In this interview for our Leadership Series, Meera Shenoy traces the path to founding Youth4Jobs, built on a clear conviction: one dignified job for a young person with a disability can lift an entire family out of poverty. After pioneering placement-linked skilling inside government and working with the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she chose to build practical, market-facing solutions and to listen first, always.
That ethic shows up in stories she carries from the field, and to keep pace, she has embraced technology through SwarajAbility, an accessible platform that matches talent and employers, and has been recognised with the MIT Inclusion Innovation Challenge. Her leadership playbook is disarmingly simple: listen deeply, keep ego out, measure what matters, and hold the line on values. If you’re curious about building for scale without losing soul, this conversation is a grounded masterclass in mission, resilience, and design for dignity.
This conversation with Meera Shenoy also offers candid lessons on leading without ego, listening deeply, and bridging government, markets, and tech to create change that lasts.
Transcript of the Interview:
Simit Bhagat: Hello and welcome! Today, I’m thrilled to be speaking with Meera Shenoy, founder of Youth4Jobs.
Meera Shenoy: Thanks for having me, Simit. Delighted to join you.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, of course! Before we begin, this series is slightly different from the usual organisational interviews. We’re focusing less on the institution and more on the person behind it; the ideas, instincts, and experiences that shape how leaders like you build something meaningful. You’ve often been featured for the impact of Youth4Jobs, but here I want to understand you, the human side of that leadership journey.
Meera Shenoy: That’s lovely.
Simit Bhagat: Thank you. So, let’s start. You’ve spoken before about the power of stories in your work. I remember your TEDx talk, where you mentioned the stories that stay with you. Like one love story to someone who’s gotten television in her village for the first time.
So tell me a little about different stories that you have come across and how they have driven you?
Meera Shenoy: One of the things I’ve learned, Simit, is that the more vulnerable a young person is, the greater the impact of our work. For almost 10 years, I worked with rural and tribal youth, training them and connecting them to markets, in partnership with the government, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). But when I began working in disability, I realised how deep the vulnerability truly is. There are myths, stigma, and social exclusion, and data show clearly how disability and poverty reinforce each other.
So the stories are even more inspiring. I often tell my team that we survive not because of funds or metrics, but because of the blessings of the parents. Every mother of a child with disability carries one fear: What will happen to my child after I am gone? That question weighs on them long before it should. That is why we exist.
Let me share a story. Two weeks ago, we met our alumna, Lulu. She has a severe disability and used to message me every day: “Still no job.” The team tried everything. Her English was good, but her disability made organisations hesitate. She was an orphan, adopted by a mother who has now passed away. Her brothers refused to show her the will and told her they would pay her rent for one year, and after that, she would be on her own. This is very common for girls with disabilities.
We eventually placed her at JPMorgan. When I visited her, she had prepared orange juice for us. I asked her what she would do after that one year. She said, “Don’t worry. Now that I am working, I have the confidence that I can manage my rent and everything else.” The only thing she said she missed was friendship. She goes to work, comes back, and has no one to talk to. So I told her, “When our new office opens, come spend time with the trainees. You will make many friends.” She could easily have been abandoned, but today she is independent, confident, and sure of herself.
Another story is about a speech and hearing-impaired girl from a village. Her training was funded by the Global Head of Retail at IKEA, who wrote to me saying she wanted to support someone for her birthday. Later, when this girl was placed with a Google vendor, the donor said she wanted to meet her. I was nervous; it had only been three months since she started working. But it was extraordinary to watch. She communicated in sign language with such confidence. She asked questions rooted in her life, “Are you married? Do husbands beat their wives in your community? Do you have a child?”
It reminded me that a job is not just economic empowerment; it strengthens dignity, social confidence, family relationships, and even emotional well-being.
Seeing this every day keeps us grounded. It reminds us why we stay on this journey, without distraction, committed to the mission.
Simit Bhagat: Those are beautiful stories. And I am sure these are just two among many. You meet so many people whose lives have shifted in such profound ways. I imagine this is also something that keeps you going.
Meera Shenoy: Absolutely. I often tell my team that we are fortunate to go to work. Many people wake up thinking, “I have to go to work.” For us, work is not work. We know that every person we meet and train has the potential for transformation. That brings immense joy. And this feeling is shared by everyone in the organisation, from our trainers to our program executives. All of them have stories from the grassroots.
