Today we’d like to introduce you to Nitya Lohiya.
Hi Nitya, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
What if life is not just about living… but about discovering how deeply, how fully, and how infinitely a human being can actually experience it?
I think that thought shaped me long before I even had the words to explain it. I was never someone who wanted to simply exist inside reality exactly the way it was handed to me. I’ve always been fascinated by perspectives, the idea that the way you see life completely changes the life you experience. Some people grow up seeing limits everywhere around them. I somehow grew up seeing possibilities in almost everything.
And I think that changed the direction of my life very early.
A huge part of who I am today comes from the environment I grew up in. Since childhood, I was surrounded by meditation practices, spiritual disciplines, silence, awareness, deep reflection, and divine rituals that had existed in my family for generations. But more than the rituals themselves, it was the mindset behind them that stayed with me forever, the belief that the human mind is incredibly powerful, that thoughts carry energy, that perspective shapes reality, and that life expands depending on how deeply you are willing to experience it.
Once you begin thinking like that, you stop looking at life in an ordinary way.
That’s why I became so emotionally connected to perspectives. I don’t just see life through accomplishments or moments, I see it through meaning. Through emotions, timing, energy, lessons, growth, pain, dreams, and transformation. To me, life was never supposed to be something you merely survive. It was supposed to be something you feel completely enough for it to change you.
So naturally, I started believing in possibilities endlessly.
Not because everything around me was certain, but because something inside me genuinely believed that if a vision could exist strongly enough inside your mind, reality could eventually catch up to it. Slowly, life started proving that belief right in ways that still feel surreal to me sometimes.
One day I was simply a young girl with thoughts that felt bigger than the world around her, and then suddenly those thoughts slowly started turning into reality. Writing my first book. Seeing my face on the Times Square billboard in New York. Meeting people, entering spaces, and experiencing moments I once could only imagine in silence. Even now, there are moments where I pause and genuinely wonder how thoughts that once existed only inside my imagination became memories I can physically look back on.
And every time, I come back to the same answer: belief.
Not temporary confidence or motivation, but deep belief. The kind of belief that survives uncertainty, pressure, fear, exhaustion, setbacks, and moments where absolutely nothing seems to make sense yet. The kind of belief that keeps existing quietly inside you even when life becomes overwhelming.
Because honestly, I think people often see achievements without seeing the emotional journey behind them. They don’t always see what it means to grow mentally and emotionally while still being young. They don’t see the pressure, the constant evolution, the inner battles, the moments of confusion, or the emotional weight of continuously rebuilding yourself into someone stronger.
And I think that became one of the biggest lessons of my journey.
Not just learning how to achieve things, but learning how to go through difficult circumstances without losing myself in the process. Learning how to stay present even during uncertainty. Learning how to sit with emotions instead of escaping them. Learning how to find lessons inside painful moments instead of allowing them to destroy me. Every challenge changed me in some way. Every difficult phase carried awareness. Every setback forced growth.
Gradually, life stopped feeling small to me. Dreams no longer felt distant. The impossible stopped feeling impossible. And somewhere along the journey, I realised that human beings are capable of far more than the limits they are taught to believe in.
I truly believe life responds to the way you see it.
And when you begin seeing life through depth, awareness, belief, and endless possibility, the world slowly starts opening in ways that almost feel unreal. Almost magical. Like reality itself begins responding to the energy, vision, and faith you carry inside yourself.
And I think that’s where my story really began.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. I honestly do not think life was ever meant to be a perfectly smooth road for anyone. Every single day carries uncertainty within it. Things change unexpectedly. Circumstances shift overnight. Emotions rise and fall. People come and go. Nothing truly prepares you for the emotional weight of becoming who you are meant to become.
And I think I realised that very early.
One of the hardest parts of my journey was trying to understand the world, people, systems, pressure, ambition, and even myself while still being so young and having absolutely no roadmap for any of it. I entered spaces with big dreams, strong emotions, and endless belief, but without experience. So naturally, I made mistakes. Some small. Some life changing. Some emotionally affected me far deeper than people probably know.
I think people often romanticise being “different” until they realise how isolating it can actually feel.
In high school, I was constantly labelled as “too different,” “too bold,” “too confident,” “too intense,” or “too much.” And while those qualities later became some of my greatest strengths, at that time they also emotionally exhausted me in ways I cannot fully explain. Because when you are young, constantly standing out can feel incredibly heavy. You begin feeling like you always have to carry your own identity with strength even on days where you feel emotionally tired inside.
There is a certain loneliness that comes with growing differently from the people around you.
Especially as a teenager today, the pressure feels endless sometimes. Pressure to succeed early. Pressure to constantly evolve. Pressure to prove yourself. Pressure from social media. Pressure from expectations. Pressure from your own thoughts. And when you are deeply emotional, deeply ambitious, and deeply self aware all at once, everything feels amplified.
There were moments where I felt mentally exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed by everything around me. Moments where I questioned myself quietly. Moments where I felt the emotional weight of trying to remain strong while still growing up at the same time. I think people sometimes forget that even strong people are still human beings underneath everything they carry.
