hi, i’m saniya.

it's pronounced /saan-ya/ :)

hey there! i’m a journalist turned researcher on a mission to tell stories that help people better understand blockchain tech, the web3 movement, and crypto in general. i also run proof of word (POW), a crypto writer’s collective.

when I’m not working to bring crypto to the mainstream, you will most likely find me on crypto twitter, lifting heavy weights at the gym, walking my 12-year-old dog Juna, volunteering at my local dog shelter, or working on my non-profit, aboli foundation. i also have a (not active enough) substack.

want to work together? i’m just an email away.

pronouns: she/her

my reporting:

Among the Adivasis (documentary)- Indigenous tribal people form the Adivasi community, whose members live all over South Asia in tiny pockets, generally in remote locations away from mainstream society. Among the Adivasis is a documentary I produced as my honors thesis at Syracuse University about the Adivasis and their way of life. Check out my initial reporting for the Bangkok Post on the Adivasis here.

Thai Enquirer: Honor, Marriage and the Old World- A long-form feature I wrote about Sana, a queer Pakistani-American woman who is forced into an arranged marriage and manages to escape.

The Stand: Change Maker- Syracuse is one of America's poorest cities, and its South Side area is rife with poverty and crime. The Stand is a community-based newspaper that aims to change and diversify the variety of stories published about the South Side. I worked as a special assignment reporter for a series The Stand did on how former prisoners and parolees transition back into society after jail-time. I wrote about Karen Loftin, a former prisoner and a woman of color living with HIV who has made it her mission to be a voice for those who can’t speak out for themselves. This story was picked up by the The Crime Report and republished on their website. It also won the Syracuse Press Club second place professional award in the Multimedia Story category.

Pratima Doobay: Hindu Priestess- An op-doc I produced at Columbia Journalism School about Pratima Doobay, a queer Hindu priestess who performs poojas (prayer ceremonies), officiates weddings and leads funerals.

Bangkok Post: Students stranded, shaken and alone- An article I wrote during COVID-19 about Thai students all over the world trying to return home.

Globalists- a digital news startup I co-founded at Syracuse University. Globalists aims to start conversations about global issues and tell student stories related to culture and diversity. As Editor-in-Chief, I led an executive board of 7 people. I oversaw all the editorial content on the website.