Our Story
Shardul and Supriya Mehta’s story is a masterclass in adaptation, creativity, connection, and community.
Shardul’s roots stretch from Syracuse, NY, to Mumbai, India, before he returned to the US for his undergraduate degree. Supriya spent her childhood in India before moving to the US to finish high school.
The two ultimately crossed paths at the University of Delaware, married, and embarked on a journey that took them to Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, and the Philadelphia metro area, before they finally settled in Loudoun County in 2006. Residents of Brambleton since 2010, they have raised two children here – a Virginia Tech alumnus now working in New York City and a high school senior heading to college this fall.
Though Shardul spent his career in tech, product management, and entrepreneurship, and Supriya dedicated hers to education – currently teaching middle school science for Loudoun County Public Schools – a shared passion for innovation and human connection eventually brought them both to improv.
For Shardul, a lifelong fan of comedy and theater, improv became a literal lifeline in 2019 as a way to navigate the profound grief of losing his father to cancer. He fell instantly in love with the art form. Intrigued by its impact, Supriya took an introductory class alongside him and immediately recognized the power of the practice, later integrating improv techniques into her own student teaching methods.
Since that first class, Shardul has performed on countless stages, appeared on podcasts, and played with indie improv teams like Soup Patrol, Sensual Orange, Last Call For Meat, Mehta & Kirkpatrick, and Tattoos Are Trashy, among many others. He’s organized many performances and shows across Northern Virginia, as large as over 120 audience members and 35+ performers.
In 2023, the couple partnered with Dan Brown of Reflex Improv to launch Loudoun Improv Comedy (LIC), teaching hundreds of Northern Virginia students over a successful two-year run. After a temporary pause to focus on major family milestones and professional demands, Shardul and Supriya are bringing their high-trust playground back to the community, rebooting the school with a 100% welcoming, zero-stress, joy-centered vision as Street Smart Improv Comedy.