Sachi Shenoy

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT SACHI SHENOY

I used to believe there was a formula for having an impact in the world:→ Pursue a rigorous education→ Hold lofty titles at well-known firms→ Share space with \'high profile\' people→ Pour money into underserved communitiesOver the course of 30 years, half in money-making mode and half in giving-money-away mode, I was doing everything by the book.I wrote checks for dozens of causes, and then quit the corporate ladder and joined these nonprofit teams, working in different countries to ensure those less fortunate had access to financial services and dignified jobs. I even co-founded and led my own nonprofit. I wrote about the issues we were tackling, presented at global conferences, and ticked off all the boxes I thought would move the needle on global poverty—a fight that is deeply personal to me.But I was stuck in a loop. I was doing the \"right\" things but feeling miles away from the real issue.My reality check came from the folks I was trying to serve.The best advice didn\'t come from some well-known donor, board member, or other social entrepreneur, but from the people living the hard life.They knew their hurdles better than anyone and had bright ideas about how to break free. But their voices got drowned out.Instead, stacks of cash were thrown on half-baked plans they never asked for, hatched by people sitting thousands of miles away.I loved being in the field, immersed in the reality. Seeing the world through my customers\' eyes. Just me, a notepad, and a pen trying to piece together our customers\' stories.It was slow and hard work to build trust, and I could only gather a handful of tales at a time. But every single story was illuminating. And the data, though unstructured, was rich.Others criticized this storytelling as being too slow. How do we know these problems are widespread if we can\'t share a thousand stories at once? And validate them with hard data?But now, thanks to new technology, we can do just that.Today I\'m bringing together all my experience in economic development, data science, finance, and technology product development to build ethical AI solutions that give the underdogs a louder voice. These tools gather the real talk straight from the source - folks telling their stories in their own words - and help financial service providers translate that feedback into effective investments.I want to prove finance and markets can support community hopes and dreams. My goal: give people a say and the means to forge their own paths to prosperity.Data Autonomy for Human Dignity.#AIforGood #ReHumanize