I will share one. When we began work in Karimnagar, I had gone to meet the district collector. At the grassroots, especially in interior regions, the level of vulnerability among persons with disabilities is very high, particularly for women. There was a woman there with one arm. She said she always believed she was useless. Her mother told her that. Her community told her that. She stayed inside the house, eating quietly, because everyone would say, “What use is she?”
One of our young trainers invited her to the training centre. She resisted initially, but the trainer simply said, “Just come and sit. That is enough for now.” We trained her. We gave her a sewing machine and taught her how to stitch with one hand. Today, she runs a small business. She has moved from “I cannot” to “I can.” Her parents and neighbours, who once dismissed her, now show her respect. She has dignity in her community.
The collector listened to this story and many others that day. He said, “This work is changing lives in my own district.” Since then, the government machinery there has wholeheartedly supported our project. Moments like that remind us why we do this work.
Simit Bhagat: Right. So, when you are building an organisation, especially with stories like these at the centre, how important is communication? And how do you use these stories while building partnerships with foundations, companies such as IKEA, or even the government? Because government systems move slowly and can be very bureaucratic. How has communication shaped your work with them?
Meera Shenoy: From the organisation’s perspective, we use some social media platforms quite well, particularly Instagram. My team manages it very effectively. For instance, a speech and hearing-impaired alumnus runs Instagram content for that community, and a visually-impaired alumnus leads it for theirs. They have become ambassadors in their own right. We encourage them to create engaging, light-hearted posts, recipes, cooking tutorials, and glimpses of daily life, rather than only serious content. Instagram now performs very well for us. LinkedIn has a smaller audience, and Facebook hardly figures in our plans anymore.
Our biggest communication challenge is translating the intense grassroots work we do into sustained storytelling. We build partnerships at the block level with government offices and small and medium enterprises to create a strong bottom-up structure. There is great excitement locally, but we often fail to capture and share that momentum more widely. Communication at the grassroots involves regional media and local influencers, which is an entirely different ecosystem. We see glimpses of it now and then, but we are still learning how to convey that energy to a broader audience.
Our biggest communication challenge is translating the intense grassroots work we do into sustained storytelling.
One initiative I love is how we have turned many of our alumni into local leaders. I once told my team that if we truly believe in the abilities of persons with disabilities, we must help them become visible leaders in their own communities. So we selected about 100 people, some alumni and some not, and gave them bright yellow T-shirts branded with Divya Mitra. At first, their role was simply to speak to people about inclusion, but now they have become recognised figures. District collectors often say, “Call the yellow-T-shirt fellow” whenever disability issues come up. They may not always remember the person’s name, but they recognise the yellow T-shirt as a symbol of inclusion. Capturing and sharing these stories is our next communication challenge.
Simit Bhagat: Right. And often in the social sector, communication ends up on the back burner. Was that the case for you too, or has it always been a priority from the beginning?
Meera Shenoy: It has definitely been secondary. Our funders often remind us that we do not tell our stories enough. I feel the world is divided into two groups: those who talk a lot but do little, and those like us who work deeply but do not talk enough. If an organisation can find a balance between the two, doing meaningful work and communicating it well, that is the ideal formula. We are still learning how to do that.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, that is something I have noticed across the sector, even among large organisations. There are so many programmes, yet there is always the question of how to communicate their impact. How do you show that impact? How do you let the donor or the public see the difference you have made? Very few organisations manage to find that balance.
Some do very little work but know how to showcase it: glossy annual reports, fancy videos, big numbers everywhere.
Meera Shenoy: Absolutely. Everything becomes a performance. Every number is a million.
Simit Bhagat: Exactly. And it is almost the same for India as a country. We have such diversity and such a rich heritage, but are we really able to showcase it to the world? In so many countries, even a small thing is packaged and marketed beautifully.
Meera Shenoy: That is true. It is a good parallel, and I completely agree with you.
Simit Bhagat: Yes. So, you spoke earlier about leadership at the local level. I want to take that further. What does leadership mean to you personally, and what have been the biggest lessons in your journey as a leader?
Meera Shenoy: For me, the first and most important quality in a leader is the ability to listen. Our grassroots work has taught me that what we think is important for persons with disabilities is often not what matters most in their lives. Only by listening, integrating their perspectives, and adjusting our approach can we truly succeed.
Today, our organisation has become more complex. Around 35% of our team are persons with disabilities, and about 30% are young women. We have a mix of very young colleagues and people over fifty. Just last week, we held a workshop on how these different age groups can work together. The younger ones use a completely different language and mindset. It was a fun and eye-opening exercise.
