On a recent client trip in New York City, I carved out time to sit down with Mamali Mohapatra, my former classmate and current COO of Almora Advisors. Over salad and salmon at Tavern on the Green, our conversation turned to Almora. As one of the founding members, Mamali has seen all of Almora’s highs and lows since the company was incorporated in November 2019.
Our discussion about the origination of Almora was rich with information that prospective clients, employees, and partners may be interested to hear. With Mamali’s permission, I’ve recorded our conversation below. Answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
How did you get involved with Almora?
During my final semester of grad school, Sandra [Cespedes-Allen] reached out to me about building out a strategic plan for a nonprofit. The organization approached her because they recognized the value of her nonprofit management master’s degree and experience in the sector. A few weeks later another nonprofit reached out to Sandra with a similar question. After several discovery calls, we realized it would be better for legal reasons to register a company.
So you were experiencing a demand for nonprofit consulting services and responded by registering a company?
Yes, exactly.
How did you decide on Almora as the name of the firm?
I was sitting with my husband in the living room when I got a text from a friend. She said she was in Almora, which is a district in the Uttarakhand state of India. I used to live in India and had a career in research. She asked me if I had the contact information for a local government organization. I didn’t have the answer, but the name stuck with me. After investigating the name further and talking to Sandra, we decided to name the company Almora.
What does Almora mean?
The name is derived from “kilmora,” which is a fruit found in the region. Almora is a beautiful place with amazing views of the Himalayas.
When researching the word, I found that people named Almora are characterized as trailblazers, researchers, and teachers. They are bold, independent, and inquisitive with a great sense of duty. It was exciting because these terms align with our client-centered model. We always aim to collaborate with our clients so we understand their perspective. We conduct a lot of research before meeting with them. We love our work and have a duty to our clients.
Did you consider other names?
We were thinking about a couple of other names, but Almora was the front-runner. There was a lot of discussion about whether the name should be “Almora Partners,” “Almora Associates,” or just “Almora”. We landed on Almora Advisors.
This month, Almora Advisors celebrates its two-year anniversary. We are grateful to Mamali for her many contributions to the firm and to her friend for the fortuitous text!