics, and at the age of 78, was elected to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, which is equivalent to our US Senate. He started as a collector (like a mayor) in the state of Rajasthan in northwest India. During my early childhood, my dad would get posted in different cities, and we frequently changed homes. It was hard to make friends because as soon as I made a friend, we would move to a new place. So I had to learn how to adapt to change very early on. Then, when I was seven, we moved to Delhi. My mother was the head of the French Department at a top-notch university in New Delhi. Because of her, my brother and I developed a love for languages. I am fluent in Tamil and Hindi (it’s not uncommon for Indians to know multiple Indian languages) and know a little Spanish, French, and some Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language.)
You went to a women’s college for math but ultimately studied the law. Are there natural parallels between the two disciplines?
I followed my older brother into math. He was brilliant at it. He did a BS in physics from St. Stephens College in Delhi; an MS in math from IIT Madras; an M.S. and Ph.D. in Systems Sciences from Washington University, St Louis; and continued with postdoctoral research at Princeton University. He can visualize math. Growing up in his shadow I wanted to show that I could do it too.
After joining a prestigious women’s college in Delhi to study math, I quickly realized I was not my brother. While I finished my degree with honors, I found it was neither easy nor enjoyable. After graduating, the question was: What next? Both my dad and his brother, my uncle, had studied law. I’d just read a biography of Lord Denning, one of the most famous English judges, whom Margaret Thatcher praised as “probably the greatest English judge of modern times.” He was a math graduate before venturing into the law. Lord Denning’s decisions were legendary for their brevity and clarity, which was attributed to his education in math. He encouraged young students to study math before the law, arguing that lawyers and judges with a foundation in math have a unique ability to sift through facts to get to a decision or a conclusion. I found that fascinating because it’s true that in math you have to move forward to a conclusion.
I then joined one of the then-best law schools in India. It was there that I found my true interest. While I had been a mediocre student in math, I excelled in law school, finishing at the top of my class every year. I interned with a famous lawyer and worked in a legal aid clinic while studying for my degree. My professors encouraged me to get an LL.M (Masters in Law, not Large Language Models) in the U.S. I applied to only one place – Harvard Law School – knowing that if I got in with a scholarship, my parents would say yes. I applied for a prestigious scholarship, INLAKS, which was extremely competitive – back then, only one candidate out of the thousands who would apply for it would be selected after several rounds of interviews before panels of 10-15 interviewers together. INLAKS would cover all expenses, including tuition, incidentals, airfare, and living expenses, and provide a monthly stipend.
In the middle of the night, towards the end of December 1988, I got a telegram simply stating, “Congratulations. You have been awarded the INLAKS scholarship to Harvard Law School.” I am extremely grateful for that. The year I spent at Harvard remains the best time of my life.
How did you make your way to the SCORES board?
After Harvard, I went to work as a litigator. After my second child was born, I decided to move to a corporate role and was hired by my client, a healthcare software technology and services company, as its General Counsel. I also sat on the boards of parent organizations of my children’s schools. Over time, I have learned what good corporate governance and compliance look like. It’s useful to bring that experience to a nonprofit, which typically does not have resources to spend on lawyers.
But why did I join SCORES? It's my mitzvah. I want to give back to this community. I already serve on the Board of Community Living Campaign, a phenomenal organization that provides services to the elderly and the disabled in San Francisco. Another demographic of interest to me is children. My kids went to school here. They were lucky to have access to sports and arts after school. They’re well set up mentally because of the support they were given when they were younger, and they’re more resilient now because of that support system. I’ve volunteered as a tutor in the public schools my kids attended, and I saw the disparity between the kids who have support and access and those who don’t. So it’s always been something on my mind – to give back. I met SCORES Executive Director Colin Schmidt and learned what SCORES does for the kids in our community and fell in love with the organization’s mission.
You’re trained in classical Indian dance. Where did your passion begin?
When I was 5 years old, I witnessed a dance performance that has remained with me all my life. The artist was one of the most famous dancers in India - Yamini Krishnamurti. When we moved to Delhi, serendipitously, I found myself living next door to her. Naturally, I joined her class.
Bharatanatyam, the form of classical dance I learned, is a beautiful and rigorous art form. It’s usually performed solo with a live orchestra. Before each performance, I would rehearse for six to seven hours every weekend. I had my first stage performance when I was 14 years old. When I was 16, I auditioned for National Television and was placed on their panel as an “A” graded artist. By that age, I had performed on big stages in front of large audiences in India, France, and England, and received praise from well-known critics in prominent newspapers. I was lucky to be her student. Many years later, I am still very close to my classmates from her school, all of whom are or were wonderful dancers in their own right.
Having a passion at a young age is probably the best thing a parent or community can help support in a kid. Studying dance gave me confidence and the knowledge that I could excel in something. I attribute my ability to do well in school to dance. Children must have an outlet for exercise to clear their minds and refocus on school work.
What’s something that might surprise us about you?
To honor my teacher’s legacy, I’m considering starting a dance school to share her phenomenal art with others.
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