Tell us a little about yourself – your early days, where you were born, your schooling, college, your major, when you moved to the US, how you landed at your current role

I was born in New York City and grew up between the US and India. I finished high school in the US and then received my B.S. and M.S. in biostatistics from UNC – Chapel Hill. After getting my master’s degree and working in large pharmaceutical companies for some time, I sought other opportunities for learning. With exposure to South Asian Studies at Berkeley, I pursued another M.A. and Ph.D. focused on South Asian politics and applied statistics to the social sciences. While completing my dissertation, I had exposure to and developed incredible respect for community organizations fighting for basic rights for their children and families in India. That prompted my steps into the social sector. I worked at other non-profits, taught at Mills College and even worked at an early-stage start-up doing product development in India. Ultimately, just over 15 years ago I took a position at Room to Read to build out their corporate partnerships team. I progressed to be Chief of Development and Communications and about 6 years ago was named CEO. 

Have you drawn professional inspiration from others? Who/what inspired you to pursue your current career and why? 

My mother resisted the pressure to marry at 13 and built an illustrious career because of her pursuit of education. Seeing her resilience and work ethic helped me look past obstacles and envision possibilities. As I progressed in my professional career, I have been fortunate to find inspiration through my diverse relationships all over the world – entrepreneurs, academics, my team and partners who have worked across 24 countries, the children, educators and communities we serve. I am grateful to benefit from such a range of experiences and perspectives.  

What has been one of your biggest challenges as a leader?  

I have had numerous instances where my potential was underestimated due to bias – my gender, my age, my appearance, my background. While my work has spoken for itself over time, respect and dignified treatment were not always a given.  

How do you manage self doubt? How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?

I believe that confidence and resilience are built from experience – do the work, take on the challenges, build your skills, have the humility to learn from others, fail and fall – get up again. As I saw the opportunities that I could maximize through these actions, I began to see what I am capable of.  Other tools in my toolbox: compassion for myself and space to do the things and be with the people I love, networks of support that I can lean on for advice, opportunities for enrichment and joy.  

How do you balance career, personal life and passions? Is there such a thing as balance?

As a CEO, a spouse and a mother, finding space for what’s important is an ongoing process that requires intentionality, flexibility, and support from others. I am a big believer in setting boundaries and creating space for what is truly important to you. Defining what your non-negotiables are in life and making time for those experiences helps ensure and replenish a sense of fulfillment. I know that non-negotiables vary person by person and can even vary for the same person across the course of her or his life.  For me to be an effective leader, I knew it was important to find a portfolio of work that not only met material and basic needs but also challenged my thinking and fueled my soul. That’s what has kept me at Room to Read. 

As a leader, how do you stay mindful of who’s at the table and who’s missing?

It’s crucial that I stay mindful of who’s at the table and who’s missing to ensure we are fostering inclusivity and diversity, as that is what leads to effective decision-making for our global organization like ours. We have a diverse leadership team that is representative of our global operations. Our senior leadership team consists of 66% women and 50% BIPOC and our Global Board is 45% women and 45% BIPOC. These teams meet regularly and collaborate on cross-functional and cross-market initiatives that best serve our mission. I know that my people can lead from any seat and any one of us can develop the qualities needed to be an effective leader. I never underestimate the talent people are dedicating to our mission and always moved by the way the teams show up to serve our mission – from Tanzania to India to Cambodia and beyond – our team members experiences and perspectives strengthen our core business and impact. 

Have you been in a leadership position where the experience was very different than you anticipated? What did you learn? Were there unexpected benefits or unintended consequences?

Leading the organization during 2020 and through the global pandemic required agility from both a leadership and programming perspective given the widespread challenges. We had to adapt our program and pivot to reach children where they were, given school closures. We retained human connectivity through several delivery mechanisms including broadcasting lessons and read-alouds via radio and TV, physically delivering books and learning materials (by boat, camel or whatever means possible) and using SMS text messaging to support girls who were most at risk of not returning to the classroom. We had to shift our thinking about our strategies, operations, and approach to delivering education. The innovations introduced during the pandemic have proven vital to our programming today as we continue to scale and expand our programming. During this time, as a leader, I had to evoke an even greater sense of compassion and empathy for not only myself but also our global workforce. My colleagues depended on me for guidance so that we could continue to deliver our programming. We had to make tough decisions to deliver on our mission while keeping our staff safe, but ultimately, we persevered and emerged from the pandemic as a stronger management team and a more sustainable organization for the future.  

How important is it to have a mentor and/or sponsor to grow as a leader?

Like anything else, when we see role models that have achieved similar goals to those we set for ourselves, we are more likely to believe in those possibilities – role models and mentors can be life-changing. Similarly sponsors who open doors for us and advocate for us can transform our life trajectories. I am grateful for the mentors and sponsors who have seen and cultivated my talent, especially later in my career. That said, I took many risks early in my career without seeing someone ahead of me. There are nowhere near as many mentors and sponsors as we need to ensure equitable access to opportunity, so my advice is to resist waiting for a mentor or sponsor to come along – if you see a path to your aspirations take whatever steps you possibly can. 

What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of young women entering the workforce?

Individuals define success differently. Perhaps based on your early life experiences, you think money, power, or your level in an organization are the primary indications of success. If you are fortunate to have diverse life experiences and have learned from different perspectives, you may realize that money or power independent of personal development, learning and strong relationships – can limit your life. I would advise the next generation to spend time developing self-awareness to know what fulfills you and to do the work that replenishes that sense of fulfillment on an ongoing basis. At this stage in my career, being an example that I can be proud of – to my team, to our partners, to my children, to the children we serve – that fulfills me. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A difficult situation is very rarely as bad as you think. You’ll get further and typically feel better by taking informed steps to diffuse the situation, rather than dwelling in fear. 

What is the most interesting or unusual job you’ve ever had?

I don’t know about the most unusual but certainly my favorite: For my first job outside babysitting, I worked as a cashier at a pizza shop at the age of 16. I chatted with the amazing Lebanese family who owned it throughout the day, as I rang people up and bussed tables. And to help me forget I was tired, I got to take home a dessert pizza made by the most delightful Lebanese grandma every night! 

What was the last gift you gave someone?

A book 

Your biggest pet peeve

Feeling stuck in a situation that I don’t like 

Yoga & Chai or Zumba & Iced Tea?

Chai and Zumba😊

What is your favorite hobby?

Reading/watching crime drama and dancing

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?

Finland to see the northern lights (and Santa Claus’ village!) 

If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If I could eat it every day with no calorie count?! Poori Masala, South Indian style😊

What Neythri means to you

Being a member of Neythri means investing in, partnering with and benefiting from a community of successful and compassionate women who I can always lean on for guidance and support. Collectively, we celebrate and cultivate talent, belonging and achievement in each other and, most importantly, in the next generation.