The second thing I believe in is that as a leader, I do not run against others; I only run against myself. I do not compare with anyone in the disability sector. Instead, I look at the mainstream for inspiration: what is new, what is exciting, what can we learn and apply.
The third quality, and perhaps the most essential, is to have no ego. If you carry ego, you are finished. Earlier, I had to consciously remind myself of this, but now it has become second nature. I often revisit the Bhagavad Gita, which teaches you to focus on your work without attachment to outcomes. Meditation on that idea, the meaninglessness of ego, helps me lead more effortlessly.
I often revisit the Bhagavad Gita, which teaches you to focus on your work without attachment to outcomes. Meditation on that idea, the meaninglessness of ego, helps me lead more effortlessly.
When ego disappears, you stop feeling threatened by people who might be more skilled than you. You simply want the best for the organisation. Our vision is clear: to move persons with disabilities from the vicious cycle of poverty to a virtuous cycle of opportunity through livelihoods. With that clarity, you just stay on course.
I have also been asked many times how I manage to work successfully with the government. I honestly do not have a formula. Perhaps it is about patience, persistence, and respect for systems.
Another leadership skill that matters deeply in our work is bridging the gap between non-governmental organisations and markets. That silo is real. My team and I have learned to cross it. Even our grassroots trainers can now talk about life skills, placements, post-placement support, and how to create opportunities with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This is crucial because many women and people with severe disabilities cannot migrate for better jobs. So we help them find opportunities where they are.
Meera Shenoy: They all need local jobs. That meant breaking into the MSME sector, which is essential because almost 70% of India’s labour market is there. It was challenging, but my team now speaks about it so naturally. It is no longer just me bridging the gap between the non-governmental organisation and the market. The ability to pass that skill to the team so they can carry it forward themselves is a leadership quality I value deeply.
Simit Bhagat: Absolutely. You’ve shared so many thoughtful points, and I want to explore one of them further. When you are building an organisation, you are constantly motivated and thinking about work. Founders often tend to be workaholics, always planning, refining, and thinking ahead. How do you manage that balance at scale? And how do you ensure your team stays equally passionate? Do you ever manage to switch off yourself?
Meera Shenoy: Do I switch off? These days, little by little. I am consciously trying to do less and focus on what truly interests me, even if it is not entirely unrelated to my work. For instance, I have been taking courses on compassion at good universities. That is something that nourishes me.
My team knows that I am a morning person. I have a few close colleagues I call my “soulmates” who are also early risers. Between 5:45 and 7:00 in the morning, I sometimes call them to talk through doubts or ideas about the organisation. They pick up, we discuss, and then I do not need to speak to them for the rest of the day. But there are also people who are the opposite of me: evening people. That is a leadership challenge in itself: learning how to work effectively with different rhythms and temperaments.
It is like tilling a field; you move through it carefully, making sure all the different strands of the organisation stay aligned as it grows.
The other important thing is that I never talk about targets. I do not discuss funder targets or programme numbers. I only talk about values. I repeat one mantra endlessly, almost like a prayer, in every meeting: If one youth with disability gets a job, the entire family comes out of poverty in a sustained way. I remind my team to keep this thought in mind. Whatever challenge they face, it becomes small when they remember that their work directly lifts families out of poverty. Our data confirms this, but more than numbers, it is about staying connected to purpose. That is how I try to build passion, by keeping values at the centre.
If one youth with disability gets a job, the entire family comes out of poverty in a sustained way.
Simit Bhagat: Right. But is it always possible to hold on to that approach, especially when you are working at scale, with multiple projects and different donors?
Meera Shenoy: That is a good question. If you look at our training centres, are they all performing equally well? No. I often say, “If everyone can operate like me, or even 70% like me, I call those the blossoming centres.” These are centres that can function independently. My goal is to let them be, to give them space to shine in their own way.
In the past year, five of our centres have reached that stage. We do not call them to ask whether placements are happening or whether their youth numbers meet targets. We leave them alone. Of course, there are also centres that struggle, where we have to stay closely involved. So at scale, you cannot expect everything to work at 100%. There are geographic and cultural differences, as well as many other contextual factors.
India is a complex country. For instance, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra invited us to work in nine of the state’s poorest districts to create a model for India. Even with a strong grassroots team, it is difficult. Building livelihoods for persons with disabilities in such areas is a challenge. There is no single solution, but we keep trying, we keep learning.
