About
Megha is President of the Desai Foundation, a public foundation that aims to elevate the health and livelihood of women and children through community programs in the U.S. and India. She is also the Founder of MSD (Marketing. Strategy. Dharma.), a branding and strategic partnership advisory serving social good brands.
Megha is something of a curator of people, content and experiences. Prior to her work in impact and community development, Megha spent 10+ years in traditional advertising at some of the most prestigious firms in the world. Her work has been awarded five Cannes Lions, along with several other distinguished awards. She was a pioneer in the branded entertainment space bringing together brands and entertainment platforms across the internet, TV and film. She began MSD to work with brands with a social mission, or brands that wanted to integrate social responsibility into their mission. These brands included HP, NPR, ONE.ORG, 1 Hotels, award-winning musicians, and more.
Megha later became more involved in the Desai Foundation. She helped to transform the organization’s mission, work, and message leading to its transformation from a small family foundation to a robust public foundation. Her leadership has helped put the Desai Foundation on the map through heralded events, like Diwali on the Hudson and Lotus Festival, along with highly impactful programming leveraging strong partners on the ground in the US and India. The Desai Foundation focuses on sustainable development through vocational classes, health camps, community volunteer outreach, and sanitary napkin programs. The organization, to date, has impacted 380,000 lives in Gujarat, India; Metro-Boston; and Harlem, New York.
Megha currently sits on the advisory boards of several start-ups and non-profits, including Take Two Academy, Fitsi Health, and NPR’s Generation Listen. Megha was nominated for India New England's Woman of the Year Award in 2017. Megha holds a B.A. in Economics from Barnard College of Columbia University and completed the Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford Business School. Megha is a singer and a member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, which has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub and more. She is also a contributor for Fast Company, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and an accomplished speaker. She is also a New England Patriots fan.
Awards
Cannes Lions, ONE Show Entertainment Pencil, Jay Chiat Award, Columbia University’s King’s Crown Leadership Awards, India New England's Woman of the Year (nominated)
Affiliations
NPR Generation Listen (Board Member); Take Two Academy (Board Member); TiE New York; (Charter Member); Civic Nation (Advisor); Fitsi Health (Advisor); Centre for Social Innovation; Summit Series; United Nations Foundation Council; Nexus Global Youth Summit; The Impact Center; Barnard College; Columbia University; Stanford Business School; South Asians in Marketing, Media + Entertainment Association (SAMMA); Columbia’s Community Impact; SPARK Camp: Giving; Mashable Social Good; United State of Women; Women in the World
Featured In
Speaking
Megha Desai has spoken at many conferences, schools and companies about social impact, the intersection of branding and impact, injecting social good into the DNA of your company, community development and India. She is the spokesperson for the Desai Foundation.
Speaker Topics
On Dharma & Dignity A keynote that bridges two ideas - dharma and dignity - to explore how they relate to community development and social change for women and children.
Power of the Pad: Solving Health, Stigma & Livelihood A keynote that highlights a unique sanitary napkins program as a case study for cultivating long-term health, dignity and employment for women and girls in rural India.
The State of Community Development A panel discussion on what's working, what isn't and how to create lasting impact for rural communities.
The Intersection of Branding and Impact A panel or keynote on the intersection between impact and branding, exploring how one can be used to fuel the other, and how dignity and trust are pillars of impact-driven partnership.
To book Megha to speak at your conference or company please email brigid@thedesaifoundation.org. 100% of proceeds from any speaking fees go directly to the the Desai Foundation.
Previous Speaking Engagements
Singing
Megha Desai began studying music and singing at the age of 5 and has since continued her passion for music. Megha is an original member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 60 people who identify as women who come together to sing protest songs in the spirit of collective joy and resistance. Spurred by the momentum from the Women’s March in 2017, they formed to inspire others to take action and continue the long history of singing within protest movements. The group has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub and dozens of other incredible music halls with musicians like Philip Glass, Natalie Merchant and Angélique Kojo.
Megha also performs with fellow musicians and friends at various events and venues throughout New York City (The Cutting Room, City Winery) and around the world.
