Ritu Banga is a social entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, and board member of several organizations. She is also the wife of Ajay Banga, the chairman of General Atlantic and the former CEO of Mastercard.
Early Life and Education
Ritu Banga was born and raised in India. She graduated from Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi with a degree in economics. She then pursued her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She was among the few women who graduated from IIMA in 1981.
Career and Entrepreneurship
Ritu Banga started her career in advertising, working for Rediffusion, an IIMA alumni startup. She then joined HCL as a program manager, where she handled marketing and sales for computer hardware and software products. She later moved to Mode, another IIM Calcutta alumni startup, where she did market research for consumer goods and services.
In 1994, Ritu Banga founded her own consulting firm, Point of View, which specialized in qualitative research and brand strategy. She worked with clients such as Unilever, PepsiCo, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive, and others. She also conducted workshops and seminars on consumer behavior and marketing.
In 1997, Ritu Banga moved to the US with her husband and children. She continued to run her consulting firm remotely until 2004 when she decided to close it down. She then focused on her family and community involvement. She became an active member of the board of trustees of Marymount School of New York, a Catholic girls’ school. She also served on the advisory committee of the American Institute of Architects New York chapter.
In 2012, Ritu Banga co-founded Zoomdojo, a social enterprise that provides online and offline career resources and guidance to students, recent graduates, and startup founders. Zoomdojo aims to help young people find jobs and internships, develop their skills, and network with mentors and employers. Zoomdojo also organizes events and workshops on various topics related to career development and entrepreneurship.
Philanthropy and Social Impact
Ritu Banga is passionate about global healthcare equity, education, youth employment, and women empowerment. She has funded an endowment at Weill Cornell Medicine that annually gives out the Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards. The awards support excellence in research that will ultimately lead to improvements in the health of women and underrepresented minorities and reduce health disparities in healthcare systems and clinical settings.
Ritu Banga is also a member of the board of fellows of Weill Cornell Medicine, where she advises on strategic initiatives and fundraising efforts. She is also an advisory board member and investor of QuadFi, a Canadian fintech company that uses non-traditional personal and financial data and applies AI to create an alternative credit rating system for invisible credit groups such as recent graduates and immigrants.
Ritu Banga is also an advisory board member and investor of SmartPurse, a money coaching and learning e-toolbox that inspires women to build financial confidence and independence. She is also a member of the national advisory council of Virtual Enterprises International, a non-profit organization that offers experiential learning programs for high school students to create and run their own virtual businesses.
Ritu Banga is also involved in supporting education for girls and women in Asia. She is a founding member of the board of trustees of Asian University for Women (AUW), a liberal arts university in Bangladesh that offers quality education to women from diverse backgrounds across Asia. She is also a supporter of Pratham USA, an organization that works to improve the quality of education for children in India.
Personal Life
Ritu Banga is married to Ajay Banga, who is currently the chairman of General Atlantic, a private equity firm that invests in growth companies across various sectors and regions. He was previously the president and CEO of Mastercard from 2010 to 2020. He was also nominated by the US government as a candidate for the president of the World Bank in 2019.
Ritu Banga and Ajay Banga have two daughters, Jojo and Didi. They live in New York City. They are both avid art collectors and supporters of various cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Asia Society, and the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts.
Conclusion
Ritu Banga is a multifaceted woman who has excelled in various fields such as business, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and social impact. She is a role model for many young women who aspire to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world. She is also a loving wife and mother who balances her personal and professional life with grace and dignity. She is truly an inspiration for all.
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