about me

Hi, I'm Syeda —

Pakistani-American writer, Jersey City native (I take the 201 very seriously), and one of the few people whose job description genuinely includes "interviewed an anal botox expert."

I've spent 7+ years covering sex & relationships, health & wellness, culture, and identity for publications including The Cut, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Playboy, Refinery29, HuffPost, and more. I hold a Master's in Journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and dual Bachelor's degrees in English and Journalism & Media Studies from Rutgers — plus a Creative Writing certificate and, yes, an ABS certification in public information sexology.

My reporting goes beyond the page. I created, wrote, and hosted a two-part sexual wellness series for NowThis, covering everything from sex myths to masturbation — because some conversations are better had out loud.

I'm also a builder. As Assistant Managing Editor at Business Insider, I ran a fellowship program placing 65-80 fellows per cycle, created their professional development curriculum, and launched a mid-career fellowship for journalists displaced by humanitarian crises. I later designed the inaugural fellowship at The Pivot Fund, a nonprofit supporting BIPOC newsrooms in Georgia. DEI isn't a line on my resume — it's woven into everything I make.

I'm also the founder of Brown Lotus, a sexual wellness platform created specifically for South Asian women — because we've been missing from this conversation for too long.

If you're here for the bylines, the consulting work, or just to finally read something written for you — welcome.