Longtime Friends Grow Nonprofit To Help Those With Rare Diseases

In 2023, longtime friends Ankitha Gantasala, a McCombs integrated MPA student, and Sophia Pirani, a Northwestern University student, revived and expanded Painted Hope, their nonprofit to help people with rare diseases. The pair, who met in art camp when they were 4 years old, originally started the organization in high school and sold their paintings to raise money and awareness.

After Gantasala joined the Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab and the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership Institute Founder program at UT, she and Pirani began telling patient stories through their Spotify podcast and decided to sell prints instead of paintings.

“I knew I wanted to work in the rare disease space after being introduced to many families within the community and hearing their inspiring yet heartbreaking stories, which deepened my desire to help,” Gantasala said. “After interviewing numerous parents of children with rare diseases, as well as doctors, I realized that the true challenge these foundations face is a lack of exposure.”

The podcasts have greater impact because they are told from the family’s perspective, she said. They switched from paintings to prints because prints were more sustainable and effective, Gantasala said.

The Kendra Scott program has allowed her to meet and learn from other inspiring women entrepreneurs and to continue to grow her and Pirani’s nonprofit, she said.