For our family, Mercer Island isn’t just where we live—it’s where our lives finally settled into place. After years of moves shaped by education, careers, and opportunity, we arrived on the island in 2020 and found the sense of community we didn’t know we were missing.

Before Mercer Island, we spent 14 years in West Seattle near the Alaska Junction. I, Rajiv Mashruwala, grew up in Houston, Texas, where my parents—who immigrated to the U.S. from India—met while completing their post-graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin. I later earned my undergraduate degree from Cornell, followed by an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, before joining Amazon.

My wife, Mary Anne Mashruwala, was born in New York and raised in South Carolina. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and went on to complete her PhD in Molecular Pathology at the University of Texas at Houston. Today, she works remotely as a patent agent for a biotech company. We have three kids: Zane is 15 and a 10th grader at Mercer Island High School, where he’s part of the drum line; Caden is 13 and in 8th grade at Hamlin Robinson School and will attend MIHS in the fall; and Maya is 10 and a 5th grader at West Mercer Elementary. Maya stays busy with gymnastics, soccer, and band, and at school she serves on safety patrol and as a peer mediator. We also have a COVID puppy—Penny, our five-year-old mini Goldendoodle.

Professionally, I spent 15 years at Amazon in a wide range of leadership roles before leaving to start a local indoor air quality and mold remediation business, Green Home Solutions. I launched the business with my longtime friend and former Amazon colleague, Karthik Anbalagan, who also lives on Mercer Island just a few minutes away.

With three kids and full calendars, there’s rarely a dull moment in our house. Maya’s outgoing personality has connected us to many families on the island, and Mary Anne’s organizational skills keep everything running smoothly.

Hamlin Robinson School has played an important role in our family’s journey. Both boys attended Hamlin, and when Zane transitioned from 8th to 9th grade, we weren’t sure how the move back into a large public high school would go. We’ve been really pleased to see him thrive at MIHS, and one pleasant surprise has been how much flexibility and support are simply part of the school’s everyday culture.

On a personal level, I’ve always enjoyed learning new things and diving into unfamiliar problem spaces. That curiosity made Amazon a great fit for many years—I held 12 different roles over 15 years. Eventually, that same drive pushed me toward entrepreneurship, which led Karthik and me to explore franchise opportunities and ultimately start Green Home Solutions.

Outside of work, I’m an avid golfer. Jefferson Park is my home course and still my favorite place to reset when I can sneak out for a round.

What surprised us most about Mercer Island is how connected it feels. There’s a natural overlap across schools, sports, and shared spaces that makes a community of about 25,000 people feel much smaller.

One small moment early on really captured that spirit. Mercer Island has a tradition where 5th graders receive a hoodie with their graduation year and everyone’s names on it as they head toward middle school. Even though Zane wasn’t attending an island elementary school at the time—and we had no idea the tradition even existed—the organizers somehow found us. We honestly thought it was a prank when the hoodie showed up, but his name was on it.

As a family, our weekends usually revolve around the kids’ sports, social plans, and whatever downtime we can carve out. Dinners out are something we all enjoy—agreeing on the restaurant is the challenge.

We don’t have a single favorite vacation. Hawaii is always a hit. We’ve done a few cruises that turned out to be surprisingly great with three kids, and more recently, we’ve started skiing together as a family, including the occasional Whistler trip when we want to make a weekend of it.

I’m the main sports fan in the house, following the Seahawks, Kraken, University of Michigan, and the Mariners—unless they’re playing the Astros. Growing up in Houston means I can’t quite give them up, even with all the controversy. As for food, I was raised on chain restaurants, which is probably very un-Seattle-like, and if you name a chain, I probably enjoy it.

Giving back is important to us. Mary Anne volunteers in different ways at the kids’ schools, and Green Home Solutions sponsors the Mercer Island girls’ basketball team. I also stay involved through mentoring when former colleagues reach out during career transitions.

One last fun fact: Mary Anne and I first met in 2002 at a rodeo in Houston, and we’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary on New Year’s Eve 2025. While we’re not a multi-generation Mercer Island family, we’ve worked hard to put down roots and truly feel connected here.