We are building an ecosystem to unleash the power of survivor-led innovations that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
Women and girls from marginalised, rural communities face countless barriers to accessing safety and justice, discriminated against due to their gender, caste, class, religion, and rurality.
Against all odds, survivor-led grassroots organizations, centred in marginalised communities, become a beacon of hope for survivors, working hard to prevent and address violence in their communities.
At Parity Lab, we recognise the importance and expertise of survivor-led organizations and help magnify their impact.
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survivor- and community-led organisations with innovative solutions to tackle root causes of gender-based violence in marginalised communities
organizations through capacity building, leadership development, mental health support, and legal counselling.
survivor- and community-led organisations with peers, mentors, funders and leaders in the space to amplify collective change.
Parity Lab empowers:
Founder & CEO
Mathangi Swaminathan is an Echoing Green Fellow who has worked globally with women & girls for the last decade. Through the power of lived experience, she dreams of eliminating gender-based violence by identifying, supporting, and amplifying survivor-led grassroot organizations addressing the root causes of violence. Mathangi is also an Acumen India Fellow, a World Bank Scholar, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and was awarded the Jane Mansbridge Award by Harvard University for her work on reducing gender bias in organizations in India. She is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School and holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business. She loves hiking in the woods, reading and traveling.
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships
Sheela Bowler, MPH, MEd, is a social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to building child wellbeing systems that enable families to thrive together. Sheela fundamentally believes that communities know what they need to thrive, and focuses on supporting the leaders who are creating positive change for children and families in their own communities. Sheela was the founding COO of Kidogo, Senior Program Consultant for the African Early Childhood Network, Senior Advisor for Programs Strategy at NYC's Administration for Children's Services, and Foster America's first Director of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. She currently works for Elevate Children Funders Group, where she supports a network of child-focused philanthropies to leverage more and better funding for children in adversity.
Wellness Associate
Dr. Sanjyot Pethe brings in a vast experience of organizational development, leadership development, trauma informed coaching, research, teaching and process consulting. She holds an MBA and a PhD. She spent over a decade in academics has over 10 publications in national and international journals. She then worked as a Leadership and Talent development professional and later consultant designing and delivering organizational development initiatives and Leadership development programs, facilitating and coaching mid and senior level executives. Her passion for story work and her coaching experiences led her to Somatic experiencing. Feminist mentoring as well as narrative practices. Over the past few years, she has engaged with development sector through research, facilitation, process consulting and OD interventions. All these NGOs are engaged in working towards women related issues. She brought in Trauma Informed perspectives to both her leadership development and coaching work. She loves to read, write and collect stories. She also actively participates in facilitating reflective conversation circles. She has published a book on poetry called “Dance of the Peacock”.
Associate Program Manager
Smriti Singh is a feminist development professional, striving to enhance her ability to support the advancement of efforts against Gender Based Violence (GBV). She brings in both a groundwork based value system, as well as a consulting based program designing and organization development capability. She gained invaluable field experience while completing her Master's degree in Social Work (Women-Centered Practice), where she closely observed, worked with, and learnt from organizations combating GBV across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. She transitioned to a social impact consulting firm, where she honed her technical expertise by assisting NGOs across various sectors. Her contributions were in areas such as designing flagship programs, conducting comprehensive research to address strategic big bet questions, establishing and codifying program processes, and integrating program management tools into an organization’s systems for an efficient scale-up. At Parity Lab, Smriti forges sincere connections with frontline GBV fighters, to support them in the best way possible as they strengthen the systems of relief, justice, and change around them. She hopes to continue to depend on reading and traveling for remaining connected with herself along the way!
Shreya Bhadriraju is a feminist storyteller and communications professional who is passionate about the dynamic use of media to advocate for more responsive, accessible, and inclusive environments for womxn and girls. Shreya is also a Fulbright Scholar, an Americorp Fellowship recipient, and a graduate of Northwestern University, where she explored social impact entertainment and communication-based solutions at the intersection of social justice and public health. Shreya is a cofounder and cohost of The Hers Truly Podcast, a project that explores global conceptualizations of self-identity, girlhood, and femininity. Shreya is also a classically trained opera singer and Kuchipudi dancer.
