10 years after starting ConnectFor, Shloka Ambani, who recently turned 35 – made a rare podcast appearance on The Masoom Minawala Show – where she opened up and spoke about several important topics alongside founder Maniti Shah.
This included conversations about ambition, motherhood, journey behind ConnectFor, women in work and even insights on how she got involved in societal change.
Shloka’s Perspective on Challenges in Societal Change
The conversation started with a question about what one of society’s biggest problems is, when it comes to driving positive societal change – to which Shloka gave an insightful answer.
‘’A lot of times decisions that are taken, policies that are made – are not actually made in consultation with people who are working on the grassroot level.’’ She explained, talking about how solving problems is a complex, long and layered process – which requires a lot of questions to be answered.
She mentioned how the most important questions to answer when solving a problem are ‘’Who are you building for? How are we solving it? What is informing the decisions being made?’’ – and raised a question about whether these audits are happening or not.
This lack of comprehensive problem solving in society is one of the reasons why Shloka co-founded ConnectFor in 2015.
Shloka Ambani’s Co-Founded Non-Profit ‘ConnectFor’ Is Like a “Matchmaking Platform but for Volunteering”
ConnectFor, the non-profit organization which Shloka Ambani co-founded alongside Maniti Shah is best described by Shloka as ‘Shaadi.com but for volunteering.’
‘There are lots of people who want to do good things, but for some reason it’s very challenging to find a way to do those things. And it shouldn’t be so difficult.’ – Shloka exclaimed, describing how the initial idea behind ConnectFor was very simple – to create a bridge connecting the people who wanted to do good with the organizations who could use their help.
Over time it evolved into a broader volunteering solution. ”Now, we work with corporate, individuals, schools, colleges, non-profit partners and government bodies’‘ – Shloka on how the organization is working at a larger scale now and have become what Shloka calls a ”one-stop solution for volunteering.’‘
ConnectFor Started With a Whiteboard and “100 NGO Visits in 20 Days”
Shloka also mentioned in the interview how ConnectFor ‘’doesn’t have an upper limit’’ on how far it can go, stating how ‘’As long as there is some degree of inequality or disadvantage in this country, we’ll keep aiming to grow bigger.’’
This is also due to how personal the non-profit organisation was to Shloka and Maniti. The two described how the early days were spent setting small goals on the whiteboard like ‘’find 50 people, find 10 NGOs’’ and visiting “A 100 NGOs in 20 days of November 2014” – just one month before ConnectFor was launched in December 2014.
Shloka Studied at Princeton & LSE – Always Saw Herself Working in the Social Space
Talking about early years of education and passion, Shloka highlighted how she had always had an interest in doing things in the social space. She studied anthropology at Princeton, and then got a master’s in law from LSE. At both of these institutions, when she had to do a thesis and a master’s dissertation – she chose topics from the social sector to work on.
Shloka Ambani Even Worked as a Teacher
Continuing to talk about her passion and ambition, Shloka mentioned how she’s always been passionate about education. This even led her to working as a teacher in a private pre-school and in a Teach For India school – which she described as being ‘’one of the most profound things I did’’.
She’s Leaving a ‘Legacy’ Behind for Her Children
When asked about what it’s like to be working in a non-profit as a mother, Shloka provided a closer look at how through her work, she is also able to send a positive message to her and Akash Ambani’s kids – Prithvi and Veda Ambani.
“Being involved in something like ConnectFor is a way for me to leave behind a legacy for my children.”
She also spoke with pride about how keeping her kids informed on their shared journey of betterment, stating “I take real pride in telling my kids that ‘Mumma has to go to the office, you are going to school, we are all doing things to make ourselves better.’”
Her Take on Women in Work & Improving Outcomes for Women
When talking about women in work, Shloka brought up a beautiful and important point about the women of India. She stated how “Ambition doesn’t need to be loud, it just needs to be audacious. I think that’s what our women have.”
Talking about the barriers women face in Indian society, she highlighted “For a long time, the thing holding us back was just safety. What is the reason you didn’t have so many women working a variety of jobs? Because they were worried, their families were worried. They were anxious about what their girls would see and learn, and how they would come home.”
On the ways in which society can grow from these barries, Shloka had to say this: “When you’re changing that dialogue. When you’re looking at ways to improve the way women are treated, automatically all outcomes for women will improve.”
She states how as long as all forms of ambition are embraced and ‘’as long as they find a way forward – there’s no holding women back’’.
Shloka Ambani’s Inspiring Message About Pursuing Your Feeling
One of the most powerful moments in the podcast came when Shloka spoke about sending the right message: “It doesn’t matter how niche something feels. If you feel strongly about it, you will make opportunities happen.”
It’s an especially inspiring message for young Indians navigating the stigma around non-traditional, creative, or niche career and life paths.
On Support From Her Family And Husband Akash Ambani
“None of this would’ve been possible if they (families) weren’t supportive and if they didn’t believe in us as much as we did,” Shloka shared.
“Our parents and husbands take great pride now’’ She shared while talking about their role in the success. Shloka also highlighted how her husband Akash Ambani is proud of her work, stating how he advertises her better than herself and goes ‘‘this is what my wife does.’’
Final Thoughts and Vision for Growth
To end the conversation, Shloka shared a quote that she finds to be very nice “You’re either winning, or you’re learning. There’s no losing.” She also emphasized the importance of taking all the chances you get stating how if you do so “you are going to grow something, and it’s going to be better than what it was before.” Her bold vision for ConnectFor “There’s a whole country and world where people need us, so we will take every opportunity we get and keep doing what we do.”
Shloka’s story is proof that no matter where you are, if your desire, purpose and feelings are strong – you should pursue them. It’s also a stark example of how a cycle of positive change can start with something as simple as “Mumma has to go to the office.” and that women can do great things when they come together to inspire and create pathways for each other.