From dependent visa to restaurateur: Indian-origin entrepreneur reflects on 25-year US journey

An Indian-origin entrepreneur who arrived in the US 25 years ago on a dependent visa has reflected on her journey from being unable to work and unsure of where she belonged to becoming a successful restaurateur and entrepreneur.Lavanya Mahate is the founder of Saffron Valley Restaurants, Bix Bakery & Café and RISE Culinary Institute. (LinkedIn/Lavanya Mahate)The entrepreneur, Lavanya Mahate, is the founder of Saffron Valley Restaurants, Bix Bakery & Café and RISE Culinary Institute. In a recent Instagram post, she shared glimpses of her journey, saying she “could never have imagined where that beginning would lead”.”25 years ago, I came to America on a dependent visa, unable to work and unsure of where I belonged. I could never have imagined where that beginning would lead,” she wrote.Mahate said that much of her life was built without knowing exactly where she was going. Instead, she kept taking the next step – volunteering, learning, building, starting over and saying yes to opportunities that felt aligned, even when she could not see the entire path ahead. “There were successes, failures, detours, and plenty of moments when I questioned myself,” she wrote.She said that after “a lot of soul searching”, she became an entrepreneur. What started as one restaurant eventually grew into 12, according to the video shared with her post.(Also Read: