May 27, 2026 • 9 mins
We highlight the next generation of women leaders with Himakshi Shastri, Vice President of Philanthropy for Wharton Women at the University of Pennsylvania, discussing how students are providing pro bono consulting support to nonprofits across Philadelphia and New York City.
Learn more at Wharton Women.
Follow on social media:
Instagram @whartonwomen,
TikTok @wharton.women,
X @WhartonWomenUG,
Wharton Women Facebook, and Wharton Women LinkedIn.
Learn more at Wharton Women.
Follow on social media:
Instagram @whartonwomen,
TikTok @wharton.women,
X @WhartonWomenUG,
Wharton Women Facebook, and Wharton Women LinkedIn.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today, we're highlighting the next generation of women leaders making
an impact both on campus and in the community. Joining
us is Himakchi Shastri, Vice President of Philanthropy for Wharton
Women at the University of Pennsylvania. Wharton Women is the
largest women led undergraduate student organization at Penn dedicated to
supporting and empowering women pursuing careers in business. Himakchi is
(00:24):
helping lead a pro bono consulting initiative connecting talented undergraduate
students with nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia and New York City
to provide strategic support in areas like marketing, operations and finance. Today,
we're going to talk about leadership, community partnership, and how
students are using their skills to help nonprofits thrive. So,
(00:45):
Himachi is so great to see you again. And for
listeners who may not be familiar, tell us a little
more about Wharton Women and what the organization's mission is.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, of course, firstly, High Lorraine and High iHeart Radio station.
We are are so excited to be live on air
with you today, So Ward and Woman. It's an organization
I should start off with that is very close to
my heart. It is the largest undergraduate society at Borden
and it's women run and our aim is really to
(01:16):
empower women and underrepresented gender identities to enter the business world.
What I love about this club is that we have
twelve different subcommittees, from finance, to marketing, to alumni relations,
annual dinner to even philanthropy, which is where I sit.
And our mission is really just empowering and uplifting woman
(01:37):
to enter the business world.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You're helping lead the Wharton Women Pro Bono Consulting Initiative.
Can you explain what that initiative is and why it
was created.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
PBC is actually one of our newest subcommittees at ward
and Women. We started off in twenty twenty. I want
to be quite transparent. COVID nineteen, of course, was not
an easy time. I think it took a negative toll
on communities in so many different ways, and one way
was definitely economically. We do go to Warden. It is
(02:08):
the best business school in the world and we are
lucky to have such incredible professors here. And actually it's
in our Warden mission statement to create economic and social
value around the world by advancing society. We knew COVID
was quite a challenging time for nonprofits, So we said,
why don't we create this committee use what we are
(02:30):
learning in classrooms to just lend a helping hand to
any nonprofits out in Philly and New York. And even
though the pandemic has come to an end, our mission
very much remains the same of uplifting organizations in the
Philly and New York City regions.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Amachi, can you specifically tell us what your pro bono
provides to these nonprofit organizations?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
In terms of the clients that we work with, I'll
start there. We are and women, and so we do
love working alongside our incredible female founders and nonprofits. As
I mentioned specifically, we like to work with those in
Philly and New York City just because it has that
personal element and we want to give back to the
(03:15):
community we're from. We really are not limited by industry.
We've worked with a diverse range of clients, from most
recently Climate Cardinals, which is a climate education organization. We've
worked with Catalyst Noir, which is a startup boot camp
for women tech founders. We've even worked with Team Up
(03:35):
Philly and Zenbroth, which is more in the food space.
So those are the clients we've worked with, and in
terms of what we actually provide. While some areas of
support have been analyzing the market for competitors, we've done
a lot of strategizing on business expansion through market research.
