Motivational Story of Shaheen Mistri – the Heart behind Teach For India (TFI)

Motivational Story of Shaheen Mistri - Founder of Teach For India
Motivational Story of Shaheen Mistri - Founder of Teach For India

Shaheen Mistri Motivational Story, Founder & CEO of Teach For India (TFI), Teaching India Selflessness

This motivational story of Indian women entrepreneur, Shaheen Mistri will inspire you. We are sharing with you the motivational story of Shaheen Mistri, Indian women Entrepreneur and Founder of Teach for India (TFI)

We hope you find the success story of Shaheen Mistri useful and motivating through your entrepreneurial journey and will keep you motivated.

Shaheen Mistry Biography

Shaheen Mistri was born on 16 March 1971 in a Parsi family in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and raised in an international standard. She is an Indian social entrepreneur and educator. Her father was a senior banker in Citigroup.

Mistri is a CEO and founder of a program that trains people in the art of education named “Teach For India” since 2008 and also the founder of the Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organization and Indian educational initiative in Mumbai and Pune.

Education:

Shaheen completed her schooling in Jakarta International School, Greenwich Academy. She completed her college from St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai.

She grew up in five countries around the world including Lebanon, The United States, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Indonesia. Shaheen started volunteering from the age of 12. She returned to India when she was 18.

She received her degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology. She obtained a degree of Masters in Education from the University of Manchester. Shaheen enrolled in an undergraduate program at Tufts University.

Before launching her non-profit organization, sheheen’s interest in children’s education led her to volunteer as a teacher.

She was teaching in diverse organizations in Mumbai including the School for the Blind, Happy Home and the E.A.R. school for the Hearing Impaired.

She is the author of the book, Re-drawing India. She has been an Ashoka Fellow, an Asia Society 21 Leader, and a Global Leader for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum.

Adopting a scalable model for India, Akanksha Foundation

The Mumbai-born social activist worked with students and teachers, establishing Akanksha Foundation to provide children from low- income communities.

Shaheen Mistri walked into the slum areas of Mumbai and expressed her desire to teach the less privileged children. She decided to stay in India and do something about it.

She began educating underprivileged children in Cuffe Parade after college hours.
In 1989, Shaheen started first Akanksha canter, (which was formally registered in 1991) employing college friends as volunteers and enrolling 15 less privileged children.

Akanksha Foundation

She founded Akanksha Foundation in 1991 as a college student to provide education for children who roamed the streets.

Today, Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organization serves more than 10,000 children through its after-school centers and School Project in Mumbai and Pune.

At Akanksha Foundation, Teachers and volunteers teach underprivileged children using an innovative methodology. A non-profit organization provided after-school tutoring to children from low-income.

Her foundation aims to become the most effective, largest network of government schools that have holistic outcomes.

Funding that came from Citibank, friends, and parents who understood her passion for the Foundation.

Over the years, Akanksha has expanded from 15 children in one center to more than 5000 children across its nine after-schools and after-school centers across Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi.

Teaching India Selflessness – Teach For India

Shaheen founded Teach For India, a non-profit organization in In the summer of 2008, with a vision of providing a quality education through building a pipeline of leaders.

It was an idea that sparked in 2006 when Shaheen met the Founder and CEO of Teach For America, Wendy Kopp.

Teach For India

The Teach For India wants to build student, Alumni leadership to reach one million children in the next five years.

Over the years, Teach For India has placed more than 700 students in schools across Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi.

Board Memberships

  • Shaheen serves on the boards of Simple Education Foundation and Akanksha Foundation.
  • Ex-member, Thermax Foundation
  • Ex-member, Design for Change
  • Advisory Board Member, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan
  • Board Member, Teach to Lead
  • Advisor, the Latika Roy Foundation
  • Board Member, Thermax Social Initiatives Foundation
  • Board Member, The Indian School Leaders institute
  • Committee Member, National Council for Teachers Education, Government of India

Honors & Awards:

Shaheen has honoured with many prestigious awards for her achievements throughout her social entrepreneurial journey.

  • 2002: Global Leader for Tomorrow by World Economic Forum
  • 2003: Archana Trust Woman Achiever Award by Archana Trust, Mumbai
  • 2006: Asia 21 Leader
  • 2006: Selfless Service Award by Rotary International Club
  • 2015: Outstanding Leadership by World Education Congress

Shaheen Mistri, Indian Women Entrepreneur and educator

Shaheen is a motivation for all of us. Females who are wishing to become a social entrepreneur, her motivational success story may encourage you to solve the real-world problems or discover a unique idea.

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Shaheen’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing less than a motivation. We hope you find the motivational story of Indian women entrepreneurs useful and motivation through your entrepreneurial journey and will keep you motivated. Shaheen Mistri indeed is an example of women empowerment.