Saundarya Rajesh

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT SAUNDARYA RAJESH

Who am I? An award-winning social entrepreneur, Career Doctor, a highly respected workplace culture strategist for India Inc, a champion for women in the workforce, a sought-after speaker, and a best-selling author. My story? When I realized, after a career break that India Inc needed help in engaging with women effectively, I set up Avtar in an organization that has has helped create strong, supportive and healthy workplace cultures. As Avtar steps into its 25th year, I am grateful that we have empowered more than organizations to foster inclusivity and elevate every individual to their best potential. Avtar Career Creators was my first entrepreneurial venture, followed by Avtar HUman Capital Trust and and then Flexi Careers India. Via these companies, we pioneered initiatives such as myAvtar.com – India’s first job portal for under-represented groups; Project Puthri - India’s first ever developmental project that seeks to create career intentionality among underprivileged girls; Project Nipuni, a career pathing program for first-generation, underprivileged women graduates; and Project MITR, an initiative that empowers adolescent boys to become champions of gender equality. To date, Avtar has created employment opportunities for over a second-career women and has influenced the continued careers of over via intentional career pathing. I am quoted very often in the Indian media on women’s careers, entrepreneurship and inclusive leadership and have had the privilege to keynote at many leading national and international forums such as TedX, Future of Women in Sri Lanka, Target Elevate, World AI Conference in Dubai, TOP Women conference in South Africa, et al. My maiden book The 99 Day Diversity Challenge (Book of the Year 2022 by ISTD) published by Penguin Random House is a bestseller on Amazon. My second book, Conversations with the Career Doctor, also published by Penguin, is a widely acclaimed handbook for women to win in their careers. I have won the Ministry of Women & Child Development’s #100Women Achiever Award, the Chevening Global Changemaker Award, NiTi-Aayog’s Women Transforming India Award, among many others. What keeps me going? The tangible impact that our work creates for women, individuals from disadvantaged groups, and organizations. I feel honored to be referred to as the ‘Career Doctor’ by companies and career-seeking women, and I envision an India where every organization – small or big – embraces a work culture where employees of all backgrounds feel seen, heard, respected, and cherished.