We've created new marketing campaigns for new target demographics. So
(03:59):
we really do provide support in a wide range of areas,
and that is something that I do want to emphasize
that any challenge is welcome. If you're an organization or
nonprofit looking for strategy, operations, marketing, finance, we really are
here to support you. That is our main aim.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah. Well, I think a lot of nonprofits and a
lot of small businesses for that matter, often go into
with very strong ideas and aspirations, but don't always know
all the building blocks that one needs in order to
be successful. I wonder if you can talk about some
of the challenges that nonprofits typically bring to your team
(04:39):
for support and how the Student Consultants help address those needs.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I will go back to reiterating that the challenges that
we have worked with have been very diverse in nature.
We have worked with nonprofits who are maybe looking into
expansion into a new demography or maybe a new location
and they need an extra set of eyes. I think
this is where the student perspective really becomes very valuable.
(05:07):
We've also had challenges where unfortunately, there have been cases
where nonprofits may have been stripped from funding and they're
looking for other ways to raise funds, So we also
do more research into that some nonprofits. We live in
a very dynamic, tech driven world. I think social media
is something we all utilize, so if you're looking for
(05:29):
ways to maybe increase social media traction, we've worked on
projects like that as well. So really, I think I
could emphasize a lot of different domains from operations, marketing, finance,
to strategy and machi.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Why is it important to you personally that Warden Women
is building stronger relationships with these nonprofit organizations and communities
right here in Philadelphia and New York City.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
When we think of Philadelphia, yes, we go to school
in Philly, but it's so much more than just a
place we go and studying. It's our community and at
the end of the day, we rise by lifting others
and we want to give back to the community that
has given so much to us. So I think that
would really be what drives us here at Warden women PBC.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and just personally, what are your dreams for yourself?
You are obviously very accomplished. Warden is one of the
hardest schools in one of the best of course schools
for business. What is your personal goal? What do you
think you like to see yourself moving into Eventually, I.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Personally am studying a mix of finance and impact value
in business. For me long term, I would love to
be in a space where I'm either using finance or
maybe looking more into entrepreneurship to make a positive social impact.
I'm not quite sure what exactly that idea is as
if yet, but I think that's the beauty of being
(06:53):
a student. I'm going to explore and hopefully the next
time I come on, iHeart I'll have a better st
your answer for you. But really, just using my education
to make a positive impact in the world, for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I love that him. Actually, it gives me hope for
the future of the world, and we need hope right now.
And finally, if a nonprofit leader is listening right now
and interested in receiving pro bona consulting support, how can
they connect with Wharton Women And what does the upcoming
consulting timeline look like.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
In terms of how you can connect with us social media,
we are going by Ward and Women on all our platforms,
film LinkedIn to Instagram. More specifically, though, for our pro
bono consulting initiative, we have created a link. It is
called TinyURL dot com Forward slash WWPBC twenty twenty six.
(07:50):
I know that's a long link to remember. So if
you are on Instagram, I've just posted a story this morning,
go ahead and click on that link. It will take
you directly to it. If you're a nonprofit you want
to collaborate with Ward and Women, We've just asked for
a few details to just understand how we can best
support you. To answer the latter question on what the
(08:11):
timelines you're looking like, So we want to have the
organizations that we're working with finalized by August. So really
from now to July we'll be reviewing, hopefully getting on
call with some of the nonprofits who are listening right now,
and then from September to November we will be really
just putting our minds to solve any challenges you want
(08:34):
a Ward and Woman perspective or look on. One of
the best parts about Ward and Women is that we
have a mid term and then a final presentation, which
we typically like to have in person, so hopefully we
also get to meet you ye face to face. That
is what the timeline looks like.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Yeah, that's fantastic. I just love that you're doing this
and you're providing these very valuable resources for nonprofits who
often need a little bit of support to become successful
or to grow, and that's what you're doing at Wharton Women.