But somehow, every difficult phase transformed me instead of destroying me.
And honestly, I thank God deeply for that. I also thank the incredible people who entered my life at the right moments and reminded me that genuine people still exist in this world. I truly believe now that your people somehow find you. The right energies, the right souls, the right conversations, the right opportunities. Even after confusion, disappointment, or emotional exhaustion, life has a strange way of reconnecting you with hope again.
Over time, I stopped viewing challenges as punishments and started viewing them as redirections. Every setback carried a lesson. Every heartbreak carried awareness. Every difficult season forced growth inside me that comfort never could.
I learned how to sit with discomfort instead of running away from it. I learned how to rebuild myself emotionally after moments that drained me mentally. I learned how to continue believing in life even during moments where everything felt uncertain. Most importantly, I learned how to stay soft despite everything that tried to harden me.
And honestly, I think that is one of the strongest things a person can do.
To continue believing.
To continue dreaming.
To continue remaining kind, emotional, hopeful, and full of wonder after life tests you again and again.
Because strength is not becoming emotionless.
Real strength is feeling everything deeply and still choosing to rise every single time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I would honestly love to talk about this because I think my work has never been just about achievements to me. It has always been about creating meaning, creating access, and proving that young people are capable of so much more than the world often expects from them.
I’m Nitya Lohiya, currently 14 years old and turning 15 this June, which honestly feels surreal to even say out loud because when I look back at my younger self, I feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude and emotion. I think one of the things I’m most proud of is her. The younger version of me who continued believing before there was any proof things would work out. The version of me who kept creating, dreaming, speaking, and building even during moments of uncertainty.
Before anything else, I’m an award winning author of 13 Lessons I Wish Everyone Knew at 13, and genuinely, that book will forever remain one of the most personal and meaningful things I have ever created. It feels like a piece of my heart existing in written form. Writing it at such a young age and watching people emotionally connect to it reminded me of the power words carry. To know that something that once existed only inside my thoughts could comfort, inspire, or emotionally reach someone else still feels incredibly special to me.
Over time, my work expanded into spaces connected to youth advocacy, diplomacy, sustainable development, policy engagement, human rights, climate action, and global youth participation. But what truly drives me is one belief I hold very deeply: young people are not merely voices to be acknowledged someday in the future. We are already active stakeholders in shaping the world right now.
That belief led me into international consultation and policy spaces from a very young age. I’ve contributed youth inputs to global processes including the Pact for the Future, Youth Civil Society Consultation, the World Summit of the Children, and consultation surrounding the Draft Political Declaration of the World Social Summit. I also submitted contribution to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the impact of mental health challenges on young people’s enjoyment of human rights, alongside contribution under the Working Group on Business and Human Rights focusing on agribusiness, food security, and human rights concerns affecting communities globally.
Currently, I serve as a Member of the Right to Education Youth Network under the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, where I engage in discussions surrounding equitable and inclusive education systems worldwide. My work has also extended deeply into gender equity and youth justice. Earlier this year, I led a youth focused multi country survey across India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe exploring barriers surrounding access to justice for women and girls, discriminatory legal structures, participation gaps, and access inequalities. The findings later contributed to discussions connected to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
In the climate and sustainability sector, I’ve served as a Delegate to the first ever Virtual COP and as a UNFCCC COP30 Virtual Delegate. I was also selected as an Indian Delegate to RCOY 2024 under YOUNGO, endorsed by the Government of Sri Lanka, contributing to regional climate dialogue and youth policy discussion connected to global COP processes.
Alongside this, I served as a Club 17 Coalition Leader following the UN Civil Society Conference, where I co hosted delegate storytelling sessions and led youth mobilisation efforts connected to the ACT NOW Challenge. As an Online Advocate for the UN Civil Society Conference 2024, I also contributed toward amplifying youth engagement globally and helping the hashtag #WeCommitAndActNow trend internationally.
Over the years, I’ve additionally served as an Institute for Economics and Peace Ambassador, Global Change Ambassador at The Legacy Project, Teen Advisor to BrandUp, and Public Relations Officer at SpeakForAfrica co leading a environmental initiative across multiple African countries focused on awareness, participation, and youth collaboration.
But honestly, beyond all the institutional spaces and leadership roles, I think the work closest to my heart is That Teen.
Because That Teen is not just something I founded. It’s something I emotionally understand.
It was built from the feeling of knowing you are capable of more while still feeling locked outside rooms where opportunities exist. I realised very early that talent exists everywhere, but access does not. So many teenagers have ideas, creativity, intelligence, and vision, but no mentorship, no network, no guidance, and no space where they feel truly seen.
That Teen was created to change that.
What started as a youth platform focused on mentorship, leadership, storytelling, and global opportunities has now started evolving into something much bigger than I originally imagined. Through That Teen, we’ve already connected with young people across New Delhi and Meerut in India; New York, New Jersey, California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and South Carolina in the United States; Lusaka in Zambia; Lilongwe in Malawi; Sharjah in the UAE; Luxembourg; Australia; the Philippines; Kazakhstan; Egypt; Indonesia; the United Kingdom; and many more places globally.
