Shelly Sood and Nikhil Torsekar

Entrepreneur/Author/Mother of 3/Mental Health Advocate

Six years ago, I had a picture-perfect marriage, lived in an upper-class neighborhood, was married to a banking executive, and had 3 beautiful children. I was suddenly yanked from this illusion: my loving husband – who had suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder for decades – suddenly transformed before my eyes, filed for divorce, and became hellbent on my destruction. My sanity, physical health, faith in humanity, pocketbook, and welfare of my children and husband eroded before my eyes.

Today, I am an author, mother of 3, wife, and an entrepreneur who launched a health care company called GIOSTAR* Chicago, and wrote a book called Untethered on my personal journey after saving my husband’s life. I discovered that the fulfillment gained from diminishing the pain of others is like nothing else. I have over 2 decades of personal experience with mental health disorders and 20 years of work experience. I hold a BA in Political Science from the University of Rochester and an MS from DePaul University.