Meet Netra: The Founder of SpunkGo and Recipient of the Diana Award for Social Impact

Netra Venkatesh didn’t set out to start an organization. She set out to start a conversation.

In high school in Dubai, Netra noticed how many girls around her were silently struggling with balancing academic pressure, identity, and the expectations to appear perfect. While these girls often seemed to have everything under control, the conversations about mental health, stress, and self-doubt were happening in whispers, hidden away from public view.

So Netra did something simple but bold: she created SpunkGo, a teen-led mental health community. SpunkGo was built around honesty, storytelling, and mutual support. What began as small, private conversations with her peers soon grew into a series of workshops, online discussions, and a broader movement of young people choosing vulnerability over the pressure to be perfect.

The impact didn’t go unnoticed.

Netra was awarded the Diana Award, one of the highest international honors for young changemakers, in recognition of SpunkGo’s role in reshaping the way teenagers talk about mental health.

Today, Netra is a student at Rice University, and the work continues, because the mission hasn’t changed: to make sure no one feels like they’re carrying everything alone.

#1: What inspired you to start SpunkGo?

Netra: I was 14 when I started SpunkGo, and I’ve always been passionate about creating social impact. In high school, I became increasingly aware of the challenges young women face, especially when it comes to balancing academic pressure, social expectations, and their own personal struggles with mental health and self-confidence.

I saw a huge gap in soft skills education, and realized that many young women, especially in underrepresented regions, didn’t have access to the mentorship and resources they needed to develop essential life skills, like communication, mental health management, and time management.

That’s how SpunkGo was born: through virtual webinars, we brought in experts from around the world to talk about these issues, helping young women globally learn how to better handle the pressures they face and realize their full potential.

#2: How did you start setting up SpunkGo’s programs, and what did the early stages look like?

Netra: The early stages of SpunkGo were definitely a learning curve. I started by reaching out to my parents’ network to connect with mentors who could share their expertise on a range of topics, like leadership, mental health, and career development.

As the interest grew, I realized I couldn’t do everything myself. I needed more support, so I created a volunteer program to help with different tasks, from social media to webinar logistics.

As a result, SpunkGo grew much faster than I had expected. We began to build a team of about 30 ambassadors across 25 countries, each contributing in their own way.

Their involvement allowed us to scale the project and reach a wider audience, while also creating a more diverse and inclusive space. The volunteer program has been crucial in taking SpunkGo from just a local initiative to a global network, and I’m so grateful for all the people who’ve helped along the way.

#3: How did you manage to expand SpunkGo to a global audience?

Netra: The expansion of SpunkGo into a global initiative was one of the most exciting parts of the journey. Initially, when I started the project, I wasn’t sure how far it could go, but I knew I wanted to make a difference.

I started tapping into professional networks, leveraging my parents’ connections, and building partnerships with people from different industries who could help share their knowledge.

The amazing thing was how open and eager people were to help out, especially when it came to supporting young women.

By offering something that felt accessible to them, SpunkGo started expanding beyond Dubai and into places where there were fewer resources available for young women’s development. It wasn’t just about expanding the platform but making sure we were reaching those who needed it the most.

#4: How do you approach leadership, and how did you build a team around SpunkGo’s mission?

Netra: To me, leadership is all about empowering others. It’s not just about being the one in charge or always being at the front. It’s about creating an environment where people feel like they own their work and have the chance to lead in their own way.

From the beginning, I wanted SpunkGo to be a collaborative platform, where everyone felt like they had the opportunity to contribute and make an impact.

Initially, it was just me organizing everything, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t scale the project alone. As SpunkGo grew, I knew I needed to bring in people who shared the same passion and vision for empowering young women.

By giving the team ownership of their projects, we were able to scale SpunkGo in a way that wasn’t just top-down, but driven by the community itself.

#5: You’ve received the Diana Award for humanitarian work. How did that recognition come about, and what does it mean to you?

Netra: Receiving the Diana Award was honestly a huge surprise and honor. When I first heard about it, I didn’t think much of it because I knew there were so many incredible young people making a difference in the world. But when I got the email saying I’d been selected, I was really taken aback.

The award recognizes young people who have shown exceptional leadership and made a positive social impact, and when I received it, I felt like it wasn’t just a recognition of my work with SpunkGo, but of the work we were all doing together.

The award helped me expand SpunkGo’s network and gave us more visibility. It also connected me to a community of young changemakers globally, which was such an empowering experience.

One of the highlights was meeting Prince William during the Legacy Award Program in London. That experience really opened my eyes to the power of youth-led initiatives and how we can make a real impact, no matter our age.

#6: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your journey with SpunkGo?

Netra: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that passion is what drives everything. When I started SpunkGo, I had no experience in public speaking, no background in non-profits, and I was still figuring things out. But what kept me going was my belief in the mission. When you’re passionate about something, it’s contagious: people can see that you’re serious about what you’re doing, and they want to help.

Hard skills can be learned, but soft skills take time and practice. The more I learned about these skills, the more I realized how transformative they are. So, even though I didn’t have everything figured out at the start, my passion for empowering young women kept me focused.

And that’s something I still carry with me today: that passion is the foundation of everything.

#7: Could you share a moment that really made you feel the impact of your work?

Netra: One of the most impactful moments for me came when a volunteer from Kazakhstan, named Yasmin, told me that SpunkGo had helped her land a job at Hilton. Yasmin started with us as a shy, reserved volunteer who was hesitant about public speaking. But after leading a few webinars, she gained so much confidence that it helped her during interviews.

That’s when I understood that our work wasn’t just about empowerment on paper: it was really changing lives. It was one of those moments that truly affirmed for me that the work we do in SpunkGo is having a real impact on the people we work with.

#8: Finally, what advice would you give to young people who want to start their own social impact project?

My advice would be to start now. Don’t wait for the perfect moment because it’s never going to come. If you have an idea, go for it.

Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Your path is going to be unique, and that’s what makes it special. Keep learning, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s all part of the process. If you’re truly passionate about something, you’ll find the strength to push through any obstacles.

You don’t have to have everything figured out at the start. Just take that first step.

Stay Connected

Connect with Netra: Linked-In