The Journey That Sparked Myna Mahila

I met Priya while conducting household surveys in Mumbai’s slums. One afternoon, I found her in visible pain. After much hesitation, she confided that she had been suffering from a vaginal infection for months. The clinic was minutes away, but she was too ashamed to seek help. “How can I discuss such private matters? What would people say?” she whispered.

A few streets away, I met another woman with three daughters. She had ensured they completed school but refused to let them take jobs. “Women in our community don’t work outside the home”, she said. “It’s not respectable”. Her eldest daughter was married at 17. Months later, she died from cervical cancer—untreated. The stigma was worse than the disease.

Again and again, I saw how dignity—misplaced, silent, and self-sacrificing—kept women from seeking care, asking for jobs, or asserting themselves. They were expected to endure, not to demand.

That’s why I founded Myna Mahila in 2015: to break that silence. Women called me Tota Myna because I asked too many questions, but I realized speaking up was a privilege many didn’t have. Like the chatty Myna bird, we ensure women find their voice to claim their future.”

-Dr. Suhani Jalota, Founder

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to harness the power of research, AI, and grassroots expertise to drive women’s agency through the three pillars of health-seeking behavior, digital literacy, and economic empowerment.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where at least 25 percent, around 100 million, of women previously excluded from healthcare, paid work, or digital access can now make decisions about their bodies, jobs, and futures—driving social and economic transformation.

Meet Team Myna

Leadership

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Founder and
Board of Directors

Dr. Sweta Kanavaje

Director, Operations

Dr. Shraddha Kale Kapile

Associate Director- Health

Vaishnavi Adhav

Finance Lead

Aayushi Darshana

HR Head

Archana Phalke

Sales and Logistics Lead

Dr. Taniya Kaul

Director Programmes (Strategy & Growth)

Dheeraj Verma

Chief of Staff

Zeel Mehta

Product Lead (Myna Bolo)

Aditi Durgapal

Research Manager

FULL TEAM

Himja Upadhyay

HR Associate

Aastha Doshi

Jr. Associate

Dikshita Thakur

Finance Executive

Sunita Bhawar

Field Coordinator 

Shahnaz Shaikh

Field Surveyor

Reshma Dange

Center Coordinator

Roshani Rupavate

Pad Woman

Uzma Shaikh

Health Educator (Myna Clinic)

Board of Directors and Advisors

Dr. Suhani Jalota

Founder and Board of Directors

Rajeev Kumar

Director

Arun Nanda

Advisor

Nicola Brentnall

Advisor

Late Dr. Jockin Arputham

Advisor

Howie Rhee

Advisor

Matt Nash

Advisor

Rajiv Jalota

Advisor

Late Dr. Jockin Arputham

Advisor

Howie Rhee

Advisor

Matt Nash

Advisor

Dr. David Boyd

Advisor

Dr. Anita-Patil Deshmukh

Advisor

Aman Agarwaal

Advisor

Roopali Jalota

Advisor

Melissa Bernstein

Advisor

Anami Roy (AN Roy)

Advisor

Arundati Muralidharan

Advisor

Roopali Jalota

Advisor

Melissa Bernstein

Advisor

Paula Mariwala

Advisor

Radhika Shah

Advisor

Perry Hewitt

Advisor

Temina Madon

Advisor

Vinay Lokhande

Advisor

An Experienced Team

70+

member team brings together expertise in medicine, technology,
and grassroots organizing to drive impact.

We attract top talent—including PhDs, doctors, engineers, and social scientists— and collaborate with leading institutions like Stanford, Duke, Emory, and IIT to develop cutting-edge, data-driven solutions

Led by the Communities We Serve

75%

of our team comes from the very communities we serve.

Their lived experiences shape our programs, ensuring cultural understanding and real-world impact.

Involving Everyone

At Myna Mahila

we take pride in fostering
a team that represents diverse religious, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

We do not discriminate based on caste, gender, religion, or disability—ensuring an inclusive, equitable workplace for all.

DRIVING Change Together

We work with incredible partners and donors who make our mission possible. We deeply appreciate their
invaluable support in driving our efforts forward.