Technology Lead
Conor is a dedicated digital innovation leader with a passion for leveraging technology for social impact. Committed to creating transformative digital experiences, Conor collaborates with nonprofits and NGOs to empower communities and address real-world challenges. With certifications in Accessibility Core Competencies and a graduate degree in Human Computer Interaction and Design, Conor is dedicated to advancing accessibility and inclusivity in all aspects of web design and development. Conor is excited and honored to bring his expertise to Parity Lab, and looks forward to collaborating with the team to empower survivor-led organizations and their missions.
Parity Lab
Mathangi Swaminathan is an Echoing Green Fellow who has worked globally with women & girls for the last decade. Through the power of lived experience, she dreams of eliminating gender-based violence by identifying, supporting, and amplifying survivor-led grassroot organizations addressing the root causes of violence. Mathangi is also an Acumen India Fellow, a World Bank Scholar, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and was awarded the Jane Mansbridge Award by Harvard University for her work on reducing gender bias in organizations in India. She is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School and holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business. She loves hiking in the woods, reading and traveling.
Elevate Children Funders Group
Sheela Bowler, MPH, MEd, is a social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to building child wellbeing systems that enable families to thrive together. Sheela fundamentally believes that communities know what they need to thrive, and focuses on supporting the leaders who are creating positive change for children and families in their own communities. Sheela was the founding COO of Kidogo, Senior Program Consultant for the African Early Childhood Network, Senior Advisor for Programs Strategy at NYC's Administration for Children's Services, and Foster America's first Director of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. She currently works for Elevate Children Funders Group, where she supports a network of child-focused philanthropies to leverage more and better funding for children in adversity.
Code For America
Michelle Partogi is a design strategist interested in building more inclusive systems. Her background in design, humanities, and computer science helps her facilitate co-creation processes and uncover “levers” to shift complex services and systems. Michelle is currently a Service Designer at Code For America. Her previous experiences as a designer at Mayo Clinic provided her opportunities to dovetail scientific methods with human-centered principles. Having grown up in Atlanta, she received her master’s in Digital Media from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Michelle is an avid foodie and loves getting lost in new cities and landscapes.
Chief Strategy Officer, Skoll Foundation
Shivani Garg Patel is Chief Strategy Officer at the Skoll Foundation and focuses on developing and amplifying the Foundation's work to enable lasting social change. She has been a social entrepreneur, investor and advisor and brings a multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary view to her work. Before joining the Skoll Foundation, Shivani co-founded and led Samahope, a non-profit that invested in local medical providers who provide critical medical care to women and children in low-income communities around the world. Her technology-driven social innovation work has spanned the Grameen Foundation, World Bank and World Health Organization. Earlier in her career, Shivani was a strategy consultant and product manager in the private sector. Shivani is a proud and under-caffeinated mom of two. She has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a B.A. in Cognitive Science from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.
Chief of Insights & Strategy, Acumen
As Chief of Insights & Strategy at Acumen, Amrita’s focus is on building capabilities across the organization to distill insights from patient capital investing, build centers of excellence, deepen Acumen’s impact voice to drive strategic conversation on what it takes to solve tough problems of poverty. In her previous roles at Acumen, Amrita served as the Chief of Business Development and Chief Financial Officer. Amrita is also on the Board of Directors of a number of Acumen’s investee companies – BURN Manufacturing (one of the world’s leading biomass cookstove design and manufacturing companies), Kheyti (an affordable “greenhouse in a box” solution for smallholder farmers) and WARC (an agriculture company focused on getting subsistence farmers out of poverty in Sierra Leone and Ghana). Prior to Acumen, Amrita was CFO of Katzenbach Partners, a dynamic management consulting firm. She was instrumental in the merger integration of Katzenbach with Booz & Co. In addition to her management role, Amrita consulted with clients across a range of industries with a focus on strategy and planning. Since then, she developed her own independent consulting practice with a focus on inspiring organizations in the social sector. Amrita has worked with Acumen in the past as a strategy consultant covering a range of topics such as clarifying Acumen’s business model, developing a multi-year operating plan and evaluating Acumen’s employee compensation plans. Amrita has also worked with Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Edelman and other professional services firms. Amrita received a BA in International Relations from The College of Wooster.
Senior Director of Portfolio Fundraising Strategies, DRK Foundation
Emily supports the portfolio in their efforts to build successful and sustainable fundraising strategies that are tailored to each organization’s model and unique strengths. She is a whole-hearted non-profit leader with a lifelong commitment to equity and poverty alleviation. Emily dedicated the first two decades of her career to Summer Search, a national youth development organization that envisions a world where young people can fulfill their potential and lead families and communities to thrive. Emily’s interest in working at Summer Search was sparked by her experience attending Central, a Philadelphia public high school, where she watched her classmates break through barriers of poverty, access, and racism to graduate and go onto college. Emily graduated with a BA in African American Studies with a concentration in Sociology from Wesleyan University.
