Monkey Mind was founded by Nali and Rudy, a Sri Lankan-American couple from Los Angeles, California. Nali was born in Virginia Beach to Sri Lankan immigrant parents, grew up in the multi-ethnic Sri Lankan city of Colombo, and has lived for the past 20 years in the brilliantly diverse city of Los Angeles. In her research, teaching, and travel as an anthropologist, Nali’s passion is to understand the resilience and adaptation of ancient traditions in a rapidly changing, globalized world—a passion that spurred her interest in preserving Sri Lankan handloom textile tradition.
Rudy moved to Los Angeles almost 10 years ago. A technologist by trade who teaches non-profits in the developing world how to use internet technologies, he has lately been pursuing his many personal interests and curiosities. These include medieval Sri Lankan art (from which many of the motifs in the Monkey Mind collection draw inspiration), fostering cultural exchange through small-scale, sustainable international trade, and dishing out delightful Asian curries and homemade pizza for his friends and family. Nali and Rudy share their life with their cat Sweetie.
