EP #93: Geetha Moorthy - Founder & Executive Director Of The SAAAC Autism Centre

Geetha Moorthy (@geethamoorthysaaac) is the Founder & Executive Director of SAAAC Autism Centre (@thesaaac) in Toronto, which she has been working on for 14+ years with the help of many enthusiastic and loyal volunteers.She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss her passion for dance and choreography, winning the Gerry Bloomfield Award, coming to Canada and wanting to give back to the community, going from humble beginnings in her living room to running multiple centre locations, raising over $25,000 at SAAAC’s first gala in 2010, serving 350+ families in 2020, and so much more.Follow Geetha:- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetha-moorthy/) Timestamps00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Geetha Moorthy00:47 - Geetha speaks on how her upbringing02:07 - Having to flee Sri Lanka within a few days of getting married04:17 - What led her to create SAAAC; 1985 to now08:02 - Not knowing what Autism was; giving back to the community11:50 - A doctor got in touch with Geetha; no word in Tamil for Autism13:13 - How Geetha got the ball rolling with SAAAC15:13 - The need for something like SAAAC in places like the US and UK17:54 - How SAAAC was funded in its early stages22:28 - Her secret to getting volunteers and keeping them committed24:28 - Geetha’s entrepreneurial spirit; balancing work, family, and more26:55 - Dealing with doubt and naysayers along her journey29:38 - Receiving the Gerry Bloomfield’s Award32:02 - Her biggest learning lesson in the last 3-5 years35:37 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self35:48 - The personal legacy she wants to leave behind36:04 - Creator Confessions39:36 - The Wrap UpIntro MusicProduced And Mixed By:- The Tamil Creator- YanchanWritten By:- Aravinthan Ehamparam- Yanchan Rajmohan      Support the show