Simit Bhagat: Right. You also mentioned compassion earlier as a way of finding balance. I am curious, even within that, does it really feel like switching off? For me, for example, when I try to relax by watching a film, I still notice shots, editing, and camera work. I end up taking screenshots and sending them to our editor the next day, saying, “Let’s try this style.” So even while I am resting, I am thinking about work. Do you find that happens with you too?
Meera Shenoy: I agree with you completely. That is why I said it is not totally disconnected. Even when I take courses on compassion or plan workshops around it, it connects back to my work. For us, compassion is not abstract. It is something we actively look for when hiring. Skills can be taught, but the mindset matters most. Does the person have empathy for the poor? Do they come with respect and humility, not the attitude of “I know better”? People who lack that cannot succeed in this kind of work.
The qualities that matter most are respect, compassion, and empathy for those we serve. So yes, in that sense, it is a continuum between my personal interests and professional values.
For us, compassion is not abstract. It is something we actively look for when hiring. Skills can be taught, but the mindset matters most.
But I have to admit, I do sneak in some time for myself. I love watching crime films. I think somewhere, my secret dream is to write a crime story one day. Ask me anything about crime shows, and I can probably tell you the plot!
Simit Bhagat: That is an unexpected and fun side of you.
Meera Shenoy: Do you not think everyone needs one?
Simit Bhagat: Absolutely, everyone should have a way of unwinding after a long, hard day of work.
You spoke about values earlier. How do you actually embed them within the organisation? Do you look for them while hiring, or do you believe they can be built once someone joins?
Meera Shenoy: We try to assess it during hiring, but it is not always easy to gauge. You have to observe people over time. Our approach is to give employees a lot of freedom. If someone struggles in one role, we try to move them to another rather than let them go. But when it comes to values, we are uncompromising.
Even something people consider small, like submitting a wrong invoice or an inaccurate report, is taken seriously. We are ruthless about that because, as the organisation grows, you cannot allow anything that weakens your value system. Integrity has to be non-negotiable.
Simit Bhagat: Right, but do those values come in right from the start, or do you think they build over time as the organisation grows?
Meera Shenoy: Right from the start. From the very beginning, we made values absolutely non-negotiable. And it is not easy, especially in the skilling space. In this field, data is often misrepresented or exaggerated to please funders. We consciously choose the harder path: to report the truth, even when the numbers are not flattering. It means we sometimes move more slowly, but at the end of the day, everyone sleeps well. That peace of mind is worth it.
Simit Bhagat: That makes complete sense. Continuing on the hiding part, when you are interviewing someone for a senior leadership role, what are the top qualities you look for? Values are clearly one. What are the other two or three things that are absolutely non-negotiable for you?
Meera Shenoy: The first is a clear understanding of the skilling ecosystem. Many people come from sectors like health or education and do not always grasp how skilling connects to markets. As a leader, you need to understand the bridge: how to link training with real opportunities, even how to nurture entrepreneurs.
Second, as you said, values are non-negotiable.
And third, a strong comfort with technology and data. You do not have to be a tech expert, but you should know how to use data intelligently, to measure impact, course-correct, and improve programmes. That is essential in any sector today, but especially in the disability space, where technology can transform access and inclusion.
Simit Bhagat: Right, so values, sector understanding, and the humility to know what you do not know, and then bring in the right people to fill those gaps.
Meera Shenoy: Exactly.
Simit Bhagat: You mentioned Gen Z a little earlier. Many on my team fall into that bracket, and I want to dig a bit deeper into it. Do you ever get frustrated working with them?
Meera Shenoy: Not at all. I find them wonderful. In fact, I have been telling my colleagues that we should bring more of them in because they bring such freshness and energy. Of course, one or two may not fit, but that is fine. Our youngest team member, Mohan, works in the next office. He has multiple disabilities from an accident and is such an inspiring person. The kind of advocacy he has done for accessibility in his own neighbourhood is remarkable. When he told me those stories, I thought, What energy this person has! So we took him on board.
They bring new perspectives and ideas. The challenge for senior people like us is to really listen to them and use their insights. We should not come across as those stodgy seniors who do not understand their language or mindset. They are amazing, and they have many good ideas. We just need to listen and find ways to apply them.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, I keep telling my team that they are not the typical Gen Z and that they are very unlike the stereotype. I call them “fake Gen Zs.”
