Be Intentional in Your Life - Bright Horizons Co-Founder and Boston Foundation Chair Linda Mason Reflects on Her Life’s Journey
“I hope that all people can be empowered to follow the path they want and to be the fullest version of themselves.” Today’s woman dreamer, Linda Mason, is the Chair of Boston Foundation and Co-founder of Bright Horizons, the largest world-wide provider of worksite childcare, early education, and education advising. A true trailblazer, she has been recognized as one of Business Week’s “Best Entrepreneurs,” and in Working Mother Magazine’s “25 most influential working mothers in America.” In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win, Linda reflects on her journey and what made her the woman she is today (did you know she was a classical pianist?), and her philanthropic mission. Enjoy her story.
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Paper City Coffee: How This Community Coffee Shop is Mentoring Underserved Youth
“Be who you needed when you were younger”. Today’s woman dreamer, Anna Purpero is the founder of Paper City Coffee shop with a mission to host and fund the Paper City Mentoring Project, a program which has been supporting teenagers from challenging backgrounds. In this inspiring interview with Global Health Contributor Priya Dharampuriya, they discuss how Anna’s personal journey inspired this powerful venture, how it has grown, and ways to get involved.
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Asian University for Women: A Powerful Conversation with Jack Meyer (Chairman Emeritus Board of Directors - AUW Support Foundation) on Women's Education
“We want young women who will change the world - movers & shakers. We wanted to send the message that women’s education is to be valued.” We are honored to share a powerful conversation with Mr. Jack Meyer. Mr. Jack R. Meyer, Former President and CEO of Harvard Management Company, Chairman Emeritus, Board of Directors of Asian University for Women (AUW) Support Foundation; He speaks on “Women’s Education in Developing Nations”, as the “Silver Bullet” that treats everything. And also the terrific job done by Mr. Kamal Ahmed (Founder of AUW), AUW, the US military, US Universities, and several other groups who have come together to help and continue to help the 148 Afghan female young students who left Kabul in Aug 2021 to re-settle in the US. Mr. Meyer has managed Harvard University’s endowment for over 15 years and the Rockefeller Foundation’s endowment . In this powerful and thought-provoking conversation with Women Who Win host Anita Chitnis, they discuss AUW’s mission, women’s global education, and how we can get involved!
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Denella J. Clark Shares Her Leadership Journey: Boston Arts Academy Foundation, Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, and the Need for Advocacy
“I am the first Black woman to chair the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of women in its history.” Today’s woman dreamer Denella J Clark is the President of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation. A proud Jamaican Immigrant and female activist, Denella started her career in the fashion world, studying at FIT, before she discovered her passion for nonprofits. She believes strongly that all young people must be given the opportunities they deserve to live the life they imagine. She states, “The biggest thing I have learned is that the things you would expect in 2022 to be laws are NOT laws. I see a space where I can advocate for change, for laws that protect all people – women in particular.” A multi-faceted leader, Denella is a true “Women Who Win! Enjoy her story!
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Last Wilderness Foundation Director Vidya Venkatesh is Leading the Way in India's Wildlife Conservation
I believe each of us on this planet have an inherent love for nature from the time we're born. I'm yet to come across anyone who doesn't like nature, that's how powerful nature is! It's only a matter of time that we all get to give back something to nature. Today’s woman dreamer, Vidya Venkatesh, is the Director of the Last Wilderness Foundation, an organization leading the way for India’s wildlife conservation. A passionate environmentalist, Vidya shares the most rewarding projects she has worked on, her advice to other women interested in the field, and her dream for India to emerge as a knowledge partner to the rest of the world in the field of Human-Wildlife Coexistence practices. Enjoy her inspiring story!
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Creating Change - Boston Nonprofit Leader Ajita Bhat Shares Key Lessons from Akshaya Patra Foundation and More
“Women empowerment happens when one can become stronger and more confident in their own life. It could also mean helping others to become stronger either mentally, socially, or economically.” Today’s woman dreamer, Ajita Bhat, has been working with NGOs for over 30 years, and is currently the Co-Chair of Akshaya Patra Foundation Boston Chapter, and is the President of Chinmaya Mission Boston temples. She reflects on her journey with these empowering organizations and shares her top tips to women looking to get involved in nonprofits and leadership. A true changemaker - we are excited to share her story!
