PROVIDENCE, RI—She is the Director of Information & Technology at Plan International USA, a global girls’ rights organization. Akanksha Patel is also a beauty pageant participant who was recently crowned as Mrs. India Rhode Island.
“I work in the Information and Technology department and my work comes with many challenging and complex problems, but I enjoy the challenge of solving it as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes with finding a solution,” says Ms. Patel. “I enjoy my workplace’s collaborative environment and the opportunity to work with talented and passionate people.”
Given a chance, who would Ms. Patel like to meet? She says: Marie Curie, the Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity and received two Nobel prizes.
“She discovered two main periodic elements, first women to receive not one but two Nobel prizes. She created the first hand-held X-Ray machine,” said Ms. Patel. “I am inspired by her and would like to go back in time and meet her not only because of her achievements but because of the challenges she faced to achieve these results. At those times, women were not allowed to enter labs or take engineering in college.”
Ms. Patel will be honored as the Outstanding Women of the Year 2024 by INDIA New England News on April 26, 2024 at its 21st Annual Awards gala at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA. The event will be attended by about 400 business and community leaders, philanthropists, and professionals.
To register for the gala, please click here.
Ms. Patel is known for her empathy, caring demeanor, and holistic approach to management. In nominations submitted by her coworkers, many noted the way that Ms. Patel goes beyond her role as a manager to offer guidance, support and an ear to listen for matters big and small, both professional and personal.
She enjoys her work for Plan International USA. Powered by its supporters, Plan International USA partners with adolescent girls and their communities to overcome oppression and gender inequality, providing the resources that are unique to their needs, ensuring they achieve their full potential with dignity, opportunity, and safety.
Here is a Q/A with Ms. Patel:
INDIA New England News: Please tell our readers about your work and what you enjoy most about it?
Akanksha Patel: I work in the Information and Technology department and my work comes with many challenging and complex problems, but I enjoy the challenge of solving it as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes with finding a solution. I enjoy my workplace’s collaborative environment and the opportunity to work with talented and passionate people.
I am respected and appreciated, and my needs and concerns are always considered. I am encouraged to succeed and look forward to seeing my co-workers every single day. I love my team. It is very rewarding to work for an organization like Plan International.
INE: If you’re engaged with any charity or non-profit, please tell us why this organization and what do you do for them?
AP: I am associated with Plan International where I work as the Director of Information and Technology. Plan International USA is a girls rights organization and we are fighting the root cause of gender inequality in over 80 countries and 55,000-plus communities around the globe.
I am also associated with Hari Vidhya Bhavan where I work as a volunteer every Sunday and I get a chance to empower young Indian origin minds to learn about Indian culture and Hindi language. It is a fun group of youth to work with. We celebrate Holi, Diwali and other Indian festivals and it is very rewarding to see young faces full of curiosity and how I am able to be part of their growth journey to learn and respect our culture.
INE: What are your hobbies and interests?
AP: I love reading fictional and non-fictional books. I also enjoy listening to podcasts that tackle real-world problems. My hobby and passion is gardening even though I feel I have to re-learn all gardening skills every year with this New England weather.
INE: In what way do you feel you have most positively influenced or served the local community and your company/organization and professional field?
AP: I feel I am playing a very positive role in my professional life when I hear great comments from my colleagues and my team who is amazing and are the core of my organization. If we talk about the local community then I remember a particular incident, which is about Hari Vidhya Bhavan school where I volunteer every Sunday. One day a mother of a young girl came and hugged me and expressed how grateful she is that her daughter has started showing interest in Indian culture and language after I started working with her. I get similar feedback from other parents and that makes my day, even though juggling all this work is hard but it comes with such beautiful experiences and I get to shape young minds and empower them to believe in themselves and be expressive. This makes me believe I am making a positive influence on people around me. I feel my ability to connect with people and my qualities like kindness and empathy helps me make a positive impact.
INE: What is your rare talent?
AP: I don’t think I have ever shared this with anyone but I was the best video gaming player at my college and my first job where we used to play on a server all together and no-one knew it was a girl who was playing and was at the top of the chart, many laughter and fun memories are associated with that.
INE: Your favorite books?
AP: My all-time favorite science books are The Brief History of Time by Stephan Hawking and For the Love of Physics – written by now retired MIT Professor – Walter Lewin. I believe everyone should read these books once in their lifetime. For the Love of Physics book talks about every single phenomenon that we experience in life and how it is related to physics. It is a fun read. Walter Lewin has many of his live lectures recorded on YouTube and you will experience how he makes physics easy and fun for all. If we talk about non-fiction books, then I can read Starwars books anytime and easily lose my sleep to finish the book.
INE: Your favorite quotes?
AP: I embody the mantra, “Learn from your mistakes and use them as milestones to achieve greater things in life,” as my journey is marked by resilience and continuous growth.
INE: Who inspires you the most?
AP: I guess it is not just a single person, but I love to look at different qualities in different people and that inspires me to adapt it in my life. For example, Priyanka Chopra for her resilience, Sadhguru for his philosophy in life, and many women leaders for daringness and attitude towards life.
INE: Your core value you try to live by?
AP: My unwavering belief in kindness and empathy defines my approach to life, making my journey on this earth truly worthwhile.
INE: If you get a chance to meet, who is the one person you would like to meet and why?
AP: Dead – Marie Curie. She discovered two main periodic elements, first women to receive not one but two Nobel prizes. She created the first hand-held X-Ray machine. I am inspired by her and would like to go back in time and meet her not only because of her achievements but because of the challenges she faced to achieve these results. At those times, women were not allowed to enter labs or take engineering in college. She was secretly doing these experiments and she proved to everyone in that era that women are very much capable of reaching heights and she empowered so many women to follow their dreams. These are the reasons why she is my role model.
Alive – Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka’s rise in a male-dominated industry speaks volumes about her talent and resilience. She promotes social causes such as the environment and women’s rights and is vocal about gender equality, the gender pay gap, and feminism. She has worked with UNICEF, so if given a chance I would love to meet her someday.
