How This MBA Social Entrepreneur Is Solving a Basic Need With Her Sanitation Startup

Lauder Program
Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship

Nidhi Shah, WG’17, G’17

Wharton Major
Entrepreneurship

At Lauder
South Asia / Hindi Program

Hometown
Woodbridge, NJ

Previous Education
BS, Chemical Engineering, Columbia University

Previous Career
Process Design and Development Engineer, Koch Modular Process Systems

The Lighter Side of a Serious Issue

As driven as Nidhi is, she’s also extroverted, turning to standup comedy and performing in the Wharton Comedy Show as another outlet.

“The very first time I did a lot of jokes about poop. I stayed on brand!” she said. “The next time I took it a little further and talked about the experience of being a woman and menstruating. It seemed to resonate really well. Women were like, ‘Yes, this is our lives!’ Men were like, ‘What are you talking about?’ It created some conversation.”

Next she may take her comedy to India, along with her business, exhibiting her classic entrepreneurial risk-tolerance. “I sent a video to some people in India, and they told me I’d either bomb or go over extremely well. And that’s why I need to do it.”

Her comedy routine fits in with the whimsical name of her company.

“My personality is kind of fun, and I didn’t want this to be this serious thing, even though sanitation is a serious issue related to health and economics,” she said. “I strongly believe that you have to make it accessible to tackle the problem, and that’s part of what I’m trying to do with humor.”