And honestly, seeing something grow so organically across different parts of the world has been one of the most emotional experiences of my life because it reminded me that young people everywhere are searching for the same thing: belief, guidance, opportunity, and community.
One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been mentoring over 60 young people toward becoming self published authors. Watching them slowly believe in their voice enough to create something real has been incredibly meaningful to me because I know how life changing one opportunity can be at the right moment.
Recently, we also launched That Teen Labs, which I’m extremely excited about. It’s essentially a youth focused project incubation ecosystem helping young people take their ideas from imagination into real world impact. Through Mind Lab, Voice Lab, Health Lab, and several more evolving spaces, we’re creating environments where young people can build projects, movements, campaigns, and solutions surrounding areas they genuinely care about.
We’re currently shaping Afterthoughts, our upcoming podcast focused on deeper conversations, storytelling, youth voice, and perspective, alongside a Mental Health Project Incubation space specifically designed to help teenagers transform lived experiences and ideas into meaningful mental health initiatives for other young people.
Another initiative I care deeply about is creating accessible journalism and storytelling spaces for teenagers, giving young people opportunities to submit their writing, perspectives, and creative work while learning how media, communication, and storytelling can create real influence.
Right now, everything is still growing, evolving, and expanding very organically, and I honestly think that’s the most beautiful part of it. We are shaping things with intention instead of rushing growth. We are listening carefully to what young people actually need and trying to build spaces that genuinely reflect that.
I think what sets me apart most is probably the fact that I’m building all of this while still growing myself.
I’m not speaking about young people from the outside. I am one.
I understand the pressure teenagers carry today. The uncertainty. The ambition. The emotional intensity. The feeling of wanting to become something bigger while still figuring yourself out at the same time. And maybe that’s why so much of my work feels emotional to people because it comes from real understanding rather than perfection.
At the core of everything I do, whether it’s writing, advocacy, leadership, storytelling, public speaking, or building That Teen, my mission stays the same:
creating spaces where young people feel seen before they feel successful.
Because sometimes one opportunity changes everything.
Sometimes one person believing in you changes everything.
And sometimes simply being reminded that your voice matters is enough to completely transform the direction of someone’s life.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think the quality that has mattered most in my journey is probably the ability to see possibilities everywhere, even in moments where nothing around me looked certain yet. I’ve always believed that the way you see life eventually becomes the way your life unfolds, and from a very young age, I started understanding how powerful perspective really is. While many people are taught to think realistically first, I think I was always someone who emotionally lived through imagination, meaning, intuition, and vision. I never saw dreams as something distant or unrealistic. I saw them as things waiting to be understood, built, and slowly brought into reality. And honestly, I think that mindset changed everything for me. It allowed me to enter rooms I never imagined I would reach at such a young age, speak in spaces that once felt impossibly far away, and build things that at one point only existed inside my thoughts. Even now, there are moments where I genuinely pause and think about how surreal life feels sometimes. But behind every opportunity, every initiative, every project, and every achievement was first a mindset that refused to believe limitations were permanent.
At the same time, I think emotional depth has been one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to connect with people and create meaningful work. I’ve always felt things very intensely, and for a long time, I didn’t fully know whether that was a strength or something that made life heavier. Growing up as a teenager today already comes with so much pressure emotionally, mentally, socially, and academically, and when you are also someone constantly trying to build, lead, create, and think beyond your age, that pressure can become even more overwhelming. There were moments where being “too ambitious,” “too emotional,” “too bold,” or “too different” genuinely affected me deeply because when people constantly point out how different you are, you slowly start wondering whether you are becoming difficult for the world to understand. But over time, I realised that the very things that once made me feel isolated were also the same things shaping my purpose. My emotional depth became the reason my writing connected with people. My sensitivity became the reason I understood young people emotionally. My intensity became the reason I cared enough to keep building spaces like That Teen with genuine meaning behind them instead of simply creating something for appearances.
I also think resilience shaped me in ways people don’t always see publicly. People often see the visible side of success, the speaking, the advocacy, the recognition, the projects, the leadership spaces, but they don’t always see the emotional journey existing quietly underneath all of it. They don’t see the moments of exhaustion, the pressure of trying to constantly evolve, the fear of not being enough, or the emotional weight that sometimes comes with growing up publicly while still trying to understand yourself privately. And honestly, I think learning how to emotionally survive those moments without losing my softness became one of the most important parts of my growth. I never wanted success to harden me. I never wanted ambition to disconnect me from empathy, humanity, emotion, or perspective. So even during difficult phases, I kept trying to remain connected to meaning, to purpose, and to the belief that life is not only about becoming successful, but about becoming someone who leaves people feeling understood, inspired, and emotionally seen.
At the end of the day, I think what truly shaped my success is not just talent, ambition, or opportunity. It’s the combination of perspective, emotional resilience, imagination, and the refusal to stop believing in possibilities even before they physically existed yet. Because sometimes the people who change things are simply the people who continue believing deeply enough in a vision long before the rest of the world can fully see it with them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nityalohiya?igsh=MW9ncGt4dzFmb2FrNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nityalohiyaa?si=tf8do6bwx4IHt7L0