Shumakchi Shastri, vice President of Philanthropy for Wharton Women at
(09:12):
the University of Pennsylvania. They are providing pro bono support
consulting initiative connecting talented undergraduate students with nonprofit organizations in
Philadelphia and New York to provide strategic support in areas
like marketing, operations and finance. Thank you so much for
all that you're doing, and good luck to you. We
(09:32):
hope to spread the word to other nonprofits who might
be listening. So thank you for all that you're doing
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Laurine, thank you so much for having us on air,
and to all of the nonprofits listening, thank you for
the work you do, and we hope we can be
part of your incredible missions out there.
Today, we're highlighting the next generation of women leaders making
an impact both on campus and in the community. Joining
us is Himakchi Shastri, Vice President of Philanthropy for Wharton
Women at the University of Pennsylvania. Wharton Women is the
largest women led undergraduate student organization at Penn dedicated to
supporting and empowering women pursuing careers in business. Himakchi is
(00:24):
helping lead a pro bono consulting initiative connecting talented undergraduate
students with nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia and New York City
to provide strategic support in areas like marketing, operations and finance. Today,
we're going to talk about leadership, community partnership, and how
students are using their skills to help nonprofits thrive. So,
(00:45):
Himachi is so great to see you again. And for
listeners who may not be familiar, tell us a little
more about Wharton Women and what the organization's mission is.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes, of course, firstly, High Lorraine and High iHeart Radio station.
We are are so excited to be live on air
with you today, So Ward and Woman. It's an organization
I should start off with that is very close to
my heart. It is the largest undergraduate society at Borden
and it's women run and our aim is really to
(01:16):
empower women and underrepresented gender identities to enter the business world.
What I love about this club is that we have
twelve different subcommittees, from finance, to marketing, to alumni relations,
annual dinner to even philanthropy, which is where I sit.
And our mission is really just empowering and uplifting woman
(01:37):
to enter the business world.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You're helping lead the Wharton Women Pro Bono Consulting Initiative.
Can you explain what that initiative is and why it
was created.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
PBC is actually one of our newest subcommittees at ward
and Women. We started off in twenty twenty. I want
to be quite transparent. COVID nineteen, of course, was not
an easy time. I think it took a negative toll
on communities in so many different ways, and one way
was definitely economically. We do go to Warden. It is
(02:08):
the best business school in the world and we are
lucky to have such incredible professors here. And actually it's
in our Warden mission statement to create economic and social
value around the world by advancing society. We knew COVID
was quite a challenging time for nonprofits, So we said,
why don't we create this committee use what we are
(02:30):
learning in classrooms to just lend a helping hand to
any nonprofits out in Philly and New York. And even
though the pandemic has come to an end, our mission
very much remains the same of uplifting organizations in the
Philly and New York City regions.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Amachi, can you specifically tell us what your pro bono
provides to these nonprofit organizations?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
In terms of the clients that we work with, I'll
start there. We are and women, and so we do
love working alongside our incredible female founders and nonprofits. As
I mentioned specifically, we like to work with those in
Philly and New York City just because it has that
personal element and we want to give back to the
(03:15):
community we're from. We really are not limited by industry.
We've worked with a diverse range of clients, from most
recently Climate Cardinals, which is a climate education organization. We've
worked with Catalyst Noir, which is a startup boot camp
for women tech founders. We've even worked with Team Up
(03:35):
Philly and Zenbroth, which is more in the food space.
So those are the clients we've worked with, and in
terms of what we actually provide. While some areas of
support have been analyzing the market for competitors, we've done
a lot of strategizing on business expansion through market research.
We've created new marketing campaigns for new target demographics. So
(03:59):
we really do provide support in a wide range of areas,
and that is something that I do want to emphasize
that any challenge is welcome. If you're an organization or
nonprofit looking for strategy, operations, marketing, finance, we really are
here to support you. That is our main aim.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah. Well, I think a lot of nonprofits and a
lot of small businesses for that matter, often go into
with very strong ideas and aspirations, but don't always know
all the building blocks that one needs in order to
be successful. I wonder if you can talk about some
of the challenges that nonprofits typically bring to your team
(04:39):
for support and how the Student Consultants help address those needs.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I will go back to reiterating that the challenges that
we have worked with have been very diverse in nature.
