Rikita is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from UC Davis in 2016 with degrees in economics and international relations. She previously worked as a finance management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the strategic partnerships manager at the Asante Africa Foundation. In early 2018, while conducting research-based fieldwork with a non-profit organization in rural India, Rikita learned firsthand the heightened development challenges rural communities face, particularly in regards to lack of access to markets, institutions, media, and education. Rikita plans to work in the rural education space after graduation, specifically in evaluating impact of rural access programs.