Alpana Aras-King
Member Spotlight
Alpana Aras-King
Visual Brand Coach | Storyteller | International Photographer
About Alpana
Alpana Aras-King is a Visual Brand Coach, Storyteller, and Photographer who helps women entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders embody their visual branding through strategic storytelling from the inside out. Her creative and strategic coaching techniques enable her clients to make an impact, gain influence, and increase their income.
Alpana has been featured in several prominent publications, including the NY Times, Instagram, and Apple. She is also a published anthology author for Women, Money and the Energy of Life as well as Bombay Bites, an Indian storytelling cookbook.
With a passion for empowering women in business, Alpana hosted an online summit called PowHer Up, featuring twenty-one inspiring experts. She offers 1:1 coaching and online courses combined with unique storytelling sessions to help her clients achieve their goals.
As an immigrant and person of color, Alpana utilizes the power of storytelling to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. She believes in the transformative power of stories and uses them to bring people together and foster connections. Learn more about Alpana and her work at her website.
List of Awards and Recognitions
As a Visual Storyteller, my work has garnered multiple awards through juried shows from Photoplace Gallery, Center for Fine Arts, and Life Framer over the years. I have also had the privilege of showcasing my work through Catchlight, a non-profit organization that featured my art in the Public Art Abundance Exhibit in Oakland and the Democracy exhibit in San Francisco, alongside globally recognized photojournalists. In 2018, my work was part of the “Talk in Images” exhibit for the International Center for Photography (ICP) in NYC.
I have had the privilege of working with high-profile personalities like Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino “Tino” Culler, Project Runway’s Candice Cuoco, and Marcin Kleczynski, among others. However, the work that is closest to my heart is that of everyday people and representation. I was an artist in residence for an exhibit called “Shifting Borders,” which showcased non-stereotypical images I captured in Cuba.
Recently, I was invited to a prestigious gala event that recognizes top-performing leaders in the photography industry known for delivering high-touch, luxury experiences to clients who invest over 10k in our services.
EBC Wins
As a newcomer to EBC, I am still in the process of familiarizing myself with its members. However, last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Sam Leibovitz and Jill Lubin locally in the Bay Area, and it was a delightful experience. Sam and I bonded over my EBC membership and he was incredibly helpful and encouraging during my enrollment process. I also had the opportunity to connect with Dr. Valerie, who is a force to be reckoned with. As a brown immigrant, it was particularly meaningful to engage with a person of color who generously shared her own journey and offered valuable insights on building connections within the EBC community. I look forward to connecting with more members.
Why is Alpana passionate about the EBC?
I became a member of EBC when Eva Medelik invited me to attend the Annual event in 2022. We knew each other from another business coaching community. What stood out to me about being in that space was the incredible global community and the presence of inspiring leaders.
What people don’t know about Alpana?
As an immigrant from India, I came to America in pursuit of my American Dream. With just two suitcases and a thousand dollars, I arrived with an unwavering sense that there was more to my life than a predetermined destiny of an arranged marriage. In the patriarchal society I grew up in, my voice was stifled, and I often felt invisible and unheard.
As a risk-taker, I have a history of doing crazy things. For instance, I captured images in the midst of a snowstorm on top of a mountain in the Himalayas, and I once found myself in the back of a police car in Cuba.
How you can support Alpana
My newly rebranded website, www.alpanaaras.com is a labor of love that involved deep inner reflection and a reclamation of my cultural identity. I would be grateful if you could take a moment to visit the site, share it with others that could use my support, as well as connect with me for virtual coffee chats, podcast opportunities or collaborations. As a new member of EBC, I would love to meet like-minded individuals who resonate with my message.
