Reflections by GKII Intern Himalaya Kadari
As a Program Intern at the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII), in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, I had the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the early development of a new fellowship program focused on expanding access to global opportunities for Indian women. As an Indian woman myself, the mission of this initiative felt especially personal—having faced the challenge of finding accessible, trusted resources for professional growth, I was motivated by the relevance and urgency of the problem we set out to solve.
One of my most impactful contributions was leading the design and development of a 500+ resource database that will serve as a core tool for the program. I conducted user research and expert interviews to guide the content structure, mapped operational workflows in Miro for both manual and automated processes, and applied Agile methodologies for project planning and coordination. This hands-on experience gave me insight into how thoughtful, mission-driven programs are built from the ground up.
What made this internship truly fulfilling was the mentorship and support I received from Beth Romanski, the Program Manager at GKII. She struck a perfect balance between providing guidance and allowing me to take ownership, consistently steering me in the right direction while trusting me to lead. Through this experience, I not only sharpened my skills in project planning, systems design, and stakeholder collaboration, but also gained a deeper understanding of how impactful initiatives are created within global organizations. Working with such a dedicated and inspiring team has been incredibly empowering, and it’s deepened my passion for building systems that foster equitable access and opportunity.