Meera Shenoy: That sounds right. I also think I do not hear a lot of their usual slang or expressions because they do not use that language when they speak with me. But we all know that their terminology is completely different, so I do not really face that gap in the workplace.
Simit Bhagat: Right. One thing I have noticed, and I am learning to accept, is that when I got my first job, I believed that you must stay in an organisation for at least three years to really learn. That was the minimum commitment one made. But now the timeframe has shifted completely. Today, it is measured in months; six months feels long.
Meera Shenoy: I hope not. For us, it has not been like that so far, but we do not know what the future holds. You can see this trend around, though. A lot of young people now want to start something of their own. I keep meeting them, and that startup space is incredible, full of energy and fearlessness.
I remember addressing a group of young women entrepreneurs. Many were from tier-3 towns, and they told me their parents had no idea what they were doing. Some had come to the Indian School of Business to study. When I speak to older audiences, say people in their 40s or 50s, almost everyone recognises me. But this younger crowd doesn’t; by the time I come down from the stage, they’ve already Googled me, read everything, and are waiting with their questions. They are curious, fast, and fearless.
And many of them have failed too, but the difference is how they view failure. For our generation, failure felt like the end. For them, it is a step forward. “Yes, I failed,” they say, “but I learnt something.” That attitude is a big and welcome change.
Simit Bhagat: Absolutely. And also the ability to adapt, whether it’s technology or anything new, is phenomenal. I see that with younger people all the time. Even my ten-year-old niece does things that surprise me. It’s stunning how naturally they learn.
Meera Shenoy: That’s true. Their ease with technology is incredible, as if they were born with it. Whether it’s a phone, a laptop, or a new tool, they figure it out instantly. The rest of us stare at the screen, wondering what to do, and they solve it in seconds.
Simit Bhagat: Right, yes. Talking about technology, given the kind of work you do, you’ve also been leveraging artificial intelligence for some of it. As a leader, you always have to keep up with the times. New tools and systems are emerging constantly, and no one wants to be left behind. How do you, both personally and as an organisation, keep pace with all of this change?
Meera Shenoy: I think we move forward by keeping our eyes on two areas: the community we serve and the market we connect them to. That balance helps us stay grounded. The other thing we focus on is building sustainable, long-term solutions. None of our projects has ever been shut down. They continue because the problems we tackle, and the size of our country, are both immense.
It’s the same approach with technology. For instance, we built a platform called SwarajAbility, Swaraj meaning self-reliance, and Ability highlighting the strengths of persons with disabilities. When we launched it, several corporate CEOs asked how I could be so audacious to do something three years ahead of its time. The platform went on to win the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Asia Inclusion Innovation Award in 2019. Every judge told me we had bridged the demand–supply gap by creating a cutting-edge model. I came back thinking, “Why not?” It never even occurred to me that the idea was too ambitious.
It turned out to be one of the largest investments in India’s disability space. Even countries like Singapore, with all their resources, haven’t built something like it. The platform allows young people with disabilities to register seamlessly. If you’re speech- or hearing-impaired, it supports sign language; if you’re visually impaired, it operates in multiple languages with a call centre. It keeps youth at the centre and connects them to companies effortlessly.
We’ve never shied away from taking risks when something truly matters. That’s how we keep evolving, by choosing sustainable solutions and revisiting them every few months. Technology changes every day, and it’s impossible to keep up otherwise. A friend once advised me not to design any framework beyond a three-month horizon, because something new will always emerge, and I think that’s wise.
Simit Bhagat: And from a personal perspective? How do you keep up with this? Do you spend a lot of time reading, or do you rely on your team to bring you updates?
Meera Shenoy: I stay alert; my ears are always open. I read, but not long reports; I prefer what I call “capsule wisdom”, short, sharp pieces that give me the essence of something new. My husband is a scientist, so sometimes I ask him to explain the technical bits I don’t understand.
But above all, I rely on instinct. I have learned not to follow everyone’s advice. When I started Youth4Jobs, corporate CEOs told me not to open centres in poorer states; stick to metros, they said, because they’re easier. They said I wasn’t a McDonald’s franchise, so why spread so thin? But I had left the World Bank at 35 to work for India, and I knew where the need was. So we went to Bihar and Jharkhand, where disabilities are more common and opportunities are fewer.
Someone else once advised me not to take on youth with multiple disabilities, to focus on those with simpler challenges, so our placement numbers would look stronger. But I couldn’t agree. What’s the point of being in this sector if we ignore those who need us most? I think instinct and heart must lead the way. Without that, I don’t think you can be a true leader.
