Today, we speak with Class 38 Alumna, Shinjini Chowdhury, on her reflections since completing the Atlas Corps Fellowship.
Although Shinjini participated in the Fellowship at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, working remotely while staying in Philadelphia, U.S.A. allowed her opportunities to explore other parts of the country.
She served full-time at SAP as their CSR Communications and Marketing Fellow, where she lead marketing and communication efforts for strategic partnerships and the three strategic CSR pillars (building digital skills, accelerating best-run nonprofits and social enterprises, and connecting employees with purpose).
 |
Name: Shinjini Chowdhury Current Organization: Mantra4Change Home Country: India Fellowship Class: Class 38 Host Organization: SAP |
What is your current job title and organization?
At present, I lead communications at Mantra4Change, an Indian NGO that works for education leadership across 5 states in India. As a Manager – Communication, I build and implement the communication strategy for Mantra, so that our narrative is coherent, and our story is told boldly. I lead the communications function for the organisation. Our work strengthens the education ecosystem by enabling government officials, school leaders, and other stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in the education of students in government schools. We build leaders in education, who ensure that students have excellent learning experiences.
What have you learned about yourself as a leader over the years?
I began as an empathetic leader. Now, I am striving to balance empathy with an emphasis on quality. While a team must work together and hold space for all its members, it’s also important for each member to be accountable for their work and to one another.
What are some of your proudest leadership achievements since completing the Fellowship?
Learning to lead a team and contribute at a strategic level to communication functions are two things I am proud of in my journey. I’m still learning, however 🙂 Each day brings something new.
How has the Atlas Corps Fellowship enhanced your expertise in Communications and Marketing?
Since the Fellowship, I was trying out different kinds of work in the social impact space. I had been a trainer and a researcher, and even an almost-operations person. The Fellowship grounded me in communications and with the help of immensely supportive mentors, I learned the basics of communications work beyond just writing.
What advice would you give to those interested in applying to the Fellowship program?
Go into it with an open mind. Learn, learn, and find opportunities to experience different cultures of work as much as you can. It is this mindset of inclusion and flexibility that will stand you in good stead as a leader in your work.
Thank you, Shinjini, for sharing your leadership journey with us. We are excited to see you continue to inspire positive change in the future!
Ready to take the next step in your social impact career? Join Shinjini and our other inspiring Atlas Corps leaders and apply to our Atlas Corps Fellowship!
Apply by July 30 to receive priority consideration: comm.atlascorps.org
Feeling inspired? Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram!
Interested in doing more? Donate now to help us reach leaders around the world for a better future.
Love what you see? Rate Atlas Corps on Great Nonprofits to share your feedback.
Photos from Shinjini’s personal archive.
