Deepa Balepur, co-founder of Compass Real Estate, LLC, is a first generation immigrant story, a story of humble beginnings. She moved to the United States in the early nineties from India, started her family, pursued her career and business and today, Lancaster County is home. She thanks the Lancaster community at large for creating such a warm and supportive environment. To her, the real joy of celebrating one’s culture and heritage is to share it with others. Under her leadership, the Indian Organization of Lancaster County was formed and continues to flourish.

In addition, she values her involvement with various accomplished boards which has helped her gain a more profound understanding of our society — its strengths and weaknesses. Deepa is passionate about organizing and participating in initiatives that unite everyone. She strongly believes that businesses can play a key role in nurturing inclusivity by employing a diverse workforce, including in key leadership positions, recruiting advisory board members from different backgrounds who will provide varied and valuable perspectives, and supporting global experiences in various ways — by offering financial support, encouraging employees to attend and creating a workplace culture of open-mindedness to celebrate differences. “Easier said than done” she says “but it won’t get done unless we each start doing. Every small step will go a long way. We owe it to ourselves and the community we live in to educate ourselves about the diverse groups that are a part of our society. This will enable us to have respectful and productive conversations followed by constructive actions.”

Her success mantra – “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi