At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Pia Sahni for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say further, Pia is an Entrepreneur and Managing Director & Founding Team Member at AdagioVR Ltd. Let’s learn more about her background, inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Pia:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
My journey began in the corporate world, where I witnessed firsthand how behaviour, culture, and unspoken emotional patterns shape performance far more powerfully than strategy or skill ever could.
I saw talented individuals overthink themselves into inaction, teams fracture under unaddressed tension, and leaders operate from pressure rather than clarity.
Those years revealed a fundamental truth to me: people don’t work in isolation — they operate within emotional and cultural systems. And when those systems lack psychological safety, both individuals and teams inevitably suffer.
With this understanding, I went on to co-found AdagioVR alongside Dr Pawan Rajpal, a psychiatrist who brings deep clinical insight, and Sanya Rajpal, who leads strategy, systems, and global expansion.
Together, we set out to build a solution that addresses the real layers of human performance — cognition, emotional patterns, behavioural loops, and team culture.
My work has been shaped by years of watching people silently struggle inside workplaces, and by a commitment to creating tools that meet people where they are — not where they are expected to be.
How did you discover your passion?
My passion revealed itself through witnessing how deeply people suffer internally — especially in workplaces — without having the language, safety, or support to express it.
I saw individuals who appeared confident yet carried immense self-doubt, teams losing productivity because of unresolved emotional friction, Young professionals are burning out before their potential could surface, people shrinking because they didn’t feel safe to speak, leaders struggling to regulate their own overwhelm, and workplaces that rewarded output while ignoring emotional bandwidth.
What struck me was this: most people aren’t struggling because they’re incapable — they’re struggling because they’re emotionally overloaded, unseen, or working against their own cognitive patterns.
Once I recognised this pattern — across sectors, roles, and age groups — I knew this was the space I wanted to devote myself to. My passion comes from understanding these invisible layers of human behaviour and creating pathways for people to reclaim clarity, confidence, and emotional grounding in environments that rarely make space for it.
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going when things get tough?
Three deeply human forces keep me going.
1. The shifts I witness in people – Nothing motivates me more than watching someone break free from a pattern they have carried for years. Whether it’s a breakthrough during an AdagioVR session, a moment of insight in a facilitation, or someone finally seeing themselves differently — these shifts are profound. Seeing a person reclaim emotional space, rewrite an internal narrative, or experience cognitive relief gives me genuine strength. It reminds me that human transformation is real, and that our work can play a meaningful role in enabling it.
2. The need I’ve witnessed across individuals and workplaces – Long before we built AdagioVR, I had already seen how deeply people struggle — quietly, consistently, and invisibly. I saw workplaces lose good talent, teams operate from fear rather than trust, and individuals carry emotional weight alone. Knowing that we are building something that truly supports people — at the level of cognition, behaviour, and lived experience — grounds me, especially on difficult days.
3. My Buddhist practice – My spiritual practice is my anchor. Practicing Buddhism and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every morning and evening helps me transform fear into courage, confusion into direction, and failure into determination. It keeps me connected to purpose, humility, and resilience — the foundations that allow me to keep building, even through uncertainty.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
1. People react from their past, not the present. Most behaviours — hesitation, overthinking, withdrawal, conflict, or shutting down — are rooted in old conditioning. When you understand the emotional history behind a reaction, judgment dissolves and clarity emerges.
2. Your internal world shapes every external outcome. Communication, leadership, creativity, problem-solving, and relationships all flow from emotional stability and self-awareness. If you don’t understand your mind, you will inevitably misunderstand your life.
3. Growth requires uncomfortable self-honesty. The moment you stop negotiating with your fears, excuses, and unhelpful patterns is the moment real change begins. Self-honesty isn’t harsh — it’s liberating. It is the foundation upon which lasting transformation is built.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
a) Self-awareness under pressure
b) Emotional maturity in difficult moments
c) Adaptability — continuously learning new tools and skills
d) Courage to take decisions without perfect conditions
e) Clear communication
f) Curiosity and openness to unlearning
g) Consistency over intensity
h) Integrity in intention and action
i) Understanding human behaviour — your own and others’
j) Success is not a destination; it is a behavioural identity shaped through your daily internal choices.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
> Keep learning. The world is evolving — your skills must evolve with it.
> Embrace new tools and technologies instead of resisting them.
> Build emotional regulation; it will determine your stability, confidence, and leadership presence.
> Ask questions constantly. Growth comes from curiosity, not from trying to be right.
> Communicate honestly and clearly — it’s one of the strongest differentiators in any career.
> Understand your patterns; they influence your growth far more than opportunities do.
> Don’t chase the perfect role. Choose environments that allow you to expand. Take responsibility for your professional identity. No one else will build it for you.
> A strong career is built by evolving with the world — not by trying to fit into outdated expectations.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
What excites me most is witnessing real, measurable human shifts — not surface-level changes, but deep cognitive and emotional breakthroughs that transform how a person experiences themselves.
When someone breaks out of a loop they’ve been stuck in, revisits a memory with a new perspective, speaks with newfound clarity, or simply feels more grounded in who they are — those moments move me deeply. They remind me that transformation isn’t theoretical; it is lived, felt, and unmistakably real.
As a woman entrepreneur, I also find excitement in who I am becoming through this journey — more resilient, more honest, more aligned, and more purpose-driven. Building something meaningful alongside my co-founders has been both demanding and deeply rewarding.
This journey excites me because it is human. It is complex, dynamic, and constantly evolving — and it teaches me every day that people are capable of far more than they realise.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
