Ashwin Cheriyan

CEO and Co-Founder, Thistle

Ashwin has a B.A. in Economics from Brown University and a JD from The University of Texas School of Law.

Ashwin (Ash) Cheriyan was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age seven.

From a family of doctors, Ash’s earliest memories involve dinner table stories from his parents about patients facing chronic illnesses primarily related to diet and exercise. Their emphasis on dietary behavior change to reduce chronic illness risk sparked Ash’s lifelong curiosity about the connection between food and health.

After earning a B.A. in Economics from Brown University and a JD from The University of Texas School of Law, Ash practiced law for four years before co-founding Thistle with Shiri Avnery.