🌟 Dr. Saundarya Rajesh: The Empowerment Architect of Second Careers

Dr. Saundarya Rajesh’s journey began in Bengaluru, shaped by early experiences of balancing career aspirations with motherhood. These experiences sparked a powerful mission: to build a world where women don’t have to choose between home and profession. What started as personal ambition became a national movement.

🚀 Inventing the "Second Career" Movement

In 2000, Saundarya founded Avtar Career Creators - pioneering corporate India’s first dedicated services for women returning to work after a break. It was more than a business; it was a challenge to the status quo. Under her leadership, Avtar launched Avtar I‑WIN in 2005, a platform that evolved into today’s myAvtar.com - the first diversity-focused job portal for underrepresented groups such as women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

📊 Building Diversity With Data & Trust

Beyond hiring, Saundarya became a trailblazer for workplace transformation. She coined the idea of "career intentionality" - a concept that helped organizations see returning women professionals as a strategic advantage, not a risk. Through Avtar’s research tools such as the BCWI and MICI surveys, she helped companies dramatically improve gender balance and DEI outcomes.

📚 Books, Mentorship & Grassroots Reach

In 2018, she published The 99 Day Diversity Challenge, a hands-on guide to building inclusive cultures - earning the ISTD Book of the Year Award. In 2024, she released Conversations with the Career Doctor, a compassionate handbook for women professionals navigating life and leadership.

🌱 Nurturing Future Generations: Project Puthri

Saundarya’s impact goes beyond corporates. Through Project Puthri, she mentors underprivileged girls aged 13 to 18—instilling the mindset of career intentionality even before they enter the workforce. Today, this movement supports over 6,000 girls, equipping them with skills, confidence, and agency.

🏆 Celebrated Trailblazer

Her accolades are many—named among the "#100 Women Achievers of India" (2016), a recipient of the "Women Transforming India Award" by NITI Aayog and the UN (2016), the "WebWonderWomen Award" (2019), "Winds of Change Award" in Minneapolis (2019), and featured among "35 Global Changemakers" by Chevening, among others.

✨ Legacy of Transformation

From launching second-career programs to empowering young girls - Dr. Saundarya Rajesh’s legacy is one of transformation. She reminds us that societal shifts start with belief—and systems built for inclusion. Her life’s work shows that enabling one woman’s career can ripple into a more equitable world.