Donor commitment to innovation inspires and uplifts

When she was a Duke Global Health Institute and economics undergraduate student, Suhani Jalota ’16 used her time to understand and improve the health systems of vulnerable populations. She set her eyes on positively affecting women by empowering them—and landed on concentrating her efforts on the female hygiene market.

As a participant in the Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program, she was able to create employment opportunities for women back home in India. And for many women in Indian slums, there was a real need to have better access to essential sanitary items.

The result was the Myna Mahila Foundation, a network of female entrepreneurs who produce and sell high-quality, low-cost sanitary and maternity pads in Mumbai.

For Jalota, nothing has been more powerful than seeing women take ownership of their futures. See why Jalota was named one of Glamour magazine’s 2016 College Women of the Year.