Honoring 20 Outstanding Women, Woman of the Year 2021 and Lifetime Achievement Award Video Release
BOSTON—A panel of nine independent judges this year broke from the tradition and chose 27-year-old climate activist Varshini Prakash as Woman of the Year 2021. Ms. Prakash was on the TIME 100 Next List in 2019 and also made to Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 2020.
During the 18th annual INDIA New England Woman of the Year Awards ceremony—virtual this year, judges went for Ms. Prakash’s courage, persistence and energy to inspire to the next generation to join the battle to make the world a better place.
Bharatanatyam dance teacher Sridevi Ajai Thirumalai, who has taught over 1,000 students and has developed her own-style of teaching classical dance to Indian-American children, received India New England News Lifetime Achievement Award.
The following were honored as Outstanding Women of 2021:
Gayatri Aryan
Director, Product Development at Dell Technologies
Chair, Baal Yuva Vibhag at Hindi Manch
Sunita Badola
Head, External Partnership & Patient-Centric Data Strategy
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd
Priti Chatter
Partner
Neonet Capital LLC
Swati Elavia
President, Monsoon Kitchen
2019 Business Person of the Year for Massachusetts
Manisha Jain
Founder, Sew We Care
Volunteer CEO, Juju Productions
Yogita Miharia
Director, India Association of Greater Boston
Actress, SETU
Director of Quality Assurance, Oracle
Sandra Nagale
Director, Digital Health & Data Services
Boston Scientific
Pratima Penumarthy
Director, Arya Math Academy
Coordinator, Team Aid Inc.
Thara Pillai
Director, Alumni Programs & Engagement
Harvard Innovations Labs
Varshini Prakash
Managing Director
Sunrise Movement
Dr. Sailaja Reddy, MD
Founder & Owner
Roothealthmd
Shimna Sameer
Managing Director, National Operations & Northeast Division Executive
Bank of America
Dr. Vaishali Sanchorawala, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Amyloidosis Center; Director, Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Program
Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine
Rhitu Siddharth
Special Assistant to Deputy United Nations Representative in Libya
United Nations
Rachana Shah
Co-Founder, Evergreen Adult Daycare
Secretary, Gujarati Association of New England (Gurjar)
Dr. Bharati Sinha, MD
NeoNatalogist
Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Aditi Soni
President
United India Association of New England
Renu Tewarie
Principal
Shishu Bharati, Walpole, MA
Geeta Vallecha
Yoga Educator and Trainer
Founder, Yoga First With Geeta
Reetika Vijay, AIA LEED AP
Managing Principal
IA Interior Architects
Special Recognition:
Circle of Hope/AIF