Nitin Gambhir

Community Advisor

Tell us about yourself. 

I grew up in Delhi, in a neighborhood of Punjabi families who had rebuilt their lives after Partition. Stories of resilience and loss were woven into everyday life—what was left behind, what was carried forward. My grandfather, a civil engineer in the Indian Army who spoke Farsi and Pashto (in addition to English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu), was my earliest window into the world beyond borders. My grandparents often spoke fondly of their neighbors and friends in Quetta (now in Pakistan)—sharing memories of shared meals, songs, and laughter. But not everyone in our neighborhood felt the same. For many, Partition had hardened into distrust. That contrast—the warmth of my grandparents' memories and the quiet tension around them—planted early questions in my mind about belonging, identity, and the stories that shape how we see one another.

In my teens, we moved to the UK for a few years. There, for the first time, I met Pakistani families who spoke the same language, shared the same humor, told stories that sounded like my own. It struck me how much kinship had been buried under the weight of old divisions. That experience reshaped something in me. I began to understand how young minds are molded—not just by the history we inherit, but by the stories we choose to carry forward. When we're taught fear, we often live within its walls. But when we're taught to meet others with curiosity and compassion, we begin to move through the world with openness—and possibility.

After finishing high school in India, we immigrated to the U.S. My father held a Ph.D. in Physics but worked as a security guard; my mother worked in a warehouse. I picked up two jobs myself—mornings in a warehouse, evenings at a tech startup. When my father eventually became a research professor at UC Davis, I was able to attend UCLA, where I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Engineering.

I was always told I’d be a vakil (lawyer)—probably because I argued too well at the dinner table. That path became real after I earned my J.D. from Santa Clara University. I spent 16 years as an intellectual property litigator at major international law firms ("Big Law") before starting my own small practice two years ago.

But I’ve also always needed something that wasn’t just logic and deadlines. During the pandemic, I found myself sketching again—pencil drawings, visual pauses. I began writing too. That became my meditation: the other half of my brain at work. I recently self-published a book of poems and sketches, and I’m now writing a children’s book series about South Asian kids navigating migration, courage, and grief—pieces of my own story refracted into theirs.

The Banyan Tree Community Center feels like the convergence of all these threads: story, community, memory, and hope. I’ve lived between cultures, across continents, and within contradictions. And I’ve come to believe that the stories we tell—especially to children—can either divide or heal. I want to help build the kind that heal.

What motivates you to be part of the Banyan Tree? 

It’s the mission. I’m a connector at heart—I love bringing people together around a common purpose. At Banyan Tree, I’ve found kindred spirits who are building something rooted in care, culture, and community. I also bring experiences from nearly two decades in the legal field, and I hope to use those skills in service of something more meaningful. Practicing law teaches me a lot—but it doesn't always feed the soul. This, I hope, will.

If you could be a potato, how would you be prepared? 

Tater tots. Golden, weirdly comforting, crisp under pressure—and best when shared.

We asked our team, “What is Nitin’s superpower?” Here’s what one person said.

“Nitin’s superpower is his creativity. He has many ideas, and his ideas make you see things in a way you may not have imagined before. From his writings and art to his business ideas, Nitin not only knows how to imagine, but also how to create, and how to share what he is creating with others in an emotionally attuned way. We are lucky to have him on the Banyan Tree team!”