New Advisory Council Member Spotlight: Shruti Kothari
The Asian Pacific Fund (APF) is excited to welcome Shruti Kothari, Director of Industry Initiatives, Health Care Reform for Blue Shield of California, and Founder of Women of Community, as one of our newest Advisory Council members.
As part of APF’s Advisory Council, Shruti will help increase our impact by providing her knowledge and expertise to advance our strategic goals, promote our work, and support our annual fundraising efforts.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Shruti, and I’m a healthcare transformation advocate. I’ve worked as a health educator, community mobilizer, quality improvement leader, early-stage startup operator, and in venture capital. I currently lead Industry Initiatives for Blue Shield of California. I am also the Founder of an organization called Women of Community (WOC) – WOC works to support increased representation of Women of Color in healthcare leadership positions. I’m also the Co-Founder of the Start-up Crown Society. I’ve been recognized on lists like Business Insiders 30 under 40 and frequent the health care conference speaking circuit. When not doing that, I love to spend time with my loved ones, working up a sweat at Barry’s, and I’m also an avid solo traveler – I’ve solo-explored 4 continents, 10 countries, and 29 cities.
Shruti with her mother, Sonal Kothari
What inspired you to join the Asian Pacific Fund’s Advisory Council, and what excites you most in this new role?
I’m a proud daughter of Asian Immigrants and was raised predominately by my single, non-college-educated mother. From an early age, I learned the importance of being self-resilient. Seeing the challenges my mother faced as an immigrant, working-class woman of color, I became passionate about creating a more fair, just, and equitable world. APF’s mission is highly aligned with my own personal values. The integrity in which APF shows up in this world, to support their communities, is incredible… It is an honor to serve on APF’s Advisory Council.
The Asian Pacific Fund is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, but as we look towards the next decade, what are your hopes for APF and our AAPI community as an APF Advisory Council member?
AAPI-American voices are growing louder and stronger, calling for an end to the hate and bringing hope for a more united future. Now more than ever, it’s important to engage and bring to light the issues that affect the AAPI community. As an APF Advisory Council member, I’m honored to celebrate our heritage and work towards building a brighter tomorrow. I hope that I can make a positive impact like the wider API Community has made on me… and make my ancestors proud.
“Honor the past and inspire the future… I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dream.”
– Brandan “BMike” Odums
Shruti with her mother, Sonal, and grandmother, Banu Kamdar