Simit Bhagat: That’s also a kind of rebellion in its own way, isn’t it? Because there are always so many opinions and bits of advice coming from people, and most of them are logical, well-meaning, and even correct in their own right. But going back to your instinct, acknowledging that yes, what they’re saying might make sense, yet still choosing to listen to your gut and do what feels right, that’s a kind of quiet defiance too. How important is that for you, to listen to your own inner voice even when it goes against what seems logical?
Meera Shenoy: I think that defines me as a person. I’m guided almost entirely by instinct. Many of my corporate friends still remind me of the times I ignored their advice, and now, seeing the work we’ve done, they admit, sometimes a bit sheepishly, that I was right to do so.
But I don’t think it’s just me. There are many in this space who lead from instinct and heart. I believe that’s essential. Even if you make mistakes, at least you know you’ve done what felt true. You can live with that, knowing you tried in good faith.
Simit Bhagat: Yeah, and personally, to walk that path, to follow something that feels deeply right to you, that itself is a journey. Like you mentioned earlier, drawing from the Bhagavad Gita, the outcome doesn’t really matter, does it? You learn what you’re meant to along the way.
Meera Shenoy: Absolutely.
Simit Bhagat: After leaving the World Bank, when you began working in this sector, you seemed clear that you wanted to work at scale. That’s unusual, because many organisations prefer to start small, maybe one district, one village, one specific focus area, and go deeper rather than wider. Especially in a field like disability, where there are countless interconnected issues such as education, livelihoods, and health, most people might choose to stay limited in scope. But you were certain you wanted scale. How did that clarity come about?
Meera Shenoy: I think my first real sense of scale came from my early years working with the government in the Employment Generation and Marketing Mission (EGMM), which was India’s first skilling mission under the state government of Andhra Pradesh. I was positioned within the government, with almost unlimited resources. I began with a budget of ₹1 crore, and by the time I left, it had grown to ₹300 crore.
Money wasn’t the challenge. I had some of the best district officers working with me and a strong government machinery backing the mission. Working at that scale, creating jobs for rural and tribal youth, influencing policy, gave me a taste of what was possible. That experience made me realise I would always want to work at scale.
But when I started Youth4Jobs, I knew this would be much harder. Disability is a far more complex area than general skilling. I no longer had the government’s vast network or budget. Earlier, I had achieved scale in a single geography: a single state. This time, I wanted to reach across India. It was an ambitious goal.
What kept me steady was a simple formula: never make the model too complex. Today, we may operate on multiple levels, but at its core, the work remains simple. Complex models rarely work at scale; clarity and simplicity do. I also believe the universe conspires to help when you’re doing something not for yourself but for others. Somehow, partnerships, funding, and solutions always come together.
Sometimes it even feels as if there’s a quiet godfather watching over us. I’ll tell you a funny story. When we were young, a well-known astrologer from the royal family of Jodhpur did horoscopes for my siblings and me. We’d never seen them until years later, after my mother passed away. When we found mine, it said: “This person will work in social impact.” We laughed so hard at the time. I was deep in the corporate world then. But when it eventually happened, I couldn’t help but think of that line. Maybe some paths are written for you long before you see them.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, they say that for people who are spiritually inclined or guided by faith, things tend to fall into place. You may have a vision without knowing where the funds will come from or how a challenge will be resolved, yet somehow, it does, often seamlessly. Has that been true for you as well?
Meera Shenoy: Absolutely. When we started the organisation, there were just four of us. We decided that, since both of us had husbands, the two women wouldn’t take any salary initially, and the two men would receive only 50%.
I still remember that first year, before we got our tax exemptions. We desperately needed ₹1 lakh to keep going. It felt as if we didn’t manage that, and everything would collapse. Around that time, someone mentioned someone in Mumbai who was known for backing people purely on trust, without expecting receipts or exemptions. And he actually did. He sent us the ₹1 lakh we needed.
Not long after that, as soon as we received our Section 12A and 80G approvals, our first major supporter arrived, the Access Bank Foundation. Their CEO simply said, “Tell me your dream.” We hadn’t even had time to think about one, so we quickly said the first thing that came to mind: “Fourteen centres.” We didn’t know how we’d set them up, but we did.
