EMPOWER. INSPIRE. EDUCATE. SERVE.
Saris to Suits ® focuses on building awareness to break down the barriers that constrain the advancement of women and girls. We have a multi-pronged, thoughtful, and comprehensive approach to advance women’s empowerment, education, social justice, and circular economy. We want to inspire the future generation to take a stand for humanity, equality and our planet.
EMPOWER
- Offset financial, legal, and lingual barriers to end gender-based violence
- Make available Saris to Suits ® Service, named Purple Lotus for victim assistance
- Provide fashion design and tailoring training to underprivileged families to get out of poverty with dignity.
- Expand S2S Store for sustainable merchandise and orchestrate fashion shows to help women lacking resources for independent living
- Grow Saris to Suits ® Service Fund, named Purple Lotus for survivors of crimes against humanity
INSPIRE
- Future generations to live their American dream by providing role models of color
- Mentoring aspiring journalists and the Omniscient Perspective Circle who write digital narratives about trailblazers and cultural competency
- Spread the word about inspirational women across the globe through digital media stories.
- Organizing conferences and events for empowerment of women and our planet
EDUCATE
- Train women with international fashion industry experts to tailor and design upcycled sari fabric
- Mentoring future journalists with digital news writing skills that earn byline and Omniscient Perspective narratives are carried in periodicals worldwide
- Teach circular economy and eco-friendly fashion practices with traveling sustainable boutique shows
- Teaching and promoting sustainable actions to serve the planet
SERVE
- Expand Saris to suits ® Purple Lotus legal funds for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking
- Provide culturally tailored, comprehensive services, and conduct outreach and advocacy across communities to end gender violence.
- Provide emotional/ mental health, language assistance, and legal services to help disadvantaged minority communities.
- Partner with mission aligned social enterprises for job creation amongst the underserviced
EMPOWER. INSPIRE. EDUCATE. SERVE.
Saris to Suits ® focuses on building awareness to break down the barriers that constrain the advancement of women and girls. We have a multi-pronged, thoughtful, and comprehensive approach to advance women’s empowerment, education, social justice, and circular economy. We want to inspire the future generation to take a stand for humanity, equality and our planet.
EMPOWER
- Provide fashion design and tailoring training to underprivileged families to get out of poverty with dignity.
- Expand S2S Store for sustainable merchandise and orchestrate fashion shows to help women lacking resources for independent living
- Allocate resources for health & wellness, exercise, and nutrition through our Sari Moves events to serve vulnerable communities at risk for poor health.
INSPIRE
- Future generations to live their American dream by providing role models of color
- Founder hosts a medical podcast named 'Breathe Easy', interviewing prominent physicians, scientists regarding health matters.
- Spread the word about inspirational women across the globe through digital media stories.
- Organizing conferences and events for empowerment of women and our planet
EDUCATE
- Train women with international fashion industry experts to tailor and design upcycled sari fabric
- Mentoring future journalists with digital news writing skills that earn byline and Omniscient Perspective narratives are carried in periodicals worldwide
- Teach circular economy and eco-friendly fashion practices with traveling sustainable boutique shows
- Teaching and promoting sustainable actions to serve the planet
SERVE
- Provide culturally tailored, comprehensive services, and conduct outreach and advocacy across communities.
- Provide emotional/ mental health, language assistance, and legal services to help disadvantaged minority communities.
- Partner with mission aligned social enterprises for job creation amongst the underserviced
- No cost health check ups for immigrant women, children and seniors; groups at a higher risk of poor health due to low income, chronic illness, disabilities, race, and age
EMPOWER. INSPIRE. EDUCATE. SERVE.
Saris to Suits ® focuses on building awareness to break down the barriers that constrain the advancement of women and girls. We aim to advance women’s empowerment, education, gender inclusivity, equality and social justice. We want to inspire the future generation to take a stance against injustice in all forms.
Click here to support under-resourced women and children
ADVOCACY
- Spearheading Blindian (Black and Indian) community service programs to support those adversely affected in minority communities during Covid and beyond
- Organizing women of color conferences and “meaningful trips” for social justice and service work
- Uplifting survivors of domestic violence, forced/sham marriages and human trafficking/slavery – Expansion of Saris to Suits Legal Defense Fund
COLLABORATIONS
Funded programs for mission aligned organizations supporting causes such as:
- Human Trafficking - Tapestri, 7 sisters international
- Youth causes – Smart Girls Initiative, Boys & Girls Clubs, Metro Girls, Ek Kadam Aur, Rooms to Read, University of Houston
- Women’s Empowerment/Social Justice – Raksha, SPARCC, Sakhi, Saheli, Apna Ghar, Narika
OUR COLLABORATION with India-based social enterprise, I was a Sari, a certified Benefit Corp
Saris to Suits ® stands for sustainability. Plus, empowerment of women everywhere and our planet.
Despite the pandemic, We have given second lives to 1,400,00msq of fabric and 650 Artisans since 2013.
With this stylish socially-conscious purchase, you enable female artisans thread livelihoods, as they create a fashion wear with upcycled seven yards of treasured sari that once draped and adorned its original owner. We at Saris to Suits ® thank you for empowering women and supporting our social enterprise collaboration that links East to West through fabrics and textiles.
EMPOWER. INSPIRE. EDUCATE. SERVE.
THE SARIS TO SUITS ® STORY
Founder and President, Saris to Suits®
Patti Tripathi is a pioneering journalist, humanitarian, and advocate for women’s empowerment. She made history as one of the first network news anchors of Indian origin, rising to prominence at CNN. Her success was extraordinary for someone who was not fluent in English until the age of twelve.
