Sharmila Mona Sinha, an Indian-American philanthropist and an advocate of gender equality, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York, last month and became the second woman of South Asian origin to have achieved this feat after Indra Nooyi.
Sharmila believes that true leadership lies in lifting people rather than giving money. Following this philosophy, she supports women entrepreneurs and helps organisations grow, paving the way for others to grow and thrive.
"Power Shared Is Power Supercharged"
During her induction ceremony, Sharmila shared her childhood memories of Kolkata and how that reflected on power. She adds that her own approach to philanthropy and leadership stems from early childhood, when she saw her mother keep a fistful of rice aside for someone in need in Kolkata. "Power shared is power supercharged," she said, describing the importance of opening doors, investing in ideas, and giving others opportunities to lead.
Instead of only writing cheques, Sharmila believes in helping organizations become stronger, encourages women entrepreneurs, and uses her business expertise to guide new leaders to scale and grow.
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From Kolkata To Wall Street
Born in Kolkata, Mona moved to the USA at 18 to pursue higher education. She graduated with honours from Smith College with a degree in Economics and Art History. Later, she earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Columbia Business School.
She started her professional career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and went on to work with big brands like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Elizabeth Arden. She helped nonprofit organisations grow, improve their fundraising, and build a stronger future alongside her professional career. Passionately inclined towards philanthropy, she chose to use her business and financial expertise to support women-led organisations.
Building Opportunities For Women Entrepreneurs
A major part of her charity work is dealing with women entrepreneurs and assisting them financially, equipping them for leadership roles. Leading from the front, she started the Asian Women’s Leadership University project to bring a liberal arts education model to women across the region. She also served as the Board Chair of Women Moving Millions. It is a community of women philanthropists contributing millions of dollars to organisations working for women and girls.
Expanding her philanthropic work, she co-led the $486 million Women for the World campaign and served as the Vice Chair of the board. It was the college’s largest fundraising campaign for women's education. She was also instrumental in opening opportunities for transgender students in the college. For her great leadership, Smith College honoured her with the prestigious Smith College Medal.
Her Work Expands Beyond Philanthropy
Sharmila’s work goes beyond charity into advocacy, leadership, and storytelling. She has also served on the boards of several important groups, including Breakthrough USA, the Centre for High Impact Philanthropy at UPenn, Apne Aap International, and Columbia University initiatives. Using films to raise awareness of social issues, Sharmila was an executive producer for the 2020 documentary Disclosure and the Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger.
Today, she leads Equality Now as its Global Executive Director. The organisation fights to end violence and discrimination against women and girls. Furthermore, she serves on the executive council of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum while continuing her charity work. Reflecting her philanthropic work, Sharmila believes that money does the most good when it is used to teach people and give them leadership opportunities.