Since then, there’s been no looking back. When I reflect on it now, I realise that so many small, unexpected turns and little quirks of fate kept helping us move forward just when we needed it most.
Simit Bhagat: Are you someone who’s deeply into spirituality?
Meera Shenoy: I’d say I’m reasonably spiritual. I meditate every day, a short one, nothing elaborate, but it helps centre me. I don’t follow any specific guru or path, but I do believe in prayer. I love lighting earthen lamps every evening at three places in my home, one for the Tulsi plant, one for a beautiful Ganesha idol, and one for the Goddess. If I’m home before 7:30, I never miss it. It gives me immense peace.
Whether that makes me spiritual or not, I don’t know. But I do believe there’s a higher power that looks after all of us.
Simit Bhagat: That’s lovely. Thank you for sharing that.
You spoke earlier about scale and building something large. For founders who are just starting out, maybe setting up their first organisation, are there any lessons you’ve learned that you think they should keep in mind? Things to do, or not do?
Meera Shenoy: Yes, a few. First, it’s wonderful to be powered by an idea, but don’t become so attached to it that you can’t change course when needed. Test it, validate it, and be open to evolving it.
Second, there should be no word called cannot. I tell my team every day that word doesn’t exist in our dictionary. Everything is possible. In fact, my first book was titled You Can. It’s a very simple book I wrote when I first entered the disability sector. At that time, I remember thinking, How on earth am I going to do this work? It felt overwhelming. Then I told myself, What do I know best? I know how to write.
So, I travelled across the country, meeting people with disabilities, some were entrepreneurs, others worked in companies that had hired them. I collected their stories and turned them into a small, straightforward book, with a few lessons at the end of each story. It did surprisingly well.
I would often tell people, “It’s such an affordable book, read it on your flight and then leave it behind for the next person.” It connected with people of all ages. Many even came up to me asking for a Hindi version, and so we got it translated.
One of the most powerful things I learned while writing it was from a man I met early on. I asked him, “What are your challenges?” and he simply replied, “What are not my challenges?” That stayed with me. It reminded me that if people with disabilities can overcome so much, then surely the rest of us can too. The book continues to find new readers even today; it’s still out there, still travelling, still being read.
Simit Bhagat: And how did that book happen? Was it something you’d always wanted to write, or did it just come to you along the way?
Meera Shenoy: It happened quite naturally. I was in the middle of trying to understand disability myself, and writing the book became a way to learn. It helped me see how people with disabilities who had achieved success managed their lives and work.
For instance, I met a man who had built a company worth ₹1 crore and, even after his accident, turned it into a ₹300 crore business, all while using a wheelchair. What struck me was that he never sat around feeling sorry for himself. Instead, he was constantly thinking about how he could help others. He once told me, “I may not be able to do what I used to, but there must be other ways I can contribute.”
He shared how people often cried when they saw him at airports, especially when security would ask him to stand up despite his condition. He would calmly tell them, “Please don’t cry.” He never wanted pity.
He even faced discrimination at his club, despite swimming better than many members. After his accident, they cancelled his membership, saying he couldn’t swim. So if someone with wealth and privilege faces this kind of bias, imagine what it’s like for those who are poor.
I often say that if you’re a girl with a disability in India, you carry four burdens: you’re a girl, you’re poor, you’re disabled, and you’re often invisible. That’s the reality of India, and of many developing countries too.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, absolutely. And I’m sure, while you’ve shared so many inspiring stories, there must also be the tougher ones, stories of exclusion, of people being treated unfairly, of lack of access. Even today, we see how inaccessible our cities, roads, and buildings still are. When you’re constantly hearing such stories, how do you not lose hope? How do you stay optimistic and not become bitter?
Meera Shenoy: Yes, that’s a very good question.
I’ve learned to stay positive. I try not to dwell on what I can’t change. Wherever I can find a solution, I act on it. For instance, when we realised how many youth struggled at work because of accessibility issues, we introduced assistive technology across all our training centres. That’s something within my control, so I do it.
But there are challenges that are simply beyond what I can fix, like the lack of accessible public transport in rural or interior areas. I can’t solve that, but I can equip young people with digital skills, help them find livelihoods that don’t depend on travel, and give them the confidence to stand on their own.
So that’s my approach: focus on what can be done, and don’t get weighed down by what’s impossible. I genuinely don’t think about what I can’t change.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, and that’s very difficult to do. People who work deeply in this space often find it hard to stay objective, not disconnected, but neutral enough to accept that some problems can’t be solved right now. It’s about recognising the limits of what’s possible and channelling your energy into what you can do instead.