Currently she the host of ‘Breathe Easy’ podcast/broadcast for the American Thoracic Society (ATS)
In 2012, Patti founded Saris to Suits® to help women and girls earn, achieve, and reach their fullest potential. That same year, the world was shaken by the brutal rape and murder of Jyoti Singh (Nirbhaya) in India. Like many women around the world, Patti was deeply affected by the tragedy. It became a defining moment that fueled her determination to speak out about women’s safety, dignity, and justice.
But her personal story is as compelling as her professional achievements. Patti’s own life journey, fit for a film, has been marked by courage and transformation. After navigating the fallout from a traditional marriage, she used her voice and platform to advocate for women and girls whose voices have too often been silenced. She turned pain into purpose and created space for others to rise above cultural and societal barriers.
Two decades after losing her beloved mother, who passed away at the age of fifty-six, Patti faced another life-altering challenge in 2025 when she underwent two brain surgeries. That experience strengthened her belief in devoting every moment to honoring mothers and supporting women who may be walking through their own trials toward transformation.
As Patti’s life has evolved, so has Saris to Suits®. What began as a movement for women’s empowerment has expanded to embrace wellness and sustainability. Through its initiative Sari Moves, the organization promotes health and well-being among South Asian women while training and employing women to upcycle discarded sari fabrics. This work not only supports women’s livelihoods but also protects the planet by turning discarded materials into new creations filled with meaning and hope.
Patti’s journey is one of resilience and renewal. From newsroom success to personal struggle and spiritual growth, she continues to inspire women everywhere to find strength in adversity, move forward with purpose, and lift others along the way.
THE ANNUAL S2S SARI MOVES
*The event honors mothers and encourages women to make healthier lifestyle choice
*Hundreds of women take part in the walk, and there are many women who dance, play (drums), and do henna art to
make it an event to remember each year!
*The goal is to take the Month of May devoted to health related activities draped in saris across the US.
“The shift from saris to suits (East to West) can be a significant cultural and professional milestone, and that is what the S2S Walk/Run signifies: A cultural exchange and adaptation, professional identity and empowerment, fashion and style evolution and breaking barriers and stereotypes.”
OMNISCIENT PERSPECTIVE
These syndicated original narratives are written by young authors and aspiring journalists who are mentored by the Charity Founder and Journalists.
OUR IMPACT
Domestic violence is a social ill with devastating impact on individuals, families, the economy and humanity. There are about 5.4 million individuals from South Asian communities originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Saris To Suits Service mission aims to provide culturally-tailored, comprehensive services
- Several factors such as strict gender norms and cultural values of patriarchy perpetuate domestic violence within this community.
- These traditional gender-role attitudes may favor men, disempowering women. Furthermore, the diverse tactics of abuse within this community, such as abuse by in-laws, immigration control and coercion, financial abuse etc. make domestic violence a distinctive experience for South Asian women.
- Statistics points to a disproportionately high rate of domestic violence prevalence among South Asian women, who may be dependent on their spouse for visa, emotional and financial reasons.
- While men can experience victimization in this community, the prevalence rates are higher for women. The impacts of domestic violence can be long-term including revictimization, mental health concerns or low self-esteem.
We conduct outreach and advocacy to end gender violence and human trafficking. We have language translators and connect survivors with partner organizations for mental health, food/shelter, legal services. Our vision is to empower survivors, engage communities, and elevate the issue of gender violence to realize gender and human justice.
OUR IMPACT
Domestic violence is a social ill with devastating impact on individuals, families, the economy and humanity. There are about 5.4 million individuals from South Asian communities originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Saris To Suits Service mission aims to provide culturally-tailored, comprehensive services
- Several factors such as strict gender norms and cultural values of patriarchy perpetuate domestic violence within this community.
- These traditional gender-role attitudes may favor men, disempowering women. Furthermore, the diverse tactics of abuse within this community, such as abuse by in-laws, immigration control and coercion, financial abuse etc. make domestic violence a distinctive experience for South Asian women.
- Statistics points to a disproportionately high rate of domestic violence prevalence among South Asian women, who may be dependent on their spouse for visa, emotional and financial reasons.
- While men can experience victimization in this community, the prevalence rates are higher for women. The impacts of domestic violence can be long-term including revictimization, mental health concerns or low self-esteem.
We conduct outreach and advocacy to end gender violence and human trafficking. We have language translators and connect survivors with partner organizations for mental health, food/shelter, legal services. Our vision is to empower survivors, engage communities, and elevate the issue of gender violence to realize gender and human justice.
Garments such as “saris” or “suits” do not make a person more or less empowered. Rather, our trademark and registered brand implies these savvy and worldly women travel fluidly between continents, chasms, and communities AND serve as real-life role models for young girls and women. It has multiple meanings – East to West, woman to man, and the assimilation process reflected in attire occurs when women enter the workforce.
Saris to Suits ® is incorporated as a non-profit public charity, and exempt from federal tax under 501(C)3 Revenue Code, which means contributions are deductible under section 170 of the code. Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 47-0977394
Change lives and
circumstances for women
and girls facing adversities.
Garments such as “saris” or “suits” do not make a person more or less empowered. Rather, our trademarked and registered brand implies these savvy and worldly women travel fluidly between continents, chasms, and communities AND serve as real-life role models for young girls and women. It has multiple meanings – East to West, woman to man, and the assimilation process reflected in attire occurs when women enter the workforce.
Saris to Suits ® is incorporated as a non-profit public charity, and exempt from federal tax under 501(C)3 Revenue Code, which means contributions are deductible under section 170 of the code.
