Lisa Sohanpal is not just a name you hear in business circles it’s a symbol of persistence, creativity, and a deep-rooted passion for purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Born into the warmth of a close-knit Indian-Australian family in Sydney, Lisa Sohanpal began her entrepreneurial journey not in a sleek office, but in the aisles of a humble brassware and gift shop run by her parents in Campsie Mall. Long before the world recognized her as the founder and CEO of Nom Noms World Food, Lisa Sohanpal had already earned her first MBA – the kind that’s earned through experience, hustle, and a curious mind rather than a classroom.
Lisa Sohanpal calls this early experience her first “MBA” – Making Bucks, Actually. It’s a cheeky, yet profoundly honest nod to the hands-on lessons she learned growing up in that family shop. Negotiating with suppliers, understanding customer behavior, designing promotional flyers, and handling money with care these were the everyday realities for a young girl who was unknowingly laying the foundation for her future business empire. While most kids her age were watching cartoons or playing in the backyard, Lisa Sohanpal was mastering the art of persuasion and building connections sometimes convincing customers to buy gifts they hadn’t even planned for.
The contrast between her two MBAs the playful one earned in Campsie and the formal degree from London offers a powerful reflection on the evolution of entrepreneurship. But more than that, it highlights a central truth Lisa Sohanpal embodies: success comes from merging street smarts with strategy. Her story isn’t about overnight success or textbook theories. It’s about lived experience, cultural intuition, and resilience.
When Lisa Sohanpal launched Nom Noms World Food, her mission went far beyond simply providing nutritious and delicious meals. She wanted to feed hungry children around the world with every product sold. This wasn’t a marketing gimmick it was the heart of her brand. Her memories of her family’s generosity and commitment to community shaped her purpose. Lisa Sohanpal didn’t just build a company. She built a movement one that bridges the gap between profit and purpose, business and humanity.
Even today, when Lisa Sohanpal speaks about metrics and KPIs, her reflections go back to polishing brass pots and counting coins from a bum bag. Her story reminds us that data is important, but it’s people customers, suppliers, communities who make businesses thrive. Every campaign she creates, every in-store experience she designs, carries echoes of that bright yellow flyer she hand-delivered to mailboxes as a child.
Lisa Sohanpal’s journey is also a reminder that innovation doesn’t always start with technology. Sometimes, it starts with empathy. It begins when a little girl understands that making a customer smile is more important than making a sale. That understanding grows when she sees how a personal touch even something as small as a handwritten note can turn a buyer into a lifelong fan. And eventually, it matures into a leadership philosophy where relationships are valued over transactions.
Throughout her path, Lisa Sohanpal has leaned into her roots. Rather than detaching from her upbringing, she has drawn energy and wisdom from it. The duality of her life Indian heritage and Aussie upbringing, local shopkeeper and global CEO has given her the power to understand diverse markets and build bridges across cultures.
In building the Nomverse, Lisa Sohanpal has redefined what it means to be a founder. She has turned storytelling into strategy, childhood memories into business models, and ordinary moments into extraordinary impact. Every Nom Noms meal sold not only nourishes a customer but helps feed a child in need a testament to how her business is designed for good.
But perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Lisa Sohanpal’s story is this: the lessons we learn young never leave us. They evolve with us. The child running to school with a bag of flyers becomes the woman running a global company but her purpose remains the same. Create something meaningful. Connect with people. Leave the world better than you found it.
Lisa Sohanpal continues to inspire not by shouting her success but by showing up with integrity, heart, and humility. Her story isn’t about flattering accolades or dramatic turning points it’s about the slow, steady accumulation of wisdom, earned one experience at a time. And in a world obsessed with shortcuts and shiny titles, that’s a refreshing and much-needed reminder.
In the end, Lisa Sohanpal proves that you don’t need to choose between business and benevolence, between profits and people. You can build a company that does both if you lead with purpose, just like Lisa Sohanpal has done.