Meera Shenoy: Absolutely. Some stories are truly heart-rending. Parents come to me and share how exploitative the world can be for their children. When that happens, I ask myself, Do I have a solution for this? Maybe not a complete one, but can I offer a partial solution? If yes, I give it.
I do empathise deeply, and it does stay with me for the rest of the day. But I think I’ve developed a kind of mental switch that helps me continue this work. Without it, you could easily fall into an abyss of sadness, seeing only the pain, instead of the possibilities for change.
Simit Bhagat: Yes, absolutely. And what makes it harder now is how technology reinforces what we consume. If you’re reading about injustice or inequality, the algorithm assumes that’s what you want and keeps feeding you more of it. After a point, your entire feed becomes an echo chamber of sadness or anger, and it’s hard to step away from that loop.
I remember when I was reading a lot of stories about everything that was going wrong in India, corruption, policy failures, inequality, my feed slowly became filled only with that.
After some time, I started wondering why everything I saw was so bleak. And then it hit me: the algorithm was simply reflecting what it thought I wanted to see. So I had to make a conscious choice to seek out the other side, to read about solutions, progress, and platforms like The Better India that focus on what’s improving.
When you start doing that, the feed changes. It’s almost like retraining your own lens, reminding yourself that hope and innovation exist alongside the problems.
Meera Shenoy: It really does, yes. And I think another important question to keep asking yourself is, can something better come out of this? Not from the negativity, but from the sorrow itself.
For instance, when I travel, many parents insist on meeting me, even if I say there’s no need. They come hoping their child might get a job. Often, these are children with intellectual disabilities, and because our work is largely corporate-led, we can’t always find roles that make business sense for companies. I used to agonise over this helplessness, Why can’t I create a solution?
What I noticed, though, was that almost every parent would bring a crumpled drawing or painting, saying, “Look, my child can draw.” That’s when it struck me, Could I create a platform that celebrates art by people with disabilities? I searched for one and found none, so I decided to start it myself. That’s how Not Just Art was born. The idea was simple: for people with disabilities, art isn’t just expression; it’s therapy, identity, and hope.
Later, during COVID, I realised even parents had begun experimenting with art at home. So we evolved the idea into the Global Ability Photography Awards, giving both youth and families a new way to tell their stories through images.
Simit Bhagat: Right. You’ve done so many things, from leading the Employment Generation and Marketing Mission to speaking at TED and Berkeley, to being featured by Harvard Business School. The Prime Minister has mentioned your work, and you’ve received national awards for empowering persons with disabilities. How do you stay grounded through all this recognition?
Meera Shenoy: Honestly, it doesn’t stick to me at all. You should see my family, they’re wonderfully unimpressed!
It hit me quite unexpectedly once. I had won an award in Mangalore, a city I’ve barely lived in, except for a single visit years ago to write a story for Business Today. The organiser, an elderly gentleman, called and insisted, “You must come to receive it yourself; we’re all praying for you.” So I went.
When I got there and went up on stage, he looked around and asked, “Where’s your family?” I laughed and said, “They didn’t come.” Everyone else had eight relatives with them, parents, children, cousins, all cheering from the front row. I stood alone. A kind couple in the audience must have felt bad for me because they came up and said, “We’ll be your family today,” and walked with me to the stage.
That’s how it is in my family; no one makes a big deal out of it. They’ll just say, “Aunty’s doing her good work,” and move on. Awards don’t really matter to me personally. They’re nice when they make people proud or help the organisation’s work get recognised, but they don’t affect me.
Every week, I still get at least one message offering a “paid” award: “Give ₹15,000, we’ll feature you.” We simply say no. That money belongs to our work, it belongs to persons with disabilities.
That said, genuine recognition, the kind that validates the impact of our work, does matter because it tells the team that the world is noticing. But for me personally, it’s just another reminder to keep my head down and keep going.
Simit Bhagat: This has been such an insightful conversation, understanding not just your journey but the entire process of building and leading an organisation. Is there anything I might have missed or anything you’d like to add before we wrap up?
Meera Shenoy: Just that this has been a free‑flowing, unconventional chat, and I enjoyed it very much. And yes, do stay in touch!
Simit Bhagat: Definitely, absolutely. Thank you, Meera, for the clarity, stories, and candour.
Meera Shenoy: Thank you. It was a pleasure!
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