Vice President of Programs and Impact, Every Mother Counts
Divya is a South Asian feminist with roots across India, Sri Lanka, and the United States. As a strategist and connector, she is deeply curious about the lessons embedded in intergenerational stories of power and organizing. Divya is the Vice President of Programs and Impact at Every Mother Counts, a maternal health organization advancing maternity care through grantmaking, policy advocacy, and awareness-raising initiatives. She is the former Director of Grantmaking at MADRE, an International Women’s Rights organization and Feminist Fund. Divya brings over a decade of experience working with women and girls through grassroots feminist organizing in India, including with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA Bharat) and the Chandigarh-based Chhoti Si Asha. Divya serves as the Co-Chair of the Board of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, a fund that resources young feminist organizers to amplify their voices and bring attention to the social justice issues most important to them. She also serves on the board of Free to Run, an organization transforming community gender norms in Afghanistan and Iraq through running. She received her M.Ed in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist, UNICEF
Jyothi Ravichandran is a psychologist with over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents, and influential adults in their lives in clinical, community, and school settings. She founded Thrive Foundation in 2016 to address systemic cognitive, socio-emotional, and academic health in under-resourced schools in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She led the first ed-tech mandate of Social and Emotional (SEL) programming and teacher well-being in India through LEAD Schools. She holds a postgraduate degree in Psychology (Clinical) from Christ University, Bangalore. She is also a Young India Fellow (2016) and Acumen Fellow (2017).
Mid-Career program, Harvard Kennedy School
Krishna is currently a Foster America Fellow working with the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families, a statewide collaborative that strengthens underserved families, and reduces the number of families who touch the child welfare system. Prior to her work in Colorado, Krishna led the Acumen India Fellowship, managed a community of over 130 social impact leaders, launched a women-led handicraft enterprise in Hyderabad, and set up a boutique hotel in California. Through these roles she's developed an expertise in entrepreneurship, leadership development, collective impact, and community building. Krishna holds a BS in Business from Babson College and is a current MPA ‘23 Candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. Krishna is driven by connection and seeks to build community and strong social fabric in her work and personal life.
Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company
Vamsee Gurram is currently an Engagement Manager in McKinsey and Co and has served clients in the private equity, operations and public sector across India and the US. Prior to joining McKinsey in 2015, he was the founding team member of the National Social Entrepreneurship Forum where he was recognized by the World Economic Forum for nurturing 100+ social enterprises in India. As the program manager at Industree Crafts Foundation, he implemented Govt. of India and IFC projects to promote livelihoods through handicrafts. He helped set up community-owned business units impacting the livelihoods of 5000+ artisans and improving their incomes by 75%.Vamsee holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and a Bachelors in engineering from BITS-Pilani. He is also an avid chess player and a foodie. When he is not working, you can find him on chess.com.
Gender and Development Practitioner, University of London
Dr Nora Khalaf-Elledge is a Gender and Development practitioner and a Post-doctoral Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London. Since 2008, she has worked on gender initiatives with international development organisations including the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD), the German Development Agency (GIZ), the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI), Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), as well as the gender offices of multiple United Nations (UN) agencies. Since 2015, she specialises in the intersection of religion and gender within international development policy and practice. Nora holds a Master's in Gender and Development from IDS, and a PhD in Gender, Religion and Development from the University of London
Founder, Girls Rights Project
Stacey Keare is an attorney, philanthropist, and public policy analyst. She, along with her husband, is the Founder of the Girls Rights Project, an organization dedicated to advancing the rights of girls throughout the world using a combination of research, advocacy and philanthropy. Ms. Keare studied international relations at Stanford University, has a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a law degree from Hastings College of the Law. She is a current Board Member of Women Moving Millions. She has also been on the Board of the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society and was a founding Board member of Summit Prep Charter High School and Summit Public Schools, organizations creating progressive college prep charter schools in the Bay Area. She is on the Bay Area Advisory Board of the Tahirih Justice Center, the Advisory Board of The Global Center for Gender Equality, and is on the Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board. Ms. Keare has three daughters, Haley, Ryan, and Brooke, and lives in Woodside, CA with her husband John Hodge.