We have worked with nonprofits who are maybe looking into
expansion into a new demography or maybe a new location
and they need an extra set of eyes. I think
this is where the student perspective really becomes very valuable.
(05:07):
We've also had challenges where unfortunately, there have been cases
where nonprofits may have been stripped from funding and they're
looking for other ways to raise funds, So we also
do more research into that some nonprofits. We live in
a very dynamic, tech driven world. I think social media
is something we all utilize, so if you're looking for
(05:29):
ways to maybe increase social media traction, we've worked on
projects like that as well. So really, I think I
could emphasize a lot of different domains from operations, marketing, finance,
to strategy and machi.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Why is it important to you personally that Warden Women
is building stronger relationships with these nonprofit organizations and communities
right here in Philadelphia and New York City.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
When we think of Philadelphia, yes, we go to school
in Philly, but it's so much more than just a
place we go and studying. It's our community and at
the end of the day, we rise by lifting others
and we want to give back to the community that
has given so much to us. So I think that
would really be what drives us here at Warden women PBC.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and just personally, what are your dreams for yourself?
You are obviously very accomplished. Warden is one of the
hardest schools in one of the best of course schools
for business. What is your personal goal? What do you
think you like to see yourself moving into Eventually, I.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Personally am studying a mix of finance and impact value
in business. For me long term, I would love to
be in a space where I'm either using finance or
maybe looking more into entrepreneurship to make a positive social impact.
I'm not quite sure what exactly that idea is as
if yet, but I think that's the beauty of being
(06:53):
a student. I'm going to explore and hopefully the next
time I come on, iHeart I'll have a better st
your answer for you. But really, just using my education
to make a positive impact in the world, for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I love that him. Actually, it gives me hope for
the future of the world, and we need hope right now.
And finally, if a nonprofit leader is listening right now
and interested in receiving pro bona consulting support, how can
they connect with Wharton Women And what does the upcoming
consulting timeline look like.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
In terms of how you can connect with us social media,
we are going by Ward and Women on all our platforms,
film LinkedIn to Instagram. More specifically, though, for our pro
bono consulting initiative, we have created a link. It is
called TinyURL dot com Forward slash WWPBC twenty twenty six.
(07:50):
I know that's a long link to remember. So if
you are on Instagram, I've just posted a story this morning,
go ahead and click on that link. It will take
you directly to it. If you're a nonprofit you want
to collaborate with Ward and Women, We've just asked for
a few details to just understand how we can best
support you. To answer the latter question on what the
(08:11):
timelines you're looking like, So we want to have the
organizations that we're working with finalized by August. So really
from now to July we'll be reviewing, hopefully getting on
call with some of the nonprofits who are listening right now,
and then from September to November we will be really
just putting our minds to solve any challenges you want
(08:34):
a Ward and Woman perspective or look on. One of
the best parts about Ward and Women is that we
have a mid term and then a final presentation, which
we typically like to have in person, so hopefully we
also get to meet you ye face to face. That
is what the timeline looks like.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Yeah, that's fantastic. I just love that you're doing this
and you're providing these very valuable resources for nonprofits who
often need a little bit of support to become successful
or to grow, and that's what you're doing at Wharton Women.
Shumakchi Shastri, vice President of Philanthropy for Wharton Women at
(09:12):
the University of Pennsylvania. They are providing pro bono support
consulting initiative connecting talented undergraduate students with nonprofit organizations in
Philadelphia and New York to provide strategic support in areas
like marketing, operations and finance. Thank you so much for
all that you're doing, and good luck to you. We
(09:32):
hope to spread the word to other nonprofits who might
be listening. So thank you for all that you're doing
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Laurine, thank you so much for having us on air,
and to all of the nonprofits listening, thank you for
the work you do, and we hope we can be
part of your incredible missions out there.
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