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Boston's First Haitian American City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune Shares Her Powerful Journey and Vision for the City
“Women belong everywhere, including in city politics. Women are close to the issues that matter most to working families. I’m proud to be part of a City Council that is a majority woman and to be leading alongside Boston’s first elected woman mayor of color. “ Today’s woman dreamer, Ruthzee Louijeune is the first Haitian-American City Councilor of Boston. Born in Boston to two working class immigrants, Ruthzee’s first ever job was at the age of 14, giving historical walking tours of Boston and she served as a senior attorney for Elizabeth Warren’s campaigns. An inspiring visionary ready to take the city of Boston by storm, Ruthzee shares her vision for the future of our city!
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Alka Mahajan on The Rise of Women in Immigration Law and The Pandemic’s Impact on Immigration and Family
“It is deeply rewarding to be able to make such a positive impact on someone’s life when they get their green card or when they are reunited with a family member.” Today’s woman dreamer, Alka Mahajan is a Boston-based immigration attorney. Inspired by her own experience of immigrating to the United States from India, she helps families navigate challenges, uncertainty and hardships that the U.S. immigration process can present, such as during the Covid pandemic. Today, Alka shares how more and more women are entering the field, and how Covid-19 has impacted immigration (travel bans, consulate closures, green cards). An inspiring woman dreamer, enjoy her story!
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Chief of Communications Jessicah Pierre Shares Exciting Journey on Michelle Wu's Mayoral Campaign
“Working on Mayor Wu’s campaign was such an incredible experience. Although I was born and raised in Boston, the campaign brought me to parts of the city that I have never been to, and allowed me to become connected to so many communities that I had never interacted with.” Known as “The People’s Publicist, today’s woman dreamer, Jessicah Pierre, uses her public relations and entrepreneurial skills to build community and elevate the work of social impact brands, political figures and non-profits in the media and online. Jessicah shares some of the most exciting moments from working on Mayor Wu’s campaign, how she built her career in media and publicity, and in the spirit of the Season of Giving, she highlights her volunteer work with organizations such as BUILD. Inspired by the people around her, enjoy Jessicah’s exciting story!
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Season of Giving: Co-Founder Revathy Ramakrishna on How Vision-Aid is Empowering the Blind Communities
“Where there is accessibility, there is no disability”. We are excited to continue the Season of Giving with today’s woman dreamer, Revathy Ramakrishna. Revathy is the-co-founder of Vision-Aid, an organization with the mission to Enable, Educate and Empower the visually impaired to live with independence and dignity. Founded in 2004, Vision-Aid’s model includes crucial resources such as braille trainings, life skill coaching, conferences, professional development, technology training and more, equipping visually impaired of all ages with the tools they need to succeed. Revathy shares some of the key people involved, what inspired her and her husband to launch this, her involvement with community nonprofits, and her dream for the organization’s future! Enjoy this inspiring story and celebrate Season of Giving with Us.
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Dance Prodigy Krithika Rajkumar on Leveraging Her Law Background to Empower the South Asian Arts Community and Planning an Indian Wedding During Covid
“CAREspaces gave me the opportunity to combine my profession, as an attorney, with my passion, as a Bharatanatyam dancer.” Today’s woman dreamer, Krithika Rajkumar, is quite the multi-faceted woman. A Boston-based lawyer at Global 100 Law Firm Nixon Peabody LLP, Krithika is also a dance prodigy, former Miss Malayalee North America, and the Head of Legal of CARE Spaces, an organization creating safe spaces for the Indian Arts Community. Also a newlywed, we had to ask what her key takeaway was from planning her Indian wedding during Covid. Krithika shares her top learnings from her career, how she combines her passions for arts & law, and how she finds the perfect balance in life.
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In Conversation with Women Who Win: State Representative Kay Khan Shares Everything You Need to Know about Child Marriage Legislation
Approximately 10% of women in the U.S. are married as minors, according to Child USA in 2020, the majority being young women with adult males. Today, we bring a powerful and informative conversation with Kay Khan (State Representative of Newton MA and Chair of the Committee on Children, Families, and Disabilities), where she shares her inspiring work on the proposed bill to ban child marriage in Massachusetts. Moderated by our host Dr. Rollie Lal, professor at George Washington University and Co-Chair of GARNET (Global Affairs and Religion Network), they discuss the plan for the bill, the long term impacts of child marriage, the role of religion and more! Join us for an enlightening conversation with Women Who Win.
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Service Above Self: From Rotary Club to 25 Years of Service at Saheli, Rita Shah Shares What's Next in Her Powerful Journey
“I Admire all Women of the world. I am woman, mother, wife, daughter, daughter in-law and Mother-in–law. It took whole village to raise me in a human being that I am today.” Today’s woman dreamer, Rita Shah, is a true community service leader. From President of the Burlington Breakfast Rotary Club to 25 years at Saheli to her work with Friends of Indian Senior Citizen Organization, Rita has touched many lives along the way through her compassion and dedication to service. She shares the lessons she learned from the different mentors in her life, and what’s next for her!
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How a Harvard-Educated Immigration Lawyer Confronts "Screen Blindness"
“It happened after a busy year of being buried in my computer late into every night. In 2017, I had developed a rare unknown vision disorder – severe sensitivity to artificial light.” From having to stay away from the computer to avoiding flourescant lights in grocery stores, today’s woman dreamer, Samia Chandraker, a Harvard-educated Immigration attorney and the founder of Samia Law, shares a powerful story of finding the silver lining in a dark digital cloud. Samia shares how she adjusted her lifestyle to fit the condition, and overcame the adversity. Further, she shares how her law firm has been helping Indians visit their families during these tough times, how Covid-19 has impacted travel, and her expertise on the ongoing changes to immigration law.
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Dream to Do Good: Gouri Banerjee's Journey in Academia, Volunteerism, and Challenging Norms
“While some women dream of fame, wealth, and amazing professional success, I dreamt of doing something “good”. Today’s woman dreamer, Gouri Banerjee, co-founder of Saheli and a retired college professor in Boston, has dedicated herself to tirelessly helping Asian immigrants and local communities. Inspired from a young age by her parents to do good, Gouri shares how her life experiences shaped her passion for challenging norms and women’s studies, as well as her current work with aging South Asian population. A true driver of change, Gouri compels us to think about how we define women empowerment in our own lives and how we can “do good” in our own communities. Enjoy her story below!
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African Girl, African Woman: How Hynd Bouhia Wants to Empower Two Billion Rising Female Leaders Around the World
“I started writing my book, African Girl, African Women , after coming back home one evening, during a professionally tumultuous phase in my life. I looked at my girls and I felt I need to fight for them, to pave the way for a better future. I wrote this book for them and for all the young girls and women in the world.” Today’s woman dreamer, Hynd Bouhia, nominated by Forbes as one of the 100 most influential women in the world, started her career at the World Bank in Washington before joining Morocco’s Prime Minister as an economic advisor. Now an author, and CEO of Strategica, Hynd shares her mission to empower 2 billion young women worldwide to become tech-savvy, independent, and confident. A truly inspiring global woman, enjoy her story below!
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Switching Careers: From Engineering to Nonprofits, Women's Foundation of Boston Senior Executive Shares Her Story
“Two constants in my life have been a love of math and science and a desire to help others. “ Today’s woman dreamer, Tulika Hainsworth, shares her exciting career journey, in the worlds of engineering, CSR, and nonprofits. As Senior Executive of the Women’s Foundation of Boston, Tulika shares her top 4 fundraising tips for female founders, challenges she navigated as a woman in the workplace, and her love for volunteering with wonderful organizations like Society of Women Engineers and Shishu Bharati. Her advice for all women, “Cultivate your personal board of directors – a group of people who know you really well, who support you unconditionally, but who will be willing to disagree with your ideas and provide honest feedback.” Enjoy her story below!
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Sexual Assault Prevention Month: Saheli Co-Executive Director Shares How You Can Support the Cause, Stigmas, and The Power of Global Movements
“For every woman who came forward, there were countless others who were silenced.” Today’s woman dreamer, Co-Executive Director of Saheli, Divya Chaturvedi, brings kindness, compassion, and purpose to helping women every day. As April is Sexual Assault Prevention Month, Divya shares her expertise on how you can get involved in the cause and virtual events happening this month, stigmas around sexual assault specific to South Asian communities, and the power of movements and coming forward. A woman dreamer drawn to social justice at an early age, it is a pleasure to share her story!
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"Few Leaders, Many Bosses": Executive Director, British-Argentine Chamber of Commerce Susana Ecclestone Talks the Importance of Paving Your Own Path
“Few leaders, many bosses. This has been my experience.” Today’s woman dreamer, Susana Ecclestone is the Executive Director of the British-Argentine Chamber of Commerce. A leader in the policy, nonprofit, and the strategy space, Susana shares what every woman must know about leadership, from paving your path to building your vision, as well as her next big dream to enter the world of U.K. politics. She writes, “My biggest passions always revolve around people and talent. Enjoy her inspiring story below!
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