Simrit Kamboe: Sevā and Community

Simrit Kamboe grew up in a farming town and his ancestral rural village in northern India, near the border with Pakistan. From those beginnings, he built an international career that took him from Norway to California and into consulting, private equity, startups, and enterprise technology. Today, he works as an Enterprise Architect helping organizations improve the recyclability of consumer packaging. Throughout his journey there has been a consistent thread of service, responsibility, and stewardship that has guided him along the way.

Simrit described growing up in a culture where helping others was expected. As a member of the Sikh community, he was raised with the concept of Sevā, which he described as doing good for others without expecting anything in return. For him, service is not limited to financial donations. Time and physical participation matter as much as money.

That philosophy led him and his wife to create a practical way to teach service to their children. Drawing from the Sikh tradition of giving ten percent, Simrit adapted the idea into what he calls a ten percent rule for time. If a standard work week is forty hours, then ten percent is four hours. As a family, they committed to contributing that time to community service.

About fifteen years ago, they began helping organize a food program for unhoused individuals in the San Jose area. Working through their Sikh temple community, families contribute food, volunteers prepare meals, and students help distribute them. Simrit shared that his children have been participating since they were five years old. The goal was not simply to provide meals. It was to demonstrate through action that every person deserves dignity and care.

Simrit also founded a volunteer security group at the Sunday School of San Jose Sikh Gurdwara temple, drawing on a tradition of protecting the vulnerable. He shared that, in addition to mentoring members of his Sikh community, the program became popular with other nonprofits, schools, and houses of worship. His volunteer work also includes managing public-safety grants, and in 2019 the Sikh Gurdwara of San Jose received a federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program award to support security.

Simrit explained that once basic needs are met, people are better positioned to rebuild their lives. He spoke about the impact of seeing community members from all walks of life, including wealthy individuals, volunteering their time and labor alongside everyone else. The example itself becomes a lesson in responsibility, dignity, and contribution.

Earlier this year, Simrit took his family to Norway, where he had lived and worked early in his career. His children noticed differences immediately. They observed how people interacted with one another, how public services operated, and how families were supported through policies such as parental leave and education. The experience became an opportunity to discuss how societies invest in people and how those investments can influence both quality of life and long-term prosperity.

Simrit believes organizations perform better when leaders recognize the human side of business. Employee wellbeing, trust, fairness, and empathy contribute to retention, productivity, and long-term success. At the same time, he expressed concern about what he sees as a challenging period for many organizations. Economic pressures, layoffs, and rapid advances in AI have created uncertainty, which can increase fear and corporate politics rather than collaboration.

Recently Simrit spent time reflecting on what kind of organization he wanted to join next. Rather than simply searching for another role, he looked for work aligned with a larger purpose. He ultimately joined a company focused on improving recyclability and reducing packaging waste. The mission resonated with his growing interest in helping large corporations become responsible stewards of both communities and the environment.

“If you’re physically helping people with the community, that is considered even better than just giving money.”

Simrit Kamboe's story is one of service, stewardship, and a belief that progress happens when individuals, communities, and organizations take responsibility for helping one another. Keep an eye out for more interviews.