Purpose

It’s no secret that the past two years or so have been overwhelming and challenging for me both professionally and personally. Now that I’m on a powerful path to rebuilding, it’s time to clear the air.

I got a divorce, which was brutal by itself, and my involvement with my business, Coloft, is also over — a significant ripple effect of the divorce. This is my first ‘public’ announcement since my departure from Coloft, and I apologize that I was not able to be more transparent throughout this time — this situation was a gray area for what felt like an eternity… and deeply painful for me to talk about.

Coloft was, and will forever be, near and dear to me — it was more than a business. It was built with purpose, a people/community first mentality, and it became a movement. A dynamic melting pot of new ideas, energy, and heart which ultimately spawned the dramatic growth of the LA tech ecosystem (before being dubbed “silicon beach”). Coloft was born out of the dire need to create unity and community within the unpredictable whirlwind of the startup and entrepreneurial world; a home which gave all of us “hungry” and “foolish” entrepreneurs a safe place “where everybody knows your name” (thanksPandoDaily) to help make our dreams a reality. As a person who is deeply empathetic and believes in the potential and power within each of us, the mission was to build and create a sense of belonging and hope among entrepreneurs and startups — a support system on the unknown path of startup life… and life. The depth of gratitude that I feel for what Coloft became, the number of people it impacted, and the overwhelming amount of leaders, startups, and companies that it created literally blows my mind. #doesnotcompute To this day, every time I hear that Coloft was a part of someone’s journey to success, I feel fulfilled and even more certain of my life’s mission.

Sometimes circumstances beyond our control happen in an effort to lead us to a life of greater purpose, and that purpose is more clear to me now than ever. I have, am, and will continue to always believe in the power of people, and empower them at a level that allows them to realize their own power to inspire others, and collectively make a greater impact. Specifically entrepreneurs, a powerful breed and crucial element in the magic formula to creating the world we envision our children, and the generations following, to live in and prosper.

I’m excited to take my wealth of knowledge and experience onward and upward, to find the ideal fit in order to create a greater impact. I’m a proud and proven “jack of all trades” with “community first” engrained in my soul, resulting in a greater impact on people and profits. I call it the “Human Element” in business — true power lies within empowering people, because the whole is forever greater than the parts.

I hold this incredibly supportive community so close to my heart, and take so much pride in knowing I helped create it through the magic of Coloft — I’m staying here and committed to continued growth in the LA ecosystem.

I’m beyond blessed to have such strong support from from family, friends, and an exceptionally good hearted network of incredible people. Thank you for being there for me throughout this time. I’m eternally grateful for each and every one of you and stoked for what lies ahead for us all.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m happy to answer questions via email: sy.kashani@gmail.com.

*Originally posted August 13, 2015 on my Tumblr.