We were lucky to catch up with Ananya Nagendra recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ananya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

After losing my mom to cancer, I made it a personal goal of mine to help others in situations similar to hers. However, it’s very hard for people under 18 to get involved in helping cancer patients. Through lots of thinking, I realized that letters can truly brighten someone’s day and give them hope to keep fighting. Also, receiving a letter is so uncommon nowadays, and I wanted bring the power of handwritten letters back. Letters of Light was formed in 2023 to tackle isolation amongst cancer patients and empower them through treatment.

Ananya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Ananya Nagendra serves as the president of Letters of Light, a nonprofit serving
cancer patients all across the DFW metroplex. After losing her mom to metastatic cancer,
Ananya founded Letters of Light at age 15 to help others in situations similar to her mom’s.
The idea of Letters of Light came about when Ananya realized that many high school and
young students don’t have any opportunities to be a part of helping cancer patients
undergoing treatment! Seeing this gap as well as understanding the power of handwritten
letters, Ananya founded the nonprofit to empower cancer patients and get passionate
students involved in supporting patients. Letters of Light hosts volunteering meetings at
various schools and campuses across DFW and has donated over 2500 letters, has over 300
volunteers, and has garnered partnerships with esteemed healthcare organizations like
Baylor Scott & White, the Methodist Health System, Texas Oncology, and others. Under
Ananya’s leadership, LL has fundraised over $5000 and has officially been recognized and
praised by the Plano Mayor, John D. Muns, and the Plano City Council for its substantial
impact made in the DFW community. Ananya has also been featured in various local news
sources for her contributions to the mental wellness of cancer patients.
Ananya is also a huge advocate for preventative healthcare and often takes part in
cancer awareness charity runs in her free time. Ananya is also a classically trained singer and has performed for the
Dallas Opera various times as well as the Greater Dallas Choral Society’s Varsity Choir.
Ananya is currently a junior at Plano East Senior High School and plans to major in Global
Health and Economics.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

One of the hardest aspects of running a nonprofit is fundraising. While we started with an initial capital of $500 out of my pocket, we soon realized we need to start fundraising to be able to not only run our nonprofit successfully, but to also expand our programs to donate more letters from more campuses and students.

If you would like to donate to us, here is our website link! https://lettersoflight.org

Any amount is greatly appreciated in helping us continue to support patients!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After losing my mom to cancer, I was quite honestly lost and struggling to find ways to keep her with me. Letters of Light has truly helped me connect with her and realize that she will always be with me every step of the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lettersoflight.org
• Instagram: @joinlettersoflight
• Other: Donation Link: https://hcb.hackclub.com/donations/start/letters-of-light
  Registry Link: https://www.walmart.com/registry/RR/01a7bada-d5f0-4a9c-8637-bd3ca8a33c62