From her days on the bluff, Sahar Mansoor ‘13 has been committed to making a positive social impact on the world. Today, Sahar is an author and the CEO and founder of Bare Necessities Zero Waste India, an entrepreneurial venture based in India that creates waste-free beauty products.
As a political science major, Sahar began taking environmental studies courses that helped her find her purpose. She collaborated with her LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts faculty mentors to carve her own path as a double major in interdisciplinary studies, a creative step that helped her learn to address complex global challenges. “They’re not going to be solved by just environmental science or just by economics,” says Sahar. “I think this kind of mash-up really allowed me to think of problems in a way that was a little out of the box.”
Her time at LMU also launched her into a plethora of unique experiences abroad. Upon graduation, she studied environmental law and economics at the University of Cambridge on a full-ride scholarship. She then worked at the World Health Organization during the Ebola outbreak and moved back to India to help solarize rural communities with the SELCO Foundation.
At Bare Necessities, she implements many of the skills she developed at LMU, where she says her “foundation was laid rock-solid.” Her company is focused on changing the waste narrative in India and the world. As the CEO, Sahar and her team create products that are designed not to end up in our oceans and landfills, and they seek to make sustainability accessible through educational content.
Her advice to fellow Lions is to take risks: “It sounds cliche, but don’t be intimidated. Don’t be scared. Go for it. Whatever you want to do.” Reflecting on LMU and her many accomplishments, she shares that they would not be possible without the help of others. “You’re not just a Lion in those four years. You are a Lion for life,” she says. “These resources, connections that you make are something that will last you a lifetime.”
