Kalki Subramaniam

About Kalki Subramaniam

Kalki Subramaniam is a multifaceted professional who combines her passion for leadership, activism, art and entrepreneurship to create positive social impact. She has over 16 years of experience as the founder and director of Sahodari Foundation, an organization that empowers, equips, and integrates transgender and gender non-binary individuals in the community and workplace. Being a champion of transgender rights in India, Kalki\'s lectures have reached over a million students across universities and other academic institutions in India and is well known for her relentless activism. She was one of the prominent activists who lobbied for the recognition of legal rights for transgender people and was one among the activists responsible in the milestone victory in 2014 when the Supreme court of India finally recognized the transgender community’s civil rights in the country. Kalki has received several awards for her social work and contributions for the upliftment of the under privileged transgender persons. She is one of the most sought and respected DEIB experts in India on LGBTQI+ inclusion in corporates offering workshops, training and sessions on DEIB. Kalki is a recognized speaker, author, designer, and DEI expert, who has spoken and conducted workshops at prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Rutgers, UPenn, CalState Northridge and UBC. She has been invited to speak at Out & Equal International Summit and also was invited to Schwules Museum in Berlin. As a diversity and inclusion champion, Kalki speaks to sensitize, train and educate the corporate world through sensitization sessions and workshops on the inclusion of LGBT, transgender, gender diverse and non-binary communities in India, Europe, and North America. She has spoken at a number of Fortune 500 companies. Through her creative and innovative activism, Kalki has been creating inclusive change not only in India but also around the world. She has received multiple honors and awards for her work, including being one of the LinkedIn Top Voices for Social Impact, Facebook\'s 12 Inspiring Women of the World, and an award nomination from L\'Oreal Paris India\'s Woman of Worth. She was awarded the Plan India Impact Award in 2022 for her contribution towards transgender empowerment. Kalki visions for a world where LGBTQIA+ people can live freely without prejudice, bias, discrimination and stigma, where inclusion and equality exists effortlessly and diversity is recognised. She continues to champion her causes for the welfare of Indian transgender community.

Experience

1. International Ambassador

   Transamsterdam

   Jun 2019 — Present · Amsterdam, NL

   Honorary title as the Ambassador of TransAmsterdam organization. Connecting cultures, friendships, encouraging understanding and bridging the talents between India and Netherlands will all be the duty as an ambassador.

Education

• Annamalai University

  Master of Arts - MA

  2006 — 2009

• Madurai Kamaraj University

  Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication

  2002 — 2005