Sonali Mehta-Rao

Sonali Mehta-Rao is a dynamic social entrepreneur and advisor with a strong focus on empowering historically underrepresented communities, particularly women and minorities in South Asia. As the Founder of Ahaana Ventures, Mehta-Rao provides social and financial capital to early-stage entrepreneurs. Concurrently, Mehta-Rao holds significant roles at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and the Legatum Center at MIT, offering strategic mentorship to emerging market entrepreneurs. Additional commitments include serving as an Unreasonable Mentor, Investment Committee Member at the Cartier Women's Initiative, and Co-Founder and Board Member of Mela Artisans, a social enterprise supporting marginalized artisan communities in India. Mehta-Rao's extensive experience also includes leadership positions at Awaaz.De and Tala, and participation in initiatives such as Acumen and the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Mehta-Rao holds a BA in International Relations from New York University.