Monastery to Microsoft — Aparna Natarajan's Path From India to Tech Leadership
Four Fs Podcast: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, & Reinvention | Stories From Founders|Veterans|Execs · 2026-02-06 · 1h 26m
Episode notes
Aparna Natarajan grew up in a monastery in India, moved to Silicon Valley, and became a technology leader at Microsoft. Her journey redefines what's possible She grew up in a monastery in India. Today, she's a technology leader at Microsoft. Aparna Natarajan's journey is one of the most remarkable personal reinvention stories you'll ever hear. In this conversation with Jeff Cluff, Aparna Natarajan shares the unfiltered truth about leaving India, navigating immigration, taking career risks that terrified her, and rising through Silicon Valley's most competitive ranks. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong — and decided to show up anyway.