Find Your Cause: Kalpana Bhandarkar Reflects on her Journey in Healthcare and Civic Engagement

“My message to young professionals looking to give back is First, figure out what you’re passionate about.  What in your lived experience or professional experience helps drive your passion?  Where do you see unmet need or injustices that you want to contribute to?  What level of commitment do you want to have?” Today’s woman dreamer, Kalpana Bhandarkar, is the Principal of Spring Bhee Advisory and Co-Chair of the Board of  Erase Racism. In this interview with Women Who Win for our “Women in Philanthropy” series with Akshaya Patra USA, Kalpana shares how she aims to empower communities through her work, why the Akshaya Patra cause resonates with her, and her crucial advice to young professionals seeking to give back. 

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Zu Mantra: Student Entrepreneur Marvi Ali Shares Her Passion for Empowering People Through Financial Independence and Philanthropy

“ I strongly believe in the importance and power of education. This is a core value of the work I do with both ZuMantra and TheSmartGirls. This is a core belief that is shared by Akshaya Patra. As a small business owner, I find Akshaya Patra’s scale and reach across India to be deeply impressive.” Today’s woman dreamer, Marvi Ali, is a student at Vanderbilt University and has been a social entrepreneur since the age of 11. Her venture, ZuMantra, helps women artisans from rural parts of India and Pakistan become empowered through financial independence. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win for our “Women in Philanthropy” series with Akshaya Patra USA, Marvi reflects on her journey as a young founder and the power of education is propelling rural communities forward.

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Sheroes Unplugged: Former Chief Medical Officer of Biogen Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan Shares Her Story

We are honored to share a special interview with Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan. Most recently, Maha was the Chief Medical Officer at Biogen and prior to that was a Vice President in Sanofi. She is a trailblazer to know in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. In an inspiring conversation with Women Who Win Co-Founder Shaleen Sheth, Maha reflects on her journey transitioning from her role as a physician to the pharmaceutical space, her early journey as Medical student in Russia, and the digital innovation in healthcare she is most excited about. Celebrate Maha’s story with us!

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A Technologist by Trade and Author by Heart: Parveen Minocha Shares Her Mission to Educate Kids about Their Culture and Language

“As immigrant parents, we hope for our kids to learn the native language. With this in mind, I am keen on writing bilingual books. Under my creative company, Noetic Nook, I have written other books, poems, and even songs! “ A technologist by trade, Parveen Minocha is currently working at Oracle Retail, building Cloud Services for retailers. She is also an Indian-American writer, and she founded ‘Noetic Nook’ to pursue her passion for creative writing and to bring harmony between English and Hindi with her creations. She brings a unique perspective to her writing, infusing it with vivid imagery and thought-provoking ideas. In her Women Who Win interview, she reflects on her journey growing up in India, the inspiration behind ‘Chumbak’, a children’s poetry book in Hindi with English translations, and her passionate community work with Ekal Vidyalaya. Enjoy!

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Sports Pioneer and Soccer Player Madiha Naz Jakhro Reflects on Why Play is Just as Important as Work

“I am part of a community where girls traditionally live lives defined by boundaries. Now my aim is to encourage more generations of amazing children. I need to empower every girl in my community.” Today’s dreamer is Madiha Naz Jakhro, Pakistan’s FIFA World Cup representative and a trailblazer for girls’ right to play sports in her country. While maintaining an incredibly successful football career, Jakhro also founded the Al-Mehran Women Academy in Thatta, Pakistan. She hopes to pioneer a culture where sports are inculcated in women at a young age, and the academy is a stepping stone towards that. She’s also the head coach at Right to Play, an organization that emphasizes the importance of sports and play in childhood development. Read her take on why playing sports is about more than just the game!

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Women's Health Wednesday: Director at Astrazeneca Aarti Sawant Reflects on Rewarding Career Journey in Pharmacology

“Leadership is not about titles, its about positively impacting your teams’ goals and helping your organization/s bring out the best in yourself and others. Whenever opportunity arises, practice giving back.” Born and raised in Mumbai. today’s woman dreamer, Aarti Sawant, is a Director at Astrazeneca, and has extensive pharmacology experience, previously at Pfizer for 15 years. In her Women Who Win interview, Aarti reflects on her journey, including how her grandfather’s health challenges inspired her early interest in healthcare, essential leadership advice, the empowered women she admires, and her next big dream to start a non-profit organization for a rare subtype of Parkinson disease called PSP (Parasupranuclear palsy) in memory of her father. An inspiring woman to watch in healthcare, we are excited to share her story for Women’s Health Wednesday!

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From AI to ESG: Cummins India Communications Leader Abhilasha Shukla Shares Essentials of Creating Compelling Narratives

“The synergy of human creativity and AI-powered tools is unlocking new possibilities in brand storytelling". Today’s woman dreamer, Abhilasha Shukla, Communications Leader at Cummins India, is a passionate storyteller. Born in Kanpur and having grown up Lucknow, her penchant for communication blossomed during her early years when she started submitting articles to The Times of India’s city edition. In this interview with Women Who Win, she shares her career journey, a day in her life as a communications leader, and the five key trends everyone must know in crafting their brand’s story. Enjoy!

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Chief of Optometry at Atrius Health Dr. Vandhana Sharda Reflects on Her Healthcare Leadership Journey

“After learning about the human body, the complexity of the eye, and understanding how important the sense of sight is in how we navigate the world, I found myself in optometry.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Vandhana Sharda is the Chief of Optometry at Atrius Health. For Women’s Health Wednesday, she reflects on her healthcare journey, from starting in academia to learning how to navigate leadership. She details the importance of eye screenings and tests for diabetes patience, and shares key advice on how we can protect our eyes when using digital screens. Enjoy her inspiring story!

