Before starting Wellnest, Pooja worked in the fashion industry in NYC for 10 years. While selling apparel and accessory brands to wholesalers had its perks, playing a hand in overconsumption felt contradictory to her minimalist philosophy. Growing up, Pooja was raised in an organized household where moments and experiences were far treasured over things - she knew how to create efficient systems as just a kid - and while that was always at the core of who she was, somehow, her career strayed as far as it could from it.

Stuck in the hustle and bustle of NYC, it wasn't until the pause of the pandemic that Pooja left NYC and fashion altogether, and moved to Chicago to press reset. She and her now husband, bought their first home together in Wicker Park, and Pooja organized every space with streamlined and beautiful systems, completely customized to their new lifestyle together. It was then she grasped the scope of her talent and her life's calling. And so Wellnest was born in 2021 to transform people's lives by organizing their homes.

After working with several different Assistant Organizers, Pooja was lucky enough to meet Sydney. Right from the get go, Pooja recognized her expertise for solutions and organization. They worked together seamlessly, complemented each other's skill sets, all while growing an unexpected friendship. Finally in 2024, Sydney decided to join Pooja at Wellnest as a partner.

Off duty, Pooja is a mom to her son and a wife to her best friend. She loves going on coffee dates all over Chicago with her husband, and soaking up the moments with her little one.

Sydney earned her degree in Gerontology before embarking on a career in long-term care administration, as a licensed nursing home administrator. Her experience was invaluable, garnering skills in management, operations, and creating environments that prioritize functionality and person-centered care. Throughout her professional journey, organization was always at the forefront. Whether it was streamlining processes in nursing homes or creating systems for clients in her spare time, she had always found joy and success in bringing order to complex environments.

While working full time at the nursing home, Sydney decided to lean into this talent and reach out to professional organizers. She and Pooja found each other on social media when Pooja first founded Wellnest, and started working with her on projects as an Assistant Organizer. It didn't take long for them to realize how well they worked together; a yin and yang collaboration from the get go. After a few years of organizing together, Sydney took the leap of quitting her 9-5, to join forces with Pooja as equal partners at Wellnest.

When she’s not organizing, you can find Sydney spending time with her fiance, family, and dog Autumn at their cottage in Michigan, exploring Chicago’s neighborhoods, or trying out new gluten free recipes.