Originally from India, Brinda was raised in a family and community infused with a lively constellation of views, from agnosticism and atheism to Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Parsee, and Protestant perspectives. She has researched secular Muslim families, and is married to a man with deep Jewish roots.
Brinda trained as a social scientist at the University of Cambridge, and works as a strategic consultant in California. Today, she uses behavioral research and foresight to help global change makers and organizations innovate, and to create new technologies and services in domains such as health and well- being, clean technology, and education.