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Reaching Your Family's Financial Goals: Preeti Tandon Shares Her Rewarding Journey in Private Banking at J.P. Morgan

“My next big dream is to empower women with financial literacy and independence. As a divorced mother of two, I understand firsthand the importance of financial knowledge, particularly for women who may have traditionally played a more passive role in managing household finances.” With nearly 25 years of experience and expertise, today’s woman dreamer, Preeti Tandon is Vice President - Private Banking at J.P Morgan, where she works closely with individuals, entrepreneurs and families to help them plan for the financial futures they desire. In her Women Who Win interview, Preeti reflects on her career journey, from growing up in Mumbai to the Big 4 Accounting World and eventually realizing her passion for working with people and families. She shares key advice for the 2024 market, and what you should know about sustainable investing. Enjoy her story!

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From Pediatrics to Pfizer: Dr. Jyoti Ramakrishna Reflects on Her Journey and Overcoming Obstacles

“When I was recruited as Chief of Pediatric GI at the Tufts Floating Hospital for Children, it was indeed a proud moment; I broke the glass ceiling as a woman serving as chief of my specialty in the Boston area.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Jyoti Ramakrishna is a renowned pediatrician. In her Women Who Win interview, she reflects on how she overcame obstacles such as gender biases in her professional journey, navigating her mid-career switch from pediatric gastroenterology to Pfizer, advice for families on selecting the right pediatrician, and the women in her life that made her who she is today. She writes, “I have come across many strong women over the years. Especially I have 2 aunts, one on each side of the family, who have always been there for me ever since I lost my mother. One is a PhD and the other an MD. Both my grandmothers were also very strong women. Any time I feel like complaining about my life I think of my grandmothers and kick myself.” We are excited to share her story for Women’s Health Wednesday!

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Women in Tech: Vaneela Khatri Reflects on Making History as the Youngest Member of BNY Mellon's Tech Team

“I decided to learn about the C coding language from YouTube. I fell in love with it and decided to be a software developer one day. Today’s woman dreamer, Vaneeli Khatri is a passionate technologist with a mission to mentor and empower other women in technology. She shares her journey from first learning how to code to becoming the youngest member of BNY’s technology team. She also reflects on her role as a mentor for Anita B, and the importance of being confident in yourself and your abilities as you navigate gender biases and inequity. Enjoy her story!

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“Dance is a Way of Life” Mouli Pal Reflects on Her Journey in Sharing Odissi Dance Across Boston

“I have been teaching and performing for over two decades but believe that I am yet to achieve the vision I have of myself as a dancer. This makes my journey truly exciting!” Today’s woman dreamer, Mouli Pal is a talented Odissi dancer, a captivating performer, dedicated teacher, choreographer and cultural ambassador. She has received several awards and grants from Mass Cultural Council and New England Foundation for Arts. In her Women Who Win story, she shares her passion for bringing the beauty of Odissi to Boston, taking inspiration from the nature surrounding her, and her next big dream!

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"Dance for a Cause': Ekta Jain Shares Journey in Creating Her Dance Academy and Passion for Community Service

“I believe in ‘Community First’ philosophy and promote ‘Dance for a cause’. Anyone can dance but it’s meaningless if it does not bring true happiness and wellbeing around us.” Today’s woman dreamer, Ekta Jain, is the founder of Ekta Dance Academy. From kathak to bollywood, salsa to hip-hop, Ekta has been a passionate dancer for many years. Outside of her dance career, she embodies a “community-first” mindset, actively working with numerous community organizations like ISW, SEWA, and more. As we enter the season of giving, we are excited to share her inspiring story!

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The Key to Success in a Fast-Paced Business: Managing Director of “MeJuvante” Ankita Rishabh Shares Her Leadership Journey

“Never say never to continuous learning, this is the key to stay ahead in this fast paced business environment.” Ankita Rishabh is Managing Director at MeJuvante, an Indo-German Company that actively supports the India-EU Business Corridor. She is recognized as one of the top three women in HR and is a champion for diversity and inclusion. In her interview with Women Who Win, she shares her leadership journey as a Managing Director, how her academic background at Bangalor University influenced her career, and how a willingness to learn is crucial to success in a fast-paced venture. Enjoy!

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Empowerment Through Education: Irum Kousar Shares Unconventional and Resilient Journey and Mission to Educate Young Girls

“Growing up in a rural area where girls' education was not widely encouraged, my journey to becoming an Academic Writer and Educator was far from conventional.” Today’s woman dreamer, Irum Kousar is an academic writer and educator based in Pakistan, with a passion for educating and empowering women. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win, Irum was determined to pursue education and academia. She shares her unconventional and persistant journey, her mission to educate young girls, and her education methodology. She writes, “Education is a transformative force that can break through barriers and create opportunities. Education is a tool that empowers individuals to shape their destinies, and by embodying this belief, you'll inspire your students to believe the same.”

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The Value of Hard-Earned Money: Jessica Shah Shares Journey in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Akshaya Patra

“Always talk to the people in your life, especially your elders. Listen to their stories, and learn from their experiences.” Today’s woman dreamer, Jessica Shah is an NYC based finance professional and entrepreneur, with a passion for philanthropy and giving back. In her inspiring Women Who Win interview, she shares the key lessons she learned from her parents journey, and how she applies them in her finance career, her venture Komenci, and in her philanthropic work with Akshaya Patra’s Young Professionals. Check out her story!

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