Nikita Khandheria

Timeline

1. The Early Years

   Ages 13–15

   Building Opportunity in Rural India

   Nikita's entrepreneurial journey didn't begin with a business—it began with service.

   Beginning at 13 years old, she spent time in rural India helping establish two nonprofit health clinics in villages with limited access to healthcare. While the clinics addressed immediate medical needs, she quickly realized that healthcare alone wasn't enough to create lasting change.

   The biggest challenge wasn't medicine—it was economic independence.

   Instead of simply providing resources, Nikita helped develop programs focused on teaching women how to become financially independent. She partnered with agricultural specialists who trained local women in modern farming and fertilizer techniques, allowing them to grow higher-value crops that could be sold for income.

   To ensure the program would continue long after volunteers left, she negotiated an exclusive purchasing agreement for the crops being produced, transforming what could have been a charitable initiative into a sustainable local economy.

   One of the organizations involved in those early projects would eventually change the course of Nikita's own life. Years later, after seeing her work firsthand, they became one of the investors who helped finance her first restaurant venture in California.

   The relationship eventually came full circle. After opening their own restaurant, Nikita invited them to expand into Sausalito, reconnecting the partnership that had first started in a small village thousands of miles away.

   Those experiences taught her something that still guides ERIA today:

   The greatest impact comes from creating systems that allow people to succeed long after you're gone.

   

2. Dependency Law

   Ages 15–17

   Founded in High School

   Inspired by her experiences working with underserved communities, Nikita founded Dependency Law while still in high school.

   The nonprofit focused on educating families and young people navigating the dependency court system, helping make legal resources and information more accessible.

   Running the organization introduced her to fundraising, public speaking, leadership, nonprofit management, and community advocacy—skills that would later become invaluable as an entrepreneur.

   More importantly, it gave her confidence that she could build organizations from the ground up.

   

3. Education

   University of St Andrews

   St Andrews, Scotland

   Nikita began her university education at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

   Studying internationally exposed her to different cultures, leadership styles, and ways of thinking while reinforcing her curiosity about entrepreneurship and business.

   Living abroad also fueled her love for travel, hospitality, and creating experiences that bring people together.

   

   William & Mary

   Nikita later completed her education at William & Mary, graduating in 2024.

   Unlike many students, she wasn't waiting until graduation to begin her career.

   Throughout college she balanced academics while simultaneously building companies, learning lessons through real-world experience that couldn't be taught in a classroom.

   

4. Learning Through Business

   Ditas

   Hospitality wasn't originally the destination.

   It was the classroom.

   Ditas gave Nikita her first opportunity to truly understand operations, staffing, customer experience, branding, finance, and what it takes to build a memorable business.

   Although she discovered that the traditional restaurant business wasn't where she wanted to spend her career, it confirmed something even more important:

   She loved creating experiences.

   The restaurant wasn't the end goal—it was the foundation for everything that came next.

   

   Laundromats

   After Ditas became profitable, Nikita used her first distributions to purchase laundromat businesses.

   To many people, it seemed like an unusual transition.

   To Nikita, it was another opportunity to learn an entirely different business model while building long-term equity.

   Managing service businesses taught her operational efficiency, systems, cash flow, and the value of recurring revenue.

   When the time was right, she sold the laundromats to fund her next acquisition.

   

   Judy's Breadsticks

   In September 2024, Nikita acquired Judy's Breadsticks using the proceeds from selling the laundromats.

   The business introduced her to an entirely new industry—consumer packaged goods.

   Rather than serving guests one meal at a time, she learned manufacturing, food production, wholesale distribution, retail partnerships, logistics, and scaling a consumer brand.

   In December 2025, she sold Judy's Breadsticks.

   The proceeds from that sale allowed her to complete the buyout of ERIA's investors, making the company fully founder-owned.

   For Nikita, Judy's wasn't simply another business.

   It represented another lesson—and another stepping stone toward the company she ultimately wanted to build.

   

5. Building ERIA

   January 2025

   ERIA Sausalito

   In January 2025, Nikita acquired the iconic waterfront property that would become ERIA Sausalito.

   The upstairs had previously operated as Ondine, while the downstairs was home to The Trident.

   Rather than reopening another traditional event venue, Nikita envisioned something entirely different.

   ERIA would become a hospitality company built around unforgettable experiences.

   Today, ERIA Sausalito hosts luxury weddings, proposals, corporate retreats, nonprofit galas, product launches, milestone celebrations, and destination events overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

   

   January 2026

   ERIA Corte Madera

   The following year, ERIA expanded into luxury accommodations with the acquisition of a waterfront estate in Corte Madera.

   The property became home to ERIA Stay, offering luxury vacation rentals, executive retreats, wellness escapes, concierge services, and intimate private experiences minutes from San Francisco, Sausalito, and Napa Valley.

   

   2026

   ERIA Marina

   Only months later, Nikita acquired ERIA Marina.

   The venue was transformed in less than a month into one of San Francisco's premier waterfront venues for conferences, corporate events, offsites, networking events, and product launches.

   Today it welcomes everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies looking for hospitality-first event experiences.

   

6. Today

   Nikita now leads ERIA, a growing hospitality company focused on creating unforgettable experiences through luxury weddings, corporate events, experiential marketing, private celebrations, destination stays, and waterfront venues throughout California.

   Looking Ahead

   Her vision extends far beyond venues.

   She hopes to build one of the country's most respected hospitality brands—one known not just for beautiful spaces, but for making every experience feel extraordinary.