As a little girl, growing up in a suburb of Washington DC, Nalini Nadkarni was drawn towards climbing the maple trees in her yard. She was the only one among five siblings to attempt this. Treetops were her "place"— peaceful, fun and adventurous. "I loved to read books about women who were brave and independent, and who helped other people. Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie..." she says in an email interview from Utah.

Her father, Moreshwar Vithal Nadkarni hailed from Thane. He arrived in America in 1946 where he met Goldie in New York City. "I was their third daughter, with two younger brothers. Boys always seemed to be more valued. I think that shaped the way I behaved—I was a tomboy; I enjoyed sport and preferred to climb trees rather than play with dolls." It's ironic then that Nadkarni has one of the world's most